Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Okay so back home after 3.5 years away. In my house - which was rented out and the tenants had really looked after it well. Some wear and tear but no more than if I had lived there. Friend took delivery of furniture so house looked lovely when I opened the door.
:)
Another friend picked me and the three dogs up from Heathrow and drove us home. Fish and chip supper! She stayed over with me and had brought provisions for a cuppa and breakfast. The next day she drove back to Wiltshire and two more friends arrived to help with unpacking the boxes. Currys delivered TV and fridge freezer at 8 am and tesco delivered groceries at 2.40 pm. By 3 pm I was shattered so friends left.

The last week has been hard work. When not unpacking boxes, I have been on the phone sorting out various bits of paperwork.

BT modem arrived Tuesday and I was connected to the world again. The broadband set up was so simple. No router or complicated set up. Just plugged in and was up and running in 2 mins.

Wednesday I caught the bus into Lincoln and a friend picked me up and took me car shopping. I made my choice and picking it up on Tuesday next week.

Disappointed with the packing of my goods. Broken Denby flan dish, broken trim on DVD cabinet, cracked glass on expensive framed watercolor, castor fittings smashed and castors missing on 2 rolling plastic totes, smashed lid on another tote...

Friends and neighbors have been fantastic. Lots of help and warm welcomes. Had some very positive customer service experiences. Noticed how polite people are and also In rural Linconshire very friendly. In some respects seems like I have only been away a couple of weeks. Same postie!

Car insurance has cost me half what I was paying in Canada. Swinton found me an insurer that accepted my letter of experience from my Canadian insurance company. House insurance is 50% cheaper than in Canada. Ditto tv license and phone/Internet. Council tax is also cheaper. I know gas, electricity and petrol. will be more expensive. Hard at this point to say how grocery prices compare but dairy and mushrooms are noticeably cheaper! Smaller sizes of packs of everything. Great for us singles.

I know I am riding high on the euphoria of bacon butties and fish and chips but I feel as if I am in the right place. I thought that I might have missed something about Canada .... Just my relations though.

We hear a lot of doom and gloom about Britain but the sense of humor is still there, the eccentricity, the history and culture, the beautiful countryside and the BBC.

There is a lot of buzz re the jubilee and the Olympics.

Hope this posting helps to reassure anyone moving back. It is quite daunting I know. Good luck to anyone travelling home

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Glad you are settling in.

Time to change that forum profile location:)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Great to hear you are settling in ok. Keep us posted :thumbsup:

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Great post. Glad you are settling in nicely. I'll be following in your footsteps in less that 2 months. Can't wait. Keep us posted:)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Thanks so much for the update. Good to know all is well. Look forward to reading more

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Congrats and I am happy that things are running smoothly. I will send you a PM to catch up.:)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Thanks for your comments. Will keep you posted. Living overseas has taught me the importance of roots, history and culture and your friends (and family if you have family). I value the experience but am glad to feel I belong again:thumbsup:

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

That is very true word.:):)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Hi Moggiemiss


I'm live in Sleaford in Lincolnshire, is that anywhere near you? Well I'm in Vegas at the moment but will get to go back in 2.5 years:-)

Did you know the Olympic Touch is going through Sleaford on the 27th of June, so it will be in other areas of Lincolshire around those dates.

We are going on hols to the UK in 3 weeks, for 3 weeks and will be visiting Sleaford and Lincoln - can't wait:-)

I hear its sunny there today, so enjoy the weather and being home.

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Congratulations on your return. Do you mind sharing what car you purchased?

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Thanks for posting, just returned yesterday from a holiday in England and I can so relate, I loved it and also the fish and chips and bacon butties, no bacon like that in Canada! I also felt completely at home when I was there and when I landed in Vancouver yesterday, I did not feel that uplift! I loved the buzz there with the festivities and the Union Jack everywhere and sense of national pride! Wishing you the best for future days ahead!

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Hi Moggie miss

Glad to hear your story.....are you planning on a job- I would be interested to know your thoughts and experience on the job market!!! MMMMMM real bacon I am jealous!!:rofl:

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

OOOOHHH!!! Congratulations!!! I'm so so so excited for you! It's wonderful that everything feels right- I feel like that's the most important thing! :D

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I am in horncastle .... Know sleaford very well. Sun came out late today but still a good day. Yes Olympic torch coming through our county. I am so happy to be back

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I bought a Hyundai i20 active 1.2 liter. I had a Hyundai accent in Canada which is the same car. I loved it so much i wanted another but I could not get automatic. An i20 automatic was beyond my budget brand new. I did love the i10 and automatic was within budget but none available till early July. No Ex-demonstrators available and wanted a reliable motor. I drove the new car home today and felt ok driving manual gears.

5 year warranty, 5 year RAC recovery and there was about 10% discount on the list price. Got mats and half a tank of petrol cos I paid cash.

My friend who drive me round the showrooms is a real German engineering freak but he was converted to Hyundai quality.

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I do have a local government pension so don't have to work although I would like to do something part time. I don't want to have to travel to work by car due to petrol costs ...

The word is that jobs are not easy to get especially in the public sector. Touggh times.

Bacon butties .... I will be as fat as the animals that produce the bacon at this rate ..... Yum yum.

:rofl:

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

good for you, so happy that all has worked out for you xx

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I will be eating my way through every supermarket when i get back lol.:D

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I know ... I bought a load of cheese cos it was so cheap. Tesco value Brie is under £1 and would cost about $5 in Canada. Their value pickle is a pretty good sub for Branson and about 40 pence a jar.

I assure you will love being.back. I did think the size of my new washer was a bit pathetic but rejoice in a boiler that sits on the wall instead of having a beast in the basement ....

All the repartee and humour is wonderful ...

As my friend said to me ... The Canadians have had a banter bypass!

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Glad you are happy to be home. I'll be right behind you and one of things that I am really looking forward to his joining in the friendly banter. I miss it so much. Oh, and bacon butties too.

I like the sound of your car. I am going to have to get an automatic as I don't want to sit my test again. I can trade my Cdn lic. for a UK one, but I will only be licensed to drive an automatic. I plan on taking some driving lessons too as I need to refamiliarize myself with driving in the UK.

How is the driving going? I am not looking forward to driving in the UK, but I suppose I will be more comfortable with it after I have more exposure to it.:)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Thank you. Quite freaky really that is the exact car I have been looking at for my own planned return. Fyi, my parents bought one about a year ago and love it. They and I have driven it up and down England. No problems and very comfortable even for my size (height not width:))

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I think I will be right behind you. lol

I can't wait for the banter, saying that the shippers last week had a great sense of humour. I was given a nickname, sang too and abused in a real funny way. :)

My friends think I look more radiant now that I know I am returning. ( I can't wait)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Maybe they will give me one too. Robin is coming over tomorrow to take a look at our stuff and then we will probably pack it up in July. We are sharing a container so who knows when it will arrive, but the stuff we are shipping is more sentimental than anything else, not stuff we need for everyday.:)

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

I go early morning swimming at our local pool. Four of us go from our estate. We walk down together. The staff call us by our first names. We can even bring our own CDs to play whilst we are swimming. The young lifeguards are such fun ... Loads of banter ... Everyone knows each other ... I cannot tell you how good it feels.

I get up every morning and feel good about the day ahead. Connecting with friends is fantastic .. They Have been so welcoming and no inquest about why i have come back ... Just ... So lovely to have you back!:thumbsup:

Re: Back a week and soooo happy!!!
 

Yay! You made it back and you sound so happy :D I'm still here in Oz but my evil boss left (under dubious circumstances lol!). I am so much happier now as my new boss is an absolute diamond also, I finally got my citizenship, things are a LOT better than they were for me a few months ago. I don't know what I would have done without the support I got from people on BE, such a Godsend! So pleased for you, hope it all works out for you and the kitty cats! I'll be looking out for your updates :thumbsup: