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The Week From Hell - What a mistake to make!

24/2/2023

As weeks go, this one has been pretty rubbish if I am honest. Darrell and I often have periods like this; one minute things are going great and the next everything goes 'tits up.' As it happens, things started well on Monday; we went out looking for furniture for the house and just spent time shopping. I went for my usual mooch around the local charity shops and the day passed by relatively quickly. That was until I received an email from my solicitor, John, who had heard from the Department of Home Affairs, asking me to grant my caseworker permission to contact ACRO about my UK police record.

Way back in the dim and distant past, I made some stupid choices, nothing bad, just drunken shenanigans and high jinx, that ended with me getting a slap on the wrist. These weren't even classed as criminal convictions; I was told off by the police and that was the end of the matter. However, Australia's strict immigration policy says I have to declare any and all history, spent or unspent, however minor. To be honest, if I asked any of you, if you ever got in trouble with the police in the past, for something foolish, I'm sure most of you would say yes. Despite this, I confirmed all of my details when applying for the partner visa, and believed the matter was now closed.

In 2009, I trained to be an Advocate and Mentor with Action for Children. I went through a particularly harrowing enrolment programme and had to supply an 'Enhanced Disclosure,' just to show I was suitable to work in the position I had applied for. At the time I had just started a new job at Oxfam and sadly couldn't take up the appointment, but I received the certificate, saying I was approved to work, and put it in the back of a draw, forgetting about it until I arrived in Perth.

The truth is I never looked at it, because I didn't need to, I knew what the entries would include, so just left it to one side. This was never really a piece of paper I needed to use, until today, when applying for visas here in Australia. I referred briefly to the certificate, including the information in my application form as requested. When I arrived at Perth Airport in September 2022, I even showed Boarder Force the document, who duly took a photocopy for their records and let me go through unhindered.

The day after I received the letter from my solicitor, I phoned ACRO, interestingly located in my home town of Fareham, and spoke to a representative on the phone, who relayed the details on my police certificate verbally. This is apparently standard practice, and a written copy is only available under an 'Access of Information Order.' Everything she disclosed I knew about, except the final submission. My heart sank. Although this was no more serious than any of the other narratives I knew about, I had failed to disclose it to the authorities in Australia, and that could be a real problem going forward.

How the hell didn't I know about this entry? I immediately contacted my solicitor who told me to write a Statutory Declaration, informing immigration of my mistake and to declare the relevant information on my application for permanent residency. He also suggested reading the 'Enhanced Disclosure,' just to make sure there was nothing else on there; something I may have missed.

Now this is going to sound like I'm stupid, but one has to remember I have never looked at the disclosure properly, because I thought I knew what it contained. However, I found the document and started to examine it. For the first time, I turned the document over, and there at the top of the second page was the offending paragraph. I had literally never read any further than page one, and that was the problem. I have never felt such an idiot in all my life.

The records on my Police Clearance Certificate are not a reason to deny me settlement in Australia, by any means. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't even be considered. What is more serious is the fact I didn't declare one of them in the first place. This was a genuine oversight that should never have happened, but it has, and I have held my hands up to it, hoping that The Department For Home Affairs sees the genuine nature of my error. I am so upset with myself, as everything was going so well, but this is one big spanner in the works and there isn't anything I can do to put it right.

For now, I am putting all of this to the back of my mind and, as my solicitor encouraged, getting on with the rest of my life. This may or may not be a problem going forward, but after the trauma and stress this has caused, I have to just park this for a while, until I am contacted about it officially. My fingers are crossed this will not hinder our future down under, but I'm not taking anything for granted and hope the powers that be, see through what was an essentially ridiculous oversight, as I rushed to complete my application.

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A house is not a home without a cat!

18/2/2023

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On Monday, we picked up the latest edition to our household, Pippa! Pippa is twelve months old and was being fostered by a lovely lady in Butler, about forty-five minutes away from where we are living in Midland. Darrell and I have always had cats, ever since we got together nearly twenty-eight years ago, so it was only fitting that we should include another one in our life together, here in Western Australia. Ideally, we would have brought our Spanish cats with us in 2018, but at a cost of $10,000 each, to transport them to the other side of the World, it would have been far too expensive for us at the time. After moving into Mathoura Street, it is time to once again have a cat we can spoil and look after; Neither Darrell nor I have children and Pippa will be our baby, as all our other cats were before her.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Pippa has Hyperreflexia, a congenital birth defect. She was found dumped shortly after giving birth to a litter of kittens; from what I am told, it seems her condition may have been the reason for her abandonment. To be honest, most of the time you don't even notice she has a disability, and she has no problems coping with it herself. The only noticeable trait, is the significant dip between her shoulder blades and back, which make her look unique and slightly different from the norm. The reason we adopted Pippa, was because of her birth defect; it doesn't matter to us at all, what she looks like!

We arrived in Butler, to be greeted by Kerrie, foster Mother to many cats; she was a delight, spending time with us, talking about Pippa and introducing us to her other brood. Pippa was rather nervous and scared, and although she spent most of the time hiding, there were a brief few minutes, when she came and sat next to us on the sofa, as we continued to chat with Kerrie. She told us how affectionate Miss Pippi was, and the story of her rescue, several days after her newly born kittens were saved. It seems Pippa suffered trauma early on in her life, and it will be a challenge helping her adjust to a more normal existence. Having had rescue cats before, we are well aware of the difficulties ahead, but the rewards at the end are worth it. We hope to give Pippa the life she deserves.

Kerrie assumed Pippa would be living with her indefinitely, due to the nature of her disability; it seems people only want the perfect pet, but for us, it was about giving a good and loving home to a cat who needs it more than most. We are able to devote the time and effort to helping Pippa adapt to her new life, hopefully reducing the stress she obviously feels around other people. To see an animal so traumatised is heartbreaking, and we can only imagine the difficulties she went through before Kerrie took her in.

It seems the hyperreflexia Pippa suffers with causes no immediate pain, in fact she manages perfectly well with it, but in the future that may change. She may well suffer with arthritis as she gets older, like all of us, and may require extra care at that point. For now, she is able to enjoy a happy and healthy life, and we intend to spoil her rotten.

Currently, she still spends most of her time under the bed in the spare room. It is taking a while for her to get used to her surroundings. She is however getting far more daring and venturing out when she sees fit, just to let us know she is still there. In fact, she is probably the most affectionate cat I have ever known, and she loves being around me and Darrell. The empty villa we are living in, is a bit of a problem; the echo throughout can be rather disconcerting for Miss Pippi and once the house is suitably furnished and lived in, I am sure that will change.

Darrell and I have had a busy week and just haven't stopped working, so finding time to do anything else has been a bit difficult. We are progressing slowly at Mathoura Street nevertheless, and we now have most of the basics in place. Personally I am looking for retro, antique, bespoke pieces of furniture and art. I am not a 'live, love, laugh' kind of guy, and do not want to furnish my house with the usual Ikea cheap furniture - to Darrell's consternation.

With the front lounge more or less complete, we are turning our attention to other parts of the house. Today Darrell picked up a retro 1960s sideboard, which goes wonderfully in the family room, and tomorrow I am going to Guildford to buy a dressing table for the bedroom. Like the lounge, I want traditional furniture in the bedroom, not cheap flat pack alternatives. I suppose that's the British in me; I love homes with character and despite living in a 1990's build, I am determined to furnish it in individual style. The sideboard is certainly a statement piece and highly fashionable at the moment. Finding suitable 1960s accessories will be a bit of a challenge, but I have a good idea where to start.

Our new house is certainly starting to feel like a home now, especially with Pippa firmly in our life. It will be a slow process getting everything just as we would like it, but Rome wasn't built in a day and I don't have an endless supply of money. This has been an extremely expensive time for us and our anxiety levels are riding high. One has to remember we were travelling across the World just a few short months ago, and now we are back on the property ladder, working every hour that God sends and settling down in a way we haven't since we lived in Spain seven years ago.

It does feel good to be focused again and working towards goals. Yes, we are spending money, but we are also making a home in Australia. I have lost count of the number of restarts we have had, and this is the final one on that list. Only time will tell whether we made the right move down under, or another blunder on a long list of failures. Until then, we will continue rebuilding our life in Darrell's native home, surrounded by family, navigating new unchartered waters, in a country as far removed from the UK as you could get; whatever happens, at least we have tried to live the dream!

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It feels so nice to actually have a home again - After years of travelling, we've finally come home!

11/2/2023

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It has been a long time since we last had our own home, so long, in fact, that I can't remember what it's like to live as a couple. Darrell and I are now settled in a new house, another country and a World away from our life in Portsmouth. Sitting here now, writing this blog, I am annoyed with myself for not doing this sooner. In reality, we could have both emigrated here years ago, but the time never felt right. Today, our current circumstances feel normal, natural and if I am honest, what we have both wanted to do for a long time. Until today, we never really had the courage to take that final leap, today we are glad we did.

Official settlement occurred on Friday, when the house officially became ours. The last eye watering sum of money left my account and both of us became homeowners once again. Despite spending thousands of pounds over the last few months, there was no regret or bitterness from me, just a desire to rebuild our life and work hard to pay the bills. This is 'normality,' what most people do, but it isn't something we have done before, certainly not in recent times, and it really does feel like my life has gone full circle. At 51 years old I may well be getting older, but this new adventure into suburban living in Australia, has given me a new sense of direction and the will power to succeed, where similar endeavours have failed in the past.

The villa, as they call it here, is big, bigger than anything I have lived in before. There are three double bedrooms, one with walk in wardrobe, a lounge, family room, kitchen, laundry room and small garden - just what we wanted. This house is my dream home, something I never believed I would live in, let alone own, and it finally gives Darrell and I the space we have craved, for so long. Unlike most people, we have not begged, borrowed and stole, we have both worked hard to get good, well paid jobs, and a beautiful house, unlike anything we could afford in the UK.

So far, Australia has opened doors and given both of us opportunities we wouldn't have otherwise had. Both of us are just waiting for the first thing to go wrong, yet everything seems to be going our way. I hate feeling positive, but I actually have nothing to feel negative about and that has to be the first time I have felt this way in many, many years, if at all. I like to think I am in the right place at the right time, but only time will tell if that is correct or not. Traditionally I have never got on in Australia, so this is a new experience for me; like Darrell, I am getting used to the success we are now both enjoying. As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever, so we will ride this wave of satisfaction for now.

Last Sunday we began the process of moving into our new house, by once again going for Sunday lunch at the Stirling Arms. This would be our last meal there for a while; now we have a roof over our head, it isn't so important to get out. Nevertheless, we had a lot to discuss; although settlement occurred on Friday, we were actually given the keys on Monday, after the previous owner agreed we could move in early. This was a blessing is disguise - we both had the day off and literally threw everything into moving our belongings in. With both of us at work the next day, it was important to make the most of the time we had.

In the morning all the lounge furniture and new bed was delivered, later that morning, the white goods arrived and in the afternoon, the antique furniture I ordered from Guildford's Antiques were delivered. After all the cleaning, arranging of furniture, and shopping, we were both shattered by the end. In fact, I am still tired now, and we have a long way to go yet.

Like most moves, there are a few niggling issues that need to be sorted and on Wednesday we had the taps replaced in the laundry, and arranged for an electrician to come out this Monday and put in some extra sockets in the lounge. This is a house that was built in 1995, at a time when there was less technology in all our lives; consequently the electrics are not up to present day standards and will have to eventually be replaced completely. For now, installing extra plug points will suffice until we have the money to do everything we want.

Once the electrics are sorted we want to buy furniture for the family room, finish the bedrooms and finally get to grips with the garden, which needs a complete overhaul. All this will take time and a lot of money; with this in mind, we will have to take things slowly. As we are beginning to discover, it isn't cheap being a homeowner in 2023 and with all the utilities in place, we are looking at a substantial outlay each month. Like everything, it is all doable though, leaving us with plenty of money to spare for increasing the mortgage payments and saving money each month.

With settlement now complete, we are both officially homeowners again, able to live our life as we would wish. Living in a detached villa, we can make as much noise as we like; not that we are rowdy party goes any more, but it's just nice to be able to drill a hole in the wall, without repercussions from irate neighbours. This is what freedom is all about.

On Monday, we will pick up a new addition to our household, a rescue cat called Pippa. Pippa is one year old and will finally make our lives complete. She is also different from the other cats we have had in the past; she has a congenital birth defect called hyperreflexia, which causes problems with her back. In essence, her shoulder blades sit higher than her spinal cord. This makes it impossible for her to jump like other felines, but to us, it makes her even more special.

Darrell and I have always had cats in our life and when I saw this beautiful girl, I just knew I had to have her as part of my family. She needed a home, and we could give her one. It was unlikely anyone else would give her the opportunity we have, but after losing both Lily and Precious in Spain, we decided we would like to adopt a cat with special needs.

Despite the difficulties she faces, it is clear from her foster carer, that she is perfect in every way - loving, affectionate and well-adjusted. Now we have Pippa, it looks like we have everything we have ever wanted and couldn't ask for more.

Australia is the final stop for us, on a life journey that has taken us to nearly every corner of the World. It is important for us to keep travelling, but now we will have a base to call home. Pippa will likely keep us grounded for the most part and with both our careers now taking off, it is time to do the right thing and settle in a place we have both grown to love, and a country that has always featured prominently wherever we are. This is home, this is the future, this is where our journey stops for now!

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Countdown to Moving Day!

4/2/2023

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We are literally counting down the days now until we move to the new house in Perth. All the paperwork has been finished, we have received the formal approval from the bank and the exchange of contracts will happen next week. It really has been a long road getting to this point.

Last Sunday, we took our friend Joy out for lunch at The Sterling Arms in Guildford, to thank her for all she has done for us since we have been here. From Christmas Dinner, to running us around in the car, she has been there supporting us through this difficult period. Without Joy's help, we would have found it very difficult to get things done in time for settlement of Monday, so it was only fitting that we showed our appreciation.

With the sold sign now up, it has been time to shop, and boy have we shopped. We have turned up in Australia with absolutely nothing, so we literally have to buy everything. After another gorgeous Sunday lunch, we went on an impromptu shopping trip, to start the process of making our new house a home. This isn't a small place, mind you, so it will take time and a significant amount of money to do everything we need to do, but we have at least started.

With both of us working in well paid jobs, we are lucky to be able to have the money to buy the things we want, without credit; that will definitely be a first for me. I have made a pact with myself, never to use credit of any kind again; it may well make things harder, but we need to plough all our hard-earned cash into paying off the mortgage earlier. I hope to pay an extra $2000 a month on top of the $1400 we will be paying. That may sound a lot, but for the first time in our life we can actually afford it and have cash left over to save. I keep telling myself, 'why the hell didn't I do this earlier?'

On Monday we went to 'Jack's' in Belmont to buy some of the furniture - a sofa, TV unit, coffee table, bed and mattress. Rather than waiting 16 weeks, as we were told elsewhere, they informed us, they could deliver the next day if we so wished. From Jack's, we drove back to Midland and to 'The Good Guys' electrical store, where we bought a fridge freezer and washing machine. The Fridge was a little more than I wanted to pay and wasn't as big as I would have liked, but it is top of the range and made to work in these hot Australian temperatures, plus I absolutely love the stainless steel.

After much deliberation, we decided to buy a front loading washer, rather than the top loader we were going to get. I did some research and discovered top loaders weren't as good; in fact, they are positively awful in comparison. It has something to do with the motion of the drum. So even though it was a little more expensive, we went for the popular UK version, which will suit our needs perfectly.

Today, after receiving my severance pay from Tesco, on the first day of my three-day weekend, I went into Guildford. I had seen some lovely pieces of furniture in the antique shop there, that I just couldn't resist. I am not a fan of flat pack stuff, so wanted to get something more durable, with character and a little bit of style, just to create a statement in the formal longe.

After a bit of haggling and polite negotiation, I managed to get a great deal on a beautiful oak bureau, with cabinet above, and an oak chest of draws. I don't intend to have everything antique by any means, but a couple of well-chosen items will go well in our new home, and it will give me somewhere to put my 'old tat' as Darrell calls it. Having said that, I have very few personal items left, since we relocated, so the cabinet should be the perfect size! There are also plenty of other items in 'Jones of Guildford' that I would absolutely love, but with funds depleted, I decided to head into Perth for a spot of window shopping and lunch in Yagan Square.

I haven't been into the city for a while, not since I started work anyway, so it was nice having a wonder round the shops, even though the weather was blisteringly hot. I stopped off at The Belgian Beer Café, for a couple of pints of Stella in my favourite bar on Murray Street. Once again, there was just me and a couple of local alcoholics at eleven this morning, but I didn't mind that too much; takes me back to my time living in Portsmouth. To be honest I'll do anything for a pint of Stella, so since this is the only place I have seen it on tap in Perth, I'll have to put up with what ever is thrown my way.

After a shopping trip to London Court, I headed to The Shoe on Yagan Square for a spot of lunch and a pint of Peroni. The view from the Shoe is amazing and despite the heat, it was great sat on the balcony looking out over this beautiful city. I don't suppose I'll be making many more trips like this once we start paying the mortgage, so it was good to do it today, before the big move on Monday.

Today, Perth is really beginning to feel like home; that is something I never thought I would say. For the first time since Spain, I can really say, I am feeling happy and content, looking forward to a bright and successful future... With a bit of luck! At 51 years old, this hasn't been an easy move to make, and the last five months have been challenging, but with light now at the end of the tunnel, both Darrell and I can nearly breathe a sigh of relief. There is only one more obstacle to cross now, and this one could be the biggest hurdle of all!

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From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

The Week From Hell - What a mistake to make!

A house is not a home without a cat!

It feels so nice to actually have a home again - After years of travelling, we've finally come home!

Countdown to Moving Day!

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