Following on from the siblings thread - did you know you were moving house?

I went to live in Aden as well merlotgran, twice! We were supposed to go to Bahrain the second time (but were posted to Aden instead) and my mother told me to remember the name by thinking of the noise a sheep made, and rain.
I think that as we moved every two years there was always talk about it at home. Moving house and also school became sort of run-of-the-mill so we got used to new surroundings quickly.

Well Gaunt47 you did better than me, I went back at lunchtime, to the old house, in floods of tears because no one was there, but the Pickfords van came back to get something and delivered me to my Mum in the new house.

We moved fifteen times when I was growing up. That meant nine new schools. Merlotgran and ladymuck, that included a move to Egypt by.boat, the Empire Halledale, from Liverpool. I was always kept updated on those moves but, money was never discussed. I was allowed an opinion on meals but, that did not necessarily mean I got first choice.

Ninathenana, I lived all my young life in one house.
My parents had lived in London, then bought a house, with grandad coming too, in Hounslow.
Mum thought it was the end of the world, as she was used to the East End.
My parents were married for 9 years before I was born in 1942, and I stayed there until I married. We had our wedding reception in 1961 from home, after which I moved out.
I had often hoped to move when I was young, as it seemed an exciting thing to happen.

I grew up in the same house and town and went to University of Michigan in same town. But lived in the dorms! Anyway, I was in the Air Force and married an AF officer. We moved 12 times and it was difficult but very rewarding. Hard on my sons but also great. Not horrible like some people feel. We learned soo much and it strengthened them and us as a family. I don't feel guilty about any of it. One has chosen the Air force and moves, and the other is a city engineer in South Carolina. My only regret is that we were never stationed in England! I would have loved that, but we'll get there to visit some day. Did my DNA and find out I am around 80 percent English ancestry. My husband who is Irish and French has decided I have Irish ancestry, lol. Whatever! I enjoy this website and learning from all of you.

We moved when I was 7 from a rented flat to a house my parents bought. I remember viewing houses. One was quite near the flat and the other around 15 miles away. We moved near the flat so I stayed at the same school with the same friends.
I sometimes think that if we had moved further away then I would have had a completely different life. I would have left my friends behind - I'm still friends with them. I wouldn't have met my husband and so would not have had the children I have.

Nice to meet an American, Mcrc. We had American airmen based in Uxbridge. They had wonderful ice-cream..much nicer than ours...and chewing-gum!

My mum went with her mother and sister to stay for a holiday in the country no knowing they were to be evacuated. Her mum left them with ‘auntie” after 2 weeks - without any explanation. She never saw her mother again for 5 years.

I must have been so lucky with my parents. My dad got a secondment when I was about 12. I remember mum asking how I would feel about moving and then deciding if I wanted to change school or start boarding at the school I was attending.........

My cousin only found out some years later that her Mum had died after marrying against my grandmother’s wishes. She told me recently that she thought she had left her because she had been naughty! Poor girl was never allowed a boyfriend never mind the opportunity to get married. My paternal grandma had an awful lot to answer for and finally succeeded in keeping my cousin with her until she died. My cousin lived with my Dad for a few years then took a residential job. I am the only one who keeps in touch my brothers had forgotten all about her. Took her over 25 years but my gran wrecked my parents marriage and the life of her younger sister whose neighbour proposed to her. My grandmother was on the next train to the Midlands and then my great aunt was no longer engaged. I know my gran had some younger step-siblings and would be interested now to know what made her so bitter and determined to wreck family lives.

Yes, I totally understand what you're saying, Willow. My parents (and I) moved loads of time when I was little. I went to 5 different primary schools, some of them in different counties, although some only a few miles away from a previous one. I hated being the 'new girl' and leaving friends behind. We continued to move a lot in my teens, but my school was fairly central so I was able to have continuous schooling in those years. It's only just occurred to me that I still have quite a few friends from those years (around 55 years ago) and I think perhaps I have a drive to maintain friendships because of those I lost in my early years.
Nowadays I would only move if circumstances made it necessary; we lived in our last house for 30 years and only moved because I could no longer manage the stairs and a stair lift wasn't an option.

My parents bought my childhood home a couple of months before I was born and didn't move from there until i was 30, so moving as a child was something I only heard others did.

If we had moved, I am certain we would have known all about it as my mother, especially, kept nothing, except Christmas and birthday presents secret.

From the age of seven I knew a lot of things that I would have been happier not knowing, first and foremost my parents financial difficulties and that they hardly ever saw eye to eye about how we should be brought up.

Back then I would have envied all of you, now I am not so sure.

I moved with my parents twice before I was 10 work was the reason , 40 miles away from my granny aunts and cousins then the second time 60 miles away, missed having no cousins to grow up with. Hated the second school . I always said I would never do that to my children but I did when they were 15 and 12 . I never say I would never do anything again because who knows what around the corner.

I was born into and Army family and my elder sister and I moved four times between my birth and my 8th birthday. After that my father decided not to have the family move with him as it was upsetting our education. Each move was very unsettling and I found it hard to make friends when I started at the last school I was in before university because friendship groups had already been made. I do envy people who are still in contact with friends from primary school as the closest friendships can be forged there.

We moved from Northern Ireland to England when I was 9, as my Dad was promoted within a multinational firm.
I was prepared for moving by my parents, but totally unprepared for the school changes.
I went from a class of 11 children who were individually nurtured to a class of 45. Although I was top of the class in my new school, the teacher called me a "Stupid Irish Brat" whenever I asked a question about anything it was done differently.
However, I enjoyed all the facilities of a big city, such as swimming pools, bowling alley and ice rink.

Yes I was told we were moving I helped pack things and unpack , that was my first move when I was 17 so not a young child I thought so exciting , we had a house built, left a council house and had a house built, I actually love moving , have moved several times since 17 , I was reading the other day the average family moves 12 times in their lifetime , what with leaving home divorce etc, we hope to move in a couple of years it will be our last move

I was 14 in the 60’s, living in Staffordshire. One day I came home from school and was playing with our family dog and my dad said “ that will be the last time you will be playing with her” I didn’t understand until I came home from school the next day and there was no beautiful dog to meet me, she had been put down!!!!!!!! Two days later my parents myself and 2 sisters were piled in to a car and drove off to Kent to start a new life. Heartbroken doesn’t come close to how I felt and couldn’t wait to leave ‘home’ which I did 3yrs later.......

Our family moved within the same town when I was 12. Both myself and my sibling were both fully involved in the move and we went with our parents to view the house with the estate agent. It took quite a while to sell our existing house and I became impatient to move! So when the day to move finally came I remember being very excited. I loved the new house!

grannycool52, I'm so sorry you had that experience when you moved to England. I married an Irishman and went to live in NI. After I had my first baby, I decided I didn't want my children brought up in that atmosphere of religious intolerance, and insisted that we move to England. I have often wondered if I made the right choice.

yes I was 6 when we moved to a much better house but I had to change schools.

My mother didn't like the new area though living near her sister.

We moved back to the original house and I went back to the school I left.

I was just told we were moving - no explanation

From the age of seven, I was moved from house to house so often that I went to 16 different schools (some of them for only a couple of weeks). I married at 17 and had two different homes, after which, my first husband and I separated. I don't recall ever being asked, told or consulted about any moves as a child. I hatred constantly being "the new girl" at school, and found it difficult to make friends - a trend that continued for many years.

Ladymuck, thank you. It was just bad luck to get a horrible teacher.
In fact, I chose not to bring my children up in NI either, but settled eventually in the Irish Republic where they had a very happy gentle childhood.

CBBL, that was really tough. 16 schools is more than anyone could cope with.

I remember being in the doctor's surgery with my mother and he asked " When are you moving?" I was told to wait outside and pondered the word moving....moving what? Something heavy?

I have no recollection of the 2 moves which happened in quick succession. Unbelievable really.

I was not told I was leaving school! It was the last day of the school year, I was told that day I had won the national art prize and was to be the first in assembly to collect my prize. Whilst there the headmaster shook my hand, gave me my prize, the bible and wished me luck. I only 14, because my 15th birthday was in the holidays. I thought nothing of it until I told my favourite teacher I would see her in September. Oh no she said you will not be coming back.

The next day (Saturday) I was sent to Boots the chemist to work where I stayed for 2 years. That same Summer I went as usual on holiday with my aunt and uncle, with whom I had lived for seven years only to be sent to a lodging house after a week because I had also left home. Nothing was ever discussed or mentioned as my life had changed from a child to adult over night.
Never forgot how it felt to be abandoned and alone. I never treated my children like that. I would always prepare them for anything that came their way. We travel throughout Europe, during the children's formative years so changing homes and schools was a major part of life but we always talked it through. We still discuss their life changing decisions, so no one is left in the dark.