bourbon-biscuit

We've only been here 18 months so it does feel a little soon but we have family commitments and I'm going back with my kids for 6 weeks

Can't wait to see family!!!

But why, oh why has Briscoes, king of the sale, resolutely had none of their luggage on special since I decided to look in earnest last month?????

Apart from family I am most looking forward to the English countryside- whether it rains or not I intend to go walking. I literally ache to wander down a footpath, climb a stile and amble across a summer meadow

iwannagonow

yes..the English countryside is rather special!!

If the recent weather is anything to go by...it will absolutely chuck it down (typical British Summer just lately!)...hopefully though it will have brightened up a little for your visit back to Blighty!

Enjoy your trip

Cheryl x

teebrown

Can you not amble around countryside in NZ?

And i have checked the weather for you, it's going to be hot hot hot (with some rain)!

love30stm

Yes just what I thought,,,,don't think I miss England for the countryside??? ...well actually dont miss it at all, come to think of it....lol

bourbon-biscuit

NZ has gorgeous national parks and lovely places to wander but the countryside in general is not as accessible as in the UK; distinct lack of public rights of way, footpaths, stiles etc, particularly across farmland. Fishing, hunting, tramping= yes. Ambling along a green lane and across a meadow= no. I miss the smell of wild garlic, bluebell woods, beech woods, hedgerows, summer meadows and the long summer evenings ambling over the Quantocks or Blackdowns.

I'm not saying the UK is better (and wouldn't wish to make such crass comparisons anyway) or that I wish to move back, but this is something from my life in the UK that I miss and am looking forward to enjoying ina fortnight

love30stm

Well lol...a nice romantic view I must admit.....enjoy your two weeks......

bourbon-biscuit

I'm hoping you don't mean that to be as condescending as it sounds ....

I lived between the Blackdowns and Quantocks- both AONB and I assure you the picture I paint of our many, many walks on them in all seasons is entirely truthful, as the pictures on my full to bursting hard drive testify.

I've no desire to return to the UK to live, nor do I romanticise it or see NZ as a poor second to it but the UK does have many wonderful things in it's favour- one of which, for me, is it's beautiful countryside.

chippy64

So, what will you take back to NZ, that you really miss and can only get in UK?

Am Loolah

I'll hedge a bet it's M&S underwear?

And for what it's worth, only coz you mentioned it earlier bourbon-biscuit - bluebells - ahhhh!

bourbon-biscuit

Umm, that's a tricky one- there's not much 'stuff' that I really miss that I could actually bring back. Perhaps some tubes of vegetarian mushroom pate and my oh is intending to binge on jam donuts, lol!

There were quite a few food stuffs that I was planning on enjoying but I have aquired gall bladder problems so I shall have to forego At least I won't gain heaps of weight on my long holiday though! If it weren't for my gall bladder I'd be eating:

heaps of mature farmhouse cheddar
warm J Sainsburys jam donuts
Bourbon biscuits
samosas
Cauldron foods falafels
pannacota

and on and on. Curses, I could cry at the irony :curse:

bourbon-biscuit

Oh yes, I do intend to get some bras!!!!

Am Loolah

I think I would!

And an M&S BLT sandwich whilst I'll be in the store anyway! And lots of cheap books from Asda? and Robbie Williams naked in my handbag.

Fooferfish

Can echo your sentiments on the countryside.

I lived in one of the most beautiful parts of Dorset, the countryside around there was just awesome, apart from the fact that i used to spend most Saturdays out with a club Metal Detecting, finding, Roman, Celtic, Medievil, and just about anything else from history, and i cant do that here, only the possibllity of some gold finds.

We used to go to a place called Kimmeridge in Dorset, and you could collect fossils of the beach, my daughter brought some with her and did a show and tell at school, the kids here would not beleive her that you could just pick up millions of years old fossils off the beach, i to miss the walks across Dorset countryside, yeh you can do it here, if we want to fish a certain river, most farmers if you ask will let you cross their land, but i think the UK has a better infrastructure and English heritage and the likes keep the footpaths up together more, and also you have a bigger interest in walking or countryside over there in UK and more population, the walks here are probably some of the best in the world, but i am not upto the standard needed to get across them.

But when we go back this Christmas we will visit, some old haunts even if it is winter, mind you the way the weather is going in UK it might be warm and dry, we will be going to all the small fishing villages along Dorset coast, smell the salty air, fish and chips on the prom, i would love to get down to Cornwall, as thats where we spent some awesome holidays, that coastline is on a par with Dorset.

Will also be gorging ourselves on Tesco jam doughnuts and walkers crisps.

Nige, Dunedin since May 05

Batty

My favourite flower

I'm going back to Ireland next month. I'm taking **** all with me because I intend to SHOP till I drop End of summer sales will be on so I can stock up I was talking to my sister earlier - it was 10 degrees there today

carpman

ooh ooh ooh! My favourite flowers too - and poppies also - I'm from the New Forest originally and I have a lovely framed print of a bluebell wood by Eric Ashby a photographer/naturalist who lives/lived down that way.

And I sat with my other half (we'd only been married a month and he was away on exercise down in Weymouth, Dorset though at the time we lived in Cambrideshire) overlooking Kimmeridge Bay listening to Princess Diana''s funeral - will never forget that. It truly is a stunning place. I remember we also went to a tiny pub not too far away for lunch - can't for the life of me remember it's name but it had awesome cider!

I went on a school trip to Charmouth and I found an ammonite fossil - think school kept it though I remember it being a fairly large one but that could be 'cos I was only about 9 or 10 at the time!