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Living overseas

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Original poster

St Helena

12 replies

GloveBug · 30/06/2017 18:41

Does anyone have experience of living on St Helena? DH looking at a job there. It would be me, DH and 2 DC (3 and 5) moving over there

OP posts:
Eggplantsundays · 30/06/2017 18:44

Bloody hell isnt that the same as a posting to Tristan De Cunha?Shock
What does he do?

thenightsky · 30/06/2017 18:47

There was a mumsnetter contemplating moving to Tristan de Cuna (sp) as her DH had been offered a job there. Can't remember her user name though. Sorry, I know that's not the same island, but I guess it would be a similar kind of living/remoteness.

thenightsky · 30/06/2017 18:48

X post!

juneau · 30/06/2017 18:52

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena

Wow - well you'd be pretty brave OP. It's really remote and difficult to get to/from. Only 4,500 people. How long would you be going for?

juneau · 30/06/2017 18:53

It's not quite as remote as Tristan da Cunha, which boasts the sum total of 262 people!

Original poster
GloveBug · 30/06/2017 19:33

It would be for a couple of years. don't really want to say what he does as it might out me. I don't really know anything about Saint Helena but it does seem very remote and I think it's about a week to get there on a boat. Part of me likes the idea but the other part worries about the DC, it being so remote, nothing to do etc

OP posts:
ggirl · 30/06/2017 19:44

I vaguely know someone who moved there , is a social worker ..lots of work there for them . She enjoyed it and did her 2-3 yrs but her 13 old son wasn't too keen and came home to live with family in UK after a year..
Internet access was sporadic to say the least .
sorry not much info

HighOverTheFenceLeapsSunnyJim · 30/06/2017 22:10

Wow. That is pretty remote. I would have thought the kids would be fine though, they are only young & presumably it would only be a posting for a couple of years. Would probably be less than idea if you had teenagers. Can your DH's work put you in touch with other expats there?

Crochetthedayaway · 03/07/2017 12:34

I used to follow a blog of a family living on St Helena for a government finance posting I think. I did a quick google post and couldn't find it but there were several others that popped up.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 03/07/2017 12:55

One of my friends lived there with her family for about five years. She moved back to the UK when the older child was ready to start secondary school. The whole family absolutely loved it and they all miss it. There was absolutely tons for younger kids to do, outdoors stuff like swimming but also a lot of social stuff because they make their own amusement there. It wouldn't be as good for teenagers, I got the impression that all or most of the secondary aged children go away to boarding school.

There were things that she had to get used to, like you buy fruit when the ship docks not just when you fancy it. You have to order anything unusual and wait for it to come by boat. The airport is still non-functional as far as I know (they built it and then realised that it was too windy to be safe). She had to bring a car with her, with a powerful engine as the roads can be incredibly steep.

SnickersWasAHorse · 03/07/2017 12:58

My dad went there for work. He was there for a couple of months. He loved it.
However he comes from a very small community so it wasn't so much of a change for him.

Sparklyuggs · 05/07/2017 06:13

OP if you PM me I might be able to help, I have a friend living there.

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