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Godfrey Family

Julie's job working away from home had turned life into a nightmare, and her husband Alan couldn't take any more. A life down under beckoned, but did they go?

In 2012 the Godfrey family experienced a week down under that could change the course of their lives. In this programme we find out what's happened to them since we last saw them - and discover just where in the world they today call home.

Five years ago Alan Godfrey lived with his wife Julie and son Cole, then eight, in east Glasgow. Alan was an electrician and three years previously Julie had qualified in nursing and become a midwife. It was her dream job, but finding work locally proved difficult so Julie took a job in London - 400 miles away. It meant she was away from home working three weeks at a time. This was taking its toll on Julie and the family. In particular young Cole found saying goodbye to his mum particularly distressing, and Alan was at the end of his tether.

It was a painful situation that just couldn't go on any longer. The desperation for a normal family life had pushed the Godfreys to look towards Australia. Knowing there was a demand for their skills, Alan and Julie were convinced their family's happiness could lie down under. A move could give them that time together but would come at a very heavy price as they would be leaving a beloved family behind, including grandparents whose only grandchild was Cole. But even with so much to lose, the couple knew they just couldn't carry on as they were and a move might have been the best option.

A trial week in Perth allowed the family to sample what sort of life they would have if they were to move. But family messages showed just how much they would struggle to cope with leaving. So where is the family now?

45 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Nicki Chapman
Executive Producer Paul Connolly
Production Manager Joy Hines
Series Producer Jacqui Berkeley

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