Weather

[Guest LongwayDown]

This may seem like a silly thread but im curious. Has anyone here returned to the mother land and found they couldnt cope with the weather??? Too cold and depressing after living in Australias sunshine. The reason i ask is this.

When i first arrived in NSW i was constantly being told by Australians how cold the UK was. I was very suprised that they compared it to Canada and Russia etc. Now theres no doubt Englands winters at a day time of 7C average are far lower than Sydneys 16C average but its nowhere near as cold as Moscow and Canada.

However one thing i have noticed about the Aussies is that the hats and scarfs are on at 16C and im still walking around all year in a tshirt. Ive been out here 10 years so its a long time since ive been through a British winter. A lot of the Aussies just cant seem to stand cold weather. Recently one of my friends (Sydney born migrated to Queensland visited) and he was sat in my back garden in Sydney on a glorious afternoon with his jacket on and arms crossed complaining he was freezing!!!!Are there any Pomes here who have gone home and suffered the same after living in these warm temperatures???

[calNgary]

I havent been back to the UK to put it to the test but seeing as i now freeze here in winter ,i honestly believe a UK winter would finish me off,lol

 

Cal x

[Quoll]

Was in UK in Feb this year and can honestly say that I wasnt as cold any of that time as I have been this winter in Canberra. I bought a down jacket for my holiday and it sat in the boot of the car, unworn, the entire time I was there so I left it in the aged rellies' loft knowing I was going home in Oct/Nov. I have regretted it almost every day this winter so, no, the UK winters dont faze me and it was lovely to see snow again.

[nevsm]

Went to Uk at Christmas and it was very cold period but I was freezing. Even at Heathrow there were Americans complaining about the cold and why they could not turn the heating on. I was freezing the entire visit and my youngest daughter was awake at night with the cold. When I came back here no air con on for a week just so I could thaw. I have only lived here for 3 years but am freezing in queensland Winter! My grandma - an Aussie use to bring a coat when she visited us in England in the Summer!

[Guest chris955]

The cold has never really bothered me, when I worked in the UK I would go to work in shorts in November. In all the time I lived over there I can't say there were too many days I hated it, I didn't like scraping ice off the windscreen but my brother in Goulbourn does it more down there.

[tonyman]

No....

[bunbury61]

This may seem like a silly thread but im curious. Has anyone here returned to the mother land and found they couldnt cope with the weather??? Too cold and depressing after living in Australias sunshine. The reason i ask is this.

When i first arrived in NSW i was constantly being told by Australians how cold the UK was. I was very suprised that they compared it to Canada and Russia etc. Now theres no doubt Englands winters at a day time of 7C average are far lower than Sydneys 16C average but its nowhere near as cold as Moscow and Canada.

However one thing i have noticed about the Aussies is that the hats and scarfs are on at 16C and im still walking around all year in a tshirt. Ive been out here 10 years so its a long time since ive been through a British winter. A lot of the Aussies just cant seem to stand cold weather. Recently one of my friends (Sydney born migrated to Queensland visited) and he was sat in my back garden in Sydney on a glorious afternoon with his jacket on and arms crossed complaining he was freezing!!!!Are there any Pomes here who have gone home and suffered the same after living in these warm temperatures???

 

 

In relation to weather globally ,all bets are off now .

Until last winter 09-10 , the winters for the last 10 years had been very mild in the UK.......then bingo.

If i was a betting man , the next 6 months will bring pommie floods and aussie draught.

I hate the pommie winter ......wet , dark , cold .........the only thing as bad is heat above 30c.....i was in oz 6 years ......the novelty of that wore off.

I used to love it when i was younger .........not anymore.

just speaking to a friend of mine who has just returned from a holiday in Turkey where it was 40c plus .......that isnt a bloody holiday,its bordering on survival

[Guest SDJ&A]

just speaking to a friend of mine who has just returned from a holiday in Turkey where it was 40c plus .......that isnt a bloody holiday,its bordering on survival

 

 

Could never see the appeal of going somewhere when the temperature is so hot you stay inside with the aircon or just stay in the pool. Why go to the med in august, it's always roasting then.

Realise it's school holiday time so some are commited to the 6 or 7 week spell, but there are other places where you can get a cooling breeze, some of the islands maybe.

I know, I know, it's personal choice.

[tonyman]

The cold has never really bothered me, when I worked in the UK I would go to work in shorts in November. In all the time I lived over there I can't say there were too many days I hated it, I didn't like scraping ice off the windscreen but my brother in Goulbourn does it more down there.

 

i use to live in the Goulpourn area........!

[mrsindecision]

Its beautifully warm here today in Berkshire - am in shorts and singlet. The evenings are really cold and we have been out and bought warmer pjs and make sure we wear socks and slippers or our trusty uggs and take a jumper/cardi out with us when we go out. I am finding overall that I am more comfortable in the temperate weather than I was in Oz where I just baked in the summer and froze in the winter. We have the heating on low for a couple of hours in the evening and its good. We are moving towards autumn so am just thinking ahead by wearing layers and using heating so not dreading it too much.

[bunbury61]

Its beautifully warm here today in Berkshire - am in shorts and singlet. The evenings are really cold and we have been out and bought warmer pjs and make sure we wear socks and slippers or our trusty uggs and take a jumper/cardi out with us when we go out. I am finding overall that I am more comfortable in the temperate weather than I was in Oz where I just baked in the summer and froze in the winter. We have the heating on low for a couple of hours in the evening and its good. We are moving towards autumn so am just thinking ahead by wearing layers and using heating so not dreading it too much.

 

Get yourselves up yo warwickshire for the weekend- during decent weather.

We had last friday at warwick castle .....i think madame tussauds own it now , they have "disneyed" it up a bit .....the kids loved it.

Its expensive ( £51 ) for 2 adults and a child .....but a good day out.

Armed combat with the knights ....English v whoever

kingmaker - tussauds waxworks

princess tower - girls stuff

and the dungeon .....it was £ 7.50 extra each , but worth it

 

Sunday we had the day at Stratford on Avon .....picnic in the sun , by the river .....boats on the river ......green fields .......church in the background .....the noise of a cricket match in the background ......you cant beat it

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

just speaking to a friend of mine who has just returned from a holiday in Turkey where it was 40c plus .......that isnt a bloody holiday,its bordering on survival

 

 

Could never see the appeal of going somewhere when the temperature is so hot you stay inside with the aircon or just stay in the pool. Why go to the med in august, it's always roasting then.

Realise it's school holiday time so some are commited to the 6 or 7 week spell, but there are other places where you can get a cooling breeze, some of the islands maybe.

I know, I know, it's personal choice.

 

Hi steve

 

we have been to Ibiza for two weeks in August for the last 10 years and not once in that time including this year has there been any sustained sunny weather here in the uk, in fact there were flash floods this year and my lawn was a foot long, which tells me it has been rubbish weather - again.

 

As for this last winter, it was the longest coldest wettest winter in history and everyone who lived here was sick to death of it, we had recorded temperatures of -15 and it barely got above freezing for months.

 

Some people like it hot some people don't, i like to be able to plan a barbecue at the weekend or go to the coast, but you can NEVER plan for anything here in the uk, some people don't care about this, but it does my crust in.

 

:shocked::goofy::swoon:

[Guest chris955]

I absolutely love that area, we went to Warwick Castle years ago and loved it. £51 isn't too bad really nowadays for any attraction. Stratford is one of my favourite places in the world.

We have usually managed to plan things in the UK, bearing in mind we only rode bikes for years the weather didn't interrupt too many things.

 

Get yourselves up yo warwickshire for the weekend- during decent weather.

We had last friday at warwick castle .....i think madame tussauds own it now , they have "disneyed" it up a bit .....the kids loved it.

Its expensive ( £51 ) for 2 adults and a child .....but a good day out.

Armed combat with the knights ....English v whoever

kingmaker - tussauds waxworks

princess tower - girls stuff

and the dungeon .....it was £ 7.50 extra each , but worth it

 

Sunday we had the day at Stratford on Avon .....picnic in the sun , by the river .....boats on the river ......green fields .......church in the background .....the noise of a cricket match in the background ......you cant beat it

[Guest duncs]

I'd say it's not so much the cold that would be hard, more the rain and dull skies - that's why I left the UK originally and although I want to go back so badly I do wonder if the weather would make me regret it!

[mrsindecision]

I'd say it's not so much the cold that would be hard, more the rain and dull skies - that's why I left the UK originally and although I want to go back so badly I do wonder if the weather would make me regret it!

 

when you get a run of grey it can get to you but the sun does come out and when it does boy do you appreciate it - it has been beautiful here all week and I remember my Mum frequently commenting on the beautiful fresh sunny days in UK when I was in Oz. Of course it is sunny there everyday and therefore I just didn't appreciate it. In fact used to love grey cloudy days in Oz - so I think variety is the answer and certainly I wouldnt expect to guarantee myself good weather on holiday or for events so contingency planning is the key. In oz I had friends call off getting together because it had been raining - the concept of entertaining indoors is beyond them.

[Verulam]

My OH is a born n bred Aussie. he has lived in the UK (now a citizen) for the last 5 years. As he works for the local authority as a Roadworker he had a "baptism of fire" with last winters snow and bad weather. he was out in it ALL day and some nights gritting and ploughing the roads and he LOVED it! Cant wait for this winter LOL... I tell him he's mad. He loves the british weather and how it changes so quickly. Says he has spent too many years with weeks and months of 40C plus and how wearisome it can be with air con on and water restrictions and praying for rain. he remembers once when it rained after a prolonged drought and the whole street came out into the rain and were dancing around in it!

We were in Adelaide in june and the whole family there were wrapped up in scarves and hats and big coats when we were still in shorts and tops.

I guess he's acclimatized to the UK now LOL

[Guest LongwayDown]

Its quite interesting some of the points put forward here. I like Sydneys mild winters and prefer them to the UK. The thing i didnt like about UK winters wasnt so much the temperature but more the pain in the a**e of getting to work in icy conditions and having to defrost the windscreen. Meaning i lost out on an extra 10 minutes sleep each morning.Although i enjoyed my holidays in Europe, i always appreciated the crisp fresh air i breathed in when returning from places like Spain etc from holidays. Also this may seem strange but i actually love the rainy days in Sydney just as much as the sunshine. Thats why i wouldnt consider living in Queensland, just too much sun and no break from it.

However one thing i have noticed is this constant reference to the awful continual 40celcius days in Australia. Where is everybody living??? Sydney has an average summer temperature of 26 celcius (only 3 celcius higher than London) and seldom reaches 40, probably only 3 days per year. Most of the time its a very nice range of 23 to 30 celcius. I know Adelaide has the odd 40c heatwave but that will only sustain for a couple of weeks.

Also it may be a suprise but Sydney gets an awful lot of rain around 1000mm a year which is twice the volume of Melbourne , London etc. so its hardly a dry place is it???

[mrsindecision]

Its quite interesting some of the points put forward here. I like Sydneys mild winters and prefer them to the UK. The thing i didnt like about UK winters wasnt so much the temperature but more the pain in the a**e of getting to work in icy conditions and having to defrost the windscreen. Meaning i lost out on an extra 10 minutes sleep each morning.Although i enjoyed my holidays in Europe, i always appreciated the crisp fresh air i breathed in when returning from places like Spain etc from holidays. Also this may seem strange but i actually love the rainy days in Sydney just as much as the sunshine. Thats why i wouldnt consider living in Queensland, just too much sun and no break from it.

However one thing i have noticed is this constant reference to the awful continual 40celcius days in Australia. Where is everybody living??? Sydney has an average summer temperature of 26 celcius (only 3 celcius higher than London) and seldom reaches 40, probably only 3 days per year. Most of the time its a very nice range of 23 to 30 celcius. I know Adelaide has the odd 40c heatwave but that will only sustain for a couple of weeks.

Also it may be a suprise but Sydney gets an awful lot of rain around 1000mm a year which is twice the volume of Melbourne , London etc. so its hardly a dry place is it???

 

I must say having spent a lot of time in Sydney - I think it is the best place in Aus to live for weather and environment. Just can't afford to live anywhere decent there.

[friedparsley]

I'd like to know how you pay for the heating in the UK. If you need it on all the time, doesn't the gas or electricty bills bankrupt you? Here in Perth we try not to use the gas heater if possible as the costs have skyrocketed. First wear more clothes and if that doesn't work switch on the heater. If we had the heater on all day and evening most year round we would go broke. Is gas cheaper in the UK?

[nevsm]

In Uk you have to have some heating on usually for at least 6 months of the year, our electricity/ oil costs double what we pay here. We do use aircon but not as much as we used heating, woodburner etc which is essential when really cold if you don't want frozen pipes etc. Electricity not cheap here and more rises to come by the sounds of things.

[Guest chris955]

I'm not sure anyone would have heating on all year round, we used to use it maybe 5 months of the year.

 

I'd like to know how you pay for the heating in the UK. If you need it on all the time, doesn't the gas or electricty bills bankrupt you? Here in Perth we try not to use the gas heater if possible as the costs have skyrocketed. First wear more clothes and if that doesn't work switch on the heater. If we had the heater on all day and evening most year round we would go broke. Is gas cheaper in the UK?

[Verulam]

Also I find that the temperature is a lot lower here in the UK before we put the heating on. Today where we are it is 15C outside and we have no heating on at all yet and are still in T shirts..even walking outside. When we were in Adelaide in june the temps were around the same but everyone was in big coats and hats n scarves and my ma in law had the gas heater on full blast as soon as it got dark. Just what you get used to I guess.

[gilliantay]

Going back to the UK for the whole of November so it will be interesting to see how we fare with the weather - especially when we hit Scotland.

 

I honestly think that I pay more for my fuel bills here (Oz) as opposed to back in the UK.

 

And yes, Australians seem to put the layers on as soon as the last day of summer is over. I find it quite comical when I am still walking about in a t-shirt and cut-off trousers and my Australian counterpart is dressed to the hilt in boots, heavy winter coat and scarf !

 

Gill

[Verulam]

I know everyones gas/electricity comsumption will be different, but we pay ours monthly to save getting big bills. My electric oven is on every day, along with the usual tv, pc, fridge/freezer and also whe washing machine. We havent got the gas heating on yet, but the gas water heater is on twice a day for three hours in the morning and three in the evening. we pay £20 a month for electricity and £50 a month for gas and are in credit with both. I know it will be more in the winter but so far am pleased with the prices here in the UK

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

I'd like to know how you pay for the heating in the UK. If you need it on all the time, doesn't the gas or electricty bills bankrupt you? Here in Perth we try not to use the gas heater if possible as the costs have skyrocketed. First wear more clothes and if that doesn't work switch on the heater. If we had the heater on all day and evening most year round we would go broke. Is gas cheaper in the UK?

 

 

Hi everyone

 

we live in a 4 bedroomed detached house and pay £150 per month gas and electric, this equates to £1800 per year, which is about $4,000.

 

This is based on Australian wages which are roughly paid at $2.2 to £1 and not at the current exchange rate, which is at an all time low, because the uk nearly went bankrupt and was in recession for 18 months.

 

We have the heating on between 7 and 8 months of the year and my sister who has a slightly bigger house than us, similar in size to the 4 bedroomed detached bungalow houses in Australia and she pays over £200 per month.

 

Do you pay this much in Australia? And its is sooooooooooooo cold for sooooooooooo long its just horrible.:cry: