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Tuesday, 23rd December 2003

Expats' seasonal pictures

Sarah Hartley

WE asked for your pictures of Christmas celebrations wherever you are - and here they are.

Colin Benbow in Tasmania says: "Happy New Year to all. The photo is the family working off their Christmas Barbecue with a game of Badminton while grandson tries out the new bike father Christmas brought."

This picture was emailed in by Tim Kendall who is a native of Poyton who has been living in Japan for the past 8 years.

The picture shows his two children Nina and Elena on Christmas Day.

This was sent in by Pete Robinson an ex-Greater Manchester Police officer between 1974 – 1995. He moved to Auckland, New Zealand eight years ago with wife Pat and three children.

He said: "We have a 5 acre lifestyle block with sheep and cattle. I now work as Retail Director for a Management Training Company.
Christmas day for us is a barbequed full ‘English breakfast’ by the pool. The weather is usually kind with temperatures in the mid twenties. Boxing Day is a day at the Auckland horse races with families taking a major picnic to have beside the track. New Zealanders certainly know how to enjoy each others company in the outdoors.
So items not on the menu are; turkey, (now ham steaks), snow (now sun and sand) and sleeping lunch off in front of an old film on TV (now a sun lounger in the shade with a good book)
Have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. Thanks for a fantastic website!"

This picture was sent in by Brian and Mary Avison who said: "We're expats from Hazel Grove, now in Alberta Canada. All our Christmases have been white since emigrating here in 1967, except for one in 2002. Contrary to what many people think, Alberta's dry snowy winters are not as cold at -10ºc, as Manchester is on a miserable wet winter day at +5ºc. Cheers."

These two are from Frank Jones in Long Island who says: "Well, here are some of our Xmas pics, at our candy store in Long Island, NY.

"I am an ex pat, born in Manchester ( the old St Mary's), been in NY for almost 5 years...it IS a lot colder here, and the snow can be 10" deep, usually 4 or 5 times at this time of the year."

These two pictures are from Gareth and Kate Seed. Gareth, 30 is an electrical engineer from Salford spending Christmas in Australia.

He said: "My wife (who is from Brisbane, Australia) and I are currently living in Townsville, in tropical North Queensland. We've been here for just over a year. Its very hot and humid with the 24 hour temperature range only being 26-34 degrees.

"Our Christmas plans are drive down to a small coastal town, 11 hours drive south, called Hervey Bay and spend Christmas there with her family. The time will include typical Australian bar-b-q's and drinking beer. The temperature there is presently about 30 degrees and wearing shorts and t-shirts is ideal. If it gets too hot the air conditioner may be switched on.

"We hope to walk to the beach which is about 300m away and have a lazy Boxing Day. For New Year we are continuing down to Brisbane, another 4 hours drive, where we will be spending New Years Eve in the Marriott Hotel. We are then having a few days with friends in Brisbane and returning to Townsville. We miss the cold, believe it or not, especially the snow. Christmas just doesn't seem the same when its hot, humid and wearing jeans is a the closest you can get to being wrapped up!"