Uncle, my bros was born there and has tried to persuade me to go back, but hardly the most scenic of places and I haven’t retired yet so my holidays are precious. I do wonder if my Afrikaans would come back to me, assuming anyone speaks it anymore!

My Afrikaans was limited as I was there pre school I arrived back in the UK aged 7. Apparently, I could understand it and relay the message to my mum in English if we were at the shops/doctors or anyone called at the house. I more than survived on the recent return visit with English even in Vanderbijlpark.

I get what you mean about hol's being precious but would definitely recommend going back it doesn't have to all be 'home' based we had a fortnight around Capetown and the Cape...stunning

Agree with you all that, holiday-wise, this is a stunning place to visit - so many wonderful places all over the country: living here these days isn't so easy though...crime is now ridiculous - we live in the supposedly safe suburb of Fourways and receive daily reports of joggers being held up, mums being robbed while shopping with their kids etc. etc. Economically we are in freefall with no real plan to sort things out, cronyism and graft are pretty standard and the gap between rich and poor is widening. There is currently a migration in progress - anyone with access to a UK or European visa is getting out, resulting in the once-buoyant housing market collapsing due to over-supply.....I could go on, but don't want to sound like a whingeing old fart

With all the above, there are still great bits to this place - I will certainly miss the incredible live music scene and the "vuma" (energy) here...Oh, and Afrikaans I classify less as a language and more as a throat infection

Spitting Image did a song about South Africans.
I'd post the You Tube link, but it'll get taken down, pretty sharpish

Spitting Image - I've Never Met A Nice South African

I was surprised how well the transition went, sorry to hear it didn't last! At primary school there was no option, you had to learn Afrikaans, I also had a brief stint in the Voortrekkers, which my parents thought was like the Scouts, I didn't make the 3rd meeting!
I always took the mickey out of my brother with the Spitting Image song given he was born there.

Any ski fanatics on here?

used to be, yeah - lived in Austria for 16 years before SA

That's one hell of a bike you must have!

it was, but it got nicked two days after I got here

I do like a ski trip, as does Charlie Winslade. In my case I'm more Franz Kramper than Klammer as my first trip was a 50th birthday treat so a little late to the piste.

However, I have made the most of it since then getting away 2 or 3 times a year, a mixture of lads and family affairs. This season I'm off to Andorra at NY with Auntie, Madesimo Italy in Feb with No 1 Grandson (now he can ski) then in March lads trip to Mayrhofen.

My favourite place is Italy especially the Dolomites what is yours?

Schladming was always great (the World Cup run was a guaranteed cure for constipation), as was Saalbach-Hinterglemm as long as you went outside the school holidays....but I used to do ski touring around Admont in the Gesäuse region of Upper Styria - some amazing scenery and peaceful nature round there

Massive fan of espace Killy (Val d’Isere/Tignes), off to Ischgl beginning of Jan for “lads” trip...youngest 52 oldest 73 but still going strong!
Then 2 trips to EK, in Feb with Canadian friends (from Toronto...) then with German friends in April.
Fair play to starting in your 50’s I was 30 and thought I had left it late!
Long gone are the days when I used to ski at the back to pick up my kids when they fell, I’m now at the back because I’m the slowest (rarely see my wife as she will only do off piste...I try...)
Ps met my wife on a ski holiday, went to ski for our honeymoon (Dolomites which is so pretty) and found out we were having our first on a ski holiday (pregnancy tests cost a fortune in Switzerland but she insisted on having 3!!!)

Would love to ski tour but my back isn’t up to carrying stuff anymore! Love the apres in Austria-something about ladies in Lederhosen...

We are off to Reberty (Val Thorens) very soon with our daughter and family. I didn't learn to ski until my mid forties ( couldn't afford it) and the sheer drop of a blue run was enough to give me the shakes for the rest of the holiday. I envy kids that learned when they were 5-8 years old, I think that is by far the best age. Anyway, I am fine on blacks now although I don't like heights ( can't go up a ladder ) and hate that lift at Val D'isere where it goes up the ridge and then back down the other side. TBH I prefer moguls on a black as they keep my eyes firmly on the next bump rather than straying to take in the angle of descent.
The Dolomites are definitely my wife's favourite area. The way the rock changes colour during the day and the mixture of wooded and gently rolling hills is fantastic to chill out. I probably prefer Les Arc or the 3 Valley areas as you can cover a huge distance on a blue bird day and take in the whole area.

Every time we go on the “up and over” lift it is compulsory to sing “What’s that coming over the hill” never ceases to amuse.
I got frost bite on my earlobe in Val Thorens and caught it just in time!

Yes, VT is a bit stark and bleak when the weather turns. As my daughter and husband have only just learned to ski I dare say we will spend a fair bit of time on the Reberty / Menuires side.
I have never been to Canada, I guess the powder over there must be fantastic. On a few occasions I have had the pleasure of skiing (floating) in very dry powder and it's pretty amazing. A bit like beating Saints and winning the CC haha.

Visited EK early on in my 'career' and got totally done in on a tough Red at the top coming up from Tignes 1850 with knee deep snow. Way way too much at that time for me. A gnarly English snowboard instructor who looked like he'd probably need to consume the areas penicillin supply each season suggested I headed up to the Grand Prix through the fence in Val d'isere for cruising blues and the best burger on the mountain. That guy got a couple of deserved beers from me it was as good as he said it would be....fantastic, never looked back

Top of my bucket list would be Japan for my upcoming next big birthday

Was it a gully with lots of snowboarders overtaking on the sides ? I can remember going down one into Val D'Isere and having to stop every 100m to make sure I had brought my credit card and copy of my medical insurance.

I’ve been to Rhyl when it wasn’t full of scousers.

Anybody know what Andorra's like these days? Went skiing there in Soldeu in the early days, 1981 and 82 I think - great skiing as I remember but an absolute toilet of a place - main thing going for it was the duty free prices, and a record shop that sold jazz vinyls that you couldn't get in the UK

HOPE it's improved I'll let you know as I'm there this New Year (first trip)

It isn't full of anyone.

Chaz I didnt head all the way back to Val d'Isere I cut back to Tignes I think all the 'trouble' is the supposed blue run 'home' that can be busy and icy. Whereas up on the top it was wide open I had a ball and a Marmott Burger a proper growler

I used to slide down Piggy Nut Hill.