General Chat

Hi Annette

where abouts are you?

We spent a year in Melbourne in 1975/76, at LaTrobe University, so did a lot of travelling around Victoria every weekend that we could

......... but I have a cousin-in-law and his second wife still living in Bendigo, having moved there about 6 or 7 years ago from Ballarat, after his first wife died and he re-married. My cousin (his sis-in-law) and husband who lived in Bendigo (hence why Fred moved there) moved back to Melbourne about 2 years ago, getting into some sort of Seniors Housing. They are around 86 now, and I think still had a lot of friends in Melbourne from the 40+ years they lived there.

My other cousin, who was also living in Bendigo around 2006, moved up to Queensland about a year later to be closer to a daughter, and then lost her husband last year.


We were last in OZ in 2006 ............. we flew into Perth, spent time there, then took the train across to Adelaide, rented a car and drove to Bendigo. Had 3 days in Bendigo ..... the 2 cousins and Fred were then living there and we had to be sure to have equal time with each of the couples! That meant a huge meal every night, each one taking turns to cook. Thank heavens it was late September, and quite cool, 'cos 2 of them cooked English-style roast meat meals, Fred and his wife did an Aussie-style bbq ..... but then Bev is an Australian. The others all immigrated from England in the late 50s / early 60s on the £10 scheme.


Since I had experience of what it might be like to stay with one or other of them, we booked ourselves into a motel in the centre of town, so we could get some quiet and "our" time! It was right next to the Deborah Mine, if you know that ..... and I took the chance to take OH down there. The cousins had taken me down the mine in 2000 when I came down on my own ................. celebrating my early retirement.

And, of course, Bendigo Pottery .......... which we have loved since we first saw their stuff back in 1975.

Then we drove back to Adelaide, and got on The Ghan to go all the way up to Darwin ........... where we met up with our best friends from Canada. We then met up with those same friends almost 3 weeks later in Sydney, and spent time during our last 2 or 3 days doing some things with them

........... one of them said at dinner on the evening before they left (one day before we left) "How nice it is to be with old friends ............ you can make a comment and don't have to explain it!".

They had gone from Darwin to a tour in Kakadu, then took The Ghan to Alice Springs ............. the wife wanted to take her husband to Ayers Rock (Uhuru), having been there herself back around 1972.

She was mightily disappointed in it.

Her description of "now" at Uhuru made me change my mind .... it was still on my list of things to do ............... now replaced with Kakadu, although that I think is mere wishful thinking now as I find it more and more difficult to walk for any length of time.


We meanwhile flew to Brisbane, went up to Pomona, then down to Mudgee, and finally to Sydney ... visiting friends and relations along the way. The relations in Pomona have just (this week) moved the Hervey Bay on the coast.


There is still a faint hope that we might be down again about August next year ................ the International Botanical Association is meeting in Melbourne. They only meet once every 6 years, but OH is not finding anything in their programme that attracts him ........ so I'm not sure whether we will still build a 6-week visit around the 10-day meeting.

Plus, of course, we now have our grandson ................... and it costs much money to cross Canada to see him, so there are other calls on our "travel fund" now.

We might have to save up for another year


On the other hand, the 3 surviving cousins and Fred, are not getting any younger. The youngest is 82, and we'll have to come down there if we want to see them.



sylvia
xxx

Ann in Glos
you asked me what parking costs for the Big City are.

3 years ago I had to go to Melbourne for pacemaker change, we drove down, a 4 hour trip.
We put out car in the hospital multi level car park for 24 hours and it cost us $24 aus.
OH said that's a rip off and so he drove our car out to friends place, and parked it in front of their house, then came back an hour by train to the hospital.

The train journey back cost him $5, and it goes on how many sections the trip is.
Since I was in for 3 days it was better to do it that way he said. Because he had a lovely room close by the hospital to stay he wasnt traveling back and forth.

Shopping parking is a different situ, as there are meters of hourly parking in some places, I think one puts $4 in the meter.
At the airport there are ticketing machines on a timer, dropping off or picking up is about $4. Ive got no idea how much it is to park for a while as we never do that.

Here in our regional city parking is free for certain amounts of time. Say 2 hours. A guy comes around and marks the back tyre with chalk when you park, and when he comes back in 2 hours and the car hasn't moved then one gets a parking fine.
That's how it works here in our town.
But i understand that most small towns in Aus have free parking.

Best wishes
Annette

wow thats a lot of chatting while I was asleep,
and I see the conversation has flowed from educ. through knitting and craft to retiring friends!
Looks like I have more in common than I thought with people here - cardmaking and quilting are my other favs, have made quite a few cards for Christmas this year and its time to get in the post early next week.

Sylvia
you are talking about having friends over for a meal, in fact last night we had a couple our age for an easy meal. OH cooks the meat on the bbq and we came inside to eat as there were so many bugs outside. I made a potato bake and friends brought coleslaw and juice to drink. so we put it all together, and it turned out easy enough. But I hadnt seen them for ages even though their son graduated with ours a couple of weeks ago. They both still work; in stressful jobs; so usually on the weekends they relax and recover. It was a good time and they left on 930pm so it didnt get too late for any of us.

Well family arent too great at keeping in contact either. My siblings are all over Australia. Two brothers way down in Tasmania, my sister up in Queensland, and another brother in Adelaide. So I rarely get to see them, although I try phoning about once a month. it seems here I do all the contacting too. Anyway they cant say I dont try. OH family is around here. His brother is on the family farm, his sister in town. We get to see more of them when things arent going well too!!

But we did enjoy our niece's wedding at the end of October and caught up with lots of OH rellies there.

But I am so glad I can still drive; I think I would go crazy if I couldnt get out; so realize how hard it is for those of you who have to rely on transport. I guess it will eventually come to that for me, and I hope thats a far way off. Until then I have to have a medical assessment each year around my birthday to prove Im still capable, as I have a pacemaker.

we have had so much rain here over the last week it s incredible. It has to be a result of the climate changing. Its either going to be flooding or fires. and I know Id rather cope with a flood than with fire. We had bush fires close by last year and it was terrifying, the smoke and heat and not knowing where to go. Fortunately we werent in dangers way, but we still had the orange smoke for weeks.
not sure how I would manage in your snow, and Im sure that has its panic too.

Annette

Hi all

I think it becomes more difficult to make friends as you get older ..... so it's harder at say 40 than 30, etc. But being retired makes it that little bit more difficult.

We have little family here. OH's sister emigrated here 2 years after we arrived ............... but got a teaching job in a town about 800 km away. She's still there, and after teaching for 30 years, retired, re-trained, and is now the Anglican minister in the town.

My niece came out for a holiday when she was 21, was taken out by a friend of ours who thought she might enjoy going to a night club, and that we wouldn't be likely to do that (with a 4-month old, he was probably right!!). They married about 18 months later. Lived in Vancouver, and we did a lot of things together .... but then the marriage broke up. We stayed friendly with both of them, but niece then moved to about 1 hour away so it became more difficult to see her. She died in February 2009, and it seems to be impossible to keep in contact with her daughter.

Most of the friends that are MY friends are ones that I made at work, and we have basically lost contact since we all retired. We do have some vey good joint friends ................. but the very best friends are the ones who live "away" ............ it takes a 2 hour ferry ride to see them!

Like so many of you, I don't drive, so have to use buses, or ask OH to take me.


I don't feel lonely though, I like being by myself .... whether it is spending time on the computer (hours every day!), reading or knitting.

OH would like to get back to having people for dinner, which we used to do a lot ....... but honestly I used to find that we often had people to dinner, but never went to their houses. They always seemed glad to come here, but ........


I also find having people in now tires me out, and I get into a lot of pain ...... OH says he will do everything, and I just have to sit, but somehow I end up walking back and forwards getting things, serving things, preparing things that he's forgotten, etc

It then takes me days to recover.


Let's enjoy the internet friendships that we have!


sylvia
xx

Jean sorry to read of how others are around you, especially your sister. Why are family sometimes so cruel.
Many people locally are more mobile than me(they drive) so it is usually in the summer months we see people when in the front garden working on the garden.
Though I have seen many people walking since the snow came down.
But I have been cooped up indoors caring for a child who has chickenpox. Think we might even miss the childrens christmas party on Monday. Wonder if we will be noticed for our absence?
There are many on here who ask of each other if they haven't posted for a day or two.
We do explore many subjects not just the genealogy too.
I love reading about the carfts others do and realise my crafting needs for the children does carry on to others with scrapbooking and card making. Mine needs are for cross stitch and knitting.

Have a nice evening and keep warm everyone

Linda :o) XxX

I thought I had friends in this street, but since I have not been well enough to take myself on a walk to visit, I have not seen one, and thats a few months now. One who cannot walk this far rings me every day to see how i am, others only ring me when they are poorly or want OH to do something for them. Even my sister who lives opposite cant be bothered, but expects me to go there and questions why I havent. I wonder sometimes if I am just not likeable. Then I come on here and get cheered up and can talk to people with good minds who are interesting and knowledgeable, so please keep posting.

LOL Island, you always make me laugh, just as it should be.
Yes, I am keeping the home fires burning for Young Master Piers, the little whipper snapper. Hewed a tree yesterday, so it will take me through until he sails back to these shores from foreign parts, at the end of January.
I do not think the wool is easy to come by, our wool shop has to order it from Germany, so perhaps it is not kept in stock. My scarf has long been finished, just waiting for the snow to clear then I can go out and wear it.
Working on another Aran and a short sleaved jumper at the mo.LOLOL
Take Good Care
Julia in Derbyshire

I'm surprised you have time to go out Juiia, what with all that pickling and miles of knitting you do LOL and then there's the home fires to be kept burning for Young Master Piers. LOL

Have you finished your cancan scarfe? I looked in our nearest wool supplier - a dept store - and they don't have it so I'll have to go further afield.

Hope you're warm as toast. It's too cold to hang about in pc corner here but I'll look in again later.

Sparkling Ann, good morning. You are so right, it is more difficult to make friends when you are retired. Even more so if you do not get out much. Although I am able to get out, the occasions are becoming few and far between, unless it is the doctors or hospital, or so it seems
I have come to rely on the boards more and more for company, even to read threads that are not particularly of interest to me personally.
There must be many more people in this position, and just to 'talk' to somebody, must be a boon for them.
We must all keep on 'talking' to others.
Take Care
Julia in Derbyshire

Of vourse you are not butting in Dizzi. Well done for that and I am sure you enjoyed helping.
Annette, it is so difficult to make friends when you are retired isn't it? Never mind we are all friends on here.

Dizzi
No your not butting in; your contributing to the thread.
Nice to meet you, and well done connecting to the islands down under.

A family History is a fine thing to leave as an inheritance.

HI
MIND ME BUTTING IN

I HAVE BEEN HELPING TWO SISTERS DO THEIR TREE I MET THEM
A FEW MONTHS AGO,THEY HAD SPENT 12 YEARS SEARCHING FOR
THEIR GGRANDAD,I HELPED FIND HIM,
SINCE THEN THEY NOW HAVE CONTACT WITH FAMILY IN NZ
WHERE AN 88 YEAR OLD LADY HAS GAINED MORE RELATIVES
THAN SHE COULD EVER DREAM OF AND IS SO HAPPY
SHE NOW HAS SOMETHING TO LEAVE HER FAMILY
A
HISTORY

Hi Ann in Glos
Comments cant kill this thread. Hope your not feeling lonely or sad today.

With my work I have moved around a lot, and left friends all over the place. unfortunately it my closest friends who are far away.

After retirement Ive tried to make close friends here, but it just hasn't been the same,.
I joined a couple of classes; one for quilting, another for discussing current events at the Ongoing educational center (sometimes called university of the third age). All very much fun, but havent connected for a close friend yet. Maybe next year.
The lady I had coffee with the other day is a friend but I dont feel like I can tell her everything and she would still accept me.
I think thats really what one needs after retirement, as there is much to mull over.

for over 25 years I was a piano teacher, connected with the students and parents. That really was my life. I followed the kids progress through school etc and it was a busy and interesting career. From time to time bump into them and ask how they are going with their music.

I got interested in searching for ancestors when our eldest son was born. Until then I didnt have a clue. But one of my OH aunties said to me, " you know your baby, is the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son.
She seemed to be impressed that we had a son first, so I thought I had to find out about this. So thats how I got into family research, firstly in a small way back then.

More recently since mother passed away a few years ago, I wanted to look into her English ancestry, which I never ( and she) knew much about. She knew they were from England but not even the county or village.
Now we know its Thorney in Cambridgeshire, and Cranford St John in Northamptonshire. So Im really thrilled to know about that now.
And Ive found out that many of my grandmothers brothers went back and fought with the English in the Boer war and the ww1

Fond regards
Annette

N. Ireland students pay £1800 to study in Scotland. Friend's gson is one and the EU students pay the same! At the moment outside EU pay £9000 but they are dropping their fees and increasing our students. Not right at all.

I doubt it Maggie, people seem to be enjoying the thread.

Sylvia, Yes I can see what youa re saying and you are right that students don't want to lose what they have now. And who can blame them? Unfortunately with the best will in the world there will be bright children whose families will not be able to afford the fees or the debts and we are going to lose skills. The well off bright or not will be able to carry on. We are certainly a divided Kingdom, I don't understand all the ins and outs of devolution and why Wales has free prescriptions etc etc, something to do with them being considered a poorer country than England I think. But that doesn't help the poor of England. I am glad that I no longer have teenagers in education.

Sorry Ann, I think I've killed your thread.....lol....

Hi everyone. Just wanted to put in my four-penneth, for what it's worth.
I've been a member on here from the start, but now I only look in about once a week. I used to love this site, and spent many hours on here, but these days it's not the same. I got sick of having to be careful what I said to people and sick of the wind up merchants who would pick an argument with anyone.

You'll find me these days on facebook most nights, which has unfortunately taken the place of this site for me. I have lots of friends on there. Many of them are people who I originally "met" on here and I find the atmosphere on there lots more friendly.

Ann

Looking at it from the outside, it seems that the UK has become much more of a Federation, rather than a single country.

Scotland and Wales have won the right to a certain amount of self government ......... and if control of post-secondary education is included in that self-government, then you will get differences in costs.

If, however, ALL universities and colleges are controlled from London, then there is a problem.


How much will other EU students pay if they have not lived in Wales for 3 years?

I mean ............... here we have different costs at universities in the SAME city, let alone in another province.

Not only that, but there are different tuition costs depending on the Faculty you are in (eg, Arts, Science, Engineering, etc). Then there are different tuition costs for out of country students ................... and sometimes for out of province students.

There are also some different qualifying standards for out of country students.


Here, and I guess in many other countries, there is a global amount given to each university by one or other level of government. That is not enough to pay for all the functions of a university. But it is upto the individual university to set up its budget, and determine how to make up any shortfall.

This would include determining how much to charge for tuition costs. Most of them announce early in the year, what the tuition costs will be for the following year.


It really does seem to me that the students are demonstrating for something they have that they do not want to lose ..... just like the trade unions do / did.

The final effect might well be closure of universities because they cannot afford to operate if the government cuts funding to them and they cannot raise the fees.


At least ....... the students pay the same at all English universities or all Scottish or all the Welsh ones, if I understand it correctly.



Over here, a degree takes 4 years to achieve ............. many students might do the first 2 years at a small university in a small town because tuition, accommodations, parking, etc, are all cheaper. Then they will move to a larger university in a big city for the last 2 years in order to make sure that they can take all the courses they want to do.



sylvia

Education again. I can see that students have a genuine complaint with the latest information. It is a real apartied and ludicrous.
English students in Welsh Unis will pay £9000 a year.
Scottish students in Scottish unis pay nothing in, Welsh Unis pay £3290
English students in Scottish unis I think pay less than £2000
Welsh students in English Unis pay £3290 not sure what they pay in Scottish unis.
All other (foreign) EU students will also pay £3290 if they have lived in Wales for 3 years. to study at Welsh Unis.

Mummo, I agree with what you said, especially about support. (* and erm the A-Zs)

Annette So really our students are not badly off, it is just their perception because of how they have always been well funded.

Talking about the expence of big cities Annette, what are your car parking charges like in towns and shopping centres?