Where are you

[spraggy]

born and raised in Leigh, then went to study in Leeds, then down to London for work, now living very happily in the Italian Alps.

don't miss too much about the UK to be honest!

[jonnybwfc]

Grew up in Sydney.
Went to university in Canberra.
Got a job, where I can work-from-home anywhere in the world.
Lived in Manchester for 2 years - fell in love with BWFC.
Lived in the Dordogne, France for 1 year.
Lived in Nagoya, Japan, for a few months.
Lived in Maastricht, Netherlands for 2 years.
Now living in Cologne, Germany.
Moving to Spain or Italy next year.
And hopefully Bath or Cheltenham the year after.
Go back to Sydney 2 months of every year.
Travelling for work 5 months of the year to every continent.

I can understand CAPSLOCK not wanting to leave for fear of missing the football. I always make sure I buy PayTV wherever I live, so I can see the games live. Dutch TV showed every Bolton game live last season.

Wherever I am I always try to get to Bolton 2 or 3 times a year to watch a few games. Whether we play shite or worse than shite, I just love being in the stadium and watching the Wanderers - always have a tear in my eye (pathetic, I know).

Strangely I've always had a soft spot for the UK (outside of London) - strange for an Aussie, I guess.

Can't wait for the pre-season to Monchengladbach (just up the road), Eindhoven, and the Bosch.

Anyone travelling from Monchengladbach to the Holland games, do yourself a favour, and stop-off in Maastricht for a day/night ... quality town amidst a lot of average-ness.

Love the various nationalities and locations of contributors to this forum.

[enfieldwhite]

Grew up in Sydney.
Went to university in Canberra.
Got a job, where I can work-from-home anywhere in the world.
Lived in Manchester for 2 years - fell in love with BWFC.
Lived in the Dordogne, France for 1 year.
Lived in Nagoya, Japan, for a few months.
Lived in Maastricht, Netherlands for 2 years.
Now living in Cologne, Germany.
Moving to Spain or Italy next year.
And hopefully Bath or Cheltenham the year after.
Go back to Sydney 2 months of every year.
Travelling for work 5 months of the year to every continent.

I can understand CAPSLOCK not wanting to leave for fear of missing the football. I always make sure I buy PayTV wherever I live, so I can see the games live. Dutch TV showed every Bolton game live last season.

Wherever I am I always try to get to Bolton 2 or 3 times a year to watch a few games. Whether we play shite or worse than shite, I just love being in the stadium and watching the Wanderers - always have a tear in my eye (pathetic, I know).

Strangely I've always had a soft spot for the UK (outside of London) - strange for an Aussie, I guess.

Can't wait for the pre-season to Monchengladbach (just up the road), Eindhoven, and the Bosch.

Anyone travelling from Monchengladbach to the Holland games, do yourself a favour, and stop-off in Maastricht for a day/night ... quality town amidst a lot of average-ness.

Love the various nationalities and locations of contributors to this forum.

Are you a spy? Or an assassin?

[Montreal Wanderer]

Grew up in Sydney.
Went to university in Canberra.
Got a job, where I can work-from-home anywhere in the world.
Lived in Manchester for 2 years - fell in love with BWFC.
Lived in the Dordogne, France for 1 year.
Lived in Nagoya, Japan, for a few months.
Lived in Maastricht, Netherlands for 2 years.
Now living in Cologne, Germany.
Moving to Spain or Italy next year.
And hopefully Bath or Cheltenham the year after.
Go back to Sydney 2 months of every year.
Travelling for work 5 months of the year to every continent.

I can understand CAPSLOCK not wanting to leave for fear of missing the football. I always make sure I buy PayTV wherever I live, so I can see the games live. Dutch TV showed every Bolton game live last season.

Wherever I am I always try to get to Bolton 2 or 3 times a year to watch a few games. Whether we play shite or worse than shite, I just love being in the stadium and watching the Wanderers - always have a tear in my eye (pathetic, I know).

Strangely I've always had a soft spot for the UK (outside of London) - strange for an Aussie, I guess.

Can't wait for the pre-season to Monchengladbach (just up the road), Eindhoven, and the Bosch.

Anyone travelling from Monchengladbach to the Holland games, do yourself a favour, and stop-off in Maastricht for a day/night ... quality town amidst a lot of average-ness.

Love the various nationalities and locations of contributors to this forum.

Are you a spy? Or an assassin?

He clearly gets deported a lot....

[James B]

born in salford's hope hospital. lived my first 7 or 8 years in little hulton, moved to worsley and lived there with mum and dad (till he passed away) till just over 2 years ago when i moved in with the girlfriend in clifton

hardly an international jetsetter but there ya go

[Dujon]

Like Monty I was born in 1944. My mother was a Royton lass and my father born and raised in Leigh. At the time of my birth my father was serving (I'm not too sure where he was at the time, but he was kicked out of France at Dunkirk and went back at Normandy - but he also spent some time tramping up through Italy). My grandparents had moved to Oldham so my mother went there for my delivery. Two days later I was a Leyther (Windermere Road if it means anything to you).

A short time after my father's demobilisation we moved to Harwood - that would have been 1947 or early 1948 I think. They were tough times and, thinking back on it, I don't know how my parents managed. Of course, as a child, one only knows what one has and whatever that might be it becomes the norm. Bread and dripping for the evening meal comes to mind. Nevertheless I have many fond memories of Bolton and the little I experienced of its surroundings.

In 1955, without my permission, my father (probably somewhat disgruntled with his pay and the continual financial battles) applied for a few overseas jobs. He was accepted for three or four of them and then had to make a decision. In the end it seems to have come down to either Canada or Australia. He, with or without my mother's consent, plumped for Australia.

If my memory is correct we left England on July 11 1955 from Tilbury and arrived in Sydney on August 17 of the same year at 'Pier 13, Pyrmont'. There has been lots of water pass beneath the bridge since those days. It's funny what sticks in one's mind as I remember quite clearly that as we walked off the pier the song 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White' was being played over the P.A. system (tannoy to you lot?).

So I now live in Australia. I have not been back. I will not go (or come) back. I married an Australian, my children are Australian and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not that I wouldn't like to come back and revisit some of my old stamping grounds, it's just that I know only too well how things change and that the chasing of childhood memories is as useless as remembering last night's dream.

I now live, and have done so for the last 37 years, in the Blue Mountains - just west from Sydney (around and about 65 Km west from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House). Like others who have commented on the subject I too had great difficulty in accessing information relative to the English football leagues. Given that I have only been to one Trotter's game (at Burnden Park in 19??, versus Wolves) I honestly have no idea as to why I took such an interest during the intervening years. Perhaps there is some indestructible silver thread that ties one to one's origin?

[malcd1]

Bolton born and bred. Tonge Moor, Smithills and now Sharples.

I would consider moving from my home town but it would need to be abroad. I couldn't ever see me moving down sarf though.

[enfieldwhite]

Like Monty I was born in 1944. My mother was a Royton lass and my father born and raised in Leigh. At the time of my birth my father was serving (I'm not too sure where he was at the time, but he was kicked out of France at Dunkirk and went back at Normandy - but he also spent some time tramping up through Italy). My grandparents had moved to Oldham so my mother went there for my delivery. Two days later I was a Leyther (Windermere Road if it means anything to you).

A short time after my father's demobilisation we moved to Harwood - that would have been 1947 or early 1948 I think. They were tough times and, thinking back on it, I don't know how my parents managed. Of course, as a child, one only knows what one has and whatever that might be it becomes the norm. Bread and dripping for the evening meal comes to mind. Nevertheless I have many fond memories of Bolton and the little I experienced of its surroundings.

In 1955, without my permission, my father (probably somewhat disgruntled with his pay and the continual financial battles) applied for a few overseas jobs. He was accepted for three or four of them and then had to make a decision. In the end it seems to have come down to either Canada or Australia. He, with or without my mother's consent, plumped for Australia.

If my memory is correct we left England on July 11 1955 from Tilbury and arrived in Sydney on August 17 of the same year at 'Pier 13, Pyrmont'. There has been lots of water pass beneath the bridge since those days. It's funny what sticks in one's mind as I remember quite clearly that as we walked off the pier the song 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White' was being played over the P.A. system (tannoy to you lot?).

So I now live in Australia. I have not been back. I will not go (or come) back. I married an Australian, my children are Australian and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not that I wouldn't like to come back and revisit some of my old stamping grounds, it's just that I know only too well how things change and that the chasing of childhood memories is as useless as remembering last night's dream.

I now live, and have done so for the last 37 years, in the Blue Mountains - just west from Sydney (around and about 65 Km west from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House). Like others who have commented on the subject I too had great difficulty in accessing information relative to the English football leagues. Given that I have only been to one Trotter's game (at Burnden Park in 19??, versus Wolves) I honestly have no idea as to why I took such an interest during the intervening years. Perhaps there is some indestructible silver thread that ties one to one's origin?

A friend of my Mothers lives there. She's an ex-pat too. How big's the community?

[bobby5]

Born in Bolton. Grew up and lived in Bromley Cross for the first 24 years. Moved to Newport in Wales to go to University. Got married and a job down here, and I've stayed almost 20 years now. Similar to ratbert, I'd move back to Bolton at the drop of a hat but circumstances make it difficult. It's ok in Newport except for it's full of Welsh.

[Dujon]

A friend of my Mothers lives there. She's an ex-pat too. How big's the community?

That depends on where she lives, enfieldwhite. The Blue Mountains are a small and somewhat ill defined part of The Great Dividing Range which starts in The Grampians, northwest of Melbourne, and finishes somewhere in the far northeast of Queensland (about 3500 Km of it). It's more of an area than anything else - a bit like referring to The Lake District or The Borders.

There are two ways across The Blue Mountains - one is via The Great Western Highway the other by Bell's Line of Road: I live along the former, which crosses in a (very) roughly east-west direction. Along this strip of development there are probably 25 townships. To each side of the highway and the developed corridor there is nothing but bush for miles and miles and miles.

The population covered by the Blue Mountains City Council is about 75,000, give or take a couple of thousand. The length of this residential corridor is though about, depending where one draws the line, 100 Km (perhaps it's a bit more, I haven't measured it). If you can be bothered this site http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/about/maps.asp will probably give you a better idea of the area than I can describe.

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Bolton
Ripon
Northampton
Bielefield (Germany)
Munchengladbach (Germany)
Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
Ayia Nicolias (Cyprus)
Bicester (Oxon)
Kosovo
Siera Leone
Chippenham (Wiltshire)
Bicester
Munchengladbach

[seanworth]

Bolton
Ripon
Northampton
Bielefield (Germany)
Munchengladbach (Germany)
Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
Ayia Nicolias (Cyprus)
Bicester (Oxon)
Kosovo
Siera Leone
Chippenham (Wiltshire)
Bicester
Munchengladbach

You need to find a better travel agent.

[TANGODANCER]

Bolton
Ripon
Northampton
Bielefield (Germany)
Munchengladbach (Germany)
Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
Ayia Nicolias (Cyprus)
Bicester (Oxon)
Kosovo
Siera Leone
Chippenham (Wiltshire)
Bicester
Munchengladbach

Cor, what some people will do to avoid getting a round in.

[enfieldwhite]

A friend of my Mothers lives there. She's an ex-pat too. How big's the community?

That depends on where she lives, enfieldwhite. The Blue Mountains are a small and somewhat ill defined part of The Great Dividing Range which starts in The Grampians, northwest of Melbourne, and finishes somewhere in the far northeast of Queensland (about 3500 Km of it). It's more of an area than anything else - a bit like referring to The Lake District or The Borders.

There are two ways across The Blue Mountains - one is via The Great Western Highway the other by Bell's Line of Road: I live along the former, which crosses in a (very) roughly east-west direction. Along this strip of development there are probably 25 townships. To each side of the highway and the developed corridor there is nothing but bush for miles and miles and miles.

The population covered by the Blue Mountains City Council is about 75,000, give or take a couple of thousand. The length of this residential corridor is though about, depending where one draws the line, 100 Km (perhaps it's a bit more, I haven't measured it). If you can be bothered this site http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/about/maps.asp will probably give you a better idea of the area than I can describe.

It's Penrith she lives in.

[Hoboh]

Born in Bolton, still live in Bolton, will retire to Ibiza when cash allows!

[TANGODANCER]

Born in Bolton, still live in Bolton, will retire to Ibiza when cash allows!

If you're anything like me, by the time that happens Ibiza will probably be the last place you need.

[Hoboh]

Born in Bolton, still live in Bolton, will retire to Ibiza when cash allows!

If you're anything like me, by the time that happens Ibiza will probably be the last place you need.

Its the goal Tango for me and the other half, Hippies on the beach kinda appeals a lot we've met a few middle and olddies who've done it and love it (although I kinda think the guy who grows weird herbs in the sticks ain't quite on the same planet)
Out of the English yoofs p*ss up places the Islands so laid back you have to pinch yourself to see if your awake and it has some stunning little coves and beaches off the tourist tracks.
Oh one last thing even the Germans there have a sense of humour

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Born in Heywood ( ) many a year ago. Moved to Radcliffe for 4 years when I was about 8 and then moved on to Bury. From there to North Wales for a couple of years, back to Heywood for a year and then back to North Wales. Eventually moved to London back in '93 for work. This year I moved north to Bedfordshire for a quieter life but still commute into London.

Doubt I'll ever move back north. As much as I miss a decent pint and a good chippy I'm now settled down here. If me and the missus gets round to having kids then we might think about going abroad somewhere...preferably warm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

And more importantly, why?

Never lived more than about 10 miles from my birthplace, and probably never will

Obviously, theres Bowton folk on here posting from the colonies, but what made you up sticks

And come on, not just those abroad

I'm intrigued, as when I had opportunities, I'd never take 'em cos 'I'd miss the football too much'

Sad, I know

Regrets, I've had a few

Good question, my capitalised compadre.

I moved to London in the second Premiership season (thinks back, works hard... 1997/98?) when I got a job with the Press Association. I'd initially tried to stay in the north-west but there's only so long you can do 60-hour weeks for eight grand working on a slew of magazines about engineering. And even if I'd settled for that, the woman I loved and love was at a career crossroads and also fancied the move to where jobs in my sector were and, overwhelmingly, still are.

That's my story. I've been in London a decade or more now, initially in Tube-reach bedsit land, now in comfortable commutervile (my commute's a ten-minute walk). The kids are settled, but it's funny you should mention economic migration - we're thinking of doing it again. To where? Who knows? Maybe Canada, maybe Florida. Maybe even back north if we could find the work and the place to live. But at the moment I don't think it's the best place for me to be, where the average house price is ten times the average income and the people in power appear to think that this is A Good Thing.