Journalist and top cricketer Dexter Smith will leave lots behind when he heads to England next month to start a new life.

But the former Royal Gazette and Mid-Ocean News Sports Editor will have plenty to look forward, too, when he takes up residence in the English capital.

His love of sports means that he will never be far from the action, be it football or cricket, although becoming a staunch follower of the English cricket team isn't among the plans of the die-hard West Indies fan.

And although there are bound to be adjustments, not least the weather, Mr.

Smith is excited about what lies ahead for him as he rejoins his wife and two sons.

"It's sort of like nervous anticipation,'' was how Mr.

Smith summed up his feeling about the move.

He already has some strong leads in terms of job possibilities, after following up on contacts with English journalists who previously worked in Bermuda.

"The fact that I have so many things to do before I leave, that is keeping my mind off the professional side of things,'' said Mr. Smith.

"I have to make some early decisions, but for the time being it's pretty obvious I'll have to settle settle for some casual freelance work.

"What I've been doing for the past year and a bit is subscribe to Journalism.com whereby they send me on a twice-monthly basis, openings that are appearing. It never opened an avenue for me but it is good to see what's out there.'' Mr. Smith's Uganda-born wife Beatrice, who has British citizenship, was unable to find work in Bermuda despite her qualifications -- she holds a Masters Designation in social policy and a lesser designation in social work. And with two young sons (Adebayo five and Kamara three) Mr. Smith knew his family had to come first.

"Her sacrifices have been far more than what mine are going to be,'' said Mr.

Smith.

"She picked up and left Uganda when it was in the middle of strife. She lost a sister to Idi Amin's terror when she was gunned down at a check point. It was decided right there and then to hustle her (Beatrice) out of the country.'' Mr. Smith's decision to uproot himself was made in his mind about a year ago, but with his love of cricket and the possibility of being involved in next year's 100th Cup Match in the back of his mind, he had some issues to deal with. The former Bermuda international will miss the local scene, but has already begun searching for a club in London.

"I talked with some friends about that (Cup Match) and it was a key factor,'' the journalist acknowledged.

"But the pros for me leaving far outweigh the cons. I knew that I had stuck around for pre-season that I would have carried right through to another season, such is my passion for cricket.

"Then another year would have been gone and next year I turn 40 and I really didn't want to be going into a completely new environment and job market -- mind you it's only a year -- at the age of 40.

"Plus I made some promises to my boys that I wouldn't want to miss another of their birthdays. I was always a step away from leaving, even in the middle of last season and my indecisiveness of whether I was coming or going, impacted on my cricket a bit.'' Mr. Smith realised he would have to step out of his comfort zone in order to grow, having spent 18 years as a journalist in the familiar surroundings of Bermuda.

"There have been so many good things that have happened for me, whether in sports or with The Royal Gazette , but I have a role to play as father to my two sons and husband to my wife who has been very supportive,'' said Mr.

Smith.

"We've been apart for a year-and-a-half, which some people on this side of the world would consider a lifetime. In Africa that happens quite often, where the father leaves the family to become the breadwinner and he won't see the family for six months at a time.'' Mr. Smith had his sons for four weeks during the summer and misses them terribly now that they are back in England. But it was a good time to bond.

"I took the four weeks off just before Cup Match and we were together morning, noon and night. When I took them back to England and dropped Kamara off at his nursery and his teacher, who had had huge problems with him prior, couldn't get over the change in him.

"I got to thinking once I got home that it made no sense waiting until March, that I would get the move sorted out as soon as I could. They needed to have both parents, my wife does a great job but there is only so much that one person can deal with from that point of view.'' Mr. Smith realises he won't make the same kind of salary in England, which, along with the weather, is what attracts so many Brits to these shores.

"But it's all relative, our standard of living here is pretty high,'' he reminds.

"The ideal thing is to be involved in sub-editing and keep my wits about me as far as writing opportunities. I'm going to look to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. I have to be forward thinking.'' "As Bermudians, sometimes there is the problem of being a bit closed- minded in terms of our aspirations and what we can and can't do. This will always be home, it's a rare place. You can just look at the expats, wherever they come from, and how they revel in being here.

"There is so much we don't allow ourselves to take advantage of, whether it's on land or off land. I have never been scuba diving, but when I took the boys out I became a tourist for four weeks.'' Mr. Smith knows what to expect of the weather from his previous trips to the UK. "I can't even think of the cold, I've been there in all seasons,'' he stressed.

"Mind you I've been fortunate in that I've never witnessed extreme weather. I don't foresee having a problem with the weather, the only thing I'll have a problem with is if I can't see the sun.

"I was there last Christmas for three weeks and saw the sun for five minutes.

I rushed outside but by the time I got there it was back behind the clouds again.

"That's just a sacrifice you have to make. I've been blessed for 39 years.

Now it's not so much about me, it's about securing and providing a future for my boys.''