Originally Posted by Mummy

ShozInOz - As Sandrainaus said, there may be more sunshine here which means that for those who like the hot weather (not so sure that I do anymore), there is more opportunity to go outside, but there is also more skin cancer. I think that there have been more adverts and more aggressive and graphic adverts about the risks and effects of skin cancer this summer than last, and it has really made me think about which is more important: going out in the rain and getting a bit wet and cold, or going out in the sun and getting cancer. I don't like going out at all now with my 3 year old because after only a few minutes in the sun it feels like my skin is burning.

And remember, it is winter in the UK...

Originally Posted by sandrainaus

I read this in a Woolworths mag.

and I am sure most know this anyway.

Quote:Australia is known as the skin cancer capital of the world, with about half of all people who spend their life here developing some form of the disease.Quote.
and with the hole in the ozone.
Scary

So having lot's of sun really is not a good thing, not for me or my kids.

at least at home we could all wrap up warm, and go for walks.

Originally Posted by Mrs Best

You're right, the harmful effects of the sun are greatly under-estimated.

I found a link that suggested that ALL types of cancer have increased due to the "chemical sunscreens" that we are all encouraged to smother ourselves in. It said that putting on sunscreen caused more cancer because the chemicals in it generated "free redicals" - whatever they are! I'm no dermatologist - but I can post the link if anyone wants it!

Let's not forget the burnt retinas either!

Originally Posted by ShozInOz

I'm surprised you're so surprised...in a way. Australia was a confusing and sometimes emotional time, and we were 50/50 for so long. I was and am not not one who hated Australia, or the UK. Both have pros and cons that rack up differently depending on our focus in life. I neither have the Daily Mail mentality nor the Godzone mentality. We made the right decision to return as we would have remained in that state for too long otherwise. The difference is that we are now in the UK with a child for the first time. In my opinion, the UK is far less child friendly (and has less friendly children ), than Aus - in my view. When we returned, people's reactions to our baby breastfeeding were telling - we had no such reaction in Aus, ever. We also noticed the youth culture had somehow deteriorated, as I mentioned in my post 6 weeks in. I still think the UK is a more interesting country than Australia, but it is a much harder country to live in. But the weekends away to interesting places here, there and everywhere just do not happen as planned with young children. Last one had to be aborted at 0500 (a.m.). What seems to matter is the day to day quality of life. My OH always insisted that was better in Aus, but we gambled on the occasional life being sufficiently better to compensate. So far, it doesn't. Everything else is as we predicted, except we forgot about how much the weather here affects us. I looked at some old posts recently and found one from when I returned from a UK trip during the winter, and said "never again" after the weather (and a near fight with a local chav as soon as we entered my home town in the north-west). Amazing how we forgot.

Originally Posted by The Buzzards

We have been considering emigrating to oz and have looked into it quite a lot - forums have been extremely useful but have also made me realise that the UK aint so bad! If you think it is bad where you live then maybe you need to relocate yuselves in the UK. We live in the Shropshire/Herefordshire border - beaut countryside, fab schools and extremely low crime rate. Teenagers in our village are polite and apart from normal teenage things like drinking and smoking in the park are pretty good. We think we're taxed to the hilt on salaries in the UK but in fact in oz you pay 8% more on you entire salary (no tax allowance like we all get in UK). Ok so we could have a lovely home, be mortgage free and live in the sun in oz but salaries are less, plagued by flies and lots of other downsides so if you're considering it then just because of yob culture, immigrants, tax etc in uk then maybe you need to relocate closer to home. (Not a foreigner in site where I live unless you count the brummies here on hols!). I'd rather be financially stable and cold in the Uk than penny pinching and hot in Oz but hey that's our decision! Good luck whatever you all do and enjoy life.

Originally Posted by Jessie James

I took a lot of comfort from that article....!!

Originally Posted by Mrs Best

You weren't the only one - I did too!!!

Mind you - we're all different - and if some people "ping-pong" - it doesn't mean we all will. I know quite a few people who have stayed home.

Originally Posted by Jessie James

Yeah, I'm trying not to be too fearful of the concept of ping-ponging as one thing I have learnt through this experience is that thinking of anything in terms of 'forever' is pretty unhelpful. But it's the speed in which some change their minds again that scares the s*** out of me! Big moves are not something that can happen overnight - they take months / years of planning and the thought of taking the time to do that only to realise it's still not right and so start the whole process again seems a very depressing existence and one that I'd prefer to avoid!

Originally Posted by paulrachel

What do you think of Melbourne? My best mate is going there in April. She isn't coming to see me in Perth, she knows how boring it is here. But wants me to meet her there in Mel Oh yeah, like i have loads of money to throw around!
Told her it's not a bus ride away, as if!!!

Originally Posted by paulrachel

What do you think of Melbourne? My best mate is going there in April. She isn't coming to see me in Perth, she knows how boring it is here. But wants me to meet her there in Mel Oh yeah, like i have loads of money to throw around!
Told her it's not a bus ride away, as if!!!

Originally Posted by Mrs Best

You're right, the harmful effects of the sun are greatly under-estimated.

I found a link that suggested that ALL types of cancer have increased due to the "chemical sunscreens" that we are all encouraged to smother ourselves in. It said that putting on sunscreen caused more cancer because the chemicals in it generated "free radicals" - whatever they are! I'm no dermatologist -here's the link

http://www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html

Let's not forget the burnt retinas either!

Originally Posted by The Buzzards

We have been considering emigrating to oz and have looked into it quite a lot - forums have been extremely useful but have also made me realise that the UK aint so bad! If you think it is bad where you live then maybe you need to relocate yuselves in the UK. We live in the Shropshire/Herefordshire border - beaut countryside, fab schools and extremely low crime rate. Teenagers in our village are polite and apart from normal teenage things like drinking and smoking in the park are pretty good. We think we're taxed to the hilt on salaries in the UK but in fact in oz you pay 8% more on you entire salary (no tax allowance like we all get in UK). Ok so we could have a lovely home, be mortgage free and live in the sun in oz but salaries are less, plagued by flies and lots of other downsides so if you're considering it then just because of yob culture, immigrants, tax etc in uk then maybe you need to relocate closer to home. (Not a foreigner in site where I live unless you count the brummies here on hols!). I'd rather be financially stable and cold in the Uk than penny pinching and hot in Oz but hey that's our decision! Good luck whatever you all do and enjoy life.

Originally Posted by meljor

I think the English weather has a lot going for it in the skin department. Since moving to Oz I have never had so many people underestimate my age and can't believe I am a mum of teenage kids, one woman came to my door and asked to speak to my mum . Still the flattery aint worth staying for . I put it down to the English weather that I don't resemble an old brown boot coz I don't buy fancy expensive skincare.