Originally Posted by HighTide

Checking in from Beautiful Sunny South Devon. The weather has been just great since I returned from Vancouver.
I arrived back in Teignmouth with the cat after picking her up from the Pet reception centre at Heathrow where they processed her papers and checked her microchip etc. She is good to travel throughout Europe now but I think she will most likely just be a stay at home cat now after her galling adventures.

I had thought I would be coming back to the new house in Brixham but things did not quite work out that way. Pleased to say that finally the contracts have now been exchanged and we have a move in date of March 25th.

Our shipment from Vancouver will not be here for at least 2 months however we will be buying all the larger furniture here so right now busy price comparing on line for beds, sofas, washing machine, dryer, TV's etc. White goods are so much less expensive than they are in Canada along with many other things. It is great to be back here with some permanency now and also have a set date so that we can arrange services for the house.

Tomorrow we will go into Exeter to drop off our driving license applications so that we can exchange Canadian for British DL.
Next weekend my nephew is getting married in Exeter so lots of family will be heading this way. Hope it's as much fun as your nephew's wedding Beedubya
Also will try to buy a car very soon. Are still leaning towards a Honda Jazz (Fit) 2-3 years old. with low mileage.

Originally Posted by windsong

That's a good idea! It will give you an intro to working in the UK again.

Yes, I notice how polite people were when I was over there last - a few years ago now, though.

Now that you have been there a couple of weeks, are you homesick? What do you miss from back in AU?

Originally Posted by HighTide

Checking in from Beautiful Sunny South Devon. The weather has been just great since I returned from Vancouver.
I arrived back in Teignmouth with the cat after picking her up from the Pet reception centre at Heathrow where they processed her papers and checked her microchip etc. She is good to travel throughout Europe now but I think she will most likely just be a stay at home cat now after her galling adventures.

I had thought I would be coming back to the new house in Brixham but things did not quite work out that way. Pleased to say that finally the contracts have now been exchanged and we have a move in date of March 25th.

Our shipment from Vancouver will not be here for at least 2 months however we will be buying all the larger furniture here so right now busy price comparing on line for beds, sofas, washing machine, dryer, TV's etc. White goods are so much less expensive than they are in Canada along with many other things. It is great to be back here with some permanency now and also have a set date so that we can arrange services for the house.

Tomorrow we will go into Exeter to drop off our driving license applications so that we can exchange Canadian for British DL.
Next weekend my nephew is getting married in Exeter so lots of family will be heading this way. Hope it's as much fun as your nephew's wedding Beedubya
Also will try to buy a car very soon. Are still leaning towards a Honda Jazz (Fit) 2-3 years old. with low mileage.

Originally Posted by trottytrue

Beedubya.....Frodsham that was one of our haunts in my younger days. They had some nice pubs, sounds so much different for you this time than last. Hope you get some good news on the job front Have you spoken to your daughter and when is your son returning to Australia.

Originally Posted by Derrygal

I love Frodsham - I have some friends who live there - I was back there a couple of years ago. Great to hear that you will probably be able to get a job with the airline in the UK. All the best to you.

Originally Posted by between two worlds

Thanks for this Trotty...yes, it's a rollercoaster, and I remember when suddenly my DH said, OK, I'm looking at retiring or semi-retiring, let's plan to leave and move to England--what I had wanted for years, but when it came up close, I suddenly got scared!

(Actually of course that didn't happen, and we are in France as he is still working--but that's good, it's great here. Alas, I won't be able to pop over to England quite as soon as I hoped--would have liked to go about now--because I have a herniated disk. Sigh. Am not in excruciating pain but it has caused muscle weakness in legs and I can't walk far or fast. However, we plan to go at Easter.).

So sorry to hear about your daughter--but yes, you could have made those phone calls from UK and could have skyped....I don't think we are seeing any more of our son who lives in Georgia now we are across Atlantic than we did in NE USA--it's so far. The son who lived only a couple of hours away we may have seen a little more often if we were still there....but really, unless one lives very close to these adult children, seeing them weekly or something, the difference is not huge.

Spring is here--I pray your house sells now! And that when it does,you will be mentally and emotionally ready for the move to UK.

I think yours words to Rodney are very kind, and yes Rodney, Trotty is right, that is a huge and difficult trip for your Mum, no guilt should be felt if she can't manage it....it's great that you talk on the phone to your sister.

And by the way what was that you said about having gone back to a couple of cigarettes a day?????!! Can you really keep it at that????

Tina

Originally Posted by DDL

On the subject of travel.

As a UK resident, you are entitled to medical treatment that becomes necessary, at reduced cost or sometimes free, when temporarily visiting a European Union (EU) country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Only treatment provided under the state scheme is covered. However, to obtain treatment you will need to take a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you

Thanks to something Tony read in his latest issue of The Oldie, we just applied for our cards online. There is no cost.

The EHIC will give you basic care for free or at a reduced cost, but it is not insurance and will not, for instance, arrange for repatriation, not pay for a hotel room if you have to extend your stay to look after a sick relative.

To get a card, apply via the European Health Insurance Card website http://www.ehic.org.uk. You can also apply by phone or post.

You are not eligible if you permanently reside abroad.

Originally Posted by HighTide

Checking in from Beautiful Sunny South Devon. The weather has been just great since I returned from Vancouver.
I arrived back in Teignmouth with the cat after picking her up from the Pet reception centre at Heathrow where they processed her papers and checked her microchip etc. She is good to travel throughout Europe now but I think she will most likely just be a stay at home cat now after her galling adventures.

I had thought I would be coming back to the new house in Brixham but things did not quite work out that way. Pleased to say that finally the contracts have now been exchanged and we have a move in date of March 25th.

Our shipment from Vancouver will not be here for at least 2 months however we will be buying all the larger furniture here so right now busy price comparing on line for beds, sofas, washing machine, dryer, TV's etc. White goods are so much less expensive than they are in Canada along with many other things. It is great to be back here with some permanency now and also have a set date so that we can arrange services for the house.

Tomorrow we will go into Exeter to drop off our driving license applications so that we can exchange Canadian for British DL.
Next weekend my nephew is getting married in Exeter so lots of family will be heading this way. Hope it's as much fun as your nephew's wedding Beedubya
Also will try to buy a car very soon. Are still leaning towards a Honda Jazz (Fit) 2-3 years old. with low mileage.

Originally Posted by jasper123

Thanks Tina for those nice kind words about my Mum and Sister, about the Cigs, well so far yes I have been able to keep it down to 2 per day ---- SO FAR !!!!

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Thanks Derrygal, there is a Farmer's market in Frodsham, which I plan to visit this Thursday. It's a really nice little town and if my airline job doesn't work out, I could quite happily live there.

Originally Posted by cheers

OK I just spent an hour looking at property in Frodsham and I can understand why my Dad liked to spend time there.

So here is the deal you buy a place there and I'll rent a room from you.

Originally Posted by cheers

Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much. -John Wayne

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

I'll arm-wrestle you for first dibs on this one:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-32988125.html

If they can move the bathroom!