Thread: Advice on being a Navy wife please

Hi all

I'm new to the forum and I'm just reading through threads picking up on some tips and info.

I'm 30 and live in Glasgow. My OH is in the Navy. We've been together for 2 years, we are both widows and we had the big chat about marriage before he went away. We both want to get married, which is great, but it's left me with lots and lots of questions about being a Navy wife.

I've got a 4-year-old and my partner's daughter is 15 and goes to boarding school. During the holidays she either goes to her Grandparents in Spain, but more and more she comes here to be with me.

OH has been in the Navy forever (well it sounds like it) so he tends to talk about things like everyone knows how it works. He is my only experience of the military though so I'm not really sure about most things. I've also spent almost no time around his base or navy friends due to being so far away and having the girls to work around.

The only wife I know lives in her hometown and has basically slagged Plymouth off the the hilt! She reckons the housing is dire, the wives are clicky etc. Now I've gathered over the 18 months that I've know her that if she found £50 in the street she'd moan about how other people found £100 and how unfair life is etc etc so I'm totally discounting her comments.

I'm hoping people here will be able to help me work out the pros and cons of moving southwards then help me work out if we'd be better off in a Quarter or renting.

Sorry if I sound clueless. We've said we're going to talk everything through properly when he is next home, I just want to be a bit prepared about things before then.

Thanks

India x

MOC EDIT No first names please! Think PERSEC!

Welcome India!

Well, where to start! I'm a Navy missus and we're getting married very, very soon now

Every situation is different - housing situation, what ship or establishment your OH is on, family circumstances, job and careers, length of service... we could be here all day.

The life of a Navy wife is a good one (my mum was one many, many moons ago) and the only advice I can give is the lesson I learned very early... the ship comes first. Write things into your diary in pencil as things have a habit of changing and savour every moment together because you spend a lot of time apart (that's not changed in 50-plus years)!

Join RN.com when you can (you'll need OH's service number) and you can get some very good information. Also visit the Naval Families Federation (search on Google) site for info. Both sites can be a bit out of date now and again, but the Navy family is a disperate lot, we're all over the place.

Drop me a PM if you like on specifics. There are a few of us Navy wives on here, and we'll all help if we can

x

Have sent u a PM India, welcome to RP!!

Sent a PM India, welcome to RP.

Beebs x

My OH is Navy and I'm moving to Plymouth as soon as we can find a property to rent 8)

I went to uni in Plymouth and lived there for 3 years. Plymouth rocks. The weather is much warmer than Glasgow, there are loads of great beaches nearby and there is loads to do, plus it's not too pricey either.

I can't speak about being married to the Navy but I can recommend Plymouth as a great place to live. It's miles away from Glasgow though!