going home at last!!!!!!!
May 1st 2007, 9:03 am
#46
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Still in sunny Newcastle, our house did not sell so we still have it. Spent 2 years doing it up with ideas of selling and going back. Know what you mean about trying a new place in the UK, we are thinking on it. We did like NZ by the way and coming back here made us feel that way. Still, i once said you can't eat the scenery. Just doing it for the kids really. Once we got our feet into NZ the kids can move on to Aussie later on if they want, o r the UK. 3 countries they may be able to choose, maybe. Just still in limbo i think. Still not working since we got back, apart from the house. My trade here is disappearing fast.
May 1st 2007, 9:35 am
#47
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Planet Earth, for now.
Posts: 719
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Jeweller/Goldsmith, a rare breed these days. I make jewellery by hand as well as repairing it etc. Served a 7 year apprenticeship. It's a dying trade in the UK like so many others. Thing is i get job offers all over the palce and been to a few places because of them.
May 1st 2007, 10:17 am
#48
Banned
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,467
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Can't you become your own boss?
May 1st 2007, 10:23 am
#49
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Planet Earth, for now.
Posts: 719
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Was my own boss for 20 years. Anyway i now know my jobs screwed, just found this. Not been told proper, but that's me knackered then.
After 25 years Michael Hill Jeweller is to shut its Whangarei manufacturing unit, axing 17 jobs.
The first jewellery sold in the first Michael Hill store, in Whangarei, was made at the company's Whangarei manufacturing unit, but next week the jewellers will pack up their equipment for the last time.
Michael Hill International group chief executive Mike Parsell flew from head office in Brisbane on Monday to announce the closure to workers at the Rathbone St unit. The company is moving its manufacturing operation to Brisbane in the face of stiff competition from Asian manufacturers.
"With all our expansion we have had to constantly reassess our corporate structure and work out the most stable way to go forward. Unfortunately with manufacturing in New Zealand it just hasn't worked out," Mr Parsell said.
"We need to consolidate that function in Brisbane where we will be closest to our supply chain so we can service our stores better."
Most of the company's business was in Australia, but it was also expanding rapidly into Canada, and was eyeing the British market. He acknowledged it was the end of an era but said the "fierce competition" Michael Hill faced from Asian jewellery manufacturers made it inevitable.
Advertisement
AdvertisementMr Parsell said the Whangarei workers had been offered the chance to fill six vacancies in the expanded Brisbane unit, but those who did not take up the offer would get redundancy payments.
He said the company had had its manufacturing base in Whangarei since it started almost 25 years ago and the closure was sad.
The workers, who had worked at the unit for between five and 21 years, were shocked but said it had been a good place to work.
However, at least one believed the quality of jewellery would suffer as a result of the closure.
"Michael Hill has a pride about coming from Whangarei and most of us have family and ties here. We can't just up sticks and leave for Brisbane."
After 25 years Michael Hill Jeweller is to shut its Whangarei manufacturing unit, axing 17 jobs.
The first jewellery sold in the first Michael Hill store, in Whangarei, was made at the company's Whangarei manufacturing unit, but next week the jewellers will pack up their equipment for the last time.
Michael Hill International group chief executive Mike Parsell flew from head office in Brisbane on Monday to announce the closure to workers at the Rathbone St unit. The company is moving its manufacturing operation to Brisbane in the face of stiff competition from Asian manufacturers.
"With all our expansion we have had to constantly reassess our corporate structure and work out the most stable way to go forward. Unfortunately with manufacturing in New Zealand it just hasn't worked out," Mr Parsell said.
"We need to consolidate that function in Brisbane where we will be closest to our supply chain so we can service our stores better."
Most of the company's business was in Australia, but it was also expanding rapidly into Canada, and was eyeing the British market. He acknowledged it was the end of an era but said the "fierce competition" Michael Hill faced from Asian jewellery manufacturers made it inevitable.
Advertisement
AdvertisementMr Parsell said the Whangarei workers had been offered the chance to fill six vacancies in the expanded Brisbane unit, but those who did not take up the offer would get redundancy payments.
He said the company had had its manufacturing base in Whangarei since it started almost 25 years ago and the closure was sad.
The workers, who had worked at the unit for between five and 21 years, were shocked but said it had been a good place to work.
However, at least one believed the quality of jewellery would suffer as a result of the closure.
"Michael Hill has a pride about coming from Whangarei and most of us have family and ties here. We can't just up sticks and leave for Brisbane."
May 1st 2007, 10:23 am
#50
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
May 1st 2007, 10:24 am
#51
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Planet Earth, for now.
Posts: 719
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Looks like i will have to try OZ.
May 1st 2007, 11:37 am
#54
Just Joined
Joined: May 2007
Location: Tawa, Wellington
Posts: 17
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
We came to NZ over a year ago and now we are returning home.
My name is Shelly and my OH is darryl, 2 sprogs ages 5 and 10!
NZ is a nice place for a holiday but thats it.
Dont come over here thinking people dont care about how you dress,what you drive HAHA! WRONG!!! Just like everywhere people will always try to keep up with the jonses.
CRIME is here and tagging is everywhere (In christchurch anyway) Teenagers are just the same and dress the same (hoodies)and the teenager pregnancy is high too. Kids driving powerful cars ends up in disaster, in the first month we saw about 5 accidents, the driving is bad!!!
Come over here with your eyes wide open and your glasses OFF!!!
We honestly came over thinking it would be nice and safe, nice people, not too busy, cheap enough houses, affordable cars....wrong!!!!!
Yeah sure some kiwis are nice but so are some british, same everwhere!!!!!!
kiwis think "us british" are rich as soon as we get here and maybe for that reason dont like us too much. We have lived in our house for 9 months, we dont even know who our neighbours are, who cares?????
we are going home to be back with our family and friends, missing family is VERY HARD!!! I didnt think I would be that bad but WOW it is hard!!!!!
I wish you all well, do your research NZ has its bad points too, the UK isnt that bad ya know!!!!!!!
My name is Shelly and my OH is darryl, 2 sprogs ages 5 and 10!
NZ is a nice place for a holiday but thats it.
Dont come over here thinking people dont care about how you dress,what you drive HAHA! WRONG!!! Just like everywhere people will always try to keep up with the jonses.
CRIME is here and tagging is everywhere (In christchurch anyway) Teenagers are just the same and dress the same (hoodies)and the teenager pregnancy is high too. Kids driving powerful cars ends up in disaster, in the first month we saw about 5 accidents, the driving is bad!!!
Come over here with your eyes wide open and your glasses OFF!!!
We honestly came over thinking it would be nice and safe, nice people, not too busy, cheap enough houses, affordable cars....wrong!!!!!
Yeah sure some kiwis are nice but so are some british, same everwhere!!!!!!
kiwis think "us british" are rich as soon as we get here and maybe for that reason dont like us too much. We have lived in our house for 9 months, we dont even know who our neighbours are, who cares?????
we are going home to be back with our family and friends, missing family is VERY HARD!!! I didnt think I would be that bad but WOW it is hard!!!!!
I wish you all well, do your research NZ has its bad points too, the UK isnt that bad ya know!!!!!!!
Just joined today and was instantly attracted to your thread...
We too are thinking to pack our things and return to the UK... We have been here for almost 3 yrs and I have to agree that missing family is terrible...!! Same as you Wimsy, I didn't think that I could be this homesick... It's horrible... Perhaps it is because of my 2 boys (3 yrs n 5 mnths) and no family around...
But eventhough I agree that everywhere (incl. NZ) has its negs and pos, but you can't beat family... right?
However, this is not our reason for wanting to leave NZ... Our reasons are more in the likes of low wages, expensive living, non-existence of proper houses (we've lived in almost any type) that are well insulated, properly heated and not to mention the novelty 'double glazing'?...
Big question now is... where oh where in the UK should we go?
May 1st 2007, 11:42 am
#55
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Porirua, Wellington, NZ
Posts: 645
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Where are your family? If you're homesick for family would that not be a good starting point?
May 1st 2007, 11:45 am
#56
Just Joined
Joined: May 2007
Location: Tawa, Wellington
Posts: 17
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
May 1st 2007, 11:47 am
#57
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,454
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
"The first year is confusing, the second year you feel in control and the third year you'll be bored. Any more than that and you'll probably never leave"
"No matter how long you live here you'll never understand the Japanese...but it won't take long to start hating the Americans"
Not sure if it applies to NZ, but what the hell....
May 1st 2007, 11:56 am
#59
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Porirua, Wellington, NZ
Posts: 645
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
Does your husband have family in the UK? Would jobs dicatate where you could live? Hope it all works out for you anyway.
May 1st 2007, 12:00 pm
#60
Just Joined
Joined: May 2007
Location: Tawa, Wellington
Posts: 17
Re: going home at last!!!!!!!
We have lived in Chester for a while, and loved it sooo much, but this time we have the children and don't want a weekend dad (although at the time a weekend husband wasn't great either, but I could cope then...)