We have now made our move out to Thurrock. We are renting a little two bedroom house in Grays. We have only been there for the past three days now and have been frantically cleaning and making the place liveable so that Laura can start work at her school next Monday.

The town centre in Grays has everything that we could want. There is a small shopping centre with a variety of different shops - butcher, baker….no candlestick maker….and there is a Morrisons just around the corner from there which is like their big supermarket. We also have the huge Lakeside shopping centre and a big homemaker area not too far away.

The train station and bus stop is about 15 minutes walk from our house - which is not too bad. Laura starts work in Hornchurch on Monday. It will take her about 40 minutes to travel to work, including the walking she will have to do. The school she is working at is small but very nice and very well equipped. She is taking a grade 4 class with 34 students.

Our internet, television and phone line all get connected in about ten days, so it is rather difficult to upload photos and videos at the moment, but all will be updated once we get fully settled.

The weather here is cold, but not as cold as we expected. There was snow predicted but it never came and it has only rained a little since we have been here. Most days are grey and overcast, but today was sunny for the first half of the day which certainly lifts the spirits.

So that's what has been happening here - not that exciting and it wont be for a while yet, but we will get there. We do miss everyone back home and the general sunshine of Queensland, but we have been really too busy to develop any real homesickness just yet. Hopefully we will keep each other happy during the winter months ahead.