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Well let me change your opinion ;)
I'm currently banished to London's Heathrow Airport and I think it is the closest place to hell on earth. I missed my flight back to the US because we had a mechanical out of Dublin.
Cheers

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What does that mean, cheers...a mechanical out of Dublin? Also, what's so awful about Heathrow? I've never been there.

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Heathrow is fine as an aiport but at the end of day of the day it is just an airport.

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A mechanical problem.

Agree with Chris. It's just an airport. Far friendlier staff than many I've been in.

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It's improved a lot. Miles better than the truly hellish Tom Bradley terminal at LAX.

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Thanks, but if he was over Dublin (that's what he meant by "out of Dublin, right?) then he didn't really miss his plane, did he? Did he mean that he got on his plane back to the US, then they encountered a mechanical problem over Dublin that forced them back to Heathrow where he was waiting for another plane:unsure:?

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"out of Dublin" - to me - means there was some problem with the flight going out of Dublin. Not that there was a problem over the city, in the air.

It sounds like he had a flight from Dublin to Heathrow. That flight left Dublin late due to a mechanical problem. He was supposed to catch a flight from Heathrow to the US. He missed that flight.

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That's what I thought when I read his post, but I didn't think he went to Ireland. Last I read he was in England. Maybe I missed something...

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Lots of people fly into Dublin and then take a hopper to England. When they are coming in from other countries, anyway. Airfare is cheaper into Dublin - no paying any UK air duty to the Irish government! You only pay duty on the much cheaper hopper fare over to the mainland.

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Thank you so much! I must admit I have been too exhausted lately to return to the blog and even BE has suffered my attention as well, but hopefully I can remedy both situations within the next day or so, as there is so much left to say and much to update on. But thanks again for your lovely comments and I'm glad you like the blog. :) If I can show other people just what IS possible, it might help them take that first step to returning home if they're unsure for any reason.. :)

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:wave:

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:typing::wave:

Have just written an essay for BE, but has to be moderator approved of course. Hopefully it should be readable within the next 24 hours or so. :)

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Sorted :)

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You're awesome :)

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Where will we find it?

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Each time I have flown into Heathrow the service has been much better than the US airports I have flown into. Staff waiting to help all around the airport and direct you..

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It's under 'Back Home' and titled 'Back 3 months' :)

I'm also in the process of adding to my blog and just put in another entry. I will do more over the next couple of days while I'm off work :)

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I quite like Heathrow Airport and even spent 12 hours there once without any hassles. Of course I think they're pretty good right now as they're honouring Dr Who and having the Cybermen and Daleks there all this week, plus a Tardis photo booth and gift bags... what I wouldn't give to be able to land at Heathrow right now.. lol :D

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Good to hear from you look forward to any updates. I know you are busy and tired out from work.. I CAN relate.

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We were on a Aer Lingus flight out of Dublin to LHR. After we were all loaded on the plane they found the plane had a mechanical problem so after working to correct the problem for about an hour and a half they had to transfer all the passengers to another plane. I wont go into all the details of trying to find a part and trying to scavenge a part from another plane.....

Well as far as I can remember Heathrow has always under construction. To get from terminal 1 to terminal 5 takes about 20 minutes on a shuttle bus I think then you have to get from the bus let off stop to where you need to get to. More time.

May I ad that we tried to get an earlier flight out of Dublin but the airline geniuses don't allow that. We pointed out that it could alleviate a problem if the scheduled flight was delayed and we missed our connection.

An airport is an airport you say. ??????

Cheers

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Cheers, I must have missed the part where you spent some of your time in Ireland. I thought you were in England the whole time.

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Our schedule was a bit crazy but we just passed through Dublin to save a lot of money in air fare.

Sounds dumb but we drove from Newbury to Holyhead and took the 2:20 am ferry to Dublin, got off the ferry and went direct to Dublin Airport to take the flight to Heathrow. Sounds maybe dumb but multiply the savings among 5 people.

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Hi cheers, just to pick your brains then.. if you dont mind.. so it was cheaper to fly from Dublin to LHR to your destination in the USA? Is that the way you came here.. could you have not go on that plane in LHR and skip the Dublin bit, or was it supposed to be a direct flight from Dublin to USA..
I am always on the look out for cheaper ways to fly my 3 here etc.x

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It would have been a lot more convinient to have flown from LHR but they can or will bill you the higher fare. I don't know for sure but I don't want to find out the hard way.

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Whofan

loved reading your updates. I've just come back from Arizona, I was there for 29 miserable years, but 32 years total in U.S. I feel 'normal' here....felt like a fish out of water over there. Always doubting myself and second guessing but not here....it's wonderful!! I've put in for my bus pass and I also have a rail way pass as I am 61 now. Whatta leap after all these years..eh? So what part of Az did you live in? It would be nice to swop stories and I look forward to hearing more updates.

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Could you update your location info?
Tar ducks.
Cheers

PS I'm jealous of you. I wouldn't say I've been miserable though.
Oh to have a bus pass! railway pass costs about £50 for the pass and then you pay for the fare which was dirt cheap after 9 am and going into Exeter.

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Cheers...I am now in Barry, Wales!

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I know Cheers will probably say this, so I will save him a post.....you need to update your location!;):D

Moi doesn't bother with all that!:p

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Are you originally from the area? I am from London but we will be making our way to Cardiff in 2 years. Not too many going to Wales on here, but a few more it seems come from the north. So it's always nice to come across someone else on the southside :) Keep us updated as to how you are getting along :)

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No Perthhomeschool, I grew up in London but most of my family live in Gloucester.

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Funny that - another poster, lcar, just returned to Cardiff area and she is also originally from London. Good to know there are a few of us :thumbsup:

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I grew up in Gloucestershire, near the Welsh border. Used to go to Barry Island on youth club trips! We went thru Cardiff this summer, on way to the Gower. Rhossilli beach is beautiful. :)

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We are very much looking forward to building a new life in Wales. It proved too difficult to select another place in England since London was now unaffordable. After looking at what Cardiff had to offer we soon discovered that only would it suit us just fine, but when we were ready to retire to the hills we would be spoiled for choice anywhere in Wales :thumbsup:

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I spent most of my first year back here in South Wales and loved the people I worked with (though up in the valleys it can be a bit grim in the winter!). The Brecons are not far at all and of course Camarthenshire and the Gower are also within spitting distance.

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I have yet to hear any negatives - other than the usual quip about the rain :D I think we can handle that though. From the little I know I think we will really love the people too. I have even set myself the task of learning a little Welsh :)

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South Wales your not going to be far from Devon, Cornwall, Dorset either....such lovely counties and not forgetting Shropshire just across the borders..... Pob lwc

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Yes indeed...lovely. I went to boarding school in S. Devon and have friends still there and in Dorset. We absolutely can't wait!:)