My name is Val McFarlane.
I tell people I am a professional writer but really I just get paid to spell and punctuate correctly.
I was born and educated in Scotland, but lived in England for a long time. Having decided to settle in Bristol after a lengthy dalliance with Lancashire, a chance came up to move to Perth, Australia. Almost instantly I developed that terrible Perth affliction of talking about moving to Melbourne all the time – but in the Australian spirit of giving things a fair go, I decided to stick it out for a while.
This blog is about settling in one of the world’s most remote cities, travellling away from it and, eventually, making the decision on whether to stay or go. There’s also a fair bit of random stuff that I just enjoy writing about.
Please have a browse and enjoy my ‘self indulgent musings’, as my dad likes to call them. Even better, say hello!
A serious note: The contents of this blog, unless otherwise stated, are the intellectual property of Val McFarlane. While it may be unlikely, if you do wish to reproduce any of it in a commercial medium please ask me first or risk the wrath of an angry Scotswoman (and her lawyers). Also, all views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employers. Cheers!
UPDATE MAY 2014: This blog is officially closed but my writing has a new home at alifeontheflipside.com. Come over and have a look…
Like the blog Val. You’re well out of this election malarky. Clare’s dad asked the first question in the Bristol debate on Sky (which meant we didn’t have to watch the rest too carefully 😉
I have an election pamphlet from a local independent candidate you would love. It is sooooooooo badly written it’s hard to know what the guy stands for or if he’s even sane. I will try to get a copy to you.
Hope the new job is more fun than the last and keep using the bike! I’m back to both ways every day as Clare is now at the uber office (can’t find umlauts on the keyboard) so about 120 miles – 190km+ for you metric folk.
Hi Val
Lurve your blog. I’d have a go myself but I think I’d probably just end up writing about the dog, the kids and the husband in that order.
So yellow is not going to be the new red this year. I was incredibly disappointed with the election results, thought that perhaps people in the UK had finally become a little less risk averse and would vote in the Lib Dems with the Green Party coming a close second (I’m not sure I’d want them to actually run the country).
After all the scandals: MPs’ expenses, parliamentary lobbying and tax payers having to bail out a bunch of useless bankers you’d have thought voters wouldn’t have wanted either labour or the conservatives any where near the treasury but what do I know – nothing, clearly.
Debs and I spent election night in Bradley Stoke (always a joy) in the company of Dave Perry, John Godwin, Pete Tyzack, Ali Dent, Mary Page, the BNP candidate and his many supporters. I wore a bright yellow raincoat the whole time just to get the message across (and be visible on camera in case a Hollywood producer happened to be watching the British election results).
I got home at 2am expecting to join a little soiree the husband had planned only to find the house in darkness and him asleep in bed. The election was that exciting that apparantly he and his mate had fallen asleep by midnight.
Don’t suppose their combined age of 118 and several cans of cider had anything to do with it.
Anyway a small, dark, conservative ice cream seller called Jack Lopresti was elected in Bradley Stoke. A very tall man (forgotten his name) came second for labour and Tyzack came third for the Lib Dems. UKIP and the BNP got over a 1,000 votes each, the Greens got about 400 odd, a little old Christian lady got 199 votes and a stripey-jumpered madman calling himself “none of the above” got 172 votes.
I am starting to feel seriously old – Rory’s just had his first sex education lesson at school (he’s 11). He wouldn’t talk about when he came home he was so disgusted by the whole business. I think Leigh and I forcing him to watch Embarasssing Bodies on Channel Four has put him off female genitalia for life. I was hoping it might spark an interest in medicine but it just made him feel sick. However, he does love Bizarre ER which doesn’t focus on genitals so much as dogs pulling people’s fingers off, small, stupid boys being impaled on sticks and people cutting their faces in half with angle grinders. It’s hilarious.
Anyway on that note, keep doing the blog you’re a fine writer and if JK Rowling…..
You know what I’m trying to say.
Don’t move to Melbourne – it’ll be like living in the UK with the weather – well the cold, rainy weather at least! Move to Queensland – most of Melbourne is lol!
Unfortunately my hair’s tendency to frizz in humid weather rules out Queensland!
Yeah, I’ve got to admit, the humidity’s the one downside to the weather here!
I just have a question. I’m Australian, I have english relatives (from Rotherham, Yorkshire).
I’ve noticed that its a big trend for the poms to move to Perth. I haven’t been to Perth myself, but I hear its lovely.
I was just wondering, why is there such a trend for the British to move to Perth in particular?
Hi goldnsilver! I think there are several reasons. Firstly, the healthy economy here means there are plenty of jobs. Secondly, immigrants attract more immigrants – they bring family and friends over. But I also think Perth offers the closest thing to the ‘dream Australian lifestyle’ that is shown on TV back in the UK – big houses, beautiful blue skies and sandy beaches, although whether most people get to live that dream when they arrive here is debatable. Personally I probably fall into the first category, as I moved to Perth because my other half got a job here, but I’d as soon have moved to Melbourne or Sydney if the opportunity had been there. Perth is definitely a lovely place by most people’s standards – you should visit!
I’d love to visit (I live on the east coast near Newcastle and I’ve never been further west than Dubbo!). I’ve heard Perth is great and I’d really like to see a sunset on the beach.
Thanks for the answer.
get inspired by u …….
I have to say I’m a tad envious of anyone getting to move to Australia.
It’s always been a dream of mine to see the land down under.
But, I think I’m stuck here in Canada for the duration.
I console myself with the thought that our snakes, spiders, and jellyfish have very few poisonous toxins.
Wait a sec! We ain’t got no jellyfishes! Nor crocodiles nor cane toads.
Hmm….I’m starting to like this place after all. Now if we could just do something about the mosquitos…..