The thing is I’m dragging my Backside back to Blighty – to reside in sunny Sussex. So I’m busy with the rather complicated process of de-Viking(ing)* us and preparing for a Spring return to our green and pleasant land.
I mention it because it’s about time there was some real news hereabouts and I know my patient reader will be mildly intrigued and might occasionally be inclined to follow the new exploits of the Janus/Backside combo.
ETA late April. Meanwhile Jack Frost and the Snow Drifters are promising to visit the wild woods very soon.
* © Janus 2018
Boadicea's Chariot 
Is this a permanent move?
Well, well, Janus. i never thought you would up sticks again, but from the way you have described it the impending move does sound rather permanent. I do hope that whatever changed your mind is not too serious and that you will be very happy in your new home (and will keep writing).
OZ
Heavens! I had thought that you were permanently settled in Vikingland! If I may be so bold, why have you chosen to return to the Land of Hope and Glory?
Boa, OZ and CT, yes it’s permanent and in some ways a bit of a surprise to me too. I mean, who does that at 75?
Mrs J and I have reached the conclusion that that our family ties are too strong to be ignored – which to some extent I have been doing for too long; and Mrs J has family in N Jylland and Fyn which she needs to attend to. So my occasional commute will be from UK to DK in future.
I’ll be comfortably ensconced near daughter 4 and family, within easy reach of the rest of my clan.
We all see out of different windows, innit?
And just as there’s a vacancy for another prince in Denmark!
Sheona, Old Henrik was loved and loathed in equal measure and never understood, I fear.
The lovely Queen could hardly have ben more loyal, to the end.
I understand the need.
Howzabout the relative costs of living of the two? Especially housing?
Every time I get back to Wales I am aghast at the increases compared with the USA.
Good luck with the move, hope you are having it done for you, international moves are a real bitch and hideously expensive.
Blimey, Janus what a shock, and a pretty major upheaval at any age! This news is the last thing I expected to hear, but I hope it all works out for you.
Thanks, CO and Arrers. We are both happy to scale down our accommodation as befits less active folk. Our priorities have simply changed to focus on things we may have rather neglected now and then.
PS daughters helping a lot.
If you are scaling down make damned sure you don’t take too much furniture home unless the kids want it. Get rid of it now!
Our last move was only three miles up the road, but one room less and a small garden by local standards. We left all the outside equipment for the new lot and gave them a whole bedroom for which they were very grateful, linens included. No money but at least we were not going to have to store it, advertise it, sell it de dah de dah de dah! Worth rubies to the soul if not the pocket book and we made the purchaser come and do a few things at the new place.
Giving the ride on mower and cultivators, chain saw and strimmer in the price actually meant we got full price for the house, took no offers or prisoners!
Plus ruthless deliveries to the charity shops, nigh on wore out a set of tires and grooves in the road.
Salutary tale from the move from Dallas to here. I found unopened boxes from spousal unit’s move from New York to Dallas 27 years previously! One did not open them, just in case something really nasty was rotting in there. Off to the charity shop. They actually ended up refusing to take our stuff as they said we were bringing too much!
CO: Norwegians often go on shopping trips to the UK as the cost of products is so much lower here. The UK is significantly cheaper than Denmark. California and Denmark are roughly the same price. Housing, in general, is cheaper in the UK as well.
Family is always an interesting thing. There was some discussion as to how the female-type parent, her two younger siblings and I were going to manage get-togethers. Flying from Hunland/Luxembourg to Texas is far too expensive, especially for younger aunt. I’ve made it clear that I would not be going to Texas. My mother can’t be bothered to go to Germany again and I patently refuse to. As a result, the four of us — or 5, or 6 depending on if younger aunt’s children tag along, will be meeting in the UK with yours truly being the host.
Good luck with the move, J-Man. Will you be a Sussex CCC supporter?
I’m not very good at geography of England, Janus, but elder son and family have just this week moved into East Sussex. We shall therefor be visiting that county quite a lot in the future. They’re close to Ashdown Forest which I’m sure grandson will love as Winnie the Pooh territory. Hope your move goes smoothly.
Christopher, I rather think that California is about twice the property price than here up by the border. Californians retire here and buy huge houses only to run screaming at the rain a few years later! I know the UK always strikes me as quite extraordinary on the prices. Avocados on special here 17 cents (13p.) each this week and beautiful asparagus $1.59 /lb.
CO: Prices in the USA are extremely regional. Minnesota is even more expensive than California, food-wise! In California, if you were lucky an avocado would cost 80 cents on special and asparagus was, at peak harvest season on special, $1.99 a pound — up to $3.99 otherwise, probably more now. Compared to California, the UK is relatively cheap. Arguably the one main difference is in terms of housing. In the UK, there’s not that great a difference between the nominal cost of rent (not including council tax, utilities, etc) and shared accommodation. In Dorset, it’s on average £150-£200 cheaper to live in shared accommodation. In California, shared accommodation is often half to a quarter the cost of a flat/house. At the same time, it’s also far easier to get a private flat in California and the USA generally than the UK. I would have to pay a letting agency 6 months of rent in advance plus their fees. Stuff them, I’d rather live in shared accommodation and wait until I find a decent private landlord word-of-mouth.
JW, yes, the Oval will be graced with my presence! Too far to Edgbaston….
Sheona, coincidentally I will be able to see the Ashdown Forest from my new abode.
CO, the charity shops and Boy Scouts already have bulging coffers after our clear-outs. I’m going to develop a bijou but rather capacious balcony as my new garden. A grape vine, rambling rose and several herbs will start the project.
In the good ol’ days before we were subsumed in to the cursed EU and I was 2nd Mate on a Dover Calais (occasionally Zeebrugge) car Ferry (Free Enterprise VI) we used to get quite a few French foot passengers just going across to Dover to shop because it was so much cheaper.
jazz, sounds like Bellingham, half of Vancouver descends every Saturday to shop in the USA here, pretty well half price to what they can get at home.
Janus, sounds good, nothing like a ruthless clear out!
Danes on the southern fringe pop over to Hunland. Generally cheaper.
I’ve noticed that the UK is cheaper than DK for any goods, including food, that involve more than a passing amount of human input – because of the high minimum wages, hoisted by income tax levels, and the sales tax on top.
I see you have been offered lots of advice Janus, so I’m going to add my pennyworth! Don’t down-size too dramatically. Bearsy and I did and had to up-size – we seriously underestimated the amount of space we needed to feel comfortable. Mind you, we’ve ended up with more space than we left in Adelaide, but daughter no.1 is 10 minutes away and that’s a massive bonus.
My days of visiting Sussex are now virtually over – but you have certainly chosen a nice place to go to. Good Luck with the move.
Thanks, Boa. 🚚
Janus, our hearts and thoughts… Wait a minute, you haven’t died yet. Still, since I gather that you and I are the same age, a word of advice for your impending move: don’t overdo! Nowadays I get through life doing as little as possible. My dear wife will confirm that it works; I’m still around to annoy her.
How about: my sympathy and empathy are with you. Guano, how I hate moving!!! My wife takes it more or less in stride and has in her lifetime moved so many times that my fingers won’t count that high. As for me, though, they’re going to have to carry me out of this place!
Best of luck to you. May you and all your belongings arrive at your new home entire and intact!
Thank you, cog. I am consciously minimising (very Nordic) both effort and effects. I look forward to my Diogenean wine-jar wherein to enjoy the sun.
I know you’re bustin’ to know. So! I’m basking in early morning sunshine, gazing out over Ashdown Forest, enjoying my residence in the genteel environs of mid-Sussex. Daughters dropping in to cosset me. Already best buddies with my two youngest grandchildren. And already wielding my bus-pass with great aplomb. Pretty nice.
It seems as if you’ve settled down into British life again.
CT, yes. I swapped the backwoods for the small town convenience. So far so attractive.
Glad to hear it’s going well, Janus.
Large cities are overwhelming and rural life poses its myriad challenges as well. Living in towns that aren’t terribly large has many benefits.