between two worlds

Just to add--a big thing now is the retirement community. You can buy or rent. There are various sorts, some seem very nice and have independent living units--they seem more and more geared at active retirees--it doesn't mean you'll be in some communal room all day stuck in an armchair!--but social things and activities and contacts are on hand, which can be helpful when you haven't a lot of family or friends.

Or so I gather--we (late fifties/early 60s) didn't feel quite ready for that yet, but I think it could be good for the ready-made community and potential friends.

cheers

Next time try the International Market in Las Vegas, its just off Tropicana Blvd
They are loaded with British food especially this time of the year.

Cheers

cheers

He must be a Brit. I see that a lot over there.

Englishmum

Hello and welcome to BE!

Perhaps you may like to try these websites:

Lets with Pets

http://www.petfriendlylettingagents.co.uk/

<Dogpages UK dog rescue forums> (Ideas/tips for pet owners eg. offer a larger deposit)

Perhaps you could produce photos of the dogs to show to the owner, or/and offer to take the dogs to meet the owner etc. Do your dogs get seperation anxiety when you go out and become destructive for example? Do you crate them when you go out? Most landlords are wary of breeds such as pit bull and Staffordshire bull terriers, Bull Mastiffs or breeds which appear to be aggressive, but I think that sausage dogs shouldn't be a problem!

feelbritish

Hi everyone, I have been reading posts but not making any comments because I could just not bring myself to write. Sooooooo much has happened and I did make a comment under one of my own posts but basically we are not moving back to UK now! After having our house on the market since April and only having bout 8 viewings until 30th October and seeing how my OH was getting more and more unhappy about moving back, we had to do some re-thinking. The reasons to move were starting to slip away and my main reason was to be closer to my family in Cape Town and friends in UK knowing they would be able to visit with me a lot more than here. Also easier to get back to CT in the summer while its winter here! OH asked me so nicely (after I wangled it out of him after another bad "fast heartbeat" attack) if I would consider staying here in this house and we go back to Cape Town every year for 3 months, he works part time and we also then stop in UK on the way over to see friends & family. I had to give him the benefit because I love him after the disastrous time with his girls while on holiday, I knew they would definitely shorten his life should we live back there! Now the house is off the market and we are living here! UK may not be off the cards in future, it depends with exchange rate and other factors living here. Who knows.

I love gardening and in every place I lived created a beautiful English style garden. Here I have really created a miracle on beach sand and my garden was often included on Horticultural tours.
Here is an early photo when we have just laid out the middle beds and made arbours with drift wood off the beach then the other two are from a few years later when they have filled in. Now I am planning to make my garden a lot more low maintenance and will install a watering system to make life easier for me - one of the conditions I insisted on staying here!





My heart will always be in England but I know we will visit often and I now just have to wait to see how life pans out!

Mummy in the foothills

Beautiful garden Feelbritish.
You have to do what works for you and your family and if that is staying in Canada and traveling each year then, that's it. So long as you and your Dh can both find peace with where you are that is a good thing.
I bet coming to the decision and taking the house off the market was like a great weight was lifted.

feelbritish

I also want to welcome you Flying Enterprise from someone who was born and lived in Cape Town until I was 45 years old! Lately we are getting quite a few people leaving who are retired to go back to UK. I guess with the expensive medical costs and security a few more Brits may follow you! Do you still have family in Cape Town? I have my entire family there in Western Cape and visit almost every year and both my OH and I love it! But we have our money out of the country divided between Canada and UK and have reasonable accommodation available with family. We still have our names down at Silvermine but that is for perhaps 15 years time but it is a dream because I have no idea if we actually will eventually live there! So visiting in the summer months for us is the perfect solution as I really miss family and the lifestyle! I do fear for my family sometimes and once my mom is dead and if they all emigrated out of there I would have no reason to go back! No chance though because they all still love it and have good jobs.

There are lots of lovely places on the coast to retire to in UK and you may even find the Isle of Wight suits you (bit like CT) and they have some reasonably cheap accommodation in the £500/month bracket but you will have to take expensive ferries to get off! We looked at it seriously but found it busy with lack of parking but that was to people who live here on the northern part of Vancouver Island Canada where it is very quiet and peaceful sometimes to the extent of being boring!!

feelbritish

Mummy, it was amazing how free we felt! I also retired two weeks ago so now I do not have to work and am starting to settle into a routine and can now plan a life here! We are rattling around in the house but I have closed off two bedrooms and can now have an art studio and we can both go and watch tv in different rooms! We are now in the master suite and loving it. Remember I was a B&B before? Slowly I will be doing up this house and garden to the way we both like it. We want less work in the garden so I will be planting more shrubs, instead of perennials and roses. We will still be selling long term anything from 5 years to 7 years time and we are hoping that by then the housing markets are booming again! I just wish more family and friends would visit! I am working on it though

between two worlds

Feelbritish, wonderful to hear from you--I was following and I think the last I read you were discussing this option that you have finally opted for, for now--going to CT for three months at a time every year.

In the meantime, what a beautiful garden you have there, to enjoy, and to keep you busy (watering system sounds a vg idea!). (The pictures helped me remember the name of the tall plant with feathery leaves and yellow flowers that I had in my own garden--coreopsis.) It is incredible to have achieved that especially on sandy soil.

I hope you and your husband have peace with the decision, it sounds like it and if a long 3-month stay in CT really can be done each year, that sounds like a feasible option.

How nice that you know where new member Flying Enterprise is coming from--literally! This is what's so nice about BE--always someone on here who "gets it" even if such people may not be thick on the ground in one's real life surroundings.

Flying Enterprise

Hi between two worlds,

Thanks, will definitely try out those web sites, I don't do communal living, I've seen too many doccies with people sitting in armchairs and slowly dying!! I understand were your coming from, but there must be a better way to grow old gracefully!

Flying Enterprise

Englishmum,

Thanks, will try those web sites, yes our dogs would rather lick you as oppose to biting you.

Flying Enterprise

Hi feelbritish,

As you say you left CT when you were 45, I left the U.K. when I was 30, one of the reasons we were thinking of relocating would be the Medical Aid, the thought of running out, if and when one of us has a serious illness, frightens me, Being U.K citizens there would be no problem with Hospital care if we returned.


I know the U.K. with all its trials and tribulations, but it's still one of the best Health Care systems in the world, Cape Town is a beautiful place, and the health care is second to none, but as one gets older............

mikelincs

We live in an apartment block catering for the over 55s, there are some 35 apartments here, and yes, there is a communal lounge, but is really only used for coffee mornings etc. Most people are fully independent, although we do have one or two who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's. People socialise or not as it suits them, and there is no pressure to join in any of the activities. There is a manager here three days a week, and she deals with all problems.

jasper123

That sounds like a very nice place that you live in, if you don't mind me asking what rent do you pay? and is it a one or two bedroom, and are utilities included

Flying Enterprise

Hi Jasper 123

I was going to ask the same question!!