9 months of constant decision making. When I left the UK to go and live in the USA I went with not much more than a backpack. When I returned to the UK with a husband and 3 children we had an enormous shipping container which went by boat. The move had been 9 months… Continue reading Crossing borders is HARD, even when you haven’t crossed a desert.
Father’s day for Skype families.
I love Skype. When I was first in a long distance relationship (1986) I used the phone to call my boyfriend in the USA and it cost me £1/min. So as a student I would have to save up for a monthly phonecall – something my children can’t comprehend. Some years after I married this… Continue reading Father’s day for Skype families.
The curious case of when the home office told my children to leave, then wouldn’t let them.
We got the denial notice on 4th July 2017. A friend had just arrived from USA and we were getting BBQ supplies when I got the email. My children were denied visas, despite applying under the human rights act that they have a right to live family life, and both parents being in the UK… Continue reading The curious case of when the home office told my children to leave, then wouldn’t let them.
MPs with foreign spouses – how do they vote?
Tory MPs with immigrant spouses seem to not like immigrants, at least they vote against them.
A second class British citizen
I was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1966. One of my parents was born in Yorkshire, the other in Birmingham. They met and married in Birmingham, had a son then moved to Pakistan while my mum was pregnant with my sister. My dad was going to be working as a doctor in a hospital there.… Continue reading A second class British citizen
The Royal Wedding: pomp, circumstance and visa applications.
Applying for a spousal visa: It’s good to be a prince. The PM doesn’t care about most of us though.
The Rights of Children – “their best interests must be top priority”
My children think that their rights should include unlimited computer time and sweets. Fair enough. When I was a child, had computers been a thing, I probably would have thought that too. In reality, here is an international standard which I found at UNICEF’s website. The British government has ratified this, decades ago. The… Continue reading The Rights of Children – “their best interests must be top priority”
“I always try to do the right thing” said Mrs May. Explain how deporting my children is right.
Dear Mrs May In your interview today I heard you say you had always tried to do the right thing. I, too have always tried to do the right thing. I was taught this from the time I was born, as a British citizen, in a former British colony by my British parents who happened… Continue reading “I always try to do the right thing” said Mrs May. Explain how deporting my children is right.
A tale of two dentists.
Whenever I go to a new dentist I always tell them I’m scared of dentists, but for a reason they’ve never heard before. They inwardly roll their eyes because they have heard it all. Once they’ve heard my story, however, they concede it’s unique. I lived in Lahore, Pakistan, and my mum had taken me… Continue reading A tale of two dentists.
Horace, Doris and Thomas: a brief history of Kings Norton.
Kings Norton has been around a long time – it was mentioned in Domesday. The church, likewise, is fairly ancient, with 13th century origins, and with a steeple older than the main building beneath it. Next to the church are a couple of buildings that have been there since Tudor times, the Saracen’s Head (now… Continue reading Horace, Doris and Thomas: a brief history of Kings Norton.
Gillian's Immigration Nightmare (GIN) 