Talk

Marks an d Spencer's? Country pubs? Decent takeaways? Sky +? I lust after these things and then remember about the lack/cost of after school and holiday clubs in the UK......

Yes, all encouraging. Good old M & s... Sigh. All things i can think of are the boring ones.. Sigh, sigh. Not excited at thought.

We're London bound as well, Salbertina, and I hate the thought.

Oh dear MrsS, no option but to? Am trying to think how gentle and beautiful it is, the nhs, how cheap it is, safe, near Europe, all good stuff.. But cant help thinking doors are closing

Family, Food, and holidays in Europe. NHS, working with people who get your sense of humor, paid vacation days, Dd can walk to school, living near the beach.

We're moving back from travelling the world for the last 9 years, the past 4 have been in the US. After reading a certain book my 11 yr old DS asked me what we would do if either he or his sister got cancer and we couldn't pay the medical bills after the insurance had run out ...... I assured him that wouldn't be a problem in the UK - we would NEVER have to worry about a child being denied care. So despite not being too chuffed about our move I was proud to explain the NHS to my kids.

Salbertina, I'll swap with you....be glad o leave Oz to go back home. If someone gave me a ticket I'd pack now and run to the airport.

Definitely the NHS. I've never had any problems with it, and now pay a fortune for treatments, and am told my Bupa should be used as much as possible as public is slow. I paid for an anesthetist for my dd for her op, $600, to be told by Bupa that HE isn't covered, and I can claim some of it back from Medicare.

I miss.....in no particular order....my family and friends, M&S, cheap produce, buy one get one free offers, decent takeaways that don't cost the earth, restaurants, cheap booze, NHS, the cold weather, and my dd is missing out on free 15hours of childcare while we pay full wack for daycare. Decent baby/toddler groups where people are sociable.

Can you tell I'm still homesick????

Good Luck with your journey home

family, friends, access to Europe and European culture and food.

Thanks, guys, good to have those reminders, easy to take Uk for granted when it's home!

LD, sorry to hear you're homesick. I know the feeling, v hard! Have you been there long? Can take ages to settle. And yes, with you on the medical bills, had a sudden hit of £1300 last yr for dc2 and delaying OT for dc2 as cant afford it!

Where are you now Salbertina?

In south africa...

family, friends, media, food, NHS, humor, television, radio, post that gets delivered rather than stolen, ability to buy clothes I like rather than those that fit, ditto shoes, weather...

Cadbury's chocolate!

We are on the verge of spring back in blighty, it's still cold as heck, but just a couple of days ago we had one of those days where you can feel warmth in the sun, and the sky is herculian blue...and that smell of things about to shoot out and green up was in the air. All the birds were singing spring songs and the snowdrops were out and it was beautiful, in a way I think only an English spring can be. Happy sigh.

Hmm- you miss the weather?!! Must admit, not a fan of cadburys, but Green & Blacks? Now you're talking!

Oh i love the English Spring! Sounds lovely...crisp air, dawn chorus, longer evenings...ok, am getting there now.

Am overcoming my un-excitement, not that there's such a word

Depends where you are coming from!

After 8 yrs in lat am, we appreciated:

Being able to walk around safely after dark
Clean tap water
No tropical diseases
NHS
Proper seasons (winter walks)
good schools
Politeness of people
Relaxed driving ( no madness of aggressive drivers beeping horns non stop, cutting you off)
not as much sexism towards women
No men touching you up, or chatting you up in the street
Kids can have more freedom, playing outside
No need to bribe police/officals etc.

We loved south america, but happy to be here now!

Glad to hear you're enjoying it, Chandon. Yes, some of those issues on your list apply here too.

Weve been in Oz 16 months now. Just really miss my family everyday, and my bf of 30 years who's godmother to my dd's, and support from them. My dhs useless with support of any kind. The girls are 3.5 and 20 months, and we've been here since dd2 was 3/4 months, just found it hard not having help, and my dp's cannot travel due to ill health, and it's always my dh's bloody family hat come. He has both his sisters living here.

Argh. I forgot fashionable clothes. The clothes here in Perth are just bleurgh. Too many patterns like leopard and roses mixed. I look like an Eastern European hooker in them.

They don't do long length trousers, and bra's are a funny fit. Give me Debenhams any time.

Disclaimer: I can compare myself to a Eastern European hooker as of my Hungarian heritage.

Coming in from the cold. When your cheeks feel all cold and tight and then you get to do the lovely stripping off of layers dance.

Snuggling up under a duvet.

Eating chips out of paper on a freezing cold sea front

Lp- sorry to hear that, sounds tough with little ones..16 months difficult stage- neither exciting honeymoon phase not properly settled. It does get a little easier though with time.

I like Country Road clothes which we get here, come up long too. Have you tried there?

Oh Chopsy, am getting properly homesick now!

MARMITE! Tis my pregnancy craving and the only thing that staves off my morning sickness and I'm down to my last jar!

Plenty of other things, but that is killing me right now!