BEVS

They're all mine, I keep looking for the updates.

Robbie2010

So, what have you been to?

Tom1983

Have you had much snow in Lyme Regis???

See you've made the trip to Bridport - lovely little place with a fabulous golf course. One of my favourites in England

Glad you're enjoying life being back in England.

bourbon-biscuit

We seem to have escaped the worst of it, thank goodness! We were snowed in for a couple of days but not much else since- while the rest of the country seems to be totally blanketed!

Bridport is lovely, we've been there quite a bit because they have the Electric Palace (15 yr old went to her first British gig there- Dreadzone; I felt well old collecting her afterward and not attending ) and Bridport Arts Centre, which does theatre and music as well as literary stuff like 'From Page to Screen' which we're off to some of shortly. I cannot comment on the golf though

Hels41

Thanks for the post BB. It has certainly made myself and husband feel much better about returning to the UK in the next couple of weeks. It is very refreshing to hear all the positives, as we have been inundated with negatives comments around what we are taking away from our children. Coming to the decision to go back has been difficult and selling our home and risks involved nervewrecking.

Loved reading these posts and hearing the up side's as we know they will be waiting for us on the other side.

AndyEvs

Ah Dreadzone! Love them to bits, saw them in Southsea many years ago. We have a 16 year old but I'd still go and see them!
Off to see Buzzcocks here next month.

bourbon-biscuit

Decision to leave (and the process of doing it) was/is much, much harder than the one to go to NZ (and getting there). I can see now why many expats who would like to return just can't face it.

If it helps, our two kids are very happy here- sort of settled, loving their schools and being near family, largely unbothered by weather, traffic and all those things that we cited as good reasons to leave the UK. They miss NZ and their Kiwi lives and they have been unsettled by the change but seem to actually be very happy in rural England. Both are out in the woods hut/camp fire building as I type and one was ocean rowing this morning and both are loving getting to know their family again. Older one seems to feel she 'fits' better with her UK peers and though it's true she is exposed to more "dubious behaviours" (her words) in her UK school, we have to remember that she was in a private school in NZ and a local comp here, so in terms of 'dubious behaviours' I don't think it's any worse than expected (and openly discussed with her beforehand)- in fact less so really. It's their Mum and Dad who (unknown to them) are feeling more unsettled and homesick! Our 'process', our 'issues', which we have chosen to hide from them, apart from to acknowledge what we miss and love about NZ.

But, as I always feel duty-bound to point out, we have been able to move them to rural Dorset so it's not like they've gone Cambridge, NZ--> Moss Side, Manchester. Also, I think a lot of expats do find they can't quite adjust and accept the lifestyle loss from the southern hemisphere so I think it's good to come back here leaving the door open for the future. I'm here for the medium term at least but I don't know if it's for a long time or not- I probably won't know until I get to a long time but I do feel a responsibility to give it a few years and in that time to try to live here as if we intend always to be here- as if we had never opened that Pandora's Box of emigrating, which I know is sort of impossible but in practice we're trying not to see everything as a pale second to a rosy recollection of life in NZ. Easier typed than done some days, completely natural and easy-as on others

Trinamch

Really enjoying your posts BB.... interesting to read it from start to finish as we're just considering moving to NZ. I grew up in Devon but have lived in lots of places in the UK but still yearn for the west country- which does not seem achievable because OH's job is quite specialized. What does your OH do? We have been to NZ before, did you go before u decided to emigrate? Mind u it was back in 1997 when we went, so I expect a lot has changed. I do wonder if I would be happy living in NZ, as I love the National trust things, castles and tea shops and camembert and all those yummy things you said you were enjoying. But I also think if we don't go, we'll always think: 'what if?'. We don't have extended family like you either...but....

Anyway thanks. and we look forward to reading further updates.

dannigirl

Hey BB - enjoying your updates very much too. Great to hear your children are settling in. Sounds lovely to be near your family finally and to be enjoying lots of aspects of the UK. Wishing you all a lovely summer!