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Original poster

Hicksville > London ... right or wrong?

465 replies

spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 17:36

Rather than hijack the other thread, I'll start one of my own.

I'm thinking about moving to London from the provincial town where I now live. My children are nearly 13 (dd) and 10 (ds), so if we moved in the summer ds would start Year 6 at a new primary school and dd would start Year 9 at a new secondary school. They'll both be going to state schools.

I don't like the idea of uprooting them, BUT there are lots of good reasons for the move, for them as well as me.

We're looking at moving into Camden LEA, and I am told the schools are very good. I also think as the children get older there will be many more opportunities for them educationally and socially in London. My sister and brother both live in north London and I would dearly love to be nearer to them, and so would the kids. Plus my mum wants to move in with us on a trial basis - she is very close to the children and more importantly is very good for them, and would be my general factotum in terms of childcare.

And of course the work opportunities for me would be stratospherically better than they are where I now am.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has made a big move with kids at a similar age, and what impact it had on them. Of course a lot comes down to personality, and I know it would be hard for them to adjust at first, but any advice or experience would be most welcome.

Thanks!

OP posts:
maomao · 20/06/2004 11:23

How's it all going, spacemonkey?

Kid, did the forms show up, or did you have to fill out new ones?

maomao · 20/06/2004 11:23

How's it all going, spacemonkey?

Kid, did the forms show up, or did you have to fill out new ones?

Original poster
spacemonkey · 20/06/2004 14:01

The forms have gone in but it's a nightmare getting hold of my housing officer. I've rung six times now and she never calls me back. GRRRR

OP posts:
kid · 20/06/2004 21:08

They told me the next day that it was my whole bloody file they lost and as the exchange wouldn't go through within the 42 days which is the legal requirement they wiould close the case. After complaing to the manager, they agreed to let me take in birth certificates, child benefit letter and tenency agreement then they will process the application without my file. Wether this will still happen within the 42 days is another question. I will phone tomorrow when the manager is back in.

Original poster
spacemonkey · 20/06/2004 22:43

oh no, sorry to hear about this kid

I am now getting a horrible feeling that Islington housing department are a bit on the crap side ... they told the other tenant that I would not have to fill out a form for them, then today they said they hadn't started processing the exchange because they hadn't received my form! Then my prospective housing officer rang and talked a load of gibberish down the phone.

Oh dear, the joys of local authority bureaucracy

OP posts:
maomao · 21/06/2004 00:19

Sorry to hear that, kid

sm, are you still slated to move by early August (is that right? My mind is getting old and feeble.)?

kid · 21/06/2004 23:51

I eventually apoke to the manager today and have been told that the application is still going ahead but they still need my file to authorise the exchange. If they haven't heard from the other tenants HA by Tuesday they will contact them. If my file is back then they will be able to authorise the move next week. So EVERYBODY, fingers and toes crossed please!

I hope they get your forms to you quickly SM. If you ask me, I think all councils are useless!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 22/06/2004 18:57

ooh good luck kid, everything crossed for you here!

i've booked my removers for 23rd July ... and i eat my words about islington, the form arrived promptly the next day

OP posts:
maomao · 22/06/2004 19:02

Hope they find your file, kid!

SM, eventho' your form arrived the next day, I wouldn't eat your words just yet....! OH, AND I have it on very good authority that we have the same size feet. So if you'd moved only a few blocks away, I might have been able to borrow shoes off you!

wobblyknicks · 22/06/2004 19:06

sm - that means you'll be moving on my birthday then!!! You'll have to get your pc plugged in quick so we can have a big celebration in the bar that night!!!

lou33 · 22/06/2004 19:15

maomao

Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/06/2004 13:58

kid, any news?

congrats on winning the comp btw!

OP posts:
kid · 27/06/2004 22:12

Still not sure. The file is back at the housing office (my dad had to collect it and deliver it for me, I'm just a tenant so I wasn't allowed to!)
The lady dealing with the exchange has been off since Wednesday and should be back tomorrow so I have to phone at 10am to speak to her. I spoke to my exchange partner and she is still keen to go ahead with the exchange, she wants us to move mid July.
I can't believe I won the competition, I've never won anything in my life! I've just been on the site and chose 10 things!!! It certainly cheered me up!!!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 28/06/2004 12:04

Glad it's all going ahead for you kid

I spoke to Islington Housing again yesterday and they've got my form and have passed it onto my exchange partner's housing officer, so the clock starts ticking today, fingers crossed ...

OP posts:
kid · 28/06/2004 13:15

good luck SM, a bit of a race between us now then! Who will get the news first?!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 28/06/2004 15:34

I've started ringing around primary schools for ds today - it's all getting very real now ...

Chasing up the two councils is a full time job in itself!

OP posts:
maomao · 28/06/2004 15:41

Good luck to both of you!

kid · 28/06/2004 15:57

Luckily, I'm only moving locally soI don't have to change jobs or DD's school (Which is where I work!) I think that would be really hard to do. Then you also have to hope that there is a vacancy there for them too! Good luck, I hope you don't get too stressed about the whole thing!
I spoke to the exchange officer just now, as she only got my file back today, she is beginning the 42 days again (?) so the latest we should hear is the 4th August. Its so annoying that we just have to sit back and wait, I'm so impatient!!!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 29/06/2004 20:34

kid, we are on about the same schedule then - Islington told me today that the 42 day clock started ticking on tuesday, so that would take me up to about 4th August I think!

My HO is coming to do my inspection next week and I have to have an electrical check too, then that's it for my side of things ... still hoping we can push it through for moving on 23 July but it's starting to look doubtful (especially as Islington sent the completed forms to the wrong HO ... )

OP posts:
kid · 29/06/2004 21:53

So do you you still eat your words about Islington Council?! I think you have to have some sort of incompetence qualification to work for my housing office!!! (Hope I don't offend anyone!)
I got all excited tonight, my exchange partner phoned and her housing officer is going to view her property tomorrow and then will be contacting Hackney Council, she thinks it will all move quickly now, God I hope so!
SM, at least you know the longest you have to wait is only until 4th August. It could happen quicker butI don't think I would have been brave enough to book any vans yet! Our transfer is not guaranteed, I don't see why it wouldn't go through but you never know

Original poster
spacemonkey · 29/06/2004 23:45

they can only refuse an exchange on a very limited number of grounds kid so i'm sure you'll be fine

will you be near N1 when you move then?

OP posts:
kid · 30/06/2004 00:41

I'll be in N1, but only just!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 04/07/2004 15:56

Islington have done the inspection at their end, mine is this week, so in theory it could all be done and dusted very quickly. What's your latest kid? I hope you are hassling them regularly - it seems to be the only way to get things moving

OP posts:
kid · 05/07/2004 21:55

I phoned Hackney Coucnil on Tuesday to be told that the HA had phoned them on Thursday to say that they have lost the forms. My council then asked me to contact my exchange partner to get her to chase up her HA! I wonder when they were going to tell me if I hadn't phoned? Well I spoke to my exchange partner and she was aware that the forms were lost but had been found. Her housing officer is on leave until Monday so she will phone him then to find out what happened with the forms! This whole move is seeming further and further away!

Glad to hear your move is on track SM!

Original poster
spacemonkey · 06/07/2004 01:20

omg kid what a palaver!

keep hassling ...

OP posts:
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