# Aussies adapting to UK weather



## elfael (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm aware, in a distant kind of way, that it's cold in England  and I'm hoping for some comments from other Australians who've made the move to the UK. How did you cope with the cold? How long did it take to get used to it (or do you still spend all your time rugged up complaining that it's brass monkeys)? 

My husband and I own precisely one coat each, which we wore on a holiday to Sydney nearly 10 years ago and haven't touched since  ... I wouldn't know what to do with a scarf and I've never owned a pair of gloves. What clothing items would you consider essential kit for a family of newcomers from the tropics? Are there unwritten rules about what to wear in certain situations or places?


----------



## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

elfael said:


> I'm aware, in a distant kind of way, that it's cold in England  and I'm hoping for some comments from other Australians who've made the move to the UK. How did you cope with the cold? How long did it take to get used to it (or do you still spend all your time rugged up complaining that it's brass monkeys)?
> 
> My husband and I own precisely one coat each, which we wore on a holiday to Sydney nearly 10 years ago and haven't touched since  ... I wouldn't know what to do with a scarf and I've never owned a pair of gloves. What clothing items would you consider essential kit for a family of newcomers from the tropics? Are there unwritten rules about what to wear in certain situations or places?


I'm not an Aussie but all you need to do, when coming over in winter, is to take your one coat and scarf, and then hit the High St for clothes shopping. There is a huge variety of shops and clothes in all price ranges, from cheap and cheerful Primark (coat from 10 pounds, gloves from 2 pounds) to good, mid-range stores like Next, H&M and New Look (coat from 30 to 50 pounds, gloves from 5 pounds) to smart designer wears costing hundreds. 
UK has become quite casual in fashion terms and there are generally no hard and fast rules. Some workplaces have a dress code (e.g. jacket and tie for men, suit for women etc), and everyone dresses up for a wedding and christening. Otherwise smart casual wear will do in most situations. Exceptions are invitation to royal events (garden party, investiture, Royal Ascot etc) , and a few top restaurants. 
As for getting used to cold Britain, my friends from the tropics seem to get adjusted after one winter, though they do wrap up well and turn up the heating and long for the arrival of spring and summer. Make sure your accommodation is well insulated with modern heating system - there are still some properties without central heating and with droughty windows etc. Public places, work places and shops are well heated, so no worries there (sometimes too well), and you can enjoy some winter pursuits like ice skating and sledging (if it snows), and making snow men and enjoying snowball fights!


----------



## elfael (Nov 1, 2010)

Thanks Joppa :thumb:

Hmm, snow ... never seen snow! I expect I'll get tired of it pretty quickly but right now I can't wait to make my first snowball


----------



## jdripper (Nov 13, 2010)

It wouldn't hurt to acquire a jumper or two before leaving. If that's possible where you live.
Dressing in layers makes a big difference. It's been pretty cold in the past few days, subzero temperatures.

Pay attention to the composition of the material of the jumper. Acrylic is cheapest and not warm at all, to be avoided. 
Get ones that have a mixture of wool. Cost less than pure wool and mixed materials will survive more wear and tear.

You could also pop into your sporting shop and pick up a couple of polartec fleeces. Warm and practical.
Not really high fashion though


----------



## Kristar (Dec 9, 2010)

elfael said:


> I'm aware, in a distant kind of way, that it's cold in England  and I'm hoping for some comments from other Australians who've made the move to the UK. How did you cope with the cold? How long did it take to get used to it (or do you still spend all your time rugged up complaining that it's brass monkeys)?
> 
> My husband and I own precisely one coat each, which we wore on a holiday to Sydney nearly 10 years ago and haven't touched since  ... I wouldn't know what to do with a scarf and I've never owned a pair of gloves. What clothing items would you consider essential kit for a family of newcomers from the tropics? Are there unwritten rules about what to wear in certain situations or places?


You will get used to it! From November to March I dont leave the house without hat, scarf and gloves. All the shops are equipped with everything you need so dont panic!


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I am English. I never got used to the English winters, most of them I worked outside, always freezing cold, miserable, grey and horrible.

Any way I found the answer, I emigrated to the Canary Islands, it is 20 degrees Celsius here today and climbing 

Hepa


----------



## elfael (Nov 1, 2010)

Hepa said:


> I am English. I never got used to the English winters, most of them I worked outside, always freezing cold, miserable, grey and horrible.
> 
> Any way I found the answer, I emigrated to the Canary Islands, it is 20 degrees Celsius here today and climbing
> 
> Hepa


Hepa, I'm trying to escape the heat, not find more of it! You'd think that I'd be used to it after having grown up in tropical North Queensland, but once the temp hits about 25C (which usually covers at least September to March) I lose my ability to move - and my will to live! Thankfully it's been cooler here this summer because of above-average rainfall. Not so good for the farmers whose crops have been washed away, though.


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

elfael said:


> Hepa, I'm trying to escape the heat, not find more of it! You'd think that I'd be used to it after having grown up in tropical North Queensland, but once the temp hits about 25C (which usually covers at least September to March) I lose my ability to move - and my will to live! Thankfully it's been cooler here this summer because of above-average rainfall. Not so good for the farmers whose crops have been washed away, though.


Near to where I used to live in England, the temperature was minus 17 degrees Celsius, one night recently. Here high in the hills it rarely goes below 12 degrees above zero. 

Now you may not like the heat of Queensland, however I can assure you that the cold and wet winters of the U.K. are expensive and unpleasant. You will however escape the heat in the U.K. It rarely gets hot even in midsummer,

Good luck with your travels,
Hepa


----------



## Hollie Rose (Nov 16, 2010)

elfael said:


> I'm aware, in a distant kind of way, that it's cold in England  and I'm hoping for some comments from other Australians who've made the move to the UK. How did you cope with the cold? How long did it take to get used to it (or do you still spend all your time rugged up complaining that it's brass monkeys)?
> 
> My husband and I own precisely one coat each, which we wore on a holiday to Sydney nearly 10 years ago and haven't touched since  ... I wouldn't know what to do with a scarf and I've never owned a pair of gloves. What clothing items would you consider essential kit for a family of newcomers from the tropics? Are there unwritten rules about what to wear in certain situations or places?


I'm not Australian, but I too recommend some clothes shopping. It's totally different over here, the cold will probably hit you harder because you're not used to it, when are you planning to move over here? 

There are some gorgeous winter clothes over here, I'd recommend reading some style mags since the style is different here. There are many ways to wear scarves, and many different designs of scarves, pashminas, ruffle scarves, snoods, longer ones, thinner, thicker... I looked around on Google for you so you can get a heads up  Different Ways To Wear A Scarf

gloves are fine.  they make a lot of difference. Yesterday my hands were so cold I felt they were going to fall off! so I brought some new gloves to wear to work today.  the snow is gorgeous at the moment! One thing I love about our winters is snuggling up in a dressing gown, drinking hot chocolate with cream and marsh mellows! It's a whole different way of living, you'll either love it or hate it. Hope you don't hate it! GOOD LUCK. 

And Ps, thermals are a must! look for those when you come here to where underneath your clothing. They make all the difference!


----------



## fido (Aug 25, 2010)

On the face of it, it does sound a bit extreme to move to UK just because it's too hot in Queensland. New Zealand would be a lot nearer and has a big range of climates to choose from.


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

fido said:


> On the face of it, it does sound a bit extreme to move to UK just because it's too hot in Queensland. New Zealand would be a lot nearer and has a big range of climates to choose from.


Or Tasmania


----------



## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

As Hepa said, for many Brits, the weather is just too depressing, and we move elsewhere. To be honest, I don't mind the cold, but in the UK the winters are dark and damp which just adds to the misery. As a family, we enjoy an outdoor lifestyle - something that was difficult for half the year or more in the UK, and that is one of the main reasons why we have moved to Spain. 
The trick is, as others have written, to wear several layers that can be stripped off when you go indoors in centrally heated homes. 
On the positive side, when you get a bright crisp day in mid winter, it can be lovely in the UK.


----------



## elfael (Nov 1, 2010)

Hollie Rose said:


> And Ps, thermals are a must! look for those when you come here to where underneath your clothing. They make all the difference!


Thanks Hollie, I was wondering about thermals. I've heard of them but have never seen them  The snuggling with hot chocolate thing sounds lovely - I'll definitely have to try that.

I'm hardly moving to the UK just for the weather! Getting away from the heat is just an added bonus for me. Tasmania and New Zealand might be cooler than here but they don't solve the 'being closer to Europe' issue ... and they're full of Tasmanians and Kiwis  (_gentle joke, don't get offended_)

I'd consider Spain or France but my hubby is unlikely to be learning any other language any time soon, which would more or less doom me to being the breadwinner while he sits at home. No thank you. The kids and I will be learning Spanish and probably French over the next couple of years. Five years before we get there sounds like a long time, but I know it will fly by.

Who knows, maybe we will hate it ... but we won't know until we try, and I'm enjoying the anticipation. I'm very excited because we've just opened bank accounts to save for our airfares and startup costs :clap2:


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Elfael,

Try this link for thermal wear.Damart - Thermals - Thermolactyl Accesories, Mens and Ladies Thermals - Damart

There are of course cheaper brands, but these are good, very good,

Hepa


----------



## Hollie Rose (Nov 16, 2010)

elfael said:


> Thanks Hollie, I was wondering about thermals. I've heard of them but have never seen them  The snuggling with hot chocolate thing sounds lovely - I'll definitely have to try that.
> 
> I'm hardly moving to the UK just for the weather! Getting away from the heat is just an added bonus for me. Tasmania and New Zealand might be cooler than here but they don't solve the 'being closer to Europe' issue ... and they're full of Tasmanians and Kiwis  (_gentle joke, don't get offended_)
> 
> ...


Hehe I always snuggle up with my dressing gown drinking hot chocolate, and will be doing so this friday  I am very glad that you're keen on moving here, a lot of the time I hear negative things about this country, which is quite upsetting because I only ever have good things to say about most other places! 

I wish you all the best in whatever you do, and learning spanish and french sounds wonderful - those are two languages I have always wanted to learn.. I did, at one point start learning German but it got too difficult with all my studies at the time, I used to spend a couple of hours on it a day and it was just too time consuming. 

I have a friend who is coming over to visit me soon, she lives in Melbourne, we are very good friends and talk over the net, she was telling me the other day about how christmas is going to be hot in Australia, it sounded so strange! I think by the look of the weather predictions it will be a white christmas here, fingers crossed! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it here.  let me know how you get on!


----------

