Simpsons | ExpatWoman.com
 

Simpsons

Simpsons
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Latest post on 29 December 2014 - 01:12
think you will find a lot of people moving "back". Or moving elsewhere, because let's face it, the UK is a disaster right now. How so? Why is the UK a disaster right now? According to the press the economy is booming? <em>edited by Simpsons on 29/12/2014</em>
Simpsons
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Latest post on 28 January 2014 - 00:15
In response to the OP though, she was asking for a 2 or 3 bed villa for under 2.5. The 2 beds are small granted for Dubai standards (not by London standards!), however, they do have the small rooms downstairs. I know lots of people who kept their maids in there. I suppose it's only really suitable if you have 1 child though any more and you'd struggle. Probably why there are so many on the market as most people have 2 or more children I guess? <em>edited by Simpsons on 28/01/2014</em>
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Latest post on 27 January 2014 - 16:41
There are loads and loads of 2 bed springs villas on dubbizle for under 2.5, am I missing something here?! http://dubai.dubizzle.com/property-for-sale/residential/villahouse/2014 edited by Simpsons on 27/01/2014 Heaps of these! edited by Simpsons on 27/01/2014
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 November 2013 - 21:59
Hi, sorry for the late reply. By the time I heard back from my friend she said someone had offered the LL 130k in one cheque for it and he took it right there and then...Hope you found somewhere in the end?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 07 November 2013 - 02:03
Hi, I do- my friend is leaving one. What's your e mail address I can send you details.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 15 October 2013 - 22:35
Hi, yes there are so many bad ones, that is why we always stuck to arabian escapes as we'd had so many bad experiences. Stick to the ones that are most established and been around for the longest as a rule of thumb, I'm not sure though as even then there will be bad ones. The problem is you are going at a time when rents are on the rise and when it starts to boom again then all the sharks will come out- for example you will find villas advertised but when you call they will suddenly have gone up by 10k or the agent will try to charge you an extortionate amount of commission etc... Plus the housing stock in the best locations ie springs, lakes, meadows will be starting to look tired so you will probably be shocked at some of the horrible villas you will no doubt be shown around. It's really hard to manage expectations in a rising rental market. If you find a good one at a reasonable price take it as they can be like gold dust! Good luck.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 October 2013 - 23:20
Hi, are you looking for short or long term? We always used Arabian escapes for short term rentals and then gives you time to find the perfect villa once you're out there. Springs 11 is probably one of the best all rounders to go for. It has 2 pools and a lovely lake that you can walk around to spinneys and schools/nursery etc... hope this helps!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 August 2013 - 01:03
I am in springs 12. There is a nice pool and park. It's quite far from the shops but this suits me as any closer and the mosque wakes me up in the morning at 5am. Good point re the mosque noise. Do you think it's not worth being picky about which springs we rent in, as long as we find a villa we are happy with? You are right to be picky, especially with a newborn daughter you want a good one that's quiet! You have to be happy living there remember. It's a lovely community to live in, but definitely be picky! X <em>edited by Simpsons on 14/08/2013</em>
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 August 2013 - 00:52
Hi, of all the Springs, 11 is probably the best all rounder. 2 pools and parks, a lovely big lake, walk-able to Spinneys around said lake. Mosque noise is minimal, worst noise in 14, 1/2 and 3 (if you are near Spinneys end). I really liked living there, good luck! P.s Springs 12 is near the pylons which put me off. 8 and 9 are central, (watch out for ones backing onto road as a bit noisier) but have no pool as far as I'm aware, however, you can use the pools in the surrounding springs/meadows if that helps? When ever family used to visit they would rent a villa from arabian escapes as they have villas in the springs, you could always do a short term rental to make sure you like it? <em>edited by Simpsons on 14/08/2013</em>
Simpsons
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Latest post on 26 February 2013 - 01:45
Very kind, thanks ladies. The main thing we are struggling with is, like you say Clairehdp, if we choose surrey we have to go for the house first then keep our fingers crossed that we will be able to get into a decent school and it is very nerve wracking. We are from cornwall originally but we have been out of the country for many years and have had our children in Dubai. Hertfordshire council is marginally more helpful and will tell you which schools have places, however, it will be pot luck if that place is still available by the time our move goes through...therefore, we really have to have the private option to fall back on, although at this point it would be helpful not to have the added expense of three lots of school fees on top of an expensive move! Hopefully it will pan out but the schools are going to be a real sticking point! We are exploring both areas at the week end, hoping this will provide some clarity!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 26 February 2013 - 01:45
Very kind, thanks ladies. The main thing we are struggling with is, like you say Clairehdp, if we choose surrey we have to go for the house first then keep our fingers crossed that we will be able to get into a decent school and it is very nerve wracking. We are from cornwall originally but we have been out of the country for many years and have had our children in Dubai. Hertfordshire council is marginally more helpful and will tell you which schools have places, however, it will be pot luck if that place is still available by the time our move goes through...therefore, we really have to have the private option to fall back on, although at this point it would be helpful not to have the added expense of three lots of school fees on top of an expensive move! Hopefully it will pan out but the schools are going to be a real sticking point! We are exploring both areas at the week end, hoping this will provide some clarity!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 24 February 2013 - 21:35
Thanks ladies, this week end is decision time... We have almost certainly narrowed it down to esher area or either beaconsfield/chalfonts or chorleywood, I am keen to hear from anyone who has lived in either areas for positives/negatives to help me make my decision. Unfortunately my husband didn't want to consider Beckenham as he is nervous about being so close to South london and Croydon especially as the boys get older etc...but thanks for the extensive info Ruth M as it was very informative, maybe this will help someone else in the future with their re locations.
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Latest post on 22 February 2013 - 21:06
Thanks Ruth M, this is most helpful....no we are not limited to Surrey / Bucks we would definitely consider other places. The main concern is my husbands commute is max 30 mins on train and excellent schools, and low crime. We don't have any religious specifications, I am happy with a small amount of diversity and more concerned that we live in a favourable socio economic area ie. professional working families etc...I have looked at Beckenham, however, I am concerned at being so close to Croydon as this seems to have high amounts of crime according to the police crime maps. I would consider places in Kent or Sussex providing the commute is fast...thanks again.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 February 2013 - 21:00
Are you set on Surrey or Bucks? Also why Bucks? As far as I'm aware most of Bucks comes in on Thameslink, Marylebone or Paddington none of which are going to make an easy journey to Green Park. However I never covered that area so could be wrong. For ease of journey I suggest coming in to either Victoria which is one stop on the Victoria Line, or Waterloo which is two stops on the Jubilee Line to Green Park. - Kent comes under South Eastern and goes into Waterloo East (Charing X, Canon St, London Bridge), Victoria and Blackfriars. - Sussex comes under South Eastern and Southern and goes into Waterloo and Waterloo East (Charing X, Canon St, London Bridge). - Surrey is Southern and goes into Victoria and Waterloo. - West of London (we called it Wessex but it's not the county name) I don't know well but it is South West Trains and also comes into Waterloo. I know lots of gorgeous places in Kent and Sussex, and a few in Surrey, if you decide to consider those areas then I can post the up for you. If you want more details on the train routes can post those as well I covered South Eastern and Southern when I was an engineer on the railway so can give you the details on those too. (Southern trains are nicer, South Eastern are more reliable - or were when I was there!). Some more detail like whether you need to be near to a certain religious community, how long your husband is prepared to travel for, whether you will be looking for state, private or grammar schools would also help. My first recommendation however would be Beckenham. It's 20mins to Waterloo, 20mins to Victoria, in Zone 4, is very pretty has great schools, has a village like atmosphere with lots of restaurants etc. even though it's in Greater London. David Bowie was from here (well Bromley), David Haye used to live here (opposite my mum!), Bob Monkhouse, Julie Andrews and Enid Blyton. It has a very nice church with one of the oldest lychgates in England and some almshouses that go back to 1694. Second would be Royal Tunbridge Wells. It's about 40-50mins to Waterloo. Very pretty if you visit you must look at the Pantiles they are so picturesque they were used for a TV advert last Christmas (http://www.pantilestraders.co.uk/). The countryside is on your doorstep. A spa town which received it's name as it was holiday destination for the royals, it is massively middle class however. There are many famous people here but the only one I can think of is Ian Hislop who DH would often see on the train on the way into work. Also Sid Vicious and Shane MacGowan but lets not mention that! And if you want to blow the bank then Sevenoaks. About 30mins to London. Very exclusive. Gorgeous town, just on the edge of the M25 so best of the country and the city. I can only think of Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Greengrass as having resided here but I'm sure there are more. Sevenoaks has a very prestigious private school, Sevenoaks School. Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells are within an area of outstanding natural beauty. There is lots of beautiful countryside there including the nearby Ashdown Forest where the Winnie the Pooh books were set, Bewl Water (the largest inland water reservoir in the south-east) and a few castles etc. such as Hever Castle, Leeds Castle, Chartwell (home of Churchill), Battle Abbey (where the Battle of Hasting was fought and now a school - which looks a bit like Hogwarts!) and many many more. Unfortunately they are all in Kent, Tunbridge Wells borders Sussex.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 20 February 2013 - 18:10
You pays your money and takes your choice really! Love this haha!
Simpsons
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 February 2013 - 17:56
Thanks for all the replies, the schools in both areas are over subscribed so the respective councils have told us to choose the area and house first...I am torn between Chorleywood, Beaconsfield and Chalfonts in Bucks or Esher area in Surrey! By the sounds of things all of these areas are good. Grammar schools are not a concern as we may go private for secondary, however, would prefer to stick with state for primary as I can't see the benefits in paying to go private if the state options are excellent...if you can get a place that is!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 20 February 2013 - 14:40
Tamieg1 thanks, all of these areas seem to have good schools, that's why I am finding it so hard to choose between them, I was hoping someone would recommend one over the other!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 20 February 2013 - 12:09
Thanks for replies. Just to add my husband is happy to do a 30 minute train journey to get into london then which ever tube etc...I'm keen to hear from anyone who has lived in either of those areas who could offer me some insight...
Simpsons
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Latest post on 27 July 2012 - 00:29
p.s the only one i know definitely does not have pool is springs 3
Simpsons
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Latest post on 27 July 2012 - 00:28
Hi, springs is lovely for families. We lived there for many years in springs 2 and springs 11, these are both great and have pools and walking distance to Spinneys centre. You can do short term rentals through arabian escapes and rent for a bit there whilst you decide where you want to be, they have quite a few springs villas, this is what we did initially.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 11 February 2012 - 20:29
Bump for info
Simpsons
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Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 10:56
Thanks Saltire, does anyone have any actual prices for emirates cargo? How strict are emirates if we had an extra suitcase for example how much is it and do they always charge? Thanks!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 10:54
Yes, I have the bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers, do you want to go on dubizzle to see it?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 26 July 2011 - 21:55
I've put it on dubizzle but I guess most people are away at the moment, are there any other sites to sell kids furniture? Thanks in advance for any suggestions/ideas!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 17 July 2011 - 16:48
Has anyone had any quotes recently? Does 1,400aed seem like a good price per cbm? Thanks!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 09:27
There is a little tikes slide on dubizzle if that helps!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 09:26
Please can anyone tell me the best way to ship a few boxes home of things like books, dvds, toys and clothes? I have been quoted on average 1,400dhs per cubic metre, is this about average? I thought that seemed expensive considering a full 20ft container would be around 18,000dhs. Can anyone shed any light or recommened a better way? Thanks.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 12:04
I can recommend Dr George at AH, he just delivered my baby last week, it was my 3rd c section. He was amazing! Good luck.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 21:23
and i'm sure plenty of ppl can tell horror stories about british gas, BT etc too.... lol You cannot compare, they are SO efficient in comparison to the likes of DU et al.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 21:19
Yes! I have 2 weeks to go and I had to force myself to eat a proper meal this evening as I could easily just have a bar of chocolate or light snack! I think it has something to do with the baby squashing your stomach and therefore appetite is diminished!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 11:38
Button Mushroom, my dh used this 4 hr service in London and it was great! Can you not give any families address in the UK, I think dh gave his parents address. Thanks, you are like my personal passport advisor, i didn't even know kids' passports were 5 yrs til you mentioned it :D Do you not need proof then that you live at that address? ha ha you're welcome! I'm not sure about the proof that you live there? I can only imagine that this would of been the only UK address he could have given or else how would anyone be able to renew passports?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 11:33
it doesnt say anything about timescales, although it could be why peoples passports have been taking so long to be processed at the moment? How long are peoples passports taking currently?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 11:32
Miss Piggy you can't get them done at the Embassy here any more, that's the problem. Current system is having to send them to Dusseldorf. Btw, I just looked at the website for getting the premium one day (4 hour service) in UK it's 109 GBP, surely that is still much cheaper than getting them sent from here which costs about 950 AED??! PS also interested to hear on the Proof Of Address thing as we don't have any address in UK either and were hoping to do the one day service. What a joke! edited by Button Mushroom on 22/05/2011 Button Mushroom, my dh used this 4 hr service in London and it was great! Can you not give any families address in the UK, I think dh gave his parents address.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 22 May 2011 - 10:42
What implications will this have? Will it make the processing time longer?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 20 May 2011 - 14:10
Have you looked at Inspire Nursery? In my opinion they are excellent, and I think the fees will fit your budget http://www.inspireallchildren.com/pdf/summer-capm-11.pdf Thanks that would of been ok but their summer camp doesn't start til july 10th! Any others? Also don't really want to go over 600dhs per week per child if at all possible.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 19 May 2011 - 23:34
None of these work for me as the youngest age they accept is 3 and my youngest is 2. I think I will have to send them both to a nursery, please can someone suggest a nursery that would take a 2 and 4 year old from 8am-2 or 3pm priced at around 6-800dhs?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 19 May 2011 - 16:31
Someone set their own Summer Camp up in Arabain Ranches please!!!! I have 2 DD's who I need to go to camp for the first 2 weeks of the hols but blimey it is going to cost me nearly all of my salary!! Granny will fly over after the first two weeks so, please, anybody, set up a summer camp please?! The stresses of employment!! How much are they and which one are you looking at? I am having a c section at start of june and need to find a reasonably priced one for my 2 boys for the whole of July , I need from 8am-2 or 3pm so if anyone knows of a good one, sorry not meaning to hijack the thread! <em>edited by Simpsons on 19/05/2011</em>
Simpsons
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Latest post on 19 May 2011 - 09:50
Any news yet Mac123, did you include a covering letter to ask them to rush it through at all? Also how long did it take for the babies birth cert to be issued? Thanks. No I didn't ask for them to speed up the process as im only travelling in Aug . Still waiting...... I checked my bank and my card was debited on the 13th of May, so hopefully any time now. The birth cert and English translation takes one day BUT you will need to get it registered with the ministry of health and ministry of foreign affairs. The hospital will offer to do it for you and that process will take an additional 2 days. edited by Mac123 on 18/05/2011 Thanks for all the info Mac, can I ask you how much do they debit from your card? It seems like the process is do-able within 6 weeks at least!
Simpsons
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:31
yes, just checked my LO's passport from birth it's 5 years, hth!
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:29
how long is a child's passport valid for??? :\: is it only 5 years???? *&^% I think a babies passport is valid for 5 years, then 10 subsequently? I may be wrong though.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:27
Any news yet Mac123, did you include a covering letter to ask them to rush it through at all? Also how long did it take for the babies birth cert to be issued? Thanks.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 16:27
Any news yet Mac123, did you include a covering letter to ask them to rush it through at all? Also how long did it take for the babies birth cert to be issued? Thanks.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 14:34
That's brilliant, thanks Jag!
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 14:05
Did it on about 5 flights when my LO's were younger. I did however take it apart, and then put the zapp in its bag before heading out to the plane, just to save on the hassels of attendants telling me no strollers allowed. They both fit in the overhead lockers perfectly, and it is great to have between layovers or long walks to and from boarding gates. That's perfect, and they didn't mind you taking the maxi cosi car seat on board?
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 13:50
I don't want to sit the baby in the car seat in it's own seat I just want to take it on as it is brand new and I want to put it in the overhead locker so I have it straight away when we land as I'll have 2 other young kids with me, just to make things easier when we land, the quinny zapp folds up really small so wondering if i'm allowed to have that in the over head locker too?? Has anyone taken a maxi cosi on board an stowed it in a locker? <em>edited by Simpsons on 14/05/2011</em>
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 13:27
Just looking for an update, has anyone done this process very recently and can advise what the current time frame is? Thanks in advance for any feed back.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 13:21
Will Emirates allow a quinny zapp, folded down and a maxi cosi on board in the over head locker?
Simpsons
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Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 09:27
I checked timeout kids and there are tons from last year. I contacted a few and they are all doing it again. Thansk xmas baby, where can i get a copy of timeout kids? Does it give timings and prices in there, can you see any full time ones?
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Latest post on 07 May 2011 - 09:24
Globe House, 89 Eccleston Square, London - 03002220000 Try this number, you definitely need to book in advance. They turn it around in 4 hours though. If you do not get anywhere with this go on the FCO website and all the details are on there, good luck.
Simpsons
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Latest post on 06 May 2011 - 21:10
Doesn't it seem ludicrous to have to send the forms from here to Germany, it's hardly practical in the case of any emergency situations that should and can easily arise whilst out here. Does anyone know why this is the case? They don't deal with any British passport issues here anymore, crazy considering the amount of British expats here. i think it was they wanted to try and centralise the system, ie that blank passports are not in every town around the world etc. in an emergency the embassy would give you a emergency passport. edited by busybee2 on 06/05/2011 That's good to know, because when I tried calling them recently they wouldn't even entertain my 'urgent' enquiry and gave me the details of the German contingent!
 
 
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