tinytears

Well after a rather eventful night outside last night again with gangs of pissed kids setting off fireworks and having punch ups (oh joy) when we were counting down the days until we leave, today was rather bittersweet, knowing that in all liklihood this would be the last manic Christmas spent shuffling between families and so on, feeling rather sad that this will be our last Christmas here.

It has been a very strange day indeed.

Coffeepot

We thought that last year was going to be our last hear but hear we are still ?

We have a bet on when we think we will be in Canada this year with each other and have written it in the diary so will see who is the nearest, all depends on selling the house ?

No problems here with youths or fireworks but still want to go,
Still have the same feelings though bittersweet, especially with friends saying they don't think we will go, most think we are mad

It will be very hard to leave the kids but they have there own lives to live and we will only be a few hours away only the youngest is coming with us, possibly the daughter will join us after uni who knows.

anyway happy new year TT and good luck

tinytears

We are leaving our house we doubt we will be able to sell it due to said youths and there is no way we want to stay here amongst the little so and so's. Will see if we can rent it out in the short term.

Brave decision to leave your kids but you are right it is only a few hours away - that is why we want to go now before they get too old and won't come.

Many of our friends don't think we will go, one said to me the other day that we will sell the house and move locally, she really doesn't believe that we will go - I felt really insulted tbh but we will prove them wrong because we *are* going without a doubt we will get there.

Good luck with selling your house.

englishrose1

I can relate with you both, hoping that this is my last xmas here. I like you guys are wondering whether 2009 xmas will be spent in our new homes, building our new lives. After xmas maybe Feb/March I will get estate agent round and make a decision about the house. Either to sell or rent but either way I want to be out of my house by September 2009. I maybe tempting fate but I am off to the travel agent today and going to book my ticket to go for good. I intend to leave mid December as it fits with my plans. I know what you mean about family and friends not quite believing that you are going to leave. You are not mad, we know the transistion will be hard, but me we are the brave ones. I know where I live I will not miss another xmas in this depressing place. Lets hope CIC London allow my plans to go smoothly. I have my fingers crossed for us all.

Coffeepot

Blimy that is brave booking a ticket remember its usually cheaper to book a return anyway

I will miss my home my friends and where i live, we are very fortunate, as i have said before it comes at a price and that is OH commuting to London daily, he has had enough and wants to spend time with our youngest and me awwww not 4 hours on the train everyday gets home just in time to kiss him goodnight


I have noticed some of our friends have moved on already i have seen this happen lots round here as there are lots of Americans and some Canadians here with Nato etc, people move on to new relashionships, i think its a self preservation thin g, others though have become closer and will come and see us im sure,

We are all moving for different reasons the recesion has put that on hold for lots, but im sure if your really determined it can be done,

Good luck Englishrose i hope you can sell if thats what you decide on

sugar

Why dont the police do something about the unruly youth in England.
I read so much on the site about drunk kids etc.
Here in Canada like everywhere else we have some trouble with the youth but the police where I live will not put up with public displays, and would run them in then fines.
I cannot believe how much my native country has gone down the pan.
But then maybe many of their parents are a glowing example of not handling booze very well, monkey see monkey do mentality.
I live in a city in Ontario and to date have never witnessed young gangs of youth pissed, it must be scarry especially for the elderly.
It will be hard for you leaving family behind but we ajust given time.

montreal mike

has england gone to the dogs?

it was such a splendid country when I left in 1962

every time I read about the place it is depressing news

someone please tell me i am wrong

tinytears

IMHO it has gone to the dogs. There are big anti-social behaviour problems, even where I live which is supposedly an affluent area.

The economy has been driven into the ground.

There is very little incentive to work. In fact quite the opposite.

This was all explored in a recent post I did entitled tonight.

tinytears

The police don't do anything because their hands are tied, they no longer have any effective means of dealing with these kids. The only real thing they can do is impliment asbo's but these are collected with pride by these thugs and is anything other than a deterrant. The police cannot arrest them and as householders we are advised not to approach the thugs in any way shape or form. The other night I had to call the police (see my earlier thread entitled "Tonight". The police came round here that evening to tell us that under no circumstances should we reprimand these thugs for smashing up our property - a) because they are likely to stab us or b) because they will target the house even more and c) because they don't have the resource to actually deal with anything that happens as a result!!!

And therein lies much of the problem, the police are under resourced, they have very few means to tackle these jobs, they are targetted to death and tied up with beurocracy.

I do think it is a case of monkey sees, monkey does - again explained in the post entitled Tonight but imho there is a massive breakdown in family and community and until this is tackled and challenged then I don't see how there can be any improvement.

In fact last night as we were laying in bed being kept awake by half a dozen kids outside the hosue screaming and singing pissed out of their brains we were discussing on what can actually be done to reverse what has happened here. I think the damage will take generations to undo, 20, 30 or even 40 years, it is that bad. Where does it stop we just don't know.

tinytears

Thank you. We are determined 2009 will be our year. Good luck with your plans.

montreal mike

I just read through your post and that other thread; it is all very sad.

Ironic when i think of the positive aspects of the present day commonwealth as compared to how decrepit ' the motherland' seems to have become and I recall, in the late fifties and early sixties, when the colonies were granted their independence and the concern, expressed then, that these countries would descend into chaos without British rule.

Indeed a few did but most did quite well thank you without the Brits .

sas-lou

And this is exactly my concern ..

I have only been here almost 3 weeks and it is so nice compared to England moreso Leicester ..

My children settled have settled into school .. well 3 days .. my eldest who's 13 has the lowest confidence ever as bullied for so many years (my children have actually argued over who has the most friends, never thought i would hear that). They are so behind though, just shows how much the English schools are dumbing down the work

And if it all goes pear shaped what do i do????

Return to England, get myself put into a hostel (my parents downsized so only has a 2 bed house) .. get my kids into school where noone cares about their future, have them violently assulted on a regular basis (during 6 months 4 incidents and the police involved twice on assults on my 13 yr old).. listen to pissheads on a friday/ saturday night screaming and fighting because they cant handle their booze and have no respect for those who are sleeping ..why should the government care about the law abiding people .. they are in their nice houses, in their nice villages cut off from the rest of society, their kids are going to get a great education .. and pray

OR

Stay in canada .. be a one parent family, hope that a job pays enough so im not on the poverty line, my kids get a great education, and im alone in a foreign country ..

I never want to return to England .. unless you've been there recently, you dont have an idea just how much its done to the dogs .. although talking to my mum yesterday and hearing her cry .. i feel like im making people around me unhappy both mum and hubby .. i cant win

Why cant things go to plan ..
I suppose you just have to be grateful for what you have, when you have it .. and hope for the best

moondevil

England is alovely country --- "to visit"
i wouldnt live there again, if things didnt work for us here, then i'd move somewhere else..........to return with children is not an option for me

my little buds have blossomed here within a few months and to return i believe would not be good for them
We started the move in 2006, finally arrived here afew months ago and can remember the bittersweet bit back in the uk......

TOO all those who said that we would never do it ---

For all those who are going through the bittersweet bit, hold tight it will happen, may take a massive push from you, but with abit of a kick it will happen -- good luck

loser40

IMHO you have a better chance of things working out in Canada than in the UK - hang in there and chase the dream...

M.

Tracie107

My MIL took our leaving very hard she didn't and couldn't understand why we left. But we just kept reminding ourselvs that our darling son deserved a better life and being in the UK, which we become to hate ourselves, he was not going to get one. So it made our goodbyes so much easier, furthermore in-laws came out in September and finally realised why we did it!

To be honest, we settled into our new life the minute we got on the plane as we knew that there was no return. What would we be returning back too?... so it had to work out and it has.

I really hope that everyone manages to sell or rent their homes in order to start the new life that awaits them.

Good Luck to you all