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I
was born in Lincoln, spending most of my childhood in North Hykeham.
I was educated at Fosseway County Primary and subsequently North
Kesteven Comprehensive, before joining the RAF and spending the
next 14 years as a Commissioned Officer, travelling pretty much
everywhere apart from Lincolnshire. I met and married my New Zealand
wife early in my RAF career and we have 2 daughters aged 13 and
11.
Back in 1996, I was serving with the RAF in Cyprus, when the opportunity
arose for me to spread my wings a little further afield. I'd often
wondered what life "Down Under" would be like, so we decided to
give New Zealand our best shot. My wife Sarah's family were mostly
based in Christchurch, so we opted to settle here.
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| Christchurch,
New Zealand |
Christchurch
is a multicultural city of around 300,000 people on the East coast
of the South Island. While it has traditionally been known as the
most "English" of cities outside of Britain, these days it looks
as much towards Asia and the USA for its identity as it does towards
Britain. That said, the Queen remains a much loved Head of State
and, unlike Australia, there is very little talk of republicanism.
We are very fortunate to live in Fendalton, which many would regard
as the loveliest suburb of Christchurch. We have the Kiwi dream
of the Quarter Acre section and we have the River Avon flowing at
the bottom of our garden. It's often assumed that the climate of
England and New Zealand is very similar apart from the seasons being
reversed, but I can honestly say that New Zealand knocks England
into a cocked hat when it comes to the weather.
What tends to be forgotten is that New Zealand is on a latitude
approximately equivalent to the South of France, so winters tend
to milder and shorter and definitely drier! Summers are often much
warmer, with many days making 30 degrees or more. Just as an example,
we spent last weekend working in our garden and basking in 22 degrees,
which from my memory of Lincolnshire winters would have made the
headlines of the Lincolnshire Echo!
Anyway, more from me next month. Bye for now.
Are
you an ex-pat living abroad? Would you like to write a short ex-pat
diary on a regular basis? If so, we would love to hear from you.
Email us today at:
lincolnshire@bbc.co.uk
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