Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Drew and Alan]

What about moving abroad? if you do your research and choose your country 'correctly' (ie whats suitable to your needs and wants) you can get some good bargains in property. We did that 2 years ago, sold up and moved to France where its much much cheaper than the UK, not just propertywise but the cost of living too (despite the bad pound exchange rate) healthcare is better here also. In the uk Alan and I worked all hours, never saw each other (despite living together), and most days the only chance we got to see each other was on the motorway, driving past each other.. and then one Christmas, we just made the decision to change our lives big style. In the uk we would never have been able to afford our farm house / 1 acre small holding that we have in rural France and its meant that on our small pension we can be retired as long as we are as self sufficient as possible and 'mend and make do' ! just something for you to consider! You have just got to be brave and go for it! you are more than welcome to come stay at ours if you want to give it a go and see what its like if you want (and dont mind staying with us 2 gay guys!)

 

good luck whatever path you do decide to follow

 

Drew & Alan

[TiggyBoo]

We did it about two and a half years ago.

 

I used to sit in our tiny back garden and watch the neighbours children go up and down on their little trampolines. I used to think back to when I was a child, and how we used to make swings and dens in hedgerows.

 

I wanted our (eventual kids) to be able to play horizontally too and not just on the vertical plane!

 

My partner took a massive reduction in wage to move to the country, and I had to change career, it's been difficult but worth it.

 

I left all my qualifications behind and got work as a youth worker, very scary, but a fantastic challenge and it was a great boast to my confidence. I found I liked it better than my chosen career.

 

It has been a struggle, and we now live in an old house with holes in the carpets and a leaky bathroom, leaving behind a brand new build with beautiful solid wood floors and amtico flooring.

 

It was difficult adjusting to not having the disposable income, to modernise the house at the speed we would like. But I now see much more of my partner, and his blood pressure is much better for the slower pace.

 

He still has some ongoing health problems from our city life, but they should be all sorted soon.

 

I sit outside our tired old house and I see past all the things we need to fix and see it as it will be years from now, and I'm extremely thankful to have been able to have this opportunity.

 

Good luck to anyone wanting to do the same x

[poachedegg]

you are more than welcome to come stay at ours if you want to give it a go and see what its like if you want (and dont mind staying with us 2 gay guys!)

 

 

*rush of Omleteers booking tickets to France!*