I Want To Move!

[Oresai]

Well, in truth I have to admit, I do consider it every now and again...;)
The reason? The ruddy weather! :(
I`m fed up to the back teeth of gales, gales and more gales.
Yesterday, they underestimated the wind speed and it hit gale Force 10. Again. (Last week was a doozie!)
So the son and I had to visit the island post office, which is only open four half days a week. (since central government `wisely` decided, oh, the country bumpkins don`t actually need any ameneties, let`s cut back)
but it took both of us just to get the car doors open without them being ripped off, and trying to get out, pushing them open, against the gale was..well...let`s just say I worked out enough at that to last me the week...:cool:
And THEN I get out, grab my packages to post, only to have the wind knock me flat on me backside! :redface_002::pout:
And the son, coming to my aid, also got caught by another gust and ended up on his. :rolleyes:
Anyways, struggle heroically into the Post Office (which is set into someone`s house and the size of a shoe cupboard) and manage to get home, only to get hit by a passing piece of wood blown by the gale.
Tell ye, I felt picked on yesterday! :mad:

And now, look at the weather forecast. The word `gale` is predominant throughout. Sigh.
Oh for somewhere country still, but calm, maybe with either real deep, powdery snow, or sun, warmth, BUT NO DAMN WIND! :mad::thumb001:

Anyone want to trade places? :D I`ll settle for a calm, fairly sunny place with no neighbours (I don`t have nor want any :D)

Sigh....


FORECAST FOR NEXT THREE DAYS
Confidence level: Weather type medium. Timing – medium/low.

Temperatures in the daily range 8° Celsius down to 4° Celsius.

THURSDAY 15th: A windy day with F6-7 SE'ly winds increasing gale F8 to severe gale F9 by the afternoon. It will be overcast for much of the time, with outbreaks of occasionally heavy rain. During the evening it will tend to become drier, with Orkney becoming brighter for a time. However, cloudier conditions will bring showers from the west later.

Sea state – Moderate or rough with a 2 to 3 metre NE'ly swell becoming a 4 to 6 metre SE'ly.

FRIDAY 16th: A bright day with scattered showers, these mostly affecting Shetland, while Orkney will see the best of the sunny or clear spells. Continuing windy with a F6 to gale F8 S'ly wind, perhaps increasing severe gale F9 at times during the evening, as a period of rain spreads in from the west. Clearer, showery conditions should follow overnight, as winds veer S or SW'ly and gales moderate.

Sea state – Rough or very rough with a 4 to 6 metre S'ly swell.

SATURDAY 17th: Much of the day bright with sunny or clear spells and scattered showers. Clouding over during the afternoon as F5-7 S or SW'ly winds begin to strengthen and back. Rain spreading from the southwest during the evening, by which time S to SE'ly winds are likely to have increased F7 to gale F8 and locally severe gale F9.

Sea state – Rough or very rough with a 4 to 6 metre S'ly swell.

10-DAY OUTLOOK
Confidence level: Weather type – medium at first, low later. Timing – medium then low.

Turning cooler on Sunday, with temperatures rising little from an early 6° Celsius before falling to 2° or 3° by evening. Next week temperatures rising to around 6° Celsius by day, falling to 3° Celsius overnight, but possibly to near-freezing on the clearer, less windy nights.

SUNDAY 18th: Rain soon turning to showers as S'ly gales veer SW to W'ly. Becoming colder, with the showers squally and wintry - perhaps with thunder - by evening.

MONDAY 19th: SW to W'ly gales easing overnight. A bright, cool day with wintry showers and sunny spells. Moderate or fresh SW'ly winds.

TUESDAY 20th - SUNDAY 25th: Possibly remaining cold, with wintry showers or longer periods of rain, sleet or snow bringing the risk of significant snowfall, even at lower levels. Though there may be short spells with lighter winds, overall it is likely to be windy with the chance of gales or severe gales.


http://www.orcadian.co.uk/weather/index.html

[TheGreatest]

I guess the PNW isn't so bad but I would avoid living downtown

[Oresai]

Sanday's weather is fickle, so come prepared for sun, wind and rain (often all on the same day). And then get out and enjoy yourself! This is a small, friendly community, with a tranquil, easy-going way of life (though it has to be said that we do know how to party!) We look forward to seeing you in Sanday.


Our community website...http://www.sandayorkney.co.uk/out.php

Sadly, they don`t let me edit it, or I`d mention the gales...:p

[TheGreatest]

Our community website...http://www.sandayorkney.co.uk/out.php

Sadly, they don`t let me edit it, or I`d mention the gales...:p

I never got to experience the Gale. :(
It was real calm when I was visiting Scotland

[Oresai]

A few years ago, when Hurricane Karl hit Florida, it tracked across the sea to us. :D I had visitors at the time, and asked them to come out with me to fetch the washing in (which had ended up in the neighboring field, sheep happily munching on my sheets) and we had great fun, doing the `kite` thing in the winds, behaving like kids. :D
I told them it was a normal Orkney gales, but we didn`t find out til watching the news that Hurricane Karl had hit Orkney!
We often get wind speeds of over a hundred miles per hour, there is a small weather station at the school which logs such things. It never makes the news though...we build houses of heavy stone with slate roofs to withstand the winds..so there is no storm damage, which is not newsworthy. Although, after the Tsunami, a week later, we got such a bad storm it took thirty metres away from the north end of the island. So today, Sanday is a peedie bit smaller than it used to be! :)

[Maelstrom]

Come to New Zealand and let your voice be heard! :cool: Not even 5 million people in this fair land... :rolleyes:

I just want a friend :rolleyes2:

[TheGreatest]

Come to New Zealand and let your voice be heard! :cool: Not even 5 million people in this fair land... :rolleyes:

I just want a friend :rolleyes2:

My city is less than 44% ''White'' (under my definition). Given that most Western Europeans have a reverse triangle demographic, you can bet that the percentage of people in the 0-20 category is most likely between 10-20%.
And I can confirm this on a daily basis. I often use public transport, use public facilities and of course go to College, and in most of my classes you will have 3-4 ''Whites'' in a room of 20+ Asians.

This is unsustainable. Our city's infrastructure has been stressed for the past twenty years. It will soon become the West Coast Detroit.
Since October 2008, we have taken an additional 24,000 into the area (most of them being under 40 and being fully reproductive. I suspect some are emigrating here just to bypass China's one child policy)

[TheGreatest]

Come to New Zealand and let your voice be heard! :cool: Not even 5 million people in this fair land... :rolleyes:

I just want a friend :rolleyes2:


I think it's a bit silly to exclaim "I'm gonna move to New Zealand!". But I can't see myself living and raising a family in my city. And I don't want to contemplate the scenario of being drugged by a Filipino nurse and having her spurge my retirement cheques :eek:

[SwordoftheVistula]

Gales sound fun actually. Can I refer to myself as an 'Ork' if I move to Orkney? Perhaps I'll move there if/when I am retired or otherwise don't need to worry about finding a job.

[Oresai]

Gales are only fun if you`re over eight stone and tie ropes with rocks to you whenever you go outdoors :D :p
Yup, we are all Orcs :D

[TheGreatest]

Gales sound fun actually. Can I refer to myself as an 'Ork' if I move to Orkney? Perhaps I'll move there if/when I am retired or otherwise don't need to worry about finding a job.


Yep I think when we all retire we will want to move out to the rural or where it's cheap. Most of us tolerate the dystopic cities because of the paycheck.

[Oresai]

Some Youtube vids on Sanday, first one is the lighthouse here. :) None of them made by or including me. Note the wee fishing boat in the first one. :)

In the third one, the wee island plane comes into land in a field that`s at the back of my house. When the pilot is bored or there`s no passengers, he occasionally races the plane along Cata sands, a stretch of beach nearby. :D
I was sitting up front beside him once, going to mainland. He had his headphones on, listening to the football results. Nice to feel safe, hee..(though to be fair, there`s never been an accident though before they tarmacced the runway in the field, if it was muddy, the plane got bogged down and islanders had to come out and push it.)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=I6iVGosFwLg
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w0jqZOAonoQ

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvt7klX1yVM

[Oresai]

A homesick Sanday exile. :)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VIraTSn-18w



Edited to add link to it, since the embedding thingy didn`t work.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VIraTSn-18w

[Treffie]

Even though the weather can be atrocious in the Orkney Islands, I'm quite sure that there are a lot of people here who are quite envious of your beautiful islands!

[Freomæg]

I want to move. I've briefly considered emigration, but concluded that I just can't abandon my homeland. Besides, I'd find it odd living in the Southern Hemisphere so my only hopes would be America, Canada or Europe. From a financial point of view, all three would be disasterous due to the weak pound :(.

Soooo... I want to move north, west, or both, within Britain - preferably as far as possible.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Gales are only fun if you`re over eight stone and tie ropes with rocks to you whenever you go outdoors :D :p
Yup, we are all Orcs :D

More than double that here-note the American flag in the location bar ;)


I want to move. I've briefly considered emigration, but concluded that I just can't abandon my homeland. Besides, I'd find it odd living in the Southern Hemisphere so my only hopes would be America, Canada or Europe. From a financial point of view, all three would be disasterous due to the weak pound :(.

Soooo... I want to move north, west, or both, within Britain - preferably as far as possible.

The US or Canada would give you a vastly preferable income to living cost ratio as opposed to the UK, aside from a couple European countries like Switzerland and maybe Denmark. Really, any former British colony (US, Canada, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand) is a good bet. All of us have the benefit of functioning under a British designed system without having to deal with a bunch of muslims and commie trade unionists.

[Revenant]

All you people in cold places, I'm envious. I dream of coldness of antarctic proportions.

We've had back to back 40 degrees C days here last night the min was 25 and it was back up to 30 before 6am.

[HawkR]

Yup, we are all Orcs :D

Where to go if I want to be an Uruk Hai?:p

[Oresai]

Shetland ;)

[Maelstrom]

All you people in cold places, I'm envious. I dream of coldness of antarctic proportions.


Neuschwabenland anyone? :thumbs up

[Skandi]

I wish to move, I can't say I like Aberdeen, it's big smelly and never evr gets warm 16 is the top temperature in summer. And it's not as if it gets cold either. and the wind is always blowing here too :( Oh and while I'm at it summer.. what summer every time you get a nice day and the temperature is just starting to rise the sea fog comes in and you can't see across the street, and it stays untill the sun goes. I'm intending on heading to NZ hopefully.

[Freomæg]

The US or Canada would give you a vastly preferable income to living cost ratio as opposed to the UK, aside from a couple European countries like Switzerland and maybe Denmark. Really, any former British colony (US, Canada, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand) is a good bet. All of us have the benefit of functioning under a British designed system without having to deal with a bunch of muslims and commie trade unionists.
Thanks. But I think, with all respect, that the 'American Dream' is coming to an end. Still, despite that I probably could buy a home over there without having to remortgage my life ;), so it is tempting.

[Aemma]

All you people in cold places, I'm envious. I dream of coldness of antarctic proportions.

We've had back to back 40 degrees C days here last night the min was 25 and it was back up to 30 before 6am.

LOL! Really? It is so cold here right now that our electronic thermometer isn't working. It works if it 'warms up' to -20 C.

Take a look-see at what we've got going right now in my city::eek:

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CAON0512

And the City of Winnipeg is even colder. We don't call it Winterpeg for nothing. :D

Come and get it Revenant!! :D

Cheers for now!...Aemma

[Aemma]

I wish to move, I can't say I like Aberdeen, it's big smelly and never evr gets warm 16 is the top temperature in summer. And it's not as if it gets cold either. and the wind is always blowing here too :( Oh and while I'm at it summer.. what summer every time you get a nice day and the temperature is just starting to rise the sea fog comes in and you can't see across the street, and it stays untill the sun goes. I'm intending on heading to NZ hopefully.

Ohh I couldn't imagine living in such a place. :( I need my 4 seasons!!!

Cheers!...Aemma

[Æmeric]

It seems like anyplace would be better then the Orkneys except maybe Alaska or Newfoundland. You should avoid Arizona - I saw your pics & you would fry in the summer sun out there. And I doubt you could get use to the humidity in the South. California would be paradise if 20 million Latinos & Asians would just abandon the place. The Rockies - Colorado, Utah & Idaho - or the Pacific Northwest is probably the place for you. Or maybe suburban or small town life in Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin, they have four seasons in that part of the country & you can still find some communities without Latinos or Hmong & African refugees.

[Aemma]

It seems like anyplace would be better then the Orkneys except maybe Alaska or Newfoundland. You should avoid Arizona - I saw your pics & you would fry in the summer sun out there. And I doubt you could get use to the humidity in the South. California would be paradise if 20 million Latinos & Asians would just abandon the place. The Rockies - Colorado, Utah & Idaho - or the Pacific Northwest is probably the place for you. Or maybe suburban or small town life in Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin, they have four seasons in that part of the country & you can still find some communities without Latinos or Hmong & African refugees.

Oh definitely agree...Newfoundland would not be the place for you...you'd love the countryside but the weather would be close to what you have right now..except there would be snow...lots of it and long-lasting.

I could see you Oresai in some of our Maritime provinces though or the New England states. Those are gorgeous places steeped in history too; still lots of unspoilt land. You'd get to meet some of Scottish descent too of course...especially in Nova Scotia. :)

Cheers for now!...Aemma

[YggsVinr]

Well, in truth I have to admit, I do consider it every now and again...;)
The reason? The ruddy weather! :(
I`m fed up to the back teeth of gales, gales and more gales.
Yesterday, they underestimated the wind speed and it hit gale Force 10. Again. (Last week was a doozie!)
So the son and I had to visit the island post office, which is only open four half days a week. (since central government `wisely` decided, oh, the country bumpkins don`t actually need any ameneties, let`s cut back)
but it took both of us just to get the car doors open without them being ripped off, and trying to get out, pushing them open, against the gale was..well...let`s just say I worked out enough at that to last me the week...:cool:
And THEN I get out, grab my packages to post, only to have the wind knock me flat on me backside! :redface_002::pout:
And the son, coming to my aid, also got caught by another gust and ended up on his. :rolleyes:
Anyways, struggle heroically into the Post Office (which is set into someone`s house and the size of a shoe cupboard) and manage to get home, only to get hit by a passing piece of wood blown by the gale.
Tell ye, I felt picked on yesterday! :mad:

And now, look at the weather forecast. The word `gale` is predominant throughout. Sigh.
Oh for somewhere country still, but calm, maybe with either real deep, powdery snow, or sun, warmth, BUT NO DAMN WIND! :mad::thumb001:

Anyone want to trade places? :D I`ll settle for a calm, fairly sunny place with no neighbours (I don`t have nor want any :D)

Sigh....



http://www.orcadian.co.uk/weather/index.html

I know where you're coming from living on this island...but also makes me wonder if what hit you guys yesterday is what us, too. Yesterday I was going about my business outside and the wind was nearly strong enough to shove me into the same fate you described. I actually wondered at one point if I'd be carried off by the wind if I weren't holding on to something and could not put a foot in front of the other at some points while walking against the wind. We have our fair share of gale force winds over here (143km/h on wednesday and around that on thursday). Check out this news article:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/01/15/wind-soccer.html?ref=rss


That's the only thing that kind of bugs me about this island as well...the incessant wind. So if you decide to move...don't move to Newfoundland, it sounds a lot like where you are now except we have more snow ;)

Edit, well just saw others have mentioned Newfoundland in this thread...I should have read farther ahead.

[Aemma]

Edit, well just saw others have mentioned Newfoundland in this thread...I should have read farther ahead.

LOL! That's alright YV. It's good that you chimed in, you actually live there! :thumb001:

Cheers!...Aemma

[Stegura]

My city is less than 44% ''White'' (under my definition). Given that most Western Europeans have a reverse triangle demographic, you can bet that the percentage of people in the 0-20 category is most likely between 10-20%.
And I can confirm this on a daily basis. I often use public transport, use public facilities and of course go to College, and in most of my classes you will have 3-4 ''Whites'' in a room of 20+ Asians.


You must be from Vancouver, or "Hongcouver" as they call it.

[Brynhild]

I want to move. I've briefly considered emigration, but concluded that I just can't abandon my homeland. Besides, I'd find it odd living in the Southern Hemisphere so my only hopes would be America, Canada or Europe. From a financial point of view, all three would be disasterous due to the weak pound :(.

Soooo... I want to move north, west, or both, within Britain - preferably as far as possible.

What's so odd about the Southern Hemisphere - apart from the sun and moon rising anticlockwise and moving across the northern skies, summer from December through to February etc It's only a vertical flip! :D

In saying that, I find I'm not handling the heat and humidity as well as I used to. When the kids grow up, I might move either further south and keep to the coast, or move further north along the Great Dividing Range.

[Treffie]

I know where you're coming from living on this island...but also makes me wonder if what hit you guys yesterday is what us, too. Yesterday I was going about my business outside and the wind was nearly strong enough to shove me into the same fate you described. I actually wondered at one point if I'd be carried off by the wind if I weren't holding on to something and could not put a foot in front of the other at some points while walking against the wind. We have our fair share of gale force winds over here (143km/h on wednesday and around that on thursday). Check out this news article:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/01/15/wind-soccer.html?ref=rss


That's the only thing that kind of bugs me about this island as well...the incessant wind. So if you decide to move...don't move to Newfoundland, it sounds a lot like where you are now except we have more snow ;)

Edit, well just saw others have mentioned Newfoundland in this thread...I should have read farther ahead.

Somehow though, Newfoundland has always been very attractive to me - whatever the weather!;)

[Psychonaut]

Anyone want to trade places? :D I`ll settle for a calm, fairly sunny place with no neighbours (I don`t have nor want any :D)

If you don't mind living amidst a sea of tiny brown people you can take my place here in Hawaii :cool:

[TheGreatest]

If you don't mind living amidst a sea of tiny brown people you can take my place here in Hawaii :cool:


Hawaii? Is that the island filled with Polynesian half breeds and Jews?

[Psychonaut]

Hawaii? Is that the island filled with Polynesian half breeds and Jews?

According to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Hawaii#Demographics):
Japanese (16.7%)
Polynesian (16%)
Filipino (14.1%)
German (5.8%)
Chinese (4.7%)
Irish (4.4%)
British (English) (4.3%)
Portuguese (4.0%)
Puerto Ricans (2.5%)
Korean (1.9%)
African (1.8%)
Italian (1.8%)
Mexican (1.6%)
French (1.5%)
British (other or unspecified) (1.4%)
Scottish (1.1%)

Also:


Hawaii also has the largest percentage of persons of mixed race, who constitute some 20% of the total population.

[YggsVinr]

Somehow though, Newfoundland has always been very attractive to me - whatever the weather!;)

It is definitely a great place no matter the weather, that is for sure. There is some really great places to hike and great scenery, not to mention Newfoundland culture is quite interesting. Each little outport has its own way of speaking and all very friendly folk. If anyone's interested I can try to upload a few pictures taken from my trips to Gros Morne and L'Anse aux meadows later if anyone's interested in seeing a bit of the scenery. Even for a city, St. John's is quite nice too, though its changed quite a bit over the five years I've been here.

The weather can both be an upside and a downside. There is a real beauty to the raging storms we get here. I remember about two years ago we rented a cabin up near Gros Morne, which was near the water. The sheer power of the storm was incredible when watching it from the inside and in that kind of a setting. I actually quite like Newfoundland summers compared to Ontarian summers simply because it doesn't get as hot in Newfoundland, but it rains a hell of a lot and many times out of nowhere, which can be a little inconvenient if you're planning an 6 to 8 hour hike around a mountain and part of which entails scrambling up a gully of loose rock ;)

[Treffie]

It is definitely a great place no matter the weather, that is for sure. There is some really great places to hike and great scenery, not to mention Newfoundland culture is quite interesting. Each little outport has its own way of speaking and all very friendly folk. If anyone's interested I can try to upload a few pictures taken from my trips to Gros Morne and L'Anse aux meadows later if anyone's interested in seeing a bit of the scenery. Even for a city, St. John's is quite nice too, though its changed quite a bit over the five years I've been here.

The weather can both be an upside and a downside. There is a real beauty to the raging storms we get here. I remember about two years ago we rented a cabin up near Gros Morne, which was near the water. The sheer power of the storm was incredible when watching it from the inside and in that kind of a setting. I actually quite like Newfoundland summers compared to Ontarian summers simply because it doesn't get as hot in Newfoundland, but it rains a hell of a lot and many times out of nowhere, which can be a little inconvenient if you're planning an 6 to 8 hour hike around a mountain and part of which entails scrambling up a gully of loose rock ;)

It seems you get very similar stormy weather to what we get on the west coast of Britain, your winters are much more severe than ours though.

For me east coast Canada seems beautifully austere and unforgiving.

[Aemma]

It is definitely a great place no matter the weather, that is for sure. There is some really great places to hike and great scenery, not to mention Newfoundland culture is quite interesting. Each little outport has its own way of speaking and all very friendly folk. If anyone's interested I can try to upload a few pictures taken from my trips to Gros Morne and L'Anse aux meadows later if anyone's interested in seeing a bit of the scenery. Even for a city, St. John's is quite nice too, though its changed quite a bit over the five years I've been here.

The weather can both be an upside and a downside. There is a real beauty to the raging storms we get here. I remember about two years ago we rented a cabin up near Gros Morne, which was near the water. The sheer power of the storm was incredible when watching it from the inside and in that kind of a setting. I actually quite like Newfoundland summers compared to Ontarian summers simply because it doesn't get as hot in Newfoundland, but it rains a hell of a lot and many times out of nowhere, which can be a little inconvenient if you're planning an 6 to 8 hour hike around a mountain and part of which entails scrambling up a gully of loose rock ;)

Sounds wonderful YV! I've never been to that part of our country. Anytime you want to show some pics, I'm ready!! :)

Cheers!...Aemma

[YggsVinr]

It seems you get very similar stormy weather to what we get on the west coast of Britain, your winters are much more severe than ours though.

For me east coast Canada seems beautifully austere and unforgiving.

I've never really been to Britain other than on a change over on a trip to Europe, but I do get the impression that the weather in Newfoundland and the rest of the Canadian east coast is similar to British weather (beyond our winters, of course).

You're quite right about east coast Canada and one might say the same even for Ontario and Québec in some respects. I've been mulling this over lately simply because I may be relocating to Europe soon for a few years, and I've pondering over how different it will be to spend a winter in a country that doesn't see much weather below -10 at most, that doesn't get as much snow. Not only that but its those terms you used: austere and unforgiving. A Canadian forest is truly a place in which one may lose one's self, in which a threat may lurk and yet there is a kind of looming, warming beauty and joy in that fact; of knowing you're alone but in the best of company (ne te quaesiveris extra), of looking about and glimpsing only nature without people, cities, settlement, or sign of the modern world. I once knew a woman who enjoyed rock climbing confined to indoor walls, and when asked why she never went out on the mountain she responded that a person should never be too cocky in nature, that a person had to develop a kind of respect for nature and to realize that, in part, by climbing a mountain you were giving your life over to the mountain, that while one might believe one's self to be "conquering" the mountain, the mountain could easily, fatally, conquer you. She said she wasn't ready yet to grant the mountain that kind of power over her, of creating that relationship.

That's one of the things I quite like about hiking or backpacking in this country, or even certain of its traditional occupations. At some point you know and accept that you're putting yourself in danger for the sheer pleasure of a landscape or the spirit thereof, yet in a sense there is a peace achieved in because there is a kind of liberation out of building that relationship with the surrounding land. I think one may learn a lot about one's self as well, and while feeling humbled you may also feel quite powerful, though not the power that may be achieved in the modern urban jungles. There is something to be said about feeling absolutely powerful while feeling absolutely miniscule, and perhaps it is that contrastive smallness that grants the greatest confidence and power. I think that relationship is epitomized in the (unfortunately now dying) Newfoundland fishery where people gave their lives up to the sea knowingly. In that way, I think unforgiving is an excellent word to use. If you love these aspects of nature then I would definitely suggest seeing as much of eastern Canada as possible (whilst staying away from the cities, urban areas can give a bad impression). Thus ends my late night ramble... :embarrassed

[SwordoftheVistula]

Oresai, you might want to check out northern New England, it's like the Canadian Maritime provinces but with better weather and not quite as cold.

Also, the Appalachian mountains are very low cost of living, further south (warmer) than New England, essentially all white, and still within less than a day's drive of the eastern seaboard.


Thanks. But I think, with all respect, that the 'American Dream' is coming to an end. Still, despite that I probably could buy a home over there without having to remortgage my life ;), so it is tempting.

It's headed down alright, but where it's headed to is where continental Europe already is. If you have money saved up or invested in a house there, now is a good time to buy a house here. The general cost of living is much cheaper here according to one of my friends who recently moved to the UK, the same clothing and basic goods cost twice as much there, also petrol is much cheaper here, food too I believe.

Overall, I'd say Australia might be your best bet actually if you are willing to move there, as they have most of the same advantages as us and without as many of the disadvantages.

[Freomæg]

Overall, I'd say Australia might be your best bet actually if you are willing to move there, as they have most of the same advantages as us and without as many of the disadvantages.
I think I'd have a tough time moving to such an alien land (no offence Aussies ;)). I couldn't live somewhere that warm, and the Southern Hemisphere seems like a different world. North America, on the other hand, can have a similar climate to Northern Europe and has similar vegetation and wildlife - so, less alien. But the pound has slipped against the dollar so much that unless the dollar gets dragged down too, turning my £savings into $assets right now seems a terrible idea.

[Treffie]

I've never really been to Britain other than on a change over on a trip to Europe, but I do get the impression that the weather in Newfoundland and the rest of the Canadian east coast is similar to British weather (beyond our winters, of course).



Thought I'd let you know that they've just issued a severe weather warning for the UK, we're in for a massive storm - 80-100 mph winds, so if you don't hear from me, you know something's happened!:(

Oresai, batten down the hatches!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7835070.stm

[Oresai]

Already done, in fact the Western and Northern Isles are being pretty badly battered as I speak. Keep losing internet connection too, but this is the norm for us during winter. Gets a bit wearying sometimes though. And, I`m heartily glad I`m not at sea. Have a friend who works on a trawler and is out there at the moment, poor bugger!


FORECAST FOR NEXT THREE DAYS
Confidence level: Weather type medium. Timing – medium/low.

Temperatures around 7° or 8° Celsius today, falling to 2° Celsius tonight. Sunday and Monday cooler, with temperatures rising to 5° or 6° Celsius, falling to 3° Celsius overnight.

SATURDAY 17th: A cooler day with scattered showers and just a few brighter spells. The showers are likely to be most frequent across Shetland this morning, but should die away during the afternoon. F6-7 - locally gale F8 - S to SE'ly winds easing and veering F5-6 S'ly for a time this afternoon, before backing SE'ly after dark. Rain spreading from the southwest during the evening, by which time SE'ly winds are likely to have increased F7 to gale F8 and locally severe gale F9. Turning clearer overnight with a few wintry showers, as winds ease and veer F7 to gale F8 S'ly.

Sea state – Rough or very rough with a 4 to 6 metre S'ly swell.

SUNDAY 18th: A colder day with some sunny spells, a few wintry showers and F6 to gale F8 S or SW'ly winds.

Sea state – Rough or very rough with a 5 metre S'ly swell.

MONDAY 19th: A cool day with wintry showers possibly merging into a longer period of sleet, as F6-7 S'ly winds back SE'ly and increase F7 to gale F8 for a time.

Sea state – Rough or very rough with a 5 metre S'ly swell.