caramac

I don't if they'd stop you or not, but it's easier and cheaper to get one in Australia. We've just renewed our three daughters' Aus passports in London (first adult ones) at a cost of £600. Add that to train fares from the NE and it's an expensive exercise!

My husband and I had a long distance relationship for almost two years when I returned with our daughters at the end of 2009. It was tough financially, but it was something we agreed was best for our children at that time. It wasn't supposed to be so long, but it took that long for my husband to find the right job back in this country. There were jobs he could have taken, but they would have made him miserable, so I didn't put any pressure on him. We only saw each other three times in that two years, but we were both working towards the same goal which is why it worked for us. There was no ill feeling between us - we just got on with it and made the best of it. There is a very real chance that we're about to do it again and I'm not at all fazed at the prospect, even though I'm not really bothered about spending time in Australia again. We communicate and have both said what's important to us. My husband has retired from his job here and has found one he'd really like in Australia. It's a job which would come up very rarely, so I've told him to apply for it if it's what he wants, but I can't follow him just yet. Our daughters are all adults, but the youngest is not ready to be left just yet, so I'm going to stay so she has a stable base until she knows what she wants to do - she may end up coming with us, but I don't want her to feel pressured into doing something she might regret, so we'll give her time and stability to make that decision. My husband accepts this and, if he's successful will look at ways of either coming back regularly, or flying us out as often as possible. It will work because we want it to and it's not a permanent situation. Relationships are about giving space, allowing people to be themselves and compromise. On a side note. When we first came back from Perth in 2003 I didn't want to be here. I hated everything about the UK, but once I changed my mindset I had a ball. The friends I made in the following few years are my closest friends still. If you want to be with your husband then you'll need to do the same, otherwise send him on his way with your blessing and your marriage will either survive or not. It'll come down to what's more important to you both in the end.

Our daughters attended MLC and we all loved it, but it's a while ago now. We have friends whose daughters went/go to PLC and are very happy with it. Both pretty much of a muchness (I wouldn't really have minded which one our girls went to to be honest). All the girls have gone onto similar uni courses and careers. Have you visited either? The head of the junior school at MLC swung it for us - she was wonderful (she's since left), but it was really just a gut feeling when we visited. Be prepared for high fee hikes over the years - I can't believe how much they've gone up. At one time we could have sent all three of ours to MLC for what it cost to send two to our UK school, now it'd be way more than our fees for all three in the UK. As others have mentioned, there'll be building levies, 'voluntary' contributions, stationery, camp/incursion/excursion fees etc which I would say add another third to the cost. Not a problem if your fees are being paid by Shell or the like, not so great if you're paying yourself and your salary isn't keeping up! With regard to waiting lists, there is a lot of movement in the private schools (especially in the western suburbs) at the end of the year as the oil companies move their employees around, so if you felt particularly strongly about a school and you're high enough up the waiting list, it may be worth risking waiting, but if you're not too bothered, I'd probably take the PLC place because there really isn't much of a difference between them.

Both lovely places. I've lived in Norfolk on and off for the past 30 years (how the hell did those years go by so quick!) and my heart most definitely belongs there now, but I wouldn't live in Thetford. There are lots of lovely towns and villages surrounding it though (Watton is pretty and 25 mins drive away, as is Bury St Edmunds) and, as others have said, Thetford Forest is a giant playground. That said, getting in and out of Norfolk is a bit of nightmare - there are no motorways, although the A11 is a dual carriageway all the way now, the trains are slow and it takes almost as long to get from Norwich to Liverpool St as it takes for us to get to Kings X from Newcastle, and at weekends for the past I don't know how many years, the weekend trains have had a replacement bus service somewhere on the journey! Of course, it's location has it's plus points. Traffic isn't horrendous because Norfolk is somewhere you don't pass through to get somewhere else, so it's the destination rather than a carrier of 'through traffic'. The landscape is quite flat (although not as flat as The Fens), but the coastline is stunning and Norwich is a pretty, accessible and easy city. I guess it comes down to what you prefer and where you might feel most at home. I know I'll miss the scenery and hills of where we live now when we move next year, but my home is Norfolk, despite not having been born there. Can you visit before you have to make up your mind?

We definitely should. We're now in our seventh (and final) consecutive year of public exams and I'm well and truly over them. Every ssingle holiday, bar the summer, marred by revision for mocks or the real things. Our youngest daughter's preteen and teen years have been affected by them. Such a shame. paulh565, our daughters have been educated in the independent sector in Perth, Sydney and the UK and there really isn't too much difference, except that some of the Australian schools are more English than English schools (boaters, strict uniform codes, shorts and knee high socks for boys all the way through to year12). There are cheaper independent schools and catholic schools, which are more affordable than the $15-30k Scotch College, Hale, Christchurch Grammar, so it's worth having a really good look at what's available before deciding. The enrolment fees at these schools are eyewateringly expensive now (our daughters' school in Perth was $800 for the whole family in 2001, it's now $4k per child and I imagine boys' schools are more than that. I think our friends have just paid $6.5k for Christchurch, whereas the enrolment fee here has only gone up £100 in the same time, and it's refundable which they tend not to be in Australia). Also factor in extras for technology (printing, computers etc), building funds, stationery and text book costs, which can be a lot and, if it's anything like the last school our girls were in, the requirements change yearly, so no handing down of text books. We found uniform much more expensive, but that was partly because the school in Sydney had changed their uniform, so there was no secondhand market. That said, it cost $4k to kit out our three, but only £300 in the UK when we came back (new uniform), although there are obviously schools here which have more expensive uniform. I think the education is comparable, once you get used to the more relaxed approach, and Australia manages to educate it's population to a good level - several of my daughter's friends had offers from top UK and American universities last year, so they must be at similar level to those from the home countries. Our daughters' friends are all following similar university pathways as their peers here too.

This may be true until recently, however, the number of forms my husband has signed recently has increased significantly from the number in the past. Time will tell how many do actually leave I suppose, but taken with the number we personally know who are retiring early, going part time or leaving entirely, it should be worrying. My husband has five days left at work now before he retires. He was going to stay longer, but has decided that things are too uncertain, so will go and return part time. He'll do this for a year while we wait for our kids to graduate, come back from abroad or decide on their futures, then we'll make another decision. Stay part time here, or do another stint in Australia. The number of vacancies here is staggering and he can pick and choose what he wants to do. Seven years ago there were very few vacancies which is why he stayed in Australia when I came home with the kids. beach pig should start worrying though. All these immigrant drs entering Aus, he may need treating by one one day :shocked:

That's true, however, the numbers applying to leave has increased recently. My husband has signed more papers just recently than he has before. That said, the trusts are going out on recruitment drives to India (and no doubt other countries), so maybe they'll increase those to fill vacancies too.

Not just juniors, consultants, gps, nurses and now even the pharmacists seem to have had enough.. It's not only Aus they're going to - Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada seem popular too.

Part of the problem comes from the constant 'rethinking'. Nothing ever has time to bed in and work before the next government comes in wanting to make its mark. So much money is wasted on rebranding and change from politicians who have little or no experience of working in the field. Then, when it doesn't work, or isn't given time to adjust, off they go again. Rethinking is a constant state.

I work with people who don't wear coats or feel the cold, but they're the ones who melt as soon as the temperature reaches a heady 16degs. Several were saying how gorgeous and warm it was on Tuesday, but when I walked outside the wind nearly cut me in half! It was mild, but definitely not warm! One of my daughter's friends never felt cold - I used to take a group of girls to Brownies and she'd be only one in tshirt sleeves, skipping along the road in the dark and cold of January when the rest of us were bundled up in coats, gloves, scarves etc. I was quite envious of her - I wish I didn't feel it so much, but my body just shuts down in winter!

Our surgery is open every evening until 8, but it is fully staffed. We're lucky. Unfortunately, as more GPs retire or leave and aren't replaced the situation will get worse for everyone. There are so many unfilled vacancies and no one wants to take them, sadly. We have friends who are GPs and they have had unfilled vacancies for up to two years now. They can use locums, but that's so expensive and not good for continuity of care. Whilst it may look as though funding is increasing, as a proportion of GDP it's actually falling. Take that, plus the cuts to social care (charities, elderly residential and nursing care etc) and the cuts are real. Mental health services, in particular for children, are in a parlous state. It can take two years for an ill child to be even offered an assessment and the toll on the child and their family can be enormous. Not only that, but the risks of more serious mental health problems and relapse is far greater than if they have early intervention. That's poor on a personal level, but the economic impact can be huge too - long term mental health input, hospitalisation, inability to work or study. The charities which used to support these families have also had their funding cut, so they're don't have the resources to help anymore either. The child or young person often has to reach crisis point (and A&E) before they're offered anything.

Same as the others, ours had them when they were walking to and from school alone at 11. Basic and PAYG. Even now they have new phones for birthdays or Christmas, unless they want to buy them themselves, and we top them up £10 a month which is all they need. If they want them, they can have contracts when they're paying for them themselves!

That winter and the next were definitely the coldest we've had recently - the following ones have been much milder (and wetter). Even in Norfolk the snow stuck around for weeks. My husband was still working in Melbourne at that time and he flew over to join us for Christmas. His flight was diverted to Manchester and he had to get the train to Norwich. All credit to the train companies which kept the lines open though - he arrived only an hour later than he would have done had his flight landed in London. I remember a guy falling outside our house on the ice. He was from Eastern Europe and couldn't speak much English, so it was difficult to find out what was wrong - I thought at first he was drunk as it was so early in the morning, but it turned out he was diabetic and had been working all night in a restaurant and not eaten enough. I gave him some chocolate and toast and he was almost recovered, if a bit sore, by the time the paramedic arrived. He got up and limped off taking my blanket with him!

We've only had one day in the last two years (unless you count last Friday!) and that melted quickly. Oh, and there was one morning in March where it snowed heavily in Newcastle, which hadn't been forecast, and my husband and daughter had to turn around and come home - we'd had nothing here! The four winters I spent in London it snowed every time. It was forecast, but no action was taken to prepare. Here, the gritters are out early and snow ploughs are keeping the roads open before it gets light. It's well organised. Apparently, the worst winter was 2010 when it didn't clear for weeks, but then, it was pretty bad in Norfolk too that year. It seems to go in cycles. You get a run of mild wet winters, then some cold bright ones, which I much prefer. I hope they're right about 20 degs soon though. That will be very nice and I'll get my sense of humour back :wink:

It's London that grinds to a standstill, not up here. Up here, they're ready for it and expect it and I've never been held up by it. The snow ploughs and gritters come out and everyone gets to where they need to be. Some of the Pennine routes do get blocked though and if there are high winds they have to close the roads for safety. When I worked in London my boss would look at me as if I was mad if I suggested driving (or even leaving to go outside) in even a smattering of snow! I really don't mind cold weather in winter - it's the UK, it gets cold, you get a coat and get on with it, but I do mind winter in April especially when we didn't get summer last year.

It is absolutely freezing up here atm (although the sun is shining today). You got out at the right time! My down filled jacket has been worn daily since October and we still have the heating on, a fire lit and the winter duvets and electric blankets on. Mind you, one of my daughters is in Bristol, one in London, my parents are in Cheshire and our friends are in Norfolk and they're all saying it's freezing in those places too and they till have their heating and winter clothes on, but I doubt it's quite as cold down there. Even my husband, who isn't really affected by the weather, has had enough. We seem to have been living in a Tupperware box for months. On the bright side, we're getting lots of wear out of our winter wardrobe and, if it carries on, we won't need to waste any money buying anything for summer. The sales at the end of summer should be good and we'll get some bargains. And I don't have to endure it much longer!

Depends what you're looking for. When we were coming back the NE was the only place with a job which matched my husband's skills and I know of a couple of others who have had no problems getting jobs here either. Depending on what you want to do, there seem to be plenty of jobs around, but finding exactly what you're looking for might be more difficult wherever you decide to go. http://www.indeed.co.uk/jobs?q=&l=North+East This might give you an idea

My husband was going to keep going for a few more years full time, but has decided to go this year (in one month!), but will go back part time as there is still stuff he wants to see through. Until recently he felt the same as your father, but he's fed up of all the politics now and having to fight for everything. We're looking at going back to Aus for a few years too - they still seem to want him!

I think you're right. It is a different way of working and the role that some highly trained, competent nurses have here just doesn't exist in some other countries. Practice nurses are different from Nurse Practioners, who are very highly skilled. We have Nurse Practioners who carry out endoscopies, colposcopies, minor surgery etc. as well as those employed in GP surgeries. They have been through years of training and although they still have the 'nurse' label, they are every bit as skilled as Drs in their field. In countries where most Drs are still 'private' there seems to be a feeling that they have to protect their livelihoods, so are less willing to hand over anything, even the most menial procedures. Nothing wrong with that, it's just a different way of working. Mind you, in a country where our health secretary tells us to google our child's rashes instead of going to the dr, it won't be long before they're training monkeys to carry out brain surgery!

Exactly. So many of our friends (GPs, consultants, nurses) are looking to take early retirement, change career or leave England. Even those still in training are looking to take their skills elsewhere (drug companies, overseas, law, business). The trust my husband works for has just been on a recruitment trip to India where they appointed several new consultants, which is great, but they will all need significant training in working for the NHS. It's a shame that no one wanted to apply for the jobs from this country though and we're losing the home grown talent. I dont know know why my last post posted twice when I was replying to this one!

It's awful and it happens a lot - and a lot more since the introduction of the 111 service. Too many ambulances taken away from genuine need to attend minor stuff. People also go to A&E too easily. Some say it's because they can't get a gp appointment, which I can kind of understand - if you're worried, you want to be seen, but no one seems able to cope with even simple stuff anymore and need a medic to tell them they have a cold. Or those who've been ill all week, but decide Friday night is the night to go and sit in A&E with an ingrowing toenail. I think it's amazing how the staff still cope in some of these places really.

It's awful and it happens a lot - and a lot more since the introduction of the 111 service. Too many ambulances taken away from genuine need to attend minor stuff. People also go to A&E too easily. Some say it's because they can't get a gp appointment, which I can kind of understand - if you're worried, you want to be seen, but no one seems able to cope with even simple stuff anymore and need a medic to tell them they have a cold. Or those who've been ill all week, but decide Friday night is the night to go and sit in A&E with an ingrowing toenail. I think it's amazing how the staff still cope in some of these places really.

Definitely true. There's a shortage of GPs, so they can pick and choose where they want to go to live and work. They're more likely to choose nicer areas, where there's a good quality of life, good schools etc, just like the rest of us who have that choice.

To be be fair to the nurse, you probably did have a viral infection when you saw her. These things can develop over time into something else. There is a lot of pressure (rightly so) to not prescribe antibiotics straight away as they're useless for viral infections which generally clear up on their own anyway. It sounds like you were unlucky that yours developed into something bacterial which does happen, but it wouldn't be good practice to give prophylactic antibiotics 'just in case'. I understand your frustration though - we had our GP out four times to our daughter when she was tiny, only to be told she was fine. It was only when a different Dr came out that she was finally admitted to hospital and then spent a month in ITU. Sometimes they get it wrong. I'm always quite happy to have a phone consultation - if the gp decides they need to see me they will ask me to make an appointment.

My my experience with our GPs has been the same as yours, but we live in a fairly small market town with two big primary care practices. My daughter lives in London and her experience has been very different and she has definitely had times when she's had to wait in excess of two weeks for an appointment. That said, it's always been for routine things - if she'd wanted or needed to be seen earlier, she could have gone to a walk in centre.