I am moving in to my new house on the 28 of this month. I just hope I've done the right thing. I keep thinking of the friends and family I am leaving behind and hope the kids settle into new schools etc. I think until contracts were exchanged today it was just something that would happen sometime but now its real and the doubts are creeping in. I have lived in this area for fourty three years all my life and am feeling scared.

Be brave!  I moved from Preston to Houston, Texas a number of years ago with just 4 suitcases!  Left my home, and most al of the contents of 10 years and all my family and friends.   It was hard for a while, and I still get homesick sometimes.. but it is the best move I ever made, for me and my kids!!!

Fresh start!!!! :o)  Good luck!!!

Now that is a move :d  I'm sure that Houston is slightly different to Preston :d

I think that at some point I will leave the UK too, though not go quite as far as yourself maybe just to Spain!

If you make an effort and it should not be difficult with kids at school, you will soon make new friends and with phone and e-mail your old ones will not be far away!

Are you going far??

For some reason I imagine a move futher afield would be easier than close by.
I hope you find happiness in your new home. Take care Karen

We moved last year 120 miles from where i'd spent my 31 years, i made new friends it was very exciting so much so that i was waiting for the fall, which never came!
My daughter aged then 5 went to a welsh speaking school and is now fluent welsh (only a year last april) yet i only have pigeon welsh (enough to get by certainly not on her level).

The trick was not to constantly look back and concentrate on the times ahead :)

Good luck its not half as daunting as you expect.

I am going to clacton on sea from nesr Heathrow which is about 113 miles.
I am feeling guilty about my nan now, she is 95 and got really upset last night about me going saying she will never see me again and she blamed my aunt who lives in colchester saying I am only going to be nearer to her.
One of my other worries is one of my cats (I have 2). The one that worries me is the white tom, he was a stray and was unneutered and in a bit of a mess. I had him neutered last year and although he stays outside he has got very friendly and a bit too fat lol. He wont come in because he doesnt like the dogs. I have a lean to and he goes in there. If the puppy yaps at him because he is hissing at her Kizzi will come charging out to get him and she jumps right up to his shelf which is about 5 foot off the ground and he has to escape over the shed roof. I am worried that if she chases him when we move he wont know where to go and will either get caught or run off and not know where he is and get lost. I have got a large puppy crate (48 inchs) which I will put him at first but I am not sure whether to put in the shed or indoors.