Expats in Shropshire: Ross Stokes from Australia

The 56-year-old editor of the national Self Build & Design Magazine lives near Craven Arms with his coaching consultant wife Nicky Fuller, 48. Ross first lived and worked in London before moving here in 1991.

"I came over as a youthful 28-year-old backpacker and never went back," he said. "I really loved the UK and I've enjoyed being here. I came here with a male friend who was a school teacher and he went back after six months." Ross's family, including one brother and two sisters and nine nieces and nephews, still live in Perth.

"This year I'll be spending Christmas with the in-laws in Kent. We either go to Oz or Kent or go ski-ing." Tonight will be spent enjoying a few pints down in the village pubs of West Malling. Tomorrow morning Ross and Nicky will be treated to a breakfast of ham and scrambled eggs before opening their presents and then enjoying a traditional Christmas day lunch with the in-laws. The menu will kick off with a fish starter such as lobster bisque, followed by turkey and all the trimmings and then the must-have Christmas pudding.

The afternoon will be spent relaxing in front of the box and then being joined by Nicky's sister and husband and their nine-year-old daughter to play a few board games in the evening, when there'll be leftover food to enjoy. On Boxing Day the couple will spend the day driving home to Shropshire "cursing the traffic!" "It's not a day I look forward to," laughed Ross.

Ross said this would be very different to celebrating Christmas in Australia. "The last Christmas we had in Perth it was 40 degrees and you're there, sitting round eating turkey. There's tinsel on the Christmas tree and fake snow on the trees in the shopping centres."

Ross remembers his dad cooking the turkey on Christmas Day in their barbecue. "In the afternoon we'd play cricket with a whole bunch of relatives and friends."

Ross said that Boxing Day is all about the kids enjoying the outdoors in Perth. A big group of up to 40 family and friends, including about 20 kids, would hit the beach, taking a picnic. Asked what he missed about Christmas in Australia, Ross said: "I enjoy both for different reasons. I enjoy Christmas over here because it is obviously the time of year to enjoy a feast. In Oz it's about connecting with the extended family and enjoying the outdoors. It would be nice to get a compromise. Forty degrees is just too hot and when it's drab and miserable here it's not fantastic either."

Ross's first Christmas in Europe was spent in northern Sweden. "That's still one of the most memorable Christmases we had. It was minus 25 and we were surrounded by snow. It was a total culture shock. I still remember it, 28 years on."

Ross has done an Aussie-style barbecue Christmas over here. "We had a barbecued lamb for one Christmas," he said. "We stood outside in the slight drizzle and sleet and cooked this lamb that was beautiful. The next day we took the leftovers to a beach in Wales. We had a picnic. The wind was blowing and the sea was rough and we walked along the beach . . ."