[marcia]

Well neither I nor Kev have had a very good nights sleep since Sunday - everything seems to be happening so quickly at the moment and yet we still like there are a million things to sort out!!

The packers came on Monday at 8.00am and started wrapping our stuff, last night the boys went up to bed and a few minutes later were shouting down that there was a strange noise coming from one of the cabinets!!!!!!!!!

Kev had filled the cupboard up, with bits and bobs that were laying around, and also put in the boys alarm clock - unfortunately it was still set for 8 0'clock so last night it went off for an hour, this morning it went off for an hour, wonder how long its going to take for the battery to run flat :confused:

I had to 'have a word' yesterday with them - they had labelled up a box from the living room as 'misc' so i asked them to please label it with what was actually in it, if itwas a mixed box of cd's, dvd's etc then put that on the box.

The man who packed up my kitchen, said I would need to declare the foodstuff we were taking (Diny's stash of gravey granules and white chocolate for Helen :D - oh and the odd box of bisto, oxo, paxo, cadbury dairy milk for me!!!! ) I said fine, later there were 5 boxes labelled kitchen ware so i asked him which one the food was in - If i have to declare it to MAF I don't want them to have to open 5 boxes of kitchen stuff to find it!! So watch them like hawks and don't be afraid to point out anything you are unhappy with - after all its your stuff and you're paying them a lot of money to pack it for you!! and be VERY prepared when they come, basically if its not nailed down they pack it!!!!!!!!!!

They left us tonight with just the boys mattresses to pack, the computer, the TV, a grandfather clock to crate and some stuff of Kev's in the garage to finish off - they've ordered a 4th man for tomorrow to help load the container, and one of the bosses is supposed to be coming to supervise with there been so many tools and heavy items of Kev's they want to make sure its done properly.

The container is coming at 11 o'clock, its a 40 ft high cube that lowers to the floor to enable them to get the trailer in - I'll take some photos of them loading it, but I can't wait for tea time tomorrow when its all done, I'm worried that it all won't fit in, and we've already been making a list of stuff to leave behind if its looking dodgy!

The stress is getting to me today - have had a splitting headache, can't wait to get to bed tonight!

[gil]

Marcia, this is the last leg now, chin up and keep being an inspiration to me! Our shippers arrive on Nov 13, isn't that your fly date?

See you t'other side,
Love
Gil
x

[marcia]

Yep Gil it is the 13 th we fly (£1000 saving for us to fly on that date!!!) - and honestly you can't be organised enough, I sorted out all the kitchen cupboards and had six large top cupboards crammed with the stuff we were taking, the larger items that wouldn't fit I had put in another bottom cupboard together and when they said they were ready for the kitchen I just got the things out of the bottom cupboard that were to pack, opened up the other doors and left them to it!

Mind you we've spent the last couple of weeks opening every cupboard to find what we wanted - you get used to stuff being in a certain place afer 7.5 years!! :D

Good luck - will be thinking of you on the 13th when we are having our long earned rest on the flight!!!! :laugh

[Diny]

Excellent post Marcia - it brought back many memories.

Don't worry too much about whether everything will fit in. I was convinced we'd have to leave some stuff behind - there was no way everything was going to fit in that one container. As it happened, everything fitted in and there was about a 6ft space left at the back ...... I asked the driver if he could hang around while I shot off to IKEA to buy stuff to fill the gap ....... sadly he said no.

The thing to remember is, the shippers are use to doing this kind of things, I was amazed at how they packed everything in.

Good luck - really looking forweard to seeing you herein Palmy soon.

Diny

[sizzlingbadger]

Wow, things are moving at last for you guys.

Get a bottle of wine ready and chill tonight, you'll deserve it. :D

All the memories of our move came flooding back when I read what you're going through now.

I remember packing the kids off to the in laws so we could get everything done without them around. Us sleeping on the mattress that ended up in the skip next day and boxes all around.

Just remember to pack the hoover last :D I remember hoovering the hallway just as they were about to shut the doors on the container, they were waiting on it to pack in .

[marcia]

Just remember to pack the hoover last :D I remember hoovering the hallway just as they were about to shut the doors on the container, they were waiting on it to pack in .


You are joking?????????? It took me the best part of Sunday afternoon to strip down the dyson and clean it!! I've borrowed a vac from my sister - she has two an upright and a pull along 'dog' so she has lent us the upright - had to hide it though so the packers didn't wrap that as well!!

Kev having a soak in the bath - I'm just about to ring the accountant (luckily kev's cousin so he doesn't mind the late hour!) to sort out the final VAT forms for kev's business (never ends does it??? talk about juggling!!) then I think I'll see what kind of cocktail I can make from the left over bottles of booze in the cupboard - hic!!!! :cheers

[Lupin]

Marcia I am exhausted just reading about it :exit

Roll on when the container is packed and gone as that must be a major stress. November 13th is coming fast :)

Would love to see some pics of stuff going in the container if you remember!

[Trigirl]

oh marcia - i both laughed and groaned aloud reading that!

i booked our shippers today - they are coming on the 22/23 Nov - only 3 weeks away!

[Hannah]

Marcia, can't believe you are nearly on your way. Well done!
I will certainly take a trip down to Palmy when I return. It's 3 1/2 hrs from New Plymouth but my mate Mandy lives there too and they've got the best playground i've ever seen in the Palmy park (look out for the row of palm trees and the kids outdoor pool that looks like the set from Thunderbirds. you'll know what i mean when you see it!)
Get the kettle on, i'll be over in the new year...
Our packers will be coming mid January - it seems like soooooo long away, and yet i'm sure it will just suddenly happen and i'll be tearing out my hair like you. Trouble is, there are so few things you can pack in advance. I packed something in a box the other day and realise today that i will need it before we leave. Damn.

Good luck , good flights, i'll be thinking of you over the next couple of weeks.

hannah

[marcia]

Well its 7.50am, the packers have arrived and so has the container!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I'd better go and get the kettle on, and let them dismantle the computer!!!!!

Hopefully I will post again either from dads computer or our laptop if we manage to connect it to the interent!

Will do an update on did it all fit later!!!!!!!!!!! :exit

[StevieD]

Ooer Marcia - this is the big one!! Reckon you need the Tardis with all the kit you and Kev have. Good luck. See you Saturday.


Steve and Jan

[willsken]

Marcia great reading! Makes me realise what I will have in store in a couple of weeks!! :exit

Roll on when the container is packed and gone as that must be a major stress. November 13th is coming fast

Lupin we may well have the shippers in on the same day!! :)

[katandbob]

Well by the time you read this you'll be at the parents....Hope everything went well.
and that they didnt pack one of the kids in there by mistake.

Take care and I hope you have a great journey over.

Shame were going to be far apart..... but your all welcome for a holiday anytime

All the Best

Kat Rob and boys

[StevieD]

Latest news flash from Marcia and Kev, everything fitted into the container. They needed a 40fti hi-cube but there was some spare room, so a couple more bikes got shoved in.

Marcia had a bit of a bad time coz the guys forgot to crate up her grandfather clock, but they did a maga wrapping job with card and shoved it in amongst all the boxes of toys so it should be ok.

I just been told that Marcia has got the laptop connected to the internet, but as her brains aren't working too well (she is exhausted after the loading), she will not post till tomorrow when she has had chance to have a rest.

Steve

[Babette & Andy]

Wow Marcia, wonderful to hear that the final pieces are fitting into place before your D-day in a couple of weeks :raebanana Remember around 12months ago chatting with Kev in the ballpool play area about all your plans and your forthcoming trip - and now here you are, about to board the migration plane :)
Needless to say we're thinking of you - another NW crew family making it across. Look forward to hearing about your experiences.
Best wishes for the final goodbyes etc
Babette, Andy, Lianne & Amy

[Kim39]

Well Marcia, Kev its all happened for you and it'll be good to get another NW member over here soon. All that stress over the last couple of weeks will start to subside slowly. Its 12 months today that we touched down in Singapore en route to here to arrive 12 months tomorrow at 11:45am. Memories of those 2 days the shippers came in have just reappeared in my memory bank and i gotta laugh at them.

Anyway enjoy the last 11 days. Have dropped you a PM ref my package;)


Kim

[StevieD]

You're a fine one Mr Brierley! All the good wishes then throwing in your bit about the package at the end :uhoh :laugh

Don't worry, we'll bring you some over when we get to come too :laugh

The Dolan clan :exit

[gil]

Love and hugs {{{{{{ }}}}}} Marica, the worst bit is over!! Hope you've managed to chill out a bit, and enjoy the rest of the UK time,
Gil
xx

[marcia]

Well what can I say - thank goodness its Friday!!!!

Wednesday morning was soooooooooo distressing can't explain just how much. The shipping company have made a big mistake - they forgot to order a wooden crate for the grandfather clock I have inherited, we found this out at 8.00 am on wednesday morning when the packers arrived along with container, but no crate for the clock - to say I had steam coming out of my ears is an unstatement - the air was blue!!!!!!!!

The clock in question isn't a horrendously valuable one, however, I have coveted this clock for years and kept saying to my uncle - hope thats got my name on the back of it!!! Anyway he gave it to me so we could take it to New Zealand, although we didn't have it here at the time the shipping companies came to quote they were all told about it and given the dimensions, and all said it would need crating, on the inventory of the company who got the job it said 'case', the lads who came out to wrap and pack everything were in the depot on the tuesday night till six thirty trying to sort out where the crate was.

So you can imagine what a terrible start we had to the day, Kev phoned the office immediately, I was trying to sort out the boys for school walking around the house ranting and swearing and crying, the poor packing lads didn't know what to say. As it turned out the 3rd strong man that came to help load the container that day is one of the two partners who owned the company and he assured me they would triple wrap the clock in card and pack it with all the soft items and that he was sure it would be ok. The sales rep eventually called Kev back and admitted he was the one who had made the error, apparently they need to fill out an extra order for cases and he hadn't done it. He wanted to speak to me and was really apologectic, saying he was so sorry for all the stress he was causing, he offered to take the clock back to the depot, get the crate made and ship it separately but I was in such a state I ended up just putting the phone down on him. He immediately rang Kev on the mobile and he was genuinely gutted that he had made the error and caused all the upset and said he will be in touch and sort out a refund, however he knew whatever he offered would be no compensation for the grief he had caused.

Part way through the morning I had calmed down quite a bit, the guys were doing a fantastic job loading the container, and Kev was as happy as a pig in muck, helping them load it all, Dosh, the chap who is a partner was a real grafter and him and kev were competing for the worlds strongest man title!!!
The other two lads were stars, we all ended up have a good laugh, and the weather was fantastic for us. At the end of the day, we managed to wash off a load off extra items and the container was by no means full.

The lads said it was one of the 'heaviest' jobs they had ever done, and had we been grumpy customers they'd have been well naffed off, but they couldn't believe that kev never stopped smiling and laughing and joking all day.

We had some good chats with 'Dosh' who had been on the phone throughout the day with the sales rep who had made the error, and he said the guy was really gutted.

Apart from the error with the clock case, at this point in time we cannot fault the service we have received from the shippers. I'll let you know the full verdict when the container arrives in New Zealand!!

[marcia]

A few photos of the container and loading process.

Picture one the mega truck which unloaded the container onto the road

Picture two - the container out side our house, it looked huge!!

Picture three - the guys loading what looks like acoffin but was actually a lathe which kev had boxed in, it weighed about 1.5 tons cos kev had filled it up with all sorts the poor chaps were sweating after that one!

[marcia]

a few more