SalMart

Hi, Thanks for the bump but I went ahead and booked everything now. If I'd planned ahead I could have contacted Byford, I'm sure but I left it a bit late. We head out next week. Bit worried about her as she has been limping lately due to suspected arthritis but I want to get her x-rayed in the uk as they want an insane amount to do it here : $750 under general anaesthetic. A bit much on top of all the shipping costs. She has to do 10 days in kennels as we are not flying direct to UK, so I just hope she will be ok. Aaaargh...stress!

We are using Chess. Paying $6700 for a 20ft container from Perth to Glasgow including insurance which is 2.5% of the value. They are packing the breakables.

Hi there, Just trying to shave a bit off the cost of shipping our Scottie back to the UK and wondering if anyone has just brought a dog into Perth and wants to offload their crate? I think the size we need to go for is not the smallest but an "intermediate" which is 82 x 56 x 62 cms. Would be happy to collect obviously. Thanks, Sally

Having to accept brash, rude attitudes because "it's The Australian Way" and to question it would be very "Un-Australian"...

I see it!

Great list to work on, thanks TopBhoy. Can't imagine our budget will allow for anything "expensive. Rightmove is great for seeing what schools are in the neighbourhood! I suppose I'd like the best of both worlds in terms of an easy commute to the city for things to see and do and not be too isolated for shops and socially. But we're okay with a small village feel. Here we barely talk to the neighbours (just the street we're on?) so we are starved for a bit of a more community/friendly/neighbourly spirit, if that makes sense. I'm sure his prospective employers would advise as well but he still has a group video interview in Jan so we'll know more in a few weeks time, I guess. Cheers!

Thanks, Gazl. Will look it up. Might send you a PM re. schools and renting etc. Much appreciated.

Hi there, I posted previously about here about possibly moving to Aberdeen, my husbands's home town to take up a job. However, things appear to be changing with another potential job offer in Glasgow. We know very little about places to look to live and if anyone wants to share their 2 cents worth regarding the surrounding areas with regard to: family-friendly communities with low crime and good local schools within a 15 miles distance of Hillington Industrial Estate, Glasgow we would be most appreciative. Thanks!! Sally.

Ok. Getting a picture. Very slow. Thanks folks. That's goodnight from me!! PS: He says he's watching it on http://www.thefirstrow.eu. Good picture.

Thanks, he says he can't see picture on Alba coz he's in Oz. is now listening to the commentary...which is apparently coming from Alba. There was a bit of English he said...ah, Brechin just scored. More Gaelic.

He's trying. Waiting for all the pop up ads to go away...can't see past them all. And he's so ruddy impatient. Ok, has thrown hands in air and says it's not working.

Super! Thanks tonyman.

Any Rangers supporters browsing whilst the game is on??! It's not on Setanta and my husband trying to see if he can view it online? Anyone know? Yawn...Thanks!

Hi Julz, I do think it a bit nuts to make children born after July wait another whole year to start school and I was also grateful we didn’t have to wait (sorry, Lara! Don’t mean to take away from your excitement moving our way). Re. your folks getting older, I lost my mom last year to cancer (she was in South Africa) and I have this feeling of the shortness of life and hence my urge to move on as not happy in Oz and we want to experience something more familiar (for my husband at any rate) and for my son to get to know his Scottish granny. I totally identify with your wanting “your own kind of people”. I have at times felt SO alien here and it’s not good for the soul. We definitely won’t go without a firm job offer as we wouldn’t cope financially and I wouldn’t want that stress given the financial climate. I’m getting ahead of myself a bit but husband will be having an interview when we are over there in September. I will be SO disappointed if it doesn’t come off. If we move over it will most likely be in December as well so we can sell the house etc. My husband and son have UK passports (son also obviously has Oz passport as born here but we applied for UK one for him.) I will have to apply for my Spouse Settlement visa so we need a couple of months for that too. And my husband will have to work a month’s notice. Good luck to you too!

Thanks for the post, Lara. Great to have some info regarding the schooling for my son - he's been attending Kindy (birthday in April so he was able to start this past January) but as far as I can tell they seem to "learn" way more over in Scotland? AT what age do the children there learn to read for example? You'll probably want to find your son a "pre-kindy" type place just so that he doesn't get totally bored and can do a bit of socialising too! (And so that you can have a break as well!) I have taken my son to an external activity class where he learned his phonetic alphabet and to read a few vc words (send me a message and we can swap email addresses if you like and I can let you have the details depending where you plan to settle). Would not have learnt this in Kindy where they have on covered about 4 or 5 letter sounds so far. There seems to be a HUGE range of abilities in his class with some just having turned 4 and some just turned 5. I believe they stagger it a bit more where you are? We won't go private in Aberdeen as we can't afford it and have heard great things about the local schools, so hoping we find a good one. We holidayed in Banchory last time and loved it. Altho housing more pricey. Are going over for 1 month in September but staying in Perthshire for most of the time. I think the catch 22 is to choose the school and then the area, as long as the school has a place? We can do a house swap, then? Chat soon...

Thanks Love Shoes. Look foward to those replies. Will search for The Stovies thread, thank you snifter! And jove, great to hear from someone who knows folk there. Re the weather...I know, I know...the snow was a novelty when we last visited but it's not til you're living in it, right? Will have to have a Sunshine Fund? For nipping off to somewhere warmer when it gets too dire. My husband does laugh when I moan about it being cold here in Perth right now. He has told me I am not allowed to moan about the weather if we go! But at least we'll have central heating.

Hello all, This is my first post on PIO after coming across the site sometime ago and now not a day goes by now without a quick check of this forum! We are based in Perth, WA. My husband is originally from Aberdeen but moved to South Africa in his early twenties and we met in Cape Town where we married (I'm South African). We have been in Perth for almost 4.5 years and our son is 4 years old. Came out when 28 weeks pregnant! What I'm keen to find out is opinions on our potentially taking up a job offer in Aberdeen for my husband. Especially interested in hearing from Scots with young children who have experienced both education systems. We have not made many deep connections here socially (I have found it incredibly difficult to make inroads socially with the other Aussie mums beyond the playground) and when we go back to visit my mother-in-law, as we have done on several occasions, we are always bowled over by the genuine friendliness and warmth of the people. There are those who think we are BONKERS to move. My main interests are the quality of education over there for my son and what salary is considered enough to live a decent lifestyle. How do you find the youngsters compare. There is a lot on here re. the pro's and cons of life "Down South" but I'm keen to hear more about those who living in Scotland or has moved out here from Scotland. Would be interested to know what you think....be kind won't you... Thanks!!