Elvira

We used Cadogan Tate for packing, storage and removal. They were very professional. Pricey initially but they matched a cheaper quote.

Whoever you choose in the end, make sure they belong to the British Association of International Removers (I think that's what it's called).

Thrift stores are wonderful for finding stuff like crockery, pans, table lamps, odd items of furniture, etc. Forget Oxfam, - thrift stores here are often huge and because you are moving to a throw-away society, the choice can be fantastic

cybersecretary

thanks for all the info everyone, the personal injury to husband sounds horrid though - what happened???

good advice on the plates and cutlery, would probably get a picnic set over there in that instance.

I dont really want to let our UK house out furnished, dont want anyone sleeping in my bed, similarly dont want to sleep in anyone elses bed (barring George Clooney of course)

cybersecretary

sorry, totally forgot to add into last thread, hence shipping stuff overseas as opposed to leaving it all here.

Deedee13

the same ones brought my stuff to germany.. Omega were the ones this end, usa were the ones on the other end. Had bad trouble getting a straight day out of them, but the guys who delivered were absolutely great.

Bob

well a can opener then...but paper plates and all that kack...it's still a hassle to go get that shite to eat the left overs up from ya first night out...

TruBrit

not sure where you are located cybersecretary but we used luxfords of weybridge and they were ok...one thing i'd do next time however when itemizing everything is to take photos of all the items esp if they are pretty valuable.

SecretGarden

Long story, I'll attempt to summarize. Warning, if you have a weak stomach, might not want to read further.

He was six days away from his flight and visa activation. He's a hand bookbinder and uses several bookpresses that are made of solid cast iron and extremely heavy---one of them, although it can be disassembled into smaller sections is taller than he is and weighs close to a thousand pounds. He was shipping these items over in order to start his own Bindery once he got work authorization. These items were in addition to his personal items (clothes, etc).

There were many email communications back and forth regarding the specific dimensions and weight of the equipment, as well as many telephone calls. Husband was concerned that there needed to be adequate personnel sent to move the presses to be transported. He mentioned safety many times in his emails. He was assured in writing that at least four men would be sent along with transportation sturdy enough to carry items of this weight.

He had arranged to have them at his Bindery first thing in the am on the Tuesday (was flying out on Saturday). Instead of showing up at the Bindery, the movers went to his parents' house instead, even though directions to the Bindery were specifically stated on all the paperwork. Four hours past the arrival time they showed up. It was one gentleman and his wife, who carried the clipboard to do the inventory of items.

Of course he was upset and through a series of events, was told by the sole moving man that if he wanted his things to make it in time to be shipped out he needed to help move the items to the truck. Not wanting to do this but feeling he had no choice given the circumstances, he and the man broke the tall press down into the smallest pieces possible. It was the first item to be loaded on the truck.

The bottom part of the press weighs approximately three hundred pounds. They each picked up an end and before husband was ready (he had been positioned so he was walking forwards) the man started walking and pulled husband off balance. He stumbled, fell, and both of his hands were crushed between the cast iron press and the concrete floor.

To his credit, the moving man acted quickly, calling an ambulance, removing the press from atop my husband and applying first aid until the ambulance came to take him to the hospital.

I received a phone call from his mother early in the morning that day, US time, and she told me that the surgeon had said they would probably be amputating both of his hands due to the severity of the crushing. Luckily it did not come to that. They were able to restore the circulation in both hands. The left pinky finger was split down the middle to the bone, nail gone, bone frayed. That had to be filed down.

The right hand (his dominant hand) was split open across the top by a four inch gash down to the tendon and bones. His right ring finger was completely smashed in tiny fragments, and all the other fingers were broken in several places. Tendons were torn and of course he was severely bruised. he was bleeding severely and had no feeling in that hand or movement when he got to the hospital. When he stumbled, the press had also hit his leg from the shin downward, causing severe lacerations and bruising.

Long story even longer----he had five and a half hours of reconstructive surgery on the hands and was in the hospital for the better part of a week. Splints and followup care over there of course. They did not cast him because they wanted to make sure that the hands did not start to contract and leave him clawlike. The right ring finger has plates and screws in it to hold it together and it still twisted. It will never be straight and the top of his hand has quite an impressive scar.

Obviously he did not fly on Saturday. We were then left with a big decision to make. Since he was not my husband, I could not get coverage on my insurance in the US to cover his rehabilitation and the insurance complany obviously saw this as a pre-existing condition. We needed to decide if he would stay there and get his medical care for "free" on the NHS or if he would come here so that I could help him with his rehab and pay out of pocket which would have cost tens of thousands of dollars which I didn't have.

Long story even longer--- he couldn't be cleared to fly until almost a month later because the pressure changes in the airplane cabin could cause the plates and screws to pop until the swelling went down. Ultimately we decided to have him come here with the understanding of the insurance co. that we would get married immediately upon his arrival, add him to the insurance as a spouse, and if any damages resulted from the lawsuit we filed, we would reimburse the insurance co. for what they paid out for rehab.

We were married six days after his landing (foregoing the big family wedding we had planned) and he completed his rehab in six months here in the states with me to take care of him and help him. He worked incredibly hard in therapy and today, the left hand is perfect unless you look closely at that small finger......

The right hand doesn't look right and he has a "dead" spot on the top of the hand within the scar where he has no feeling. The ring finger is twisted and his hand gets tired and achy often. He can make a fist and touch each finger tip to his palm. Ultimately, he is able to continue in the only profession he's ever known---hand bookbinding and playing stand up bass on the side, although his reach is decreased as is his speed.

That's our story, and the litigation continues, just over three years after the accident. The court system in the UK seems to move slower than that in the US and this has been frustrating to me as an American. Sometimes I want to go over there and knock some heads together.

Hope I didn't bore anyone, but this incident has been an important part of our lives for three years and if I can save anyone from using this company I will continue to tell the story to whomever will listen (or read).

~SecretGarden
~and Mr. Pink
(proud K-1 graduates, with removal of conditions hopefully coming in May or June)

Rockgurl

I used Allfrieght ( http://www.allfreight.co.uk/ ) and they were excellent. Everything arrived when they said it would, with no damage, and they were always available to speak to. Very helpful and reliable.

Elvira

What an utter nightmare! Though I guess, given the severity of his injuries, he is lucky not to have lost his hands. Were you able to go and be with him? It must be frustrating to have the court case drag on for so long; hope you can get that resolved soon.

SecretGarden

Thank you.

No, I wasn't able to go to be with him; money was certainly an issue, but ultimately my ex-husband was no way-no how going to take care of my children while I flew to England to be with soon to be new husband.

It was a strange time----phone calls in the middle of the night, not knowing what time it was, not being able to do anything to help, and still having to hold down my own fort, work, and parent.

I remember the sound of his mother's voice when she called me to tell me, and my first words, even before being told he had had an accident, were, "Is he dead?" She said, "Nooo.....but it's not good." I never want to go through anything like that again.

What doesn't break us makes us stronger.

~SG

cybersecretary

GOD ALMIGHTY!!!! YOURS HAS TO BE THE WORSE MOVE EVER. Good on you for all the hard work rebuilding and rehab. My dad used to do bookbinding, its a time consuming and very expert skill. So glad that he is still able to do this.

Irn-bru

Don't use Johnsons though I think that is a local Derby firm.

We used Pickfords they were OK, still haven't unpacked all the boxes (still looking for my silver cutlery)

If your firm is paying for it my advice is to take nearly everything. I brought 2 good lamps and are glad we did as I bought a lamp electrical lead for $12 and refitted it..really pleased.

My sister needed a new TV so we left ours there for her. But on a selfish note it has put us out a lot with extra money.

You can't use the TV as a regular TV here but we have loads of videos and games and our PS2. Buying a new PS2 and replacing all those games is expensive and our large collection of DVDs and videos is still sitting in boxes.

So wished we brought out UK TV, DVD, and video and game consoles, so we could watch and play them on the TV (which is what we did the 1st time which was great) as our family then sent over videos of our birthdays etc and felt more part of the family.

cybersecretary

good tip about the TV/DVD/Video stuff. i just assumed no good as not electrically compatible. it would be a shame not to be able to play the stuff we have already got and the family sharing tip is invaluable. thanks for the tip. presume you got transformers???

Deedee13

i am a nosey bitch i know, but what happened with all the stuff he was moving? there must be a story in that too? One that i am sure am not the only person to want to read??? Did he get his equipment and how.

Bob

Check the power supply, most stuff from the EU won't have a problem working here being dual voltage, just need a plug adaptor, it's stuff from the US would would probably blow and need a transformer when moving back.