First topic message reminder :Some of you maybe interested in how we are getting on here in Blighty. Its a month today that we arrived at our caravan in Felixstowe. Its beautifully cosy and warm though we will probably go through quite a few gas bottles this winter. Not too cold yet but often a bit murky. Arctic weather on its way apparently but nothing we can do about that.
It was quite a relief when our lovely dog, Xera, arrived the following day none the worse for her long journey. Our removers were great and helped pack and unpack and looked after the dog very well. She was even more hyper than usual as she had so many different things to see and smell and no big garden to roam in. However, as many told me, she seemed happy to be with us and liked the caravan balcony and soon made a home for herself outside in the small shed provided with the caravan! Not keen on the proper kennel I bought and destroyed the dog cushion I installed preferring the waterproof cushion covered with a couple of her smelly blankets. She has got used to the beach although not interested in going into the sea. She also loves the park and in both places she can have a good run and I have to go equipped with her usual treats and her poop bag! Other dogs seem a bit wary of this jumping, spotty animal who just wants to play.
There are some very nice people both on the campsite and in the town. It seems strange to have long conversations at the bus stop or with fellow dog walkers! Not what I expected from comments of fellow Brits in Bulgaria who gave dire warnings about what we would face. There are a couple of real pubs nearby and my Hero has become a popular member of the crowd.
Of course, not everything is as we would like. Although my Hero has work, it is not what he really wants but needs must until something else comes along. I spend 100pounds a week on the housekeeping which is double what I spent in Bulgaria and doesn't include bills for gas and that is on a strict budget using a nearby Lidls and Iceland. I have applied for Pension Credit, to which I am entitled, to top up my pension. There is no way 2 of us could live on my basic State Pension here. What a rigmarole that was - goodness knows how immigrants can get all their benefits especially with no or limited language. It starts off online, as absolutely everything does nowadays, and I found on the website that they say the quickest way to apply is by phone!!!! Bulgaria I love you still! Having spent nearly an hour answering question after question about both of us I then was told to wait for a house check. Two weeks later a very nice lady arrived and interviewed us for another hour. I have finally just received a letter stating that my pension credit will only start a month after arrival. No real problem but when you read the press it seems that immigrants come in, get a NI number and help immediately. How do they do it, IF they can do it? Also, bus pass forms filled in together with proof of age and accommodation documents and as my permanent address is my daughters in Cambridge it all had to be done through that address. It will take about a month.
Apart from these hiccups, we have settled surprisingly well although I had a fall when walking the dog a couple of weeks ago which I could have done without. It really shook me up and my back and hips still really hurt. I finally went to the doctor who reassured me it was a pulled muscle and to keep taking painkillers and rub in ointment. Also, got a prescription for my blood pressure pills. Gratified to hear that my blood pressure is now normal which it hadn't been in Bulgaria even taking the pills.
Its been nice having family close although only my eldest daughter has been able to visit. She bought a second-hand bike for my Hero to ride to work as he also sprained his ankle and had difficulty walking. What a pair we are.
How do I find Britian? Well there are good and bad things of course. Mostly the Christmas frenzy is in full swing here and of course I miss the bright blue skies of Bulgaria and the lovely white snow. People seem quite spoilt in their quest for buying things which I have learnt after my years abroad, are really not necessary. People think they are poor when they should live in a Bulgarian village to understand real poverty. Having said that, of course there is real poverty here and people living on the streets and even having to use soup kitchens which just shows the difference between the rich with jobs and nice houses and those with no work or hope of any.
Its lovely to eat fish and chips on the beach front and there is a Sunday market even in the winter which draws many people out with family and/or dogs. It is largely an elderly population so I feel quite at home here beside the sea and watching the waves crash on the beach wrapped up just as I would be in Bulgaria.
Do I miss Bulgaria? Of course I do and it was quite hard for the first two weeks thinking of our Bulgarian village friends we left behind and our comfy home. However, overall, I know we made the right decision and once winter is over it will get easier and better here. I have had an email from our buyers who visited for a week in November. They love the house and didn't want to leave so that was so good to hear. We are going to keep in touch.
As for the Brits that drove us to such despair, I hope they are now happy that we have gone.
I wish all of you on this great forum a Very Happy Christmas and New Year.
Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:35 pm
Great new hun delighted for you both - God is good. 