back in uk
 

I urge anybody thinking of moving back to the uk to first spend a month back there in January.I have just returned from 4 weeks over in England and couldn't wait to get back to Aus.It was cold dark wet windy and very little to do for children.It made us realise what a great decision moving away was!

Re: back in uk
 

ha ha!!! careful, those facts might not go down well!!!

Re: back in uk
 

What were you expecting in January - long sunny days and ice cream trucks filling the streets ???

Re: back in uk
 

nope just realisation of what the UK is like during the winter and how hard it is to do interesting things outside (with kids etc) when the sun aint shining!!

Re: back in uk
 

Err, don't you think people know? This is the Moving back to the UK Forum, not the Moving to the UK Forum.

It's probably more appropriate to tell a bunch of Brits "Before you decide to go to Oz/Southern US, etc., go there for a month in the middle of summer" :confused:

The past few weeks here have been pretty grim - mostly incessant drizzle. But then I expected that before I came back - because I've lived here before. :unsure:

Re: back in uk
 

Can't you do interesting things inside then ??

Re: back in uk
 

Read at your peril:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=3338.0

:)

Re: back in uk
 

Ha ha!! That is SO the english culture to do things inside! Do you hvae a 2 year old? If so you know how hard it is to entertain them all day inside without reverting to the TV. If the weather is good (ok, english summer too!) you can do inside and out,therefore more options.

Sound bout right?!

Re: back in uk
 

Admittedly I don't have a 2 year old, but last time I checked they didn't seem to need acres of countryside to roam about in like a cheetah or something.

Re: back in uk
 

Meaning?

I think they out do a house-size in a day though. Basically think we both agree that good weather, be it a hot country or even summertime here, means options for activities are widened both for adults and kids....therefore if the weather is good year round, activities are vast year round.

Re: back in uk
 

Try a Winter in New York, try a few. This isn't just for those in Oz right? ;)

12" snowfalls, blizzards even.....and more snow on that.
5 months of cracking cold and cabin fever as a rider.
Nowhere to put the snow anymore from having your driveway ploughed up to 3 times in one day.
Ice storms and freezing rain which turn the roads into a death trap.
Driving in it cuz schools may shut - but vork vill still be open......:D

.......and the heating bills.....:eek: :eek:

Re: back in uk
 

"There is no bad weather - only bad clothing" (Norwegian proverb.

In my experience, it is the parents who mind the weather, whereas kids on the whole don't give a monkeys.

Re: back in uk
 

I suggest that you read some of the threads on here about how hot it gets in Australia during the summer.

Re: back in uk
 

I have a 2 year old and have never had any problems keeping him entertained, inside, outside or anywhere.

Re: back in uk
 

Did anyone mention the wildlife in Oz? You know, spiders, snakes etc... :eek:

Re: back in uk
 

Conjures up herds of feral toddlers. There's something for the Sun.

Re: back in uk
 

It was over 40 yesterday, still 36 deg's at 8 o'clock last night, your 2 year old will be spending plenty of time in doors and the winters here it rains a lot too.
I believe Perth has higher annual rainfall then London, just concentrated over a shorter period.(That may be crap fact I picked up here and I can't be bothered to check, got to get the kids ready for surf club).

There are different good things here and different bad, I shouldn't set yourself to find your life much changed overall, just adapted.

Re: back in uk
 

There are pitbulls in the UK I suppose :blink:

Re: back in uk
 

I did think of an episode of rugrats just after I typed that to be fair :D

Re: back in uk
 

But how difficult is it to put a coat and boots on and get outside. People have lived for generations through the English winters and without TV's, videos, playstations and the likes. What did our parents/grandparents do in the winters. I guess they didn't sit around inside huddled round the fire waiting for the first buds to appear before venturing outside the door.

When my kids were little, we'd love getting wrapped up and going for walks in the countryside whatever the weather. We'd explore somewhere different almost every weekend. There are loads of parks, play areas both inside and out, childrens farms etc. And if all else fails, the amount of toys and games that they have these days, they are simply spoiled for choice for things to do.

Re: back in uk
 

I have a 2 year old and it's a total nightmare to entertain him in Canada. I can't even go outside my front door from Spring onwards without fear of coming across a bear!

My kids had a much better life in the UK and I can't wait to get home.

Re: back in uk
 

...... and I presume that's not a teddy bear you're talking about!! Good luck with your move back FF. I wish you all the best. Just watch out for the chavs - they can be worse than the bears!

Re: back in uk
 

Shows how different things can be for everybody. We've just spent 4 weeks back in the UK, and had the time of our life! Yes, the weather was foul, nothing nice about it at all, but it didn't stop us from doing anything. We did more in that short time than we've done in the last 2 years in Perth. Admittedly most of the time was spent socialising and catching up with loads of friends and family, but it was one party after another (at least people do entertain/socialise over there - unlike this boring place!) We used to do FAR more in England - there was so much more variety. Perth has fantastic beaches, but there's only so much of gawping at the stunning ocean one can do, before going stir crazy with boredom!

Anyway, it's great that you're happy to be back - it's good to know that it really works well for some people over here!

45 degrees again today folks! Think I'll go for a jog - not!!

Re: back in uk
 

Have to be muzzled and neutered, so hopefully will die out in due course...

Re: back in uk
 

....and hopefully the owners too! Have you seen some (most) of the dogs in Oz - I mean....... what IS that???!!!!

Re: back in uk
 

On the contrary, we went back for 6 weeks last winter and had a great time! Rugged up for winter walks, out at 4pm to see all the Christmas lights, visited a museum, went to see a Christmas panto etc. Visiting friends and relatives meant so much more than baking and sweating it away in Oz as we have done this year. We made the most of our winter in England, and on the way home, I cried all the way from London to Dubai because I didn't want to come back to Oz.

It made us realise how much more there is to do in England than Australia!:D :D :D

Re: back in uk
 

:rofl: :rofl:

Re: back in uk
 

Thats a pity, we had a ball, was it that cold, we didnt think so, and they were saying warmest jan for over 400 years, did get that windy day tho, reminded us of here in summer when we went to beach and came back with a tree through a roof.

We took the kids to york museum, railway museum, they learnt to ice skate in york, cinema with a 5 quid voucher, stuffed them full at pizza express for 2.99,tired them out on the yorkshire moors and bought them ice cream:rofl: at scarborough where they lost 20 quid on the 2 p machines, and walked the roman walls, and the river ouse spotting wildlife.

Went to visit expats in london, they are free on london transport off peak and we did science museum, museum of london, and 3 others gallery/art type things all free, walked the river thames and hopped on and off the buses for free doing stuff like big ben, and we did a monopoly board sightsee again free buses kids spotting signs like mayfair and park lane.

Plus they loved the shops waterstones, wh smith, and those designer/discount sports stores picking up trainers and shirts for as low as 2 quid a item.

Back here its too flippin hot to go outside unless you are in the pool.

Re: back in uk
 

Must admit I did as a kid. I can still remember riding, and my hands were blue even with gloves on, the wind on my face which I hated and then defrosting when I went inside and getting pins and needles. It has stopped me riding in UK since, and I'm surrounded by horses when I go there and had one in Oz and rode all the time. I also liked it in the summer months as I was into sports, hated the winter sports which we had to do at school and often wished to live in a warmer climate at a young age as I found I did more in the summer than in winter. I find even when I'm in Spain in winter and spend half my time in both countries, my lifestyle is certainly better when I'm in Spain and I often even in winter go for walks along the beach. I don't go out that much in UK, it doesn't quite have the same appeal. Today I went down the beach and sat outside at 4pm and had a coffee and soup there even though it isn't so warm, it is sunny and I made the most of it as I'm back in the UK tomorrow and know I won't have the same enthusiasm to do things. I even eat differently there, eating a salad or a veg juice, doesn't have the same appeal when you're freezing. :blink:

I'm sure I have a bat genes in me, as I come alive at night and want to hibernate in the winter. :D

Re: back in uk
 

Exactly. Why dont UK people think about this side of the weather too. That sort of heat makes any child (or adult) cranky, hot, burnt, stroppy and itchy, hardly playing out weather is it!

Re: back in uk
 

Oh really!!! What did you expect in Jan? Glorious sunshine:frown:
Winters in OZ are crap too, everything shuts down, freezing at night, nothing to do.
Some of us do like the snow...i have never felt so mindlessly bored since i got to OZ..your advice is just an opinion, over the head, gone, makes no difference.

Re: back in uk
 

It was the Australia Day bank holiday yesterday.

Dead as a doornail!

Re: back in uk
 

yes..and how boring was that!! nothing open. Too hot to care. Stayed in all day..didn't fancy having another BBQ, sitting in a park or beach:frown:

God give us snow so we can have fun:p

Re: back in uk
 

not where I was it wasn't. You really really need to get out more. Get a job in maccas like the others you so despise, get some money saved and get the hell out of here.

Re: back in uk
 

I don't normally get involved in these discussions but I had to share.

For at least 2-3 months of the year my son can't go outside to play because it's too hot and humid. Try doing anything outside in 35C+ heat, it's not fun. After 10 mins you are dripping with sweat and breathing in humid air does nothing to help your lungs. You don't even get to see the neighbours because they are all inside cooling off in the AC.

And our winters are just as cold as the UK, if not colder.

I'm not saying your opinion isn't valid, but asking you to see that there are two sides to a coin.

Re: back in uk
 

maccas and other fast food takeaway places only employ 14-18yr olds. Anyone older than that who works for them is either an asst or shift manager (usually in their 20s) or those who own the store.

Re: back in uk
 

I stayed home with the fan on full blast (no air con), and drank copious amounts of bland aussie beer :D

Hmmm, might do the same today :p

Re: back in uk
 

Yep..me also indoor again, Daughter and her mates all complaining about how hot and bothered they are...geez what do they expect me to do about it?

Like Sue mentioned...all those stuck in Blighty complaining of how cold it is there...try doing things outside in 35+ heat..then lets see who complains..:confused: they have alot to learn:huh:

Re: back in uk
 

Something that used to be popular in famalies in OZ with young ones, was to get them into their swim gear and then have them run through the sprinklers or spray them with the hose. A trip to the local council public pool can be a good outing too for the majority of us without a pool. Beaches get too hot and crowded.

It's very hard and energy draining to try and do much of anything when it gets up in the 30s or 40s. At least when it's cold you can warm up, harder to cool down when it's hot and you could dehydrate or overheat too. Those who haven't been to a country like OZ before can find it difficult to imagine, they are just thinking of the marketing image of sun drenched beaches etc.

I've been in OZ since mid 90s and still am not used to it! I have even met Aussies who ahve spent all their life in Perth and hate summer because even having lived all your life here is no guarantee of being acclimatised to the place!

Re: back in uk
 

We did this a couple of times during the hols, the first time both myself and my son burned quite badly (factor 30 cream) after 40 minutes in the pool, the 2nd time we went and it was closed due to bluebottles getting into the pool on high tide, so we went to an indoor council run one and both boys now have ear infections. I'm hoping they are ok for school on Tuesday. :unsure: