Moving to Edinburgh with children,,,

We live in a really nice area called Stockbridge.  We have everything you described except for our own garden.  It seems that lots of people here belong to gardens.  We personally belong to Belgrave Gardens and it's great.  The local schools in Stockbridge (Stockbridge Primary and Flora Stevenson) are wonderful and there are private school options as well.

Best of luck and feel free to ask any questions.  We moved here in february from Toronto and adore the city and the people.

Thank you so much Emily for responding.  I have been waiting for just one person to give me some feedback.  Do you live in a house or flat? We loved Edinburgh 7 years ago when we went for our honeymoon,do you find it to be a child friendly city? ie. parks, science center, aquarium, art galleries. I am having a hard time trying to find an area to concentrate my search for a home.  Stockbridge sounds nice if you say you can walk to most things from there or tube it? How did you find your accomodation from Toronto or did you wait until you arrived there and found a place? Do you know of any other nice areas comparable to Stockbridge if I can't find anything there?
Sorry for all the questions, but I guess I just want to be sure when we move that we are moving to place that suits us best.
Thanks so much,
Angela

Hello Blueeiss,

I have moved to Edinburgh approx. 2 months ago from Germany with my 10 year old boy. We are in Duddingston which is a lovely area, family oriented with parks and Arthur's Seat right there. There are not many shops in Duddingston but the city centre is approx. 10 minutes by car, 20 by bus. There is the "innocent cycle path" to cycle to town but we have not tried it (due to the time of the year) and biking in the city centre is not very safe I would think.
Generally Edinburgh is not a really big place and has a very good bus system. The new tram will come in approx 2 years time but just connects the airport to the city centre.
Edinburgh is good fun with children. There are many galleries, museums which normally are for free (donations welcome). There is "our dynamic earth" and lots of parcs and the wonderful botanic garden. So lots to do!
Also the Beaches in East Lothian, about 30 minutes away are great fun for children, all time of the year.
I have never been to Canada or Vancouver so can not compare any city region to it. Portobello is also a nice area with shops in walking distance and close by the sea. If you rent a flat it is less likely to have a garden, especially in the centre (like in all bigger cities I guess).
Primary schools are all very good in Edinburgh!

So I hope that gives you another brief overview.
Well of course I was much closer before I moved and have been many many times to Scotland. As far as flats and houses you should look up local agents (mine was d.j. alexander) and the rent market is a "fast" one, meaning the flats and houses are fast off the market.

Hope that all helps a wee bit!
Ciorstain

Thank you so much Ciorstain,
I appreciate any and all feedback.  I am so pleased to hear you like your area and that there is so much to do with children there. Does your son like living in Edinburgh?  My son is 6 so a bit of a difference in age but still a boy! I will check into the two areas you mentioned and thank you for your agents name.
Angela

Hello Angela,

I am happy if I can help as I remember how many questions I still had although I had a great book (living and working in britain, I can highly recommend it!) and also friends here, even a german that had moved as well (no children though which is very different of course).

I just recalled that if you use citylets or espc.com, they are also good for finding acommodation.
If you can afford a more expensive place than Morningside would be good (it is lovely!) as well as Dean Village (very rare to find something there though) or Crammond. All good areas.
Leith is partly nice but I decided against it as it is very busy and partly a wee bit kinky.

Yes, my son really likes it here. He did not want to move so that is even better!

I just read that you want to move next september so that gives you plenty of time to prepare for it! I had a year of preparation which was great as well!

If you have further questions, let me know. I'll do my best to answer!

Have a nice day,
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
Thank you again for your assistance.  I was looking into Leith, but now I will look into the other areas you mentioned.  I  like that Portobello is by the sea, we are by the sea here in Vancouver and I love it.  Is Portobello a sleepy little seaside suburb or are there shops and ammenities there?  I looked into the school Towerbank Primary there and it has a huge student population of 500, that seems like a lot of children in Primary school.  Is that about the normal size of the schools in the city? I also looked into Morningside but there is not a lot available right now to get an idea of what it's like. Will look into the other areas you mentioned as well.  Thanks so much for your input Ciorstain, I really do apprectiate it.

Have a nice day as well,
Angela

Hello Angela from a slightly snow covered Edinburgh,

When I was looking for a flat (and I wanted unfurnished which was a real challenge!), I also found lots of nice looking flats in Leith and actually had a viewing at a very very lovely flat but I did not like the surroundings as I found Leith too busy.
Portobello is right at the sea but also only 5-10 mins away from where we are - so Edinburgh is at the sea anyway, but yes Portobello has it's own nice promenade with cute cafés and a swimming pool. There is also Portobello High Street where you find lots of shops. I find it rather nice.

As for the schools I must say I do not know. Our school gives the imrpession to bee small but if they put the nursery pupils into the number they also have 460 pupils. It has a very different feeling to it I must say as the nursery is in another building and so are primary classes 1-3.
Our school always gives me a warm feeling about the schooling and the primary education sector is really good. They learn interactive, have smartboards and do nice excursions such as the opera or exhibitons. Schooling is totally free. Of course you need to buy the uniform and lunch but books, pencils etc. is all done through the council. (in Germany that is very different!!!!)

Will you or your husband have a job here?
I think you probably need Visa as being from the US?

Yes, Morningside and the other areas I mentioned are more likely to not rent out as much. But there are places for rent once in a while.

How does your son feel about moving away? Well, the language will not change (of course the accent will and some Scotsmen are hard to understand as they use Scots which is a wee bit of a foreign language, too).

Have a nice day,
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
We have had snow for the past 3 days here and it's a beautiful winter wonderland. Thank you for your last reply.  I didn't see it until today.  I've seen lots of nice flats in Leith online but they are all new builds.  We want to live in a building that looks like Edinburgh with the big stone/slate blocks.  I know they are mostly redone on the inside but I like the look of the traditional buildings better than modern.  Here in Vancouver practically everything is a new build and glass.  So very modern, which is nice for Vancouver but seems out of place to me in Edinburgh. I think New Town, West End,Stockbridge, and the area north of the city centre like Elm Row and Broughton St. and Broughton Road seem like traditional kind of buildings.. Hopefully the school is good.  Broughton Primary.  I can't find a rating system for the Primary schools in Edinburgh online. And no information on this school is available.
 
My husband is an Englishman from London, so visa's aren't needed.  I am a stay at home mom but will work if our son goes to a brick and mortar school.  I have always homeschooled here in Canada. 

Our son is very excited to move to Edinburgh, he has seen many a picture from my husband and my's honeymoon and he wants to see it all in person.

Thanks again for all your input.  Chat soon,

Enjoy the snow!
Angela

Hello Angela,
Good to hear from you again.
But Edinburgh and snow do not go together very well .
As it is at the very east and at the Forth, Edinburgh gets only a wee bit of snow if at all! Just 2 years ago they had some snow that lasted but other than that not... Most snow is in the Highlands and Islands....
Yes, I agree. I like the old houses better here, too. They are charming and have charisma! But the downside is, mostly are not good insulated and the ceilings are very high which makes the heating difficult. Depending on the building you are not even allowed to replace the windows to double glazing.
Broughton Road/Street are very busy areas. Lots of nice shops and boutiques but at the moment highly affected due to the roadworks for the tram. The street runs downhill from the city centre. The buildings are old and nice but loads of traffic. A friend of mine used to live on Bellevue Road which was somewhat quiter and another friend is at East Claremont Street, also quiter but with cobblestones (just mentioning it as he and his kids always have difficulties with bikes there, very dangerous sometimes!).
His children attend a catholic school (I don't know the name) but I do not know any of the schools there.


That is good indeed that you do not need any visa! I think it is enough paperwork as it is without a visa. School stuff, registry with the local GP etc.....

Ach and also very good that your son is eager to come here. He has to restart with friends etc. but sure he'll manage!

I am getting my own business together just now but am also looking for work which is not so easy as the market is down. What education do you have?

So the next two days will be busy as a friend from Germany comes to visit from wednesday until saturday and christmas preps are on hold for that time....

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Enjoy your snow then!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
We are getting so much snow it's incredible really!  It's pouring down snow as I write you. 

Thank you for the information re the old style houses.. I will look for the double glazing benefit in the write-ups.  The cobblestone issue is well noted as my son and I ride bikes. It seems there are a lot of rentals coming up in the Broughton area, so maybe that's why with the Tram road works?  Is your area Duddingston walking distance to the city center?

I attended University in California and studied Criminology.  But since then I have worked in many areas.  I have a lot of film work in my resume like set decorating, hair and catering. My last job that I did before I had my son was Siesmic Engineering.  That is dangerous work though and I probably wouldn't do it again now.  I also ran my own catering business for years.

What is the business you are starting up?

I meant to ask you what part of Germany you're from, my mom is German and her parents lived in Germany but then got out when the war started.

Enjoy your visit with your friend.

Chat soon,
Angela

Dear Ciorstain,
I just wanted to wish you and your son a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...looking forward to hearing from you in the new year..
Angela

Hello Ciorstain,
How was your Christmas and New Years?  I hope you and your son had a lovely holiday season.
I've been looking at flats and areas and doing research on schools.  I found what seems to be a nice place on Dalkeith Road near Prestonfield Ave... Do you know this area at all?  Is it a nice area? Do you know if it is walking distance into the city centre? 
Sorry to bombard you with questions, if you can assist me that would be great..
Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela and happy new year,

Sorry for my late response. I did not get the information about any new posts from you!

We had a nice christmas and also the year started well. We have some snow today but nothing that would last I am afraid.

I think Dalkeith Road is nice, you are close to Arthur's Seat, the Commonwealth Pool and so on. Also some gold courses around :-).

I am not sure whether I have been on Prestonfield Avenue but it is kind of in the same areea as Dalkeith Road, so that will be fine as well!
I am not sure about the distance to walk into the city centre but it is not far away (it all depends on how good of a walker you are!). It might be 20-25 minutes I would think at it would be around 35-40 from were I am.

Don't worry about the questions. I remember how many I have had and still sometimes have (school issues, NHS and so on).

So it will be this year for you, right?

Funny enough a new friend here lived in Canada when she was a child and I think she would like to live there again. But her husband does not...

Have a nice day!

Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
So nice to hear from you.  Glad you had a nice Christmas and New Year. 
Yes the move will hopefully be this summer at the latest.  I want to get my son into school for start of the year in Sept.
When you mention gold courses are you referring to Golf? Do you play?
What part of Canada is your friend from?  It's a huge country as you may know... funny a lot of Europeans love Canada, there are many here in Vancouver.

Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

How are you? I hope all is fine!

Well, eventually we got some snow here in Edinburgh. It is nothing compared to what you have over there but also not so common for Edinburgh to have it last. My son loved it!

I asked my friend and she used to live in Ontario.

I do not play golf at all, my son would like to start and has some equipment. It is such a common sport here! Do you play?

Oh yes you were saying about the school start. School restarts in august as the term finishs end of June. If I am not mistaken it should be august 19th when they have to go back to school. Just to let you know.

I don't know aobut canadians in Edinburgh but it is a very international city as well. I hear a lot of spanish and french, polish and of course german. A lot of them are students but as Edinburgh is the capital and such a beautiful one, a lot of tourists come every year!

Have you found some flat that you liked? What is your preferred area (if you have any).

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,

Good to hear the snow was appreciated by your son, I know my son loves it..is it all gone by now?

I do play golf, and my son started with his first lessons this past summer.  He liked it as well.

I was born in the province of Ontario.. It's probably the most populated of all the provinces. But I moved pretty much right away from there to live in Florida as a young girl so I don't remember much of it.

I love that Edinburgh has an international culture, much of it because of the University, but still it brings people to the city.

So far I have to say the areas that have been my favorites so far are Stockbridge, Broughton Street area, New Town, and Comely Bank. I will continue looking in all areas though, I don't believe anything can be confirmed this far in advance with any of the flats anyway.

Thanks for the heads up on the start of the school year.  That's really good to know..

Chat soon,
Have a nice week.
Angela

Hello Angela,

The week-end was nice and the snow remains in small parts. Scotland is to become more of it today but I think Edinburgh is spared from that.

We went to the cinema and saw "Les Misérables". It was so very good! I always liked Hugh Jackman but now even more so! But the film itself is very well made.

So you already do play golf. That is a good thing as you will find many golf coursed around and in Edinburgh.

Finding a flat was a tricky thing for me as well as the market is so quick but you'll be getting there at the end!

Have a nice day,
chat soon
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
I love the snow but when you get soo much as we have had, it's not so nice.  Especially when it starts to melt and everything is muddy looking from all the salt and sand they put on the roads.  Did it snow a lot in the part of Germany you came from?

I haven't seen Les Mis' yet, I think I will have to wait until it comes to DVD now as it's already left the cinema.  I like Hugh Jackman as well, I worked with him when we shot XMEN here in Vancouver.  He seems to be a nice man.
I last went to see Life of Pi, it was very good... the book was good and I wasn't disappointed with the movie at all.

Do you have any comments on the areas I have mentioned in my previous email?  I hope I am concentrating on the right areas for what we want.  You mentioned we will be getting there at the end?  Do you mean it's more difficult trying to secure a place in the spring or summer?  We will likely have to be there for end of June to get settled before start of school in Aug.?

Chat soon,
hope your week is going well.
Angela

Hello Ciorstain,
I have been looking some more at different areas just in case the ones I like have no availability.  Marchmont, Bruntsfield and Newington... do you know of those? I have looked at the schools in those areas South Morningside primary, The Royal Mile Primary, Tollcross Primary and James Gillespies Primary.  Is there some sort of guide that gives you an idea of what the schools are like or how you decide if it's a suitable school.. there are no test or rankings I can find. Not sure how to decide where a good area is or one to avoid is...
Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

Sorry for my late response. I have been quite busy last week.

I know that Morningside is a very good area, Royal Mile, too, Tollcross should be ok as well!
There are no rankings actually but I can ask my friend about the schools next week.

The snow has gone by now, just bits and pieces around Arthur's Seat. We have + degrees by now.

Oh, you worked with Hugh Jackman? I forgot what it was you did.
I really do like him. He seems to be down to earth and funny. Not a celebrity that needs attention 24/7.

As for the rental market... it is just very quick. Once I flew over and had 4 appointments to visit places and just got to see 2 at the end as the others were taken by then. And I booked the appointments just a couple of days before the travel.
But there are lots of flats for rent now. Many people having difficulties with morgages right now so rather rent. Of course with the University a lot is rented to students as well.

You must be very excited to come over!
I was and still am so happy to be here. It is fantastic!

Hope you have a nice week-end!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
I was rereading your last post and realized I never replied to you.  So sorry, in my business I forgot to reply. 

How have you been?  I remember you mentioned starting up a new business so that must keep you extremely busy.  The weather is starting to warm up here and the birds are all coming out now.. the Robins are really enjoying the berries on one of our trees in the front garden.

Anyway do you have any information about the schools I last mentioned?  I do have one question that I can't seem to find out online.  What are the monthlty bills that we would presumably incur.  i.e. electric, water, TV, Telephone?  I do know about the council taxes already.

Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

Good to hear from you!
TIme seems to run already! One day it is christmas, the next mid-term-break. (this week).

We were lucky with the weather although it seems the scottish people don't think so. But my german friends and family had less sun and more snow than we did.

The business.... no, not extremely - I wish it were so!
It is a built up business that I did for the past almost 9 yrs employed in Germany. SO I would like to take that business now (cheeky me) but it is a long process as the customer is big.

The birds are out here as well but tomorrow there is snow to come. It is very cold.
It is my birthday tomorrow and I wanted to got to North Berwick but we have done this today as driving in that conditions is not worth it.

I have asked my friend about the schools but actually she could not really say something. She moved here some time ago but did not grow up in Edinburgh. She said what I always hear, that the primary schools in the "good" areas are all good.

The monthly bills.... well that varies of course. Some people have gas central heating like I do. Even the water in the bath is gas heated but a lot of people have electricity for heating their water in the bathroom.

I am with orange for Broadband (which is EE now) and pay approx. 30 pounds a month, including a flatrate for 30 countries abroad. Flatrate means, an hour is free than you need to disconnect and dial again (found that out after I had a first huge bill to pay!).
Mobile phone depends, I have free texts to all providers and 2 GB data internet and free calls to all UK numbers for approx. 20 pounds a month. There might be better deals now, I do not know.
You'll need a TV licence which I don't know how much it is as I am covered through my landlord.
TV itself: I have an areal and about 30 free channels. Sky is very big here but for now I thought it too expensive (you can look up their deals online, they also offer internet, so maybe it will be cheaper as a package there).

I have heared from a friend that gas & electricity is about 250 pounds on the average per month for a household but of course the question is how big the place is. My bill is much cheaper than that, also because I am looking after how much we use.

Food is more expensive here and flowers are very expensive (compared to Germany). They had beautiful valentine's day boquets today and I thought about a treat for myself but was not willing to pay 25 pounds for flowers.

I hope that gives you a wee bit of an overview.

Have you come closer to when exactly you would like to relocate?
Will your husband work here and you be a "home mom"?

Have a nice day!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
First of all Happy Birthday!!  North Berwick is a bank holiday kinda place or just a nice place to get away that's close to the city??
Thanks so much for all your information regarding the monthly's. It helps me to budget things a bit better.  The gas & electric sounds high but then again it does depend on the size of the flat.
I am thinking that we will have to decide on the area upon our arrival after having seen a few places and the areas in person.  It's such a difficult decision to make online.  I do like the looks of a few places, Comely Bank, Stockbridge and an area south of the Castle.. I believe it's called Bruntsfield.  I'm sure we will have to find a reasonably priced Bed and Breakfast or motel (do you know of any?)to stay for a few days to completely decide on the area best for us. We plan to arrive in June and I would be a stay at home mom for the first while until we get to know the lay of town.
Do you know the ski area that's closest to Edinburgh?  My son and I ski and it would be wonderful to keep that up.
So do enjoy the snow coming your way.. and have a wonderful Birthday.
Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

Thanks for your congrats, I appreciate it. I had a lovely birthday and today the sun was back again!

North Berwick is a wee town approx. 30 minutes from here. I love it!
Right at the sea side.

I do agree that it is not easy to find a suitable place but at least you kind of know where you would like to be.
I have not used many B&B's as I always had friends to stay at but this one is very good and within walking distance to the centre and bus/train:

http://www.mccraes.co.uk/

or this one

http://www.53frederickstreet.com/

also close to the center.
I do not know about all the prices, right now it is not the main season so prices will be lower anyway.

We did not have much snow or let me say, it did not stay as it mostly does not in Edinburgh. They have one of those "fake" snow tracks in the Pentlands which is close by. The next real ski option should be in Fife I think.

I hope this information helps!

Chat soon and have a nice Valentine's day!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,

Happy Valentines Day to you as well. I had a nice one, my son made be a beautiful card and a giant paper boat which he loves to float in the bath to see how long they will stay afloat. My husband and I don't usually make a fuss about Valentines as it seems to be just a lot of hype to sell flowers and candy..

Thanks for the information re the B&B's I will contact them for prices and such.

I was going to ask you if when I'm looking at flats online and they show the rental amount, is that written in stone or are they open to negotiation?  Some places in Europe do it that way while others do not.. I just want to know what the expectation is when filling out the application.

Have a nice Weekend and chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

I just saw your post (did not get an email saying so).
Our week-end was briliant with lots of sun (the same today!). Again we walked Arthur's Seat. It was like spring with the birds singing.

This morning we used the bike to go to school. It was very crisp but beautiful.

Valentine's day is big here, too. More so by the stores I guess :-). Against the people in the US this is mainly for lovers, not for family, friend etc....

You can negociate on the rent. I did that with my flat.
But you are right. It is totally uncommon in Germany and would considered rude normally. The germans are not negociators in that regard.
Here it is common though but not all would lower the rent.

It will be nice to see where you end up and - if you like - meet once you are here!

If you have further questions, shoot away

Have a nice day!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,

that's strange with this site, sometimes it doesn't let me know if you have sent an email either.. I just happen to see that you have sent a message when I chech the site.

It seems spring has sprung in Edinburgh.. riding your bike sounds lovely.. here there is still too much snow but it is melting away quickly.Can you ride your bike on trails at Arthur's Seat or is it just for hiking?

That's good to know about the rent amounts not being in stone.. my husband likes to negociate.

I can't wait to move but there is still so much work to do here.  I am waiting for my visa to be granted and then there is selling our things here and packing away the things we will have sent over eventually... my son has 2 little turtles and I'm not sure if he will be able to bring them with us..he will be heart broken if he can not..but I'm trying to prepare him for that fact. Anyway I am trying not to get overwhelmed with all of the things left to do and just focus on being excited about moving back to Europe. I would love to meet you in person once we are settled that would be so nice.

Have a nice week, and chat soon.
Angela

Hello Angela,

Yes, I do have the same thing, sometimes the site tells me that you wrote a new reply and then, on other occassions I find out by coincidence!

Well, it is very cold in the mornings and still freezing in the night but it is lovely to ride the bike on a crisp morning! My son was not happy with that today but got on his bike anyway.
The germans always tend to think that the scottish weather is so bad but in fact we had mor sunny days than they did this year!
I guess the summer makes the difference .

There is one street that you can ride your bike on that cuts partly through Arthur's Seat, otherwise it is just for hiking as it also is a nature reserve for birds etc.

I know how you feel with the packing and everything. I had all my things stored for about 3 months in my former garage and lived with my Dad before we came. I brought all our stuff, just sold the kitchen (I was renting a flat and the kitchen was mine).

I do not know about the turtles. I guess there must be a website where you can look it up. They should be ok animals I would think!

Europe is a wonderful place. I really do love it. It has such fantastic culture and long history. And the countries are so different from each other.
You should look forward to it It will take you years to travel and see places!

Ok, back to work!

Hope you have a lovely day!
Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
Arthur's Seat sounds a lovely place to walk or hike.  I am excited to get moved in and get my son settled into school, sports and the lifestyle.  I
I feel the same way about Europe with all it's history and diversity.  I want him to enjoy the experience.
We will probably do the same the month before we move, live with my mom and put our things in storage until we are settled and then have them sent over.
I haven't yet checked into the costs of sending things over, but assume it will be extreme.
We had a snow storm last night but then it was melted away by this morning. I can't wait for spring to come and stay.
Anyway I should run,
Take care,
chat soon,
Angela

Hello Angela,

After I had not been informed at all by any new post I went online today to see you have replied! Ts, this site can be funny!

We had some snow this morning but it melted away. Supposingly the next week will be nice with sunshine.

Yes, shipping things over is quite expensive. When I was relocating to Germany from Mississippi I had all the baby stuff shipped and it was expensive but would have been more expensive to buy it all new.
But maybe you'll find a forwarder who does the route regularely for a bargain. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Have you decided on when exactly to move? Next friday is already march 1st

I have just been to my interview for the NI-number (social security number here). It takes some weeks to get it, but not too long.

Hope you have a nice week-end!

Kerstin

Is there sports mainly soccer in your area of schools that you are looking at??

blueiss wrote:

Hello, we are from Vancouver BC and we are planninng to move to Edinburgh next Sept.  We have a 6yr. old son and want to find an area similar to the one we live in Vancouver.  We are in a area of Downtown called Coal Harbour.  It's in the downtown area of Vancouver but out of the business district and you can walk everywhere with either a seawall or paths thru the city or tube stations or biking paths.  Does this kind of neighbourhood exist in Edinburgh?  Sorry to sound so ignorant of Edinburgh, we were there 7 years ago on our honeymoon and loved it, but didn't look around it from a parents POV as we weren't yet.  Safe, family orientated, well appointed primary schools, walking distance/biking/ or tubes to shops and attractions?  We want to live in a 3 bedroom flat or house with a bit of garden if that exists in the city.The main thing is we want to be able to walk around the city and not have to drive and in an area with a well appointed primary school. Any help from families that live in the city with children would be much appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Blueiss

Hello Ciorstain,

We can't finalize a date for travel until I get my visa granted and that can take up to 3 months... crazy but I need it to live there.
Wow you lived in Mississippi?  That must have been some experience!  I've been there once in my live and well... I'd like to hear what you thought of it.

I went online today to look at all the flats that I had saved to my favorites to compare them all and all but one was gone.. is that strange or what so that means 19 flats rented out or the website just updated all the rentals and now I have to start my search all over again. Oh well I couldn't have hoped they would still be available in June right?

Our weekend was uneventful..just stayed around home. We watched the OO7 movie Skyfall.. I loved that part of it was filmed in Scotland. Do you watch the Oscars?  I only saw "Flight" with Denzel Washington and "Les Mis" so I'm not really interested this year...you?

So have a nice week, and chat soon,
Angela

Football is the main sport in the UK period that and rugby and cricket..

Hello Angela,

I see the visa issue.... as a EU Member, it is all so much easier. No work permission or anything else needed .
Yes, I lived in the "bible belt" where my son was born as well. It is verydifferent from what I was used to
Very humid and hot and besides New Orleans not much culture down there..... How did you like it?

Oh the flats...... no, you need to look short before you come!
I once travelled on a thursday to see flats on friday and saturday that I had made an appointment for the monday before the travel and most were gone by the time I was in the country!
It is a fast market, unfortunately. But there is plenty of opportunities!

I wish I had seen "flight" but did not, but Les Miserables was very good. I was impressed by Hugh Jackman! He has a really good voice and is a good actor.
Whoelse have you worked with?

As for the sports for children, it would be football for boys, cricket, hockey. But you'll find everything else, too. Karate, swimming etc.
The main sport for grown ups is the golf though!

Sunny here again! Lucky us. Seems it will stay like this but you'll never know.
We'll be off to Germany in march for probably 2 weeks. I have an important business meeting. We'll take the ferry from Newcastle I think.

Keeping my fingers crossed for your visa!

Ciorstain

Hello Ciorstain,
Sorry but I didn't get a notification that you had written and I have been so busy that I haven't checked...

Hope you have a good trip to Germany and that your business meeting goes well.

It seems good weather has started here as well.. the snow is almost all gone and the grass is starting to get green.

I did not really like the south very much, my father is from the south (Texas) so I've been to the different states and don't find it very diverse or cultural.  The people although kind don't seem to think out of the box very easily.

We watched "Argo" on pay per view before the Oscars and I found it to be very "edge of your seat" so it had me really interested.
I have worked with Ben Affleck, Kevin Spacey, Justin Timberlake, Halle Berry, Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren and Will Smith to name a few.  Most are nice people.  I worked with Sean Penn a long time ago and he was not that nice.. some have large egos.

We are heading out for a short holiday for spring break, down to Disneyland in California.  My son really likes it there.

I was wondering how difficult it is to buy used furniture there?  Here we have a website called Craigslist and you can buy sofas and tables and chairs even beds... but I looked for Craigslist in Edinburgh and it's got hardly anything for choice.. is there a similar sight for that sort of thing.. we are considering an unfurnished flat as they seem to stay on the market a bit longer and are usually larger for the same price as a furnished place.

I just watched Location, Location, Location last week on two couples buying in Edinburgh..they both wanted Stockbridge, West End or Comely Bank so I got to see the neighborhoods on the show which was nicer than the Street Views I get on the Zoopla Website.

Thanks for the fingers crossed on my visa.. hopefully it will be smooth sailing.

Take care and Chat soon,
Angela

Hello Ciorstain,
Please see my other message.
Thanks,
Angela