This thread is very relevant to us, because our daughter, her husband and our 16 month granddaughter are considering New Zealand or OZ very strongly and I honestly don't know what I will do without them They live round the corner and we are an integral part of each other's lives, and helping to raise little one. But the best gift I could give my granddaughter is for her to leave the UK .......I hope that makes sense?

As they are moving away for son in law's work soon anyway, we thought we would move to France, then changed to Portugal recently after having been to France in February with friends, seen 11 properties all of which were hugely over priced and needed a huge amount of work done! Love France as we do, it has gone up and up price wise of late At least with both France and Portugal there are low cost flights, Ferrys and Eurostar, and we are only a short distance away. And the standard of building in Portugal has risen and is now very good, and you do get a lot for your money.

I expect we would all love it if life just stayed the same sometimes, but it never does, and people you love move on and away, and it is nothing like the old days when families tended to stay together.

All I can think is thank God for webcams and the internet, as this opens doors for us all to see each other and talk to our families as if they were almost in the same room. Before this we only had the phone!

If I had my dearest wish come true it would be to spend the rest of my life close to my daughter and granddaughter...........but for their own sakes, I must learn, I expect, to let them go.