Blankets. During the UK summer I find even the lightest duvet is too warm and I prefer to use a cotton waffle blanket. Friends who had lived in the middle east advised me that with the air-conditioning I would need a duvet here. They were wrong. We keep our air-co at 25 degrees and I miss my blanket. I can't find cotton waffle blankets here, only nasty fleece ones. The choice of duvet covers isn't too good either - too expensive or too tacky - especially since bhs went up in smoke.

It got pretty cold in the winter. Bring an electric fire.

Plastic food containers are generally of poor quality and you need to keep dry food sealed up or the bugs will get in.