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

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.

There are pitbulls in the UK I suppose

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

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.

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.

...... 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!

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!!

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

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

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!

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 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.

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.

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

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!