Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Ok you'st gonna adore this :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

celticspirit it would have been nice to have met you but sure the dog judging kept you busy..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I had a very pleasant surprise today.

One of my friends is a financial director for a time-share organisation and from time to time can get the use of a time-share property at the last minute for a very low price or for free.

I was chatting with his wife this afternoon and she said that a one-bedroom time-share apartment became available in Midtown Manhatten (near Carnegie Hall/Fifth Ave/Central Park South) for one week beginning tomorrow (Saturday). There have probably been cancellations due to the bad recent weather.

They are going to use it tomorrow night, but as their kids are at school and he has to be at work in his New Jersey office, they offered me the use of the apartment (I will have to pay a $25 per day cleaning charge) to stay there during the week :thumbsup:

I only live 40 mins from NYC so I'm going to take them up on their offer....OK I'll be on my own (although I can meet up with a girlfriend who works in the city for dinner) but there will be plenty of things to do, even if we get yet another huge snowfall midweek. :)

What nice people they are (expat Aussies) so I said as a 'thank you' I'll look after their kids one weekend so they can go off for some quality time together.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

What a wonderful offer, have a lovely time.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Seconded!! Enjoy!! :thumbsup:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Fabulous :D Do you have anything specific planned?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

K, don't think I'm nuts, but have any of you considered taking a new US name when you get citizenship, and have both a UK and US name?
It's crossed my mind from time to time. Not to evade or misrepresent or that type of thing, just because I could. Then I consider what name I'd take.
Immigrants in US have very often changed their names, or had them changed for them, when becoming citizens. Just thought it might be fun but don't know if it would cause difficulties.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

A Chinese woman who works with my husband has taken a 'US' name, it recently caused a problem when she went to take an examination and they wouldn't let her in.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I'm not sure I know what you mean about immigrants having their names changed for them?

My last name is Brookes and so I wouldn't bother changing my name. But I can see why some immigrants might want to change, especially if their name was particularly difficult to pronounce or spell.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Well back in the day..........many decades ago.......when the immigration guys processing people who came over in boats couldn't pronounce the names, they would just arbitrarily record it as something that they could pronounce.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Wow ... I never knew that. It's no wonder when the relatives of those immigrants came over they couldn't find each other.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Dh changed his last name when he became a USC he was born with one surname, but when they moved to US he used his stepfathers last name for school so when he did his citizenship he had it made legal. Now his UK birth certificate and passport say one name and his US passport says another :lol: I think we'll have to get his UK name changed by Deed poll once we are back.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Long time ago I was married (then divorced) to a guy (dead for years) who had changed his name. He was not affiliated with any religion, just flight of fancy, wanted to be different. So I never got around to changing the name...lazy.
After 9-11, I mean within days, I started to get tons of donation requests from Muslim organizations. What? It was right when there was a big anthrax through the mail scare. I was scared to death. Tossed them in the outside trash with gloves on - never opened one after the first one.
So I was on a list. Whose? What were they really soliciting?
I went to Social Security and dropped the name. I go by my first and middle birth names only.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Why did he change his name?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

To make his mother happy I think, plus it was easier for him to carry one using that name seeing it was on his work certificates, High school graduation certificate, Social security card etc etc.
But now with us marrying under that name and having kids it makes it harder in some ways, as the UK know him by another name, so it'll have to be changed. I preferred his old name.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Mummy, hows the weather your way? Its like a spring day here and I was out in the garden and had to start watering because its been too long without rain. I also cut the lawn.

Cheers ducks

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Yes Spring like fog in the mornings and sun in the afternoon. I've still got the wood stove burning as it's cold 52 this afternoon (cold if you've been here a while)
Dd has been playing outside a lot :thumbup:, bouncing on the trampoline and bothering the cat. No watering needed yet. We have some rain coming our way according to the weather man. Dh cut the grass one time and has broken the lawn tractor twice now, the parts came this morning so we'll see short grass again sometime this week.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I still have my married name on my British passport as I was too stingy to spend over $300 for a new one, when I travel I have to take my birth cert. marriage cert and divorce papers just in case..............though I have never been asked for them and obviously I have to buy my airline ticket in my married name......

My name now is the one I was born with and I consider that to be my REAL name, I like it very much and it feels like ME. I was married for almost 30 years and yet the funny thing is I have never once signed my name in my married name, my REAL name just seems to flow effortlessly..........

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

U 2 young to have married that long.;)
cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Oh you flatterer you. ;)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Ours in Texas was 75F today with a pure blue sky. I hear there will be big changes for much colder weather and snow next week.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Celtic Spirit, Don, Windsong and Eastern, (the dog lovers)

Have you seen this clip called 'Breakfast with Ginger'

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...th+ginger&aq=0

I think it is hilarious

Cheers

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

That was hilarious. I sent it to the grandkids!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Hi Cheers, well that was quite funny BUT the American canned laughter is something I can't abide IMHO it is too distracting and sooo fake, sorry !!! :thumbdown:

I posted this on another thread but it seems to have been missed by all except a few.......... VERY clever British subtle humoUr............


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaPep...63F5654A7B6C91

there are about 20 other clips in the same vein.........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIDp0...eature=channel

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Digressing - forewarning.. Gosh am I lucky bugger or what? I am visiting a friend I haven't seen in over 20 years - she lives in Buxton and from links she has sent me for B&B (dont' want to sleep on couch) it's bloody lovely.. Chatsworth House is nearby and deserves a visit from me.. I'm lucky..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

A favorite place to visit when I go back, Derbyshire is a great county. Don't forget to visit Haddon Hall which is a stones throw (almost) from Chatsworth a much older building with almost a medieval feeling about it and well worth a visit.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Hi - will anyone who is in Australia please bring me up to speed about the hurricane due to hit Queensland soon? I have a brother in Cairns, and he wrote an impassioned plea to the family all over the world as he is scared - it is said to be a Category 4 moving up to a Category 5 storm - think Katrina in New Orleans.

Thanks, Rosie

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

You must be very worried - :fingerscrossed: your brother is OK. There are a few threads running in the Australia forum about the floods and cyclones - http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=152. Check them out for details.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I had ALWAYS wanted to go to Chatsworth House, my nan went there when I was a kid and I remember the brochure.

Another for the bucket list, thanks fulwood I had forgotten about it..........:thumbsup:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Hi Rosie

It is not looking good.

You should PM Pollyanna the moderator on here, she actually works for the government body Emergency Management Queensland in charge of warnings for all this kind of thing. There are whole threads on the Aussie forum about this coming cyclone.

Hope your brother stays safe.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Polly just posted this on the Cyclone thread:



Transmitters broadcasting to coastal areas between Cape Melville to
Sarina and inland areas east of Croydon to Hughenden are requested to USE THE STANDARD EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNAL before broadcasting this warning.
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 11
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane
Issued at 5:01am EST on Wednesday the 2nd of February 2011

A Cyclone WARNING is current for island and coastal areas from Cape Melville and Sarina, extending inland to Croydon and Hughenden.

A Cyclone WATCH is current for coastal areas from the remaining tropical
interior east of Camooweal and north of Winton.

At 4:00 am EST Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi, Category 5 was estimated to be 650 kilometres east northeast of Cairns and 650 kilometres northeast of Townsville moving west southwest at 30 kilometres per hour.

SEVERE TC YASI IS A LARGE AND VERY POWERFUL TROPICAL CYCLONE AND POSES AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY WITHIN THE WARNING AREA, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN PORT DOUGLAS AND TOWNSVILLE.

THIS IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS.

The Cyclone has now reached CATEGORY 5 and will continue to move in a
west-southwesterly direction during today.

Coastal residents within the warning, and particularly between Port Douglas and Townsville are specifically warned of an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS sea level rise [i.e. storm tide] as the cyclone approaches and crosses the coast. The sea is likely to steadily rise up to a level which will be VERY DANGEROUSLY above the normal tide, with EXTREMELY DAMAGING WAVES, strong currents and flooding of low-lying areas extending some way inland. People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible, and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area if advised to do so by authorities.

DAMAGING WINDS with gusts to 90 km/hr are expected to develop on coastal islands later this morning, then extend onto the coast during the day, and further inland across the northern tropical interior overnight.

Between Cooktown and Ingham these winds will become DESTRUCTIVE with gusts in excess of 125km/hr during the afternoon and VERY DESTRUCTIVE with gusts above 280 km/hr between Port Douglas and Cardwell during the evening as the cyclone approaches. These VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds can also occur on the seaward side of hills to the north of the cyclone and are also forecast to reach the Atherton Tablelands.

FLOODING RAINS will develop from Cooktown to Sarina during the afternoon and then extend inland overnight.

People between Cape Melville and Sarina, extending inland to Croydon and
Hughenden should complete preparations quickly and be prepared to shelter in a safe place.
- Boats and outside property should be secured.
- For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, visit Queensland's Disaster
Management Services website [www.disaster.qld.gov.au]
- For emergency assistance call the Queensland State Emergency Service [SES] on
132 500 [for assistance with storm damage, rising flood water, fallen trees on
buildings or roof damage].

People about the remaining tropical interior east of Camooweal and north of
Winton should consider what action they will need to take if the cyclone threat
increases.
- Information is available from your local government
- For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, visit Queensland's Disaster
Management Services website [www.disaster.qld.gov.au]
- For emergency assistance call the Queensland State Emergency Service [SES] on
132 500 [for assistance with storm damage, rising flood water, fallen trees on
buildings or roof damage].

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi at 4:00 am EST:
.Centre located near...... 15.7 degrees South 151.7 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 20 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the west southwest at 30 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 295 kilometres per hour
.Severity category........ 5
.Central pressure......... 924 hectoPascals

Please ensure that neighbours have heard and understood this message,
particularly new arrivals or those who may not fully understand English.
.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Thank you everyone who sent information and good wishes. My son in Melbourne is distraught about his uncle (my brother) as he feels helpless - as does everyone when there is an emergency of this magnitude. After the fact, maybe he can help. I shall doubtless be up all night watching the Australian news.. Thank god for the Internet, and telephones.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

2at thanks for update on Haddon Hall.. will make sure to visit it..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Hi Rosie,
I really hope you get news of your brother soon and that he is safe.
My thoughts are with you. David

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Sign you are "officially" old in the US. AARP membership. bloody got one in mail today. enough said..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

Thanks David. I am on the internet constantly - have a brother in Canada and a son in Melbourne, both of whom are linked with me here. Seems the worst has passed, but no news yet about the state of the area - tomorrow or the next day I guess reports will start coming out. The power is off there at the moment. it was not as bad as predicted, because the eye missed Cairns - but hit lower down the coast. Its a Category 2 now, with a huge tail containing high winds - and probably high tides! (sorry - couldn't resist!)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

islandwoman210 glad you are still on forum had read on other thread you were leaving. please don't i like reading your emails about your life back home..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

You only have to be 50, right?

What are the perks? Free access to the Glamorous Grandma and Granddad site? ;)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I hope you hear from your brother soon - it must be agony not knowing anything. That was one powerful storm - Mother Nature can be deadly at times!!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK-Silly Chit-Chat & Daily Catch-Up Thread
 

I hope you have heard he is safe, the cyclone crossed the coast and lots of people are without power, that probably why you havent heard.

There is lots of damage but no injury or loss of life has been reported as yet,

best wishes