HighTide

The funny thing was I had not come accross the form one needs to fill in on the web site for getting you NI number. I just wrote a letter listing the two jobs I had prior to emmigrating to Canada. I guess I just got lucky !! Hope yours comes soon Grandma.

J.J

No, car was clean and new (mid size Ford Focus Hatchback with plenty room for our 4 cases + cat carrier)

We had arranged rental accomadation - it was the acomm that was filthy, even the agent agreed.
So for now we are continuing in the guest room at parents senior housing complex.
Have found and booked a mobile home rental in a holiday caravan / camping resort, nice place, friendly people, (not a trailer park) for 4 weeks and more if we need it. It's out in the countryside (we have a rental car) so not as high priced as beach resort, only 150 pounds / week all inclusive and can take our cat too.

Further update
DDL re lowered expectations. Handing in our rental car at Dulles, the attendant drove us to the termonal in the car to save us struggling with cases on the shuttle bus - in Heathrow Thrifty have a 1 person desk in a hotel lobby and it took about 30 mins to check in each customer, and as we were 2nd in line it was 1 hour before we got away.

J.J

Hello,

In addition to McDonalds , Wetherstone pub chains have free WiFi, - and breakfast of bacon butty and coffee for only 1.49 pounds + the cultural experience.
Just had email to say our Navis shipment will arrive London est July 2.

More notes on our accompanying cat. At pet cargo in Dulles the animals did have an assigned minder to watch over them, provide water top up til they got on plane. At Animal Center in LHR as soon as arrived the animals are allowed out of crate into a pen to eat, poo and stretch legs.Because our cats water pot had sloshed and wet the bedding they had took out the pad and put in shredded newspaper and dried the wet pad for us. A good and easy experience.

I must add, there has been none of the feared 'oh no, what have we done'. We are very glad to be back in UK and we are taking all the cultural differences (we had been in US 18 yrs) with good humour. The English could maybe be generalised by some as being unconfident pessimists but I would I would definatley add 'cheerful' to the generalization.

Eating while driving is forbidden so McDonalds popular drive-though provides parking area for eating in car.

Good news on UK Drivers License. DH still has his original pink paper UK license, this is still legal provided is in date, and is not required to change to new photo license, so no actions needed there.

Marmalade

So glad that you are home safe and sound. What a pity about the rental, what a let down. Hope everything goes much smoother from here on out.

Was very interested to read about your cat moving back home with you as I will be taking my 2 cats back with me when the time comes. I have a quick question - in the cat crate did you use pee pads (wee wee pads), or whatever they are called. I know my cats sleep for the majority of the day, but I just wondered how people handled them not going to the bathroom (or going, as the case may be), on the flight

J.J

Hi, yes , we bought and used a crate liner pad, a foam pad inside a zipped fabric cover. We acclimated him to it when we took him to vets etc in prep for the journey so he paid it no mind. We provided a litter tray in hotel on prior night and then put it in trash cans at airport gas station before returning rental car. Any bedding would do it but the pads are supposed to stay dry on surface when wetted inside to make it more comfortable. Charlie had held himself for the whole 10 hrs or so, but he usually does overnight anyway. We feel the pad was the best way to go.

Marmalade

Thank you so much for the valuable information. I think my two wee ones will be fine, but I will be getting them some sort of liner for the journey for their boxes. Thanks

Cookie

I used Vetbed in my cats carrier for our flight over to Canada. Suitable for keeping your pet dry if they pee while in the pet carrier.

http://www.petlifeonline.co.uk/ProductSearch.aspx

Rodney - I think you may be confusing your NHS card with your NI card because you didn't get NI cards years ago (not sure if you even get them now). They are totally different things so you may have to track down your NI number.

Marmalade

[QUOTE=Cookie;8653909]I used Vetbed in my cats carrier for our flight over to Canada. Suitable for keeping your pet dry if they pee while in the pet carrier.

http://www.petlifeonline.co.uk/ProductSearch.aspx
QUOTE]

Thanks Cookie

charleygirl

I did same thought my NHS number was same thing and only recently looked at it to see they are different thing altogether.

DDL

Just an fyi for those who might want to consider their return to the UK via ship as opposed to air.

1-way transatlantic via the QM2 from New York to Southampton (August 2010) :

Balcony room w/king bed = $1,195.00
Tax = $21.23
Cunard coach transfer from LaGuardia to pier = $34.00

TOTAL $1,255.23/per person

We booked our flights from Charleston to New York with air miles, so only had to pay $5.00 each (tax).

So, the grand total for 2 of us to move back to England via a 6-day transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2 comes to $2,520.46.

An airfare check on Expedia for those same sailing dates:

Roundtrip Charleston to Heathrow = $2,684/two
Roundtrip Charleston to Gatwick = $3,000/two

One-way Charleston to Heathrow = $2,062/two
One-way Charleston to Gatwick = $2,994/two

Looks like, in our situation, it is excellent value for money to return home via ship.

rebs

That is excellent value for what you get - a much more relaxing way to get there too...

We are moving back to the UK after being in Texas for a couple of years and we're also taking the QM2. A bit before you as we leave New York on July 6th. The prices for our crossing were a bit more expensive (I guess because it's near the holiday weekend). As we're on a company move OH's employer are paying our costs and for the price of 3 one way business class flights, we were able to get a small suite on the QM2.

One of the reasons we were keen to take the boat was the less stringent luggage allowance compared to flying - so we are going to drive from Texas up to New York to avoid any flights at all.

Like you, I've been madly reading all the info I can find about the crossing. From what I've read I think it will be quite formal attire on board - at least in the evenings. We're not really 'formal' people, but we've decided to go all out for the formal nights (there are 4 formal nights on our crossing, so would be a shame to miss out on all of those). OH has purchased a tux and I've managed to get a couple of proper, formal gowns. I've even managed to get a smart suit for my 12 year old son to wear!

scrubbedexpat097

It's nearly time for you to leave...............but what a fun way to make an exit

rebs

I know - just a few more days .. trying to make the most of glorious sunshine in between getting all the last minute tasks done before we go!

Marmalade

Good luck Rebs, have a wonderful trip back home

jasper123

Hello Cookie,
OK I am looking at my card now, it is the same size as a credit card so it fits into your wallet just right,
the color is light blue and red, and on the front of the card it says in big black letters -------- NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBERCARD,
Just below that Is my N.I. number,
And below the number is my full name,

Now I dont think I had this card when I left UK 36 years ago ------ I think I applied for it on one of my visits home, but I'm sure I have had it for a good 20 years,
But the N.I. number on the card (IS) the same one as was issued to me when I first started work at the age of 15 and all my working life in UK before I came to live in North America,
When I applied for my UK pension forcast on the phone to Newcastle I just gave him my name and N.I. number on my card and he puled my file from his computer within minutes, and he asked do I want my forcast sent to my U.S. address or U.K. address? I said please send it to my U.K. address which is my Mothers address, was way back then and still is the same, all he did was read out my UK address to me and he said is that correct, and I said yes,
and he said that my pension forcast will arrive within 6 weeks, ---- but it only took 3 weeks,
Rodney.