[burning_angel_]

Hey there all,

I have just stumbled across this forum and I hope to pick your brains as much as I can before I relocate to the UK in Dec/Jan.

I'm from Australia and therefore I have never have never lived in snow and my idea of a cold day/night is 10 degrees celcius. My point is - what warm clothing will I have to buy before I enter the country? I have thermals already but I'm wondering what else is absolutely essential to have before I enter the country?

I intend on buying lots of warm clothes when I get there from op shops so I only really need to now the essentials.

Oh and another question - I have just set up my Skype account but I heard that it sucks lots of your download capacity. Is this true and what's the cheapest deal/internet that you know of for unlimited download - or even any companies to steer clear of?

Thanks so much for your help...I'm sure I will continue to ask more and more questions as the time becomes closer.

 

[Minuvweyna]

Hey there all,

I have just stumbled across this forum and I hope to pick your brains as much as I can before I relocate to the UK in Dec/Jan.

I'm from Australia and therefore I have never have never lived in snow and my idea of a cold day/night is 10 degrees celcius. My point is - what warm clothing will I have to buy before I enter the country? I have thermals already but I'm wondering what else is absolutely essential to have before I enter the country?

I intend on buying lots of warm clothes when I get there from op shops so I only really need to now the essentials.

Oh and another question - I have just set up my Skype account but I heard that it sucks lots of your download capacity. Is this true and what's the cheapest deal/internet that you know of for unlimited download - or even any companies to steer clear of?

Thanks so much for your help...I'm sure I will continue to ask more and more questions as the time becomes closer.

I'm not going to even try to answer your question on warm clothing, I'm just not qualified... (I had the opposite situation when I moved to Scotland, since I'm from the US midwest which is MUCH colder than anywhere in the UK other than maybe Shetland).

I do however use Skype, and I'm sure it uses quite a lot of your download capacity. I've not really used many different options in the UK for internet, but I have Virgin cable, and it's wonderful. It probably depends on where you are going to be, since I don't think it's available everywhere, but it's very fast and unlimited. If you are planning to get a television package or even a landline phone the Virgin packages make getting a lot of services for a reasonable price possible. Certainly something to check out, I'm sure the folks at Virgin can give you many more details than I possibly ever could.

You may also be interested in the Skype to Go option in the UK. I spend about £1.50 per month and can make unlimited calls to the US from my mobile, and it only uses my mobile minutes like I was making a call to a UK number. I've found it really nice for keeping in touch with family back home without having to talk to my computer.

Best wishes,
Elizabeth

 

[Bevdeforges]

Probably the main thing you'll want to have on arrival to the UK mid-winter is a nice warm coat or jacket. If you don't have a coat with you on the plane (i.e. wear it or carry it on), it can be a real nasty surprise when you come out of the airport and try to get wherever you're going.

You may want to have a pair of gloves to go with that, and maybe a scarf to keep the wind off your neck. But that's probably the main thing you need right away. England is still relatively mild compared to places like the American Midwest (as Elizabeth has already pointed out). You could start out with a water resistant trench coat that has a warm liner you can put in or remove as needed. I found that to be very practical for the UK, as it's often the rain and the moisture that makes the cold that much more unpleasant.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Stevan]

With out knowing where you will be I would say British Telecom which is available everywhere. Upto 20gb download speed. You will need a BT line anyway unless you are on cable (not available everywhere yet)

 

[burning_angel_]

Thanks so much for your speedy replies!!!

Sorry about not telling you where we are headed...Bristol is where we plan to settle

Keep the advice coming...

 

[jojo]

It'll be cold and wet, the temperatures are usually around 4 - 15C at this time of year, but it will feel cold!! It doesnt tend to snow that often or very much, so I wouldnt worry about that to begin with. As long as you take a warm winter coat, jumpers, vests/tee shirts and warm socks and shoes/boots, you'll be fine. You can always go out and buy more when you get there!

Jo xx

 

[Joppa]

Remember Aussie dollars go a long way in UK - down to 1.89 to the pound!

 

[Stevan]

Bristol should have cable and normal telephone lines. You should have a choice on internet provider. Speed will vary by area so i would wait until you arrive and check the best deal at the time. expect to pay £15 to £30/ month for telephone and internet. Many companies will also offer low rate calls to australia.

I use skype to/from south africa on 8mb broadband with no problem. If you are going to use video messaging the sound can get a bit distorted.

Bristol being in the south is generaly warmer than the rest of the uk. But look out if it does snow. A couple of milimeters will bring the whole area to a standstill. You will find it will be realy wet and windy in the winter.

You are well placed in bristol being close to M5 motorway to take you north and south and M4 to london. Well conected on the train network. The local airport is growing all the time. you are not to far form heathrow either about 100 miles or a couple of hours.

A word of warning i am not from bristol but i am lead to believe there a some areas that you realy do not want to live (as with most places) do your home work.

 

[fiona705]

England is more damp than cold!! The winds tend to make it feel more cold. A decent waterproof warm jacket will do - gloves, scarf - but dont forget an umbrella!

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Bristol being in the south is generaly warmer than the rest of the uk. But look out if it does snow. A couple of milimeters will bring the whole area to a standstill. You will find it will be realy wet and windy in the winter.

You are well placed in bristol being close to M5 motorway to take you north and south and M4 to london. Well conected on the train network. The local airport is growing all the time. you are not to far form heathrow either about 100 miles or a couple of hours.

A word of warning i am not from bristol but i am lead to believe there a some areas that you realy do not want to live (as with most places) do your home work.

I agree with all the above. You'll need something to keep out the wet as well as the cold. I would definitely get gloves and a scarf, but you could wait till you get to the UK

 

[franklymydear]

You'll probably find that you need wet weather gear most of all. However, I'd say don't buy too much in advance of your coming here. Temperatures in the UK can range from +30C in the summer to freezing; however, cold freezing weather nowadays only lasts a short time, so you can probably get away with adding layers rather than buying cold-weather clothing.

Have a lovely time in the UK.

M

 

[Suki]

Hey there all,

I have just stumbled across this forum and I hope to pick your brains as much as I can before I relocate to the UK in Dec/Jan.

I'm from Australia and therefore I have never have never lived in snow and my idea of a cold day/night is 10 degrees celcius. My point is - what warm clothing will I have to buy before I enter the country? I have thermals already but I'm wondering what else is absolutely essential to have before I enter the country?

I intend on buying lots of warm clothes when I get there from op shops so I only really need to now the essentials.

Oh and another question - I have just set up my Skype account but I heard that it sucks lots of your download capacity. Is this true and what's the cheapest deal/internet that you know of for unlimited download - or even any companies to steer clear of?

Thanks so much for your help...I'm sure I will continue to ask more and more questions as the time becomes closer.

I relocated to the UK from South Africa in Jan this year and had much the same problem. I bought some really thick, warm winter clothing only to find that with the central heating everywhere, you dont need thermals or such warm clothing as you just get too hot when on busses, trains/tubes and indoors. The best way to dress for UK winters is to layer your clothing. A normal long sleeve blouse or even a t-shirt, with a jersey over that, which you can take off if the central heating is too warm, will do just fine. As other posters have mentioned you will just need a warm coat, a scarf and some gloves. So dont worry too much about the clothing situation, some places have the central heating cranked up so high, you will wish you had put on your Australian summer clothes! With regards to the skype, most people here take a package deal from service providers such as BT, SKY or Virgin. These packages usually offer telephone, broadband with speeds ranging from 8-20 meg and satelite television. The skype wont really affect your broadband with higher download speeds. Good luck with your move!

 

[Busyte]

The biggest problem of England is not the cold, it's the wonderful and many shades of grey we get everyday.

Bring boots, socks, long sleeve shirts, a jumper or 2, a warm coat, gloves and scarf and a good umbrella or raincoat because you will use it.

Good luck with your move.

Busyte

 

[Kaiser]

As others have said, its the wind and damp that are the problem. Make sure you have scarves etc, above anything else. British people will tend, however, to put fashion before comfort on all but the coldest and windiest days. Certainly not unusual to see girls going out in very short skirts and tops when theres snow on the ground!

 

[jojo]

As others have said, its the wind and damp that are the problem. Make sure you have scarves etc, above anything else. British people will tend, however, to put fashion before comfort on all but the coldest and windiest days. Certainly not unusual to see girls going out in very short skirts and tops when theres snow on the ground!

I think us Brits are used to the cold and in most cases these girls are just flitting from one warm place to another!! Besides, with the british weather as it is, you very rarely get the opportunity to wear "summer attire" so you have to take your chances!!!!

Jo xxx

 

[adrianmark]

Bristol doesn't get that cold but the dampness can get through to your bones. A good overcoat or NorthFace jacket would certainly do the trick.

Carry a brolley with you at all times