Ian : after much tramping around, wildly variable attitudes from real estate agents towards the requirements that need to be met by new arrivals to the country and a few anxious squables between us, we found a great place to live through the Gumtree website - a private landlord who seems lovely and none of the stumbling blocks for new arrivals that the estate agents had.

So, here's our street !

Double glazing & gas central heating !

Michael: All the household items and our two bikes that we shipped from Australia in mid-April arrived last week. Ian had to help the delivery guy to carry the boxes up the two flight of stairs as he arrived without any kind of trolley for the job! Unfortunately (fortunately?) I was at work. We've organised all these items over the weekend and the place is starting to feel very like a home. It's amazing how having a few of your own items and books around you suddenly makes a flat a home.