usbrit2015

Haha, that's funny, Not2old. I was in St. Helens this time last year...it's not where I'd want to be any more and my family from both sides was from all over there. Many worked at Pilks for years and years... I used to go to Parr Mount Sec Mod in Fingerpost

usbrit2015

Hey, Beecham's powders were wonderful,
I won't forget to get my bus pass, Islandwoman, as well as the Senior Rail pass...which was a wonderful savings. Did it on my trip last year and it saved me a bunch. It cost 50 pounds, but then I think it was 30% off all the train fares. I saved that on one train ride to Wales, and the rest was such a great savings. The Senior Rail pass is good for anyone who is over 60?, 62?, and you don't have to be a resident for that one.
I wasn't able to get a bus pass, I think it may have been because I didn't have a permanent address or some such reason, but I did get the day passes that helped a lot.

jasper123

I love my bus pass, I use it a lot ----- but I also walk a lot too so to keep fairly fit the food over here is better and more choice, so there is a need to walk as much as possible, Im still trying hard to cut down on all the tempting sweet delights that are in all the stores
when I came home I applied for my bus pass right away, I do remember they said that they aren't handing the passes out like candy anymore, and I had to show them something to prove that I lived at my address in Portsmouth, also they said I had to be registered for paying council tax at my address, so in my case I just had to add my name to my mother's name as we live in the same house, ----- I also had to provide two passport size photos along with my application, and they send you your bus pass to your address within 7 to 10 days, its good for 4 years!!!! and when it needs to be renewed they send a letter to remind you!!! I cant remember if there was a charge but if there was it was no more then £10. I think councils do differ though in there requirements, as there all independent from each other, so all according where you live!!!

Take care and good luck on all you packing and sorting and all the rest, Hmmm it brings back my own memories of when I was getting ready to make the big move, and of course it is a very big move and so we do have a lot to take care of, and thats besides all the emotional feelings we go through, and uncertainties that seem to creep into our heads at the last minute
After all most of us were living in our adopted countries for a large part of our lives, many decades!!! ---- and to many of us thats most of our adult lives, and it does not matter how much you have thought about and planned your move, and how much better off you think you will be in your home country, the fact is the U.S or Canada or Oz wherever you live has been your home for a long long time, and no matter how you look at it, and no matter how excited you are in your coming big move, you will be starting a brand new life where everything is so different, some things you will find are better and some things worse then what you have been used to, the fondness or even love of the country that you are leaving i.e. Canada, U.S. etc will still be in your heart for a long time whether or not you are leaving
kids and grandkids behind!!!

for me it worked out great, with little problems settling in, but I had an address to come to and some family over in UK, and completely retired with a modest income, for those who don't have either, they will find it harder of course, the big word is (circumstances) and everyone's are different,

usbrit you take care and don't stress, everything will work out good for you I'm sure, and one day when your all nice and settled in the UK and happy ---- you will be looking back and saying great, now I can start to live the rest of my life!!! we all deserve to be free and happy!!! and worry free with knowing that from now on we will never again have to worry about not having the money to pay for our medical care,

And good luck to all three of you wow so exciting three expats coming home within a few months of each other ---- lovely!!!!
Rodney.

usbrit2015

Hey Not2old, got your email OK, but was reading Jasper's post just before reading your email and when I replied I messed up and said 'hello Jasper'...you know I meant you. Sorry luv.


...and to Jasper, thanks for you words again. I'm actually beginning to feel a little less anxiety. Now that I have my flight planned it seems to have calmed me somewhat. Now that my daughter, etc., know the date, I guess they've given in and sort of accept it now. Those uncertainties and doubts are subsiding. My car is on Craigslist, I have it parked in the local supermarket parking lot with my For Sale signs on it, so hopefully that will get taken care of soon. Now I have to sort my phone contract out...I'll get there.


My cousin in Dorset is looking into a flat/room to rent nearby, he says it's 400 pound pcm, and that's about my limit at the moment, but what a blessing he is to me at this time.

jasper123

Thats great usbrit Im so happy for you, yes once you have booked your flight things change don't they, from that moment out everything changes from just talking and thinking about it --- to something real permanent, I remember when I booked my flight, it was 10 months before my actual day of leaving the U.S. for good, so I had plenty of time to do everything, but even with all that time I still was racing against time in the last few weeks, the important thing is you must make a list of (EVERYTHING) that needs to be taken care of, and as you take care of one thing at a time tick it off the list, that way you wont forget to do something important, BIG THING TO REMEMBER ---- before you leave tell your Bank over there that you will be moving to the UK for a while, make sure they enter that info on your account details, that way your funds will never be blocked once you start using your debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM or buy something you need,
Lovely ---- good for you!!!

usbrit2015

Great, great suggestions, Jasper, and I'll do all you say. Someone's coming to look at my car tonight...keep your fingers crossed.

Perth

Did you leave your US account open then Rodney? DD will be here for a while longer and we could use her address. But at some point she will leave too. Trying to decide if there is any benefit to doing this.

Big congrats to you usbrit

jasper123

Oh yes of course, I think its really important to still keep your U.S. bank account open, the way I think is why close it? and another reason its a good idea to keep it open too is say you want to take a holiday over in U.S. some time in the future, well if you have some money in a U.S. account you can use your debit card from that account to pay for all your expenses like hotels, meals, car hire etc etc that way you don't have to deal with any currency exchange fees and other fees your U.K. bank may charge,
many expats have said on this thread that all the decades they lived in there adopted country they still left there British bank account open, its good for sending relatives or friends a check for there birthday/xmas too nice and easy,

cheers

Check on the AT&T contract. I think you can use it in the UK. Anyway cell phone service is much cheaper there I think.

I sailed out of Liverpool in 1955 on a Cunarder. I think it was the Saxonia.
The crew said it was the roughest trip in their career.

Cheers

cheers

I'm back from my Alaska cruise. It was the "gear, like"
I want to go back!!

Cheers

jasper123

I bet you and the mrs really enjoyed your cruise, was one of your port of calls Juneau, I was in that city for 6 months driving a cab for the summer season back in the mid 1990's, I liked it there, saved some money and had a great time, the main thing I liked about living there was that the local people are so down to earth and 100% real!!! lovely friendly honest people, it was such a refreshing change from the lower 48 States,

Jerseygirl

Details please! We are hoping to do the same later this summer. What cruise line and route did you take?

BEVS

It is. I now cannot understand why we left there for New Zealand. Dorset is in my soul.

Funny thing . I have husband bring backr a couple of packets of Beechams powders when he goes to visit his very elderly Mum. I've actually needed to take a few this week. You can't get them here. Small blessings eh?

cheers

We visited Juneau, Ketchikan (will I ever learn to spell that right??), Victoria (very British) and Skagway and of course Seattle. Oh, and one of the Glaciers.
In Junean we took the trip up the mountain in the cable tram and we really liked it. We did a 2 and a half horseback ride while we were in the town of Skagway which is the first time I've been on a horse one in 50 years for me. We saw a bear running after its prey. I guess we are not too old if we can do a 2 hour plus ride on horseback at the age of 77. DW is 78 and she loved the ride. I didn't feel very secure in the saddle and I don't think they had adjusted the saddle for me correctly.
DW really enjoyed the 'all you can eat' crab fest in Ketchikan. The staff just keep on bringing the crab out of the kitchen for the tourists to gorge themselves.

I've now only sailed on the Norweigan Cruise ship and I really liked it a lot and I've tried to find some reviews of the other cruise lines but have not been successful. I think I will stay away from Carnival cruiseline for a start.

We have the travel bug so we are going to Durango in Colorado in a couple of weeks. We've heard that it is really nice area and is on our 'bucket list' of things to do before we get old.

Dw is doing the homework on a cruise to the Mediterranean starting in Barcelona, Spain but the hitch is the cost of the flight across the Atlantic.

We met our share of rich Brits on the cruise (remember it use to be the rich Yanks until they started playing the world empire game).There were a lot of Asians also on the cruise.

In these small towns we visited they seemed to be overrun with Asian owned jewelry shops. Lots of them on the main streets.

Cheers

cheers

I'll be happy to share our experience with you. I think I covered most of it with my reply to Rodney. We sailed on the Norwegian Jewel ship. They upgraded us to the tenth deck.

Cheers