I first arrived in Schaffhausen in May 2013, on a trip arranged by my husband’s work to see if we would be interested in moving permanently to Switzerland as his team was going to be based here. Coming from a very small town in the UK, it was a daunting prospect for me to think about moving so far away. We had never visited Switzerland before and had never even heard of Schaffhausen so we enjoyed getting to know the city and the surrounding area. It was a little overwhelming to hear about the taxes and the registration process, but we felt like we could come and try, at least for a year.

My husband moved in August 2013 and I followed shortly after in January 2014. It was now time to start and make Schaffhausen our home. My husband had lived here long enough to know about the small little differences, for example, the stickers you have to buy for the bin bags! In the UK we have a weekly waste collection that takes everything from our home.
We quickly found that daily life was fairly similar to life back in the UK, but then something would just come up that was so different! For example, I found that everyone in the city would be quite distant and very direct when they spoke to us, but after speaking to a colleague I realized that it is common to speak in a formal way to strangers.In the UK it is quite common to have a friendly chat with the shop assistant while packing your groceries or the postman as they are delivering mail. I did also find the language quite difficult initially, which didn’t help, and although it was challenging to learn it did help me to feel part of the community a little more once I could order something or ask a question.

After living here for a year, we had become aware of how different the UK is to mainland Europe. Life in Switzerland, to us, appears to be about finding the balance between work and life. It’s common to go for a meal and be there for three hours, which we had previously only experienced on holiday in Italy and France. In the UK a visit to a restaurant is about eating and getting home, rather than socializing and relaxing.

This was a stark contrast to our life in the UK which was mainly focused on our work, and we enjoyed having the time back in the evenings and at weekends. I particularly enjoyed my daily walk with my dog ​​through the Munot and down into the town to meet my husband. In the UK we lived in a town with a cathedral on a hill above the town and when we arrived and saw the Munot stood on the hill it reminded us of home. I still look forward to seeing it on our journey home from somewhere and still regularly visit.

We felt so settled that, in September 2017, our little boy was born in Schaffhausen. As he began to grow, we began to look for family friendly activities. Firstly, the playgrounds in Switzerland are incredible. There are so many to choose from, even in our little village, and always well maintained. We also enjoy swimming in the river in the summer and our favorite spot is Stein am Rhein. It’s a quaint little town by the Rhine surrounded by vineyards. I always feel like I am on holiday when I am there. I also love the architecture and the friezes on the buildings.

I most recently found a great spot at Siblingen Radenturm with a great playground and there has been enough snow for sledging for quite some time. I am looking forward to revisiting in the summer to have a picnic as there are spectacular views. I find that it takes a while to find somewhere new to visit, as it’s difficult to know where to look for the information but there are so many places to visit, even if it’s just for a walk with a different view.

Once we had settled into our family life and routine, I began to look for some groups we could join so that my son could meet and play with other children. I was conscious that back in the UK this would probably be with friends and family and the many groups that I knew were available. When I began to look, I was able to find one English speaking playgroup in Schaffhausen. We joined and began to widen our circle of friends quite quickly as we met other expat families. One of the big advantages of living in a It was at this point that I approached the Head of International School of Schaffhausen to see if we could begin some other groups for families in the local area.During my time in Schaffhausen, I have worked at the International School as both a class teacher and the Music teacher, and felt that this would be a new challenge for myself.

The Family Hub is a friendly, welcoming meeting point where parents can come to connect with other parents, and feel secure that it is a child friendly environment. A hub where people can share their experiences and expertise, and develop their knowledge of the local area and services. We have a weekly playgroup as well as more informal ‘Stay and Play’ sessions for children aged 0-5. We also wanted to be an inviting, engaging environment where children and adults can learn. There are a range of clubs available for both children and adults including ‘Step into Stories’ to explore stories through learning experiences and first aid courses.

The Family Hub Connect. Share. Grow.

Catherine Taylor moved to Switzerland from the UK in 2014. She lives with her husband and her son in Beringen and founded the Family Hub at the ISSH.