[nona]

What can we expect?
It looks like the average climate (temps and rainfall) of Newcastle is pretty similar to that of Wellington, NZ.
What about cost of living? Accommodation?
What do we need to be aware of?
What should we bring with us?

Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Nona

 

[nona]

Hello?

 

[teuchter]

What can we expect?
It looks like the average climate (temps and rainfall) of Newcastle is pretty similar to that of Wellington, NZ.
What about cost of living? Accommodation?
What do we need to be aware of?
What should we bring with us?

Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Nona

I assume no-one has responded since your questions are so broad/generic: can you be more specific in terms of what can you expect/need to be aware of etc? Many of your questions could probably be answered by spending a few minutes researching on Google....

As for cost of living: for groceries, check out the websites of the UK's 'big 4' supermarket chains - Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons - to get a handle on prices/range of products available in the UK.

For broadband/cable TV/fixed line - check out BT, Virgin Media and Sky.

For mobile - check out Orange, O2, Vodafone and T-mobile.

Accommodation - too many property sites to list here.

What should you bring with you? Definitely a sense of humour and a keen ear for tuning into the Geordie accent

teuchter

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

What can we expect?
It looks like the average climate (temps and rainfall) of Newcastle is pretty similar to that of Wellington, NZ.
What about cost of living? Accommodation?
What do we need to be aware of?
What should we bring with us?

Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Nona

Cost of living: I have a very dear friend in Nelson, we email at least once a day and talk about everything including COL. From what I can tell from her emails, it's a little less expensive to live here in the UK but it depends on what you're buying as usual, lol-it almost seems to balance out. For example, she paid $40NZD for a new kettle, the same model costs £20 here in the UK-not much difference really. We both own our homes outright so I can't advise on mortgage or rental costs, sorry. I live in NE-Central Scotland and it's my understanding housing costs vary wildly even within the same post codes, so I wouldn't even begin to try to say what housing costs. Have you looked at any of the estate agent sites? Google (or what ever search engine you use) the area you're going to, and you'll likely get thousands of hits

Define what you mean by 'what do we need to be aware of'-do you mean socio-economically, or availability of good schools for your children, or crime stats, or...To be honest my observation as a current events junkie is that things are difficult all over, that good schools seem to be what the parents, teachers, and councils are willing to put into them, and that crime seems to be up everywhere in everything from vandalism to violent attacks like muggings and domestic violence.

Bring with-anything you can't bear to be parted with (pictures in photo albums especially), and comfort items like favourite cookbook, other reference books, and hobby materials if affordably transportable. OH! Bring plenty of foul weather gear, lol! Woolies and wellies-cannot have too many

When I came over I left my sewing machine (sniffle) in the States because shipping it would have cost nearly as much as the machine cost new. I left a lot behind in the States when I came over because the shipping costs were so high, or because it was an electrical item I knew I would be better off replacing here in the UK rather than trying to use a transformer with.

But I did bring my favourite cookbook, and quite a lot of my sewing tools and notions I knew already from research to be very expensive to replace in the UK (crochet hooks, embroidery skeins-fabric-hoops-frames, sewing patterns, reference books, measuring tape, etc); I had to leave my scissors which grieved me as we'd been sewing together for decades, but the length meant shipping them was out of the question.

 

[nona]

Thanks so much Teuchter and AnAmerican!!!

i do apologise for not having specific questions; i don't know anything about Newcastle or life in the UK, and don't know what to ask!

By "what do we need to be aware of", i would say, for example, that anyone coming to NZ has to be aware that houses here are generally uninsulated, unheated, and damp, and that one wants to live where there is year-round sun. i would never have thought to ask about this if i were relocating to Wellington.

i have looked on Google and the lack of info in the various Newcastle sites is stunning; perhaps my search criteria are to blame. i finally found a map (of allotments) that shows the names and boundaries of the various suburbs which makes it easier to look at estate agent sites. Our children are grown, so schools are not an issue, thank heaven.

AnAmerican, thank you for the list of items i should bring; our NZ electrical appliances run on 220V, so would run with just an adaptor. Shipping costs ARE high, but so are storage costs. It's so good to know what is very expensive to replace like crochet hooks etc.

Cheers
Nona

 

[teuchter]

Although it's primarily aimed at visitors/tourists to the city, the WikiTravel Newcastle page has lots of useful info: Newcastle upon Tyne travel guide - Wikitravel

As I have a sister who has lived there for the past 25 years (she married a Geordie), I'm quite familiar with the city. People are generally very warm/friendly. Weather is usually wet and cold (although not as bad as Scotland!). Winter nights are very long and days very short (ditto). Cost of living is vastly cheaper than SE England, but a wee bit more expensive than NE Scotland (where I'm originally from).

For property rental prices, you can try this site: Property to rent in Newcastle Upon Tyne - Houses & Flats to rent in Newcastle Upon Tyne or this one: Newcastle Upon Tyne property to rent | Houses, flats & homes for rent

teuchter

 

[teuchter]

Here's another useful site: What´s on North East - What's On North East - theatre, film, music, comedy, dance, art, literature, family days out, museums and exhibitions in Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hexham and the whole North East

teuchter

 

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Thanks so much Teuchter and AnAmerican!!! ...

AnAmerican, thank you for the list of items i should bring; our NZ electrical appliances run on 220V, so would run with just an adaptor. Shipping costs ARE high, but so are storage costs. It's so good to know what is very expensive to replace like crochet hooks etc.

Cheers
Nona

I figured out the sewing notions by Googling every time I came up with a new search engine term, lol-the different sewing tools especially seem to have different names between the UK and the US and I had a time of it figuring it all out. My parents were both British expats, between the home schooling and the visits to Mum after they were divorced I thought I knew all the right words and spellings-ha, not quite!

After a long slog through the 'Net, it seemed to me that the sewing and crochet equipment was the most expensive to replace so I brought a lot of it in my luggage, and shipped the rest except a few books I gave to my d-i-l and of course that wonderful (sob, still miss it) sewing machine.

BTW, the charity shops-you call them ops shops, I think- here are amazing, I've found wonderful sewing and other needle-art materials in every one I visit, but I am so glad I brought what I did with me when I made the transatlantic house move. I even managed to find two excellent sewing machines in the charity shops, so consider the charity shops if you have to leave something behind that is, as my husband says, a luxurious essential.

I also did a lot of Googling on what clothing costs were here so I'd know what was worth the shipping cost, and what was better replaced. I finally chose to ship warm stuff Two boxes of corduroy trousers and jeans, long janes, roll neck knit tops, jumpers, cardis, an overcoat in a neutral colour, and a trench coat-did those boxes before I left the States and I'm very glad I did-I got off the plane in August 2010 and thought I was going to freeze solid before reaching the car. I'd flown out of 100+F humid Hot'Lanta, and 22 hours later landed in what to me at the time was The Frozen North, lol!

My children are also grown so I didn't have to think about schools either.

 

[English_Girl]

Hey, I lived about 30 minutes from Newcastle for 21 years (until recently as I moved to Canada 8 weeks ago!!) - So I know Newcastle fairly well.

Newcastle has it's good and bad places like anywhere else- the City centre is fairly busy like any City (nowhere near as bad as London though!) Theres plenty to do, depending on what you enjoy doing... Theres plenty of bars/pubs restaurants, art galleries etc. And if going for a 'night on the town' and want to fit in- Wear as little clothes as possible, regardless of the weather/ temperature ha ha!!.

Joking aside, Newcastle is a nice place. Theres plenty of transport, whether it be the Metro or buses, so it's fairly easy to get to any part of Newcastle. I'd personally chose Newcastle over London for e.g any time! (Cheaper living, less busy and less rude )

 

[nzfiona]

kia ora

Thanks so much Teuchter and AnAmerican!!!

i do apologise for not having specific questions; i don't know anything about Newcastle or life in the UK, and don't know what to ask!

By "what do we need to be aware of", i would say, for example, that anyone coming to NZ has to be aware that houses here are generally uninsulated, unheated, and damp, and that one wants to live where there is year-round sun. i would never have thought to ask about this if i were relocating to Wellington.

i have looked on Google and the lack of info in the various Newcastle sites is stunning; perhaps my search criteria are to blame. i finally found a map (of allotments) that shows the names and boundaries of the various suburbs which makes it easier to look at estate agent sites. Our children are grown, so schools are not an issue, thank heaven.

AnAmerican, thank you for the list of items i should bring; our NZ electrical appliances run on 220V, so would run with just an adaptor. Shipping costs ARE high, but so are storage costs. It's so good to know what is very expensive to replace like crochet hooks etc.

Cheers
Nona

I've been in Newcastle upon Tyne for three months now. have you moved here yet?
other nona

 

[nona]

I've been in Newcastle upon Tyne for three months now. have you moved here yet?
other nona

No, not yet. We will be relocating next January.

I am currently planning to spend a week or two in Newcastle in late June/early July to look at residential areas and get a little familiar with the city.