Never say never... With a British husband there is always the possibility that you move back to the UK one day. My sister married an Australian many many years ago and she has spent over 40 years going backwards and forwards between the 2 countries, never really settling 100% in either country!

As for me, I love my country but wanted a change. Yes there are "threatening" areas but also lovely ones too. Currently I live in the arse of Nova Scotia but it doesn't mean I dislike Canada, I'm just unsure of this town so far and it's such a shock to the system after living in the South East of England for my whole adult life!

Good luck with your plans but I would just say that I hope your 4 years in London haven't unsettled you for the rest of your life like my sister is...

thanks how long have you lived in Nova Scotia for? I've been there a few times, and it's quite a pretty place, just quiet. I would assume if you've not been there too long, that it will probably take you quite a while to get used to your surroundings.
Well, to be honest, living here has left me kind of in Limbo. I feel like my life is on hold whilst I live here. Espcially since leaving my job. I never really felt that I fit into the culture or lifestyle over here, that isn't to say that I haven't tried to blend in. When I first moved over, the culture shock lasted a good year. I have to be honest and say, I don't think I ever really liked the idea of it, but I married someone who is british and at the time had a much better paying job than I did, and so, moving here was more suitable as teaching jobs are few and far inbetween in Canada.
I think the experience overall was one that was needed. I was far too sheltered over in Canada in terms of culturally speaking. Also, I wanted to travel and see the rest of the world, and I've seen many places since. But yeah, my overall experience has left me sort of isolated until I can actually move back and get my life back together.

I understand where you're coming from. I feel a little isolated down here. It's 3 1/2 hours to Halifax and the friends I had made in anticipation of moving here. But like you a job came up and so I followed my OH to Yarmouth.

I think that I would say that rather than Canadians being boring or having no sense of humour and so on that others have referred to it's more like Brits and Canadians are on a different wave length and have to find a common ground to get on. Sadly that can be tricky and takes a while to achieve - if ever.
I experienced this when I first moved back from France to England when I was 22. I had grown up in France and didn't settle easily back in the UK. 18 months after I moved back I desperately wanted to go back to France but had just had a baby so it was impractical.
Eventually I settled and can now say I love my country, and France!!! Hopefully in a couple of years I will be able to say I love Canada too but for the moment it's too soon to tell!!!

Yep I agree about the british canadian thing. Although, not impossible, it does require work.
I'm sure you'll end up thinking "there's no place like home" but hopefully, it will make an adequate substitution. I've only ever visited Nova Scotia, so I don't know what it's actually like to live there.

I am quite worried about having posted this as I hear Bob Holness just died. Hope Michael Rodd is ok

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blockbuster...133704445.html

Teacher1000 - Just a quick question - have you discussed with your OH what you will do if he feels exactly the same way about Canada as you do about the UK 4 years down the line? Just a thought.....

yes. we have discussed the "risks" involved with moving over to Canada. I have to say, as sad as it would be, if he truly hated Canada and wanted to move back to the UK, I would probably have no choice but to end my marriage. This would be because I would not want to live in the UK again, and also, because it clearly just would not work.

However, that being said, in all of our discussions, he seems incredibly optimistic about our adventure to canada, and having grown up going to boarding school, and travelling extensively already, he doesn't seem at all bothered about the prospects of living somewhere totally new and strange.
I am not under the illusion that it will be easy at all. However, we are lucky enough to have the resources available to help make it easier.

Aww that's sad

I suppose another option/compromise on both parts, rather than ending the marriage, would be a neutral country.

R I P Please Bob

hmm yes i suppose, but the amount of work/effort that it took for me to move here in the first place was pretty insane. The paperwork involved, and moving the goods, and adjusting to the culture etc...To then move to another country other than Canada or the UK would be very daunting because for both of us it would be strange. I don't think that would be a practical option for us.

We thought about staying the the UK and living outside of London, but because my husband gets inner london pay and recruitment and retention for living inside london, he would lose about 10,000 if he left and we moved to let's say, Oxfordshire County. The cost of living is a bit lower, but it wouldn't make up for certain things like, then having to own a vehicle to get around ect. Also, they are planning on chopping public sector pensions down to nill and my husband would have to work till 68 in order to retire, and that is def something he does NOT want. Who can see some 68 year old pushing a pencil in the classroom? You should be on a beach somewhere enjoying life at that age.

We did think about moving outside of london, but the housing prices for the areas we did like, were waaay too much. And on a lower income, we wouldn't be able to travel or do anything extra even though we wouldn't have a mortgage. So, the change for us wouldn't make a difference.

When we move to Canada, we can buy a home outright, and have money to put aside to save etc. I can return to the college I graduated from to do some night school classes, and work part time at my old job (if they will have me back which I suspect they would)

My husband will complete his OTC and do some extra courses to be in with a better chance of getting work, and he will take on work somewhere else in the meantime to get by.

Because he went to private school, he may be in with a better shot to teach in a private school as well, also he teaches secondary chemistry and physics which are better subjects to find work in. (only a little though) I also have some friends who work with the board of education, so hopefully that will help.

Ahem. Facts please

well hamilton for example, is smaller than toronto and so is kitchener and bands play there.
Basichttp://britishexpats.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=9824941ally what I was getting at was that in hereford, you'd have a hard time finding bands to see which is something I personally rate as important.

http://www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/fmm.pdf
that's for a start.

http://www.monbiot.com/2011/12/19/ho...ecame-tyranny/

http://www.investortoday.co.uk/news_...ases-across-uk

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...plan_1_4015311

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...ension-reforms

http://www.monbiot.com/2011/12/12/unmasking-the-press/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...eron-wellbeing

I'm sure some of those articles sum up what's really going on and how people are feeling about it.

Hamilton and Kitchener are part of a conurbation that includes Toronto. That's why I cited Ealing, Croydon and the like as being comparable. Hereford is more closely analagous to Lisle or Dundalk ON. Bands do not play in Lisle or Dundalk nor, I imagine, in Vernon.