Safam

Thanks, I think I'm starting to realise that life will now forever be torn between the 2 countries. I've been lucky not to have felt like that for 17 years but it doesn't feel like something that will ever resolve itself now. Aging parents and covid has really changed how I feel about everything. I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm hopeful that we'll manage to go back for a few months. Not sure what happens after that though. Will have to make the best of whatever happens.

Deep down I'm preparing for me and the kids to go for 3 months because you're probably right although if he can wrap his head around it he might just come good. I think when he decides to talk to colleagues about how it might work for his business it'll be a make or break. They'll either give him confidence that it'll all be fine or will express concerns about the business and their job security. I really don't know how that will go because I only have his views on the situation and his views are sometimes skewed. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs because of this so it's a biggy! All my instincts are telling me that getting a UK passport is going to be best....what if one of us gets covid before we are due to fly home and we go over our 6 months? Maybe that's the argument I'll put to him. He's constantly stressed about money so he doesn't want to add in the cost. I've not worked for 10 years because have been home with the kids. Have recently picked up some casual work with a charity but nothing that's going to help me get a job quickly in the UK! I think looking for anything temp/ casual is going to be my best bet, rather than try and follow my career path. I'll focus on that when we return:) Ok, this week's job: go through all old UK paperwork to find important stuff!!

He's made his true feelings very well known to me!! He hates the UK and everything and everyone in it. He doesn't do things by halves! The thing is, there are 2 of us in this relationship so he needs to consider what I need too. He's struggling with that because what I need has changed ( and change is difficult for him). I have to keep reminding myself that it's ok that how I feel has changed and I've done nothing wrong. Regarding the financials, apologies, I didn't give the full picture. He'll be trying to run his business from the UK and thinks being away for a year would see the business fail, whereas 6 months ( including a couple of trips back for him) could work with the right planning:)

Awesome! Thanks for the advice:) Yep, I'll be looking for any kind of work and I'll have friends and family on the case too. My husband runs his own business here and I've suggested that he keeps that going by temporary promoting one of his staff and then does what he can remotely. It takes him a while to consider or accept change so that's still being mulled over...once he gets on board he's good at making things work. It's the getting on board that's the issue here. When you did 4 months did you stay with family or did you get a rental? My parents have moved into a small unit so staying there won't work so we'll be looking for a rental. Anything designed for a 'holiday' let (furnished) will be too expensive so we're probably going to have to get an unfurnished rental and get cheap and minimal furniture which we'll sell / give away before we leave. Will look into the DVLA, time to go through all the old paperwork to see if we still have old UK licences!

Hil again, I posted a few weeks ago that I wanted to go back to the UK for a year but persuading my husband would be a challenge. Since then we have had a discussion and we are now financially modelling a 6 month stay together, a 12 month stay together or me and the kids going for 2 blocks of 3 months. I think the 6 months is looking most likely. So, for a 6 month stay in the UK can anyone advise on: Whether we need UK drivers licences as we will probably buy a car while we are there ( and how we get them!!)? Whether we will be ok to go on Aus passports ( we no longer have UK ones, the children have never had them and my husband is really against getting them )? Whether we will be entitled to any benefits if we don't get jobs straight away? Thanks in advance!!!

Thanks - he's UK born too but his family moved to NZ

Wow! I thought my husband was unique in his hatred and stubbornness about the UK! Sounds as if you've had your work cut out for you and I'm sorry you're not happy here. That's not a fun way to live Thanks for your ideas - we will definitely discuss some of them at our chat! I think that family connection is so important. I have a warm and loving family in the UK and am sad that my children aren't experiencing that enough. Thanks again!

PS - I can image never wanting to leave Warwickshire!! We visited while we were there in June. We also visited an old friend who has land near Romsley (not far from Warwickshire) and had the most amazing nature-filled weekend but with very distant views of Birmingham. As you say, I need to find out if location is going to be a deciding factor for my husband

Thanks for the reply:) Glad your husband apologised! So he ended up enjoying the UK once you got back there? Are you back in Aus now though? I'd like to think my husband could be OK with a few months in the UK once the logistics are all sorted out but in reality he probably won't be. He didn't even want to go back for our first visit (after 13 years in AUs) and made it known to everyone while we were there that he was not happy about it. The second visit (June this year) he embraced it much more and started to see that whilst he doesn't want to be in the UK the relationship between the kids and my family is very special and worthwhile so there is hope there.... I have thought about going on my own with the kids for a few months and whilst he would probably agree to that I don't think it would be good for the kids to be away from him for so long. It sounds as it it is all totally doable if I can get him on board. He's very pro-active once he's committed to something but until then he's all about the can'ts. Getting back for High school is more about starting with friends rather then the education side of things. My kids aren't the bravest with things like that but that's something we would talk to my daughter about if we decide to try and make it happen. She's already said she wants to go to Primary school in Stamford with her cousin..... I do like living here but I found when I was in the UK I felt more 'me' and it was relaxing. I'm sure things will be very different if we're back living there rather than holidaying but I'd love to give it a go.

Thanks so much for your reply! Some food for thought..... cost of living is rising here too and we still found a lot of things cheaper in the uk (once converted into dollars) in JUne/July but the wages in the UK seem pretty low compared with equivalent jobs in Aus (the ones I've compared!). I will talk to hubby about lifestyle and see if there's anything that he might be keen on..... I think the biggest selling point for him is going to be family time for the kids. He saw how important it is when we visited in June. I hope you can find somewhere in Sydney that's ok to live. It's a hard situation when you're on different pages to your spouse...

Hello! I'm new and looking for advice/insights from people who have made the move back to the UK from Australia. We've been in Adelaide 18 years. We have a 9 and 10 year old who were born here. Our parents have both been great and visited us lots especially when the children came along! We went back to visit the UK in 2017 and had a great time but were happy to come home. Then covid happened, parents have got older, my dad had lots of health scares during covid (heart, stroke, breathing) and my perspective has changed. We went for a 4 week visit to the UK in June and had a wonderful time. I've struggled since we've been back. I want to go and live back in the UK for a few months to a year (ideally a year but High school for daughter is going to determine when we have to be back). I love what we have here in Adelaide but I can't shake off the longing to be with my family for longer. I want the kids to have plenty of quality time with the grandparents before it is too late. My husband hates the UK and hates the thought of going there (His parents are in NZ). He is trying to understand how I'm feeling but is a very logical thinking engineer and feelings are not easy for him! We have an appointment to have a morning together in mid September to discuss whether we would be able to have some time in the UK. I think it'll end up with me trying to talk him into it and him trying to talk me out of it! I want to gather some info to discuss with him. When we moved here we said we would have to play it by ear about what happens when our parents get older - now I know how I feel about it! If we didn't have the kids, I'd be making arrangements to go on my own. I guess some of the things I want to know are: Is it possible to get 6 month furnished or unfurnished rentals (I've looked on real estate sites and haven't seen any - I can see we're looking at around 1200 pounds a month for unfurnished)? What's the job market like? My husband is an engineer and runs his own business in Adelaide. We have to work out whether he could continue with that remotely or whether he would have to leave someone in charge and get a job in the UK (Peterborough area). I have just started back at work for a few hours a week (presenting in schools for a charity) after 10 years raising the kids. I'd do anything in the UK but my background is in libraries and education. Cost of Living! Wondering what sort of income we'd need to support a family of 4, renting at about 1200 per month and eating out once or twice a week. Kids would be in state schools and we'd run one car between us. I don't anticipate we'd have any issues renting out our house at this end, we'd put our stuff into storage and either sell our car or leave with friends. Thanks in advance