• 2002 Feb - Groovy times in the Barossa
• 2002 April - Bitter Sweet Citizen
• 2002 Sept - In a spin about OZ"
• 2002 Dec - Milton's back in town!

MILTON 'S BACK IN TOWN!

Australian News editor Steve Hartridge met up with British migrant Milton Westcarr during the expat's recent, flying return to the UK.

Milton left Gloucester in 1999 and regular readers will be familiar with his articles on his new life in Adelaide.

He said of his return to the UK: "In August I returned for a two-week vacation. This was the first time in three years I had been back to see my family and friends.

I felt both excited and a bit nervous on the way to Heathrow, where my brother Terry met me.

"Not much has changed in London, although the Notting Hill Carnival is still absolutely brilliant! I felt privileged to be there, with all the colourful costumes and the vibrant atmosphere that drifted through the packed streets.

"I had a grand reunion with my sons and their mother. We travelled around Gloucestershire, visiting familiar sights like the cathedral, docks and country parks.

"Driving around, I noticed many new buildings have sprung up since I emigrated. "As well as my family, I had badly missed my regular reggae dances, which I used to attend all over the UK.

So I made sure I got to as many as possible, so that I would be fully recharged for my return trip back to my home in Adelaide.

The biggest surprise of my holiday was just how popular I had become, now that I lived 10,000 miles away!

This took some getting used to. Everywhere I went, friends, family and even strangers mobbed me!

Each day was filled with visits and partying; it was almost a relief to sit on the plane for 20 hours of calm!"

Milton & Steve Hartridge in Brighton 2002

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