dgjamison

Celticspirit, when we returned from Canada, we went to the s/s office to sign on, (DHSS office) just had to give name date of birth as far as I remember and we were still there!!!!so had no problem getting NI number again. Same happened when we returned to Canada after 25 years, they still had our drivers licence numbers on the system. I was amazed, big brother is everywhere but seriously Celticspirit, if I can help in anyway please just let me know, and I will try and find out for you, but we really had no problem the SS office were so helpfull, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much they will answer anthing you might want to know,( I had never had to use them before returning as we had always worked and I felt there was a stigma going, but how wrong I was) and the citizens advice centers are invaluable, so please use them, they will tell you anything you are entitled to and help you get started on the path to getting your benefits sorted until you are on your feet But again if you need someone to talk to, meet to have a coffe (forestside comes to mind) just get in touch, all the very best, you are NOT alone Denise 2

dgjamison

To me even though I was'nt born, this epitomises (sp) the stiff upper lip at their best standing together, like in the 2nd world war, I only wish we had a bit more of this bonhommie that was so natural then, we have become strangers to our neigbours, neighbourhoods have been decimated though (TG) still not as bad as the US I miss the neighbourhoods as they used to be, I feel our kids have missed out on respect and looking out for our neighbours and the family unit with granny and granda being treated with the utmost respect (or you got a clip round the ear if you were out of order) it made me a better person, in the sense that to this day even though I am closer to 60 than 50, I would still give my seat up on a bus or open a door, for someone older than me if thats possible. What makes me really angry is the disrespect shown to our elders, who went through poverty, hardship, and wars for us to enjoy what we have today, they must be turning in their graves

Beedubya

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-23332482/

J.J

Hello Ceticspirit, we felt quite apprehensive about all the stuff to be done in UK while we were still closing all the US stuff.
However, once we were here within a few days we had done all the essential stuff of doctors and voting register, library card, bus pass, bank account, HMRC and DHSS.
Everyone was helpful and it all went smoothly.

dgjamison

[QUOTE=Beedubya;9553365]http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-23332482/[/QUO


says it all, thats the spirit I'm talking about while it is there the thugs will never win. "United we stand divided we fall" only too true

sallysimmons

Regarding the good old days and respect and such, I think a lot of fabulous young people are getting tarred with a bad brush just because of a few hundred low-lifes.

Those low-lifes always existed in the UK - when I was a teenager, I saw similar behavior at football matches on a regular basis.

I was recently reading some old newspapers from York in the 1800s and the so-called 'chavs' were around then too, causing trouble and showing disrespect.

I think most kids are good kids these days just as they ever were. Social mores may change but basic decency remains.

dgjamison

I agree with you, through every generation there are low lives, and they have always been there, but can I tell you one story that I know of for sure?, my daughter agreed to take a council apartment in the hope that it might lead to a council house in the future, she worked and paid her rent and bills. She was the only one in the area that worked (there were approx20 flats in the complex) she was called a snob, why? because her neighbours had clubs, (MOnday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday clubs) they were clubs for neighbours to get together at 3pm and drink and smoke????? in the summer it was outside their apartments all congregating all friends together... and because she did'nt want to live her life like that she was classed as a snob Of course all young people are not like what I have mentioned (and I pride myself that mine are not amongst the spongers) but unfortunately the number is getting larger, so although I agree there are great kids out there, they are a lot fewer than there where when I was young Just looking at the excuses given for the riots in Uk made me sick, what a load of rubbish, if they had of had the hardships our parents had maybe they would appreciate the benefits they get... some of these people get more in benefits than I took home as a wage owning my own business, sometimes my employees were better off than me sorry not right just saying

jasper123

Celtic I must second JJ'S comment there, the closing of my life in the U.S. took a heck longer then opening my new life in England, within 5 working days everything was done, ---- opened bank account, registered with a doctor, registered with a dentist, registered with the council, got my free bus pass applied for my reduced (time served) U.K. pension, renewed my British passport,
(AND got a library card and used there computors for free for first two months while looking around for a good deal on a lap top)

All done in 5 working days, just make your list, its really easy to do everything here, and you REALLY DO get so much help from these places while your doing this, and you dont need a car either, the bus service is great ----- at least until they start cutting the services but at least the word is they are apparently going to let us oldies keep our free bus pass ---- but a lot of services like some bus routes will be cut and other routes not so frequent, the local bus companies are privately owned here but heavily subsidized by the government/councils.

trottytrue

Jasper123...and all others. Well when things move they move fast The people buying the house now want to bring the closing forward to the end of August as they say if they wait any longer the points for lending go up by 4. So we are now in the middle of chaos. I have 3 movers coming to give us estimates Mon Tues and Wednesday of next week. We have our rental moved forward to 19th September. I have stickies stuck on everything in varied colours. Pink for going to the UK yellow for going to my daughter and so on. The worst is all the boxes I hid with every intention of selling on Ebay mostly books and magazine. Hundreds of Royalty mags and 'This England' mags and 'Peoples Friend'. I shall call the Old Peoples home and see if they want any but the rest are going to get chucked just have no time to mess with them.
Then I have to revisted my Craft room and decide what is really important to me. I am going to keep my photos with me and put them into Albums and then either give them to my children or put them with the stuff already in storage. We are taking very little furniture with us.
This all came up so quickly, like I told you before we were waiting for water results which took forever and then the radon test but now its all systems go. I get a headache just thinking about it. So much to do so little time.That will teach me not to squirrel things away under beds and in closets. Thankfully I did clean out the attic last year when Rodney was doing his, I think I had over 100 boxes. I now have about a dozen. As its all a matter of weight I am going to try and weigh each box of books and see how much they weigh. I would leave some behind but most are books I have not yet read and others are my embroidery books. I will get rid of the rest of them. It will hurt but they will have to go.
This weekend is taken up with going to my Grandsons 1st Birthday if we dont go they will get mad. The weather is suppose to be bad so we shall have to wait and see.

I will be calling Goodwill and Salvation Army. Putting some stuff on Craigs list.

We did think of saying no to the earlier date but the way things are we cannot afford to lose the sale so just onward we go.

Mummy in the foothills

It's nail-bitingly exciting.

trottytrue

Mummy in the foothills....I dont have any nails left. But you are correct it is exciting just wish we had closed and all this stuff was overwith. I dug St. Joseph up months ago and sat him on my cabinet my niece in the UK asked the priest she works for and he said it was not a very nice thing to do having him buried. So I brought him in washed him and just gave him a look when I passed him. Today I had him sat on the wood stove with 3 candles lit, my husband did not appreciate it he said I was misuing him. Our realtor called and said keep the candles burning.

charleygirl

Sorry my friends, not had time to get here much, just wanted to say hi, i dont even know wether I thanked you all for your messages of support etc.
Anyway thank you.
Still plodding along with my plans, I took a day of today from it all......spent some quality time with my children, who were all home, it is weird I feel like a Mum again, being home with them all instead of seeing them come and go with out a Hi or Bye......it will make is harder for me and them, but I needed to be home to get my things done, although maybe I should have worked up to two weeks.
I have 15 days now, still planning on the Aug 27th. But I think I wont be taking 4 cases this time, because I am planning to come back for Thanksgiving it is also my Birthday that day and I just feel it will be better to be able to give the children a date they will see me again. I am interested on comments on that too, is it too soon to come back and see them, found a flight for 400 pounds with Aer Lingus. And then if my hubby ( ex) could bring them over for Christmas we could spend time together then too. And i could bring two cases each time and also get them to bring some stuff at Christmas.Anyway nothing concrete yet.
Tomorrow I am going Zip Lining in the White Mountains my girls are 19 this weekend and we as a family are all going to do this, it will be first thing all 5 of us have done since my son graduated and we went to dinner 2 years ago.
trotty wow, no time to think, I will try and see you next week.

charleygirl

Taffy, good luck with your new life!
trotty you were posting while I was typing, too funny poor Mo!

Beedubya

Whoa steady on old girl dont be chucking out just yet!!

Airfreight goes on weight or volume whichever is the greater....

But as you say you are taking furniture I am thinking you must be sending your stuff by seafreight?

Seafreight does NOT go on weight it goes on the volumetric measurement, as in per cubic metre.

So it doesn't matter if your freight is really heavy (like books) ......so just wait until the removal guys give you the quote and you may be able to take back far more than you thought.

Beedubya

Denise, nothing is written in stone.............just go with the flow, who knows you might be like Jackie and want to go back to the USA..........just do what is best for you.....

Now what is Zip lining in the White mountains?? Sounds like a sport??