I kept my acknowledgements to one page only and thanked everyone that played a part in helping to ensure my PhD could be completed, including patients, clincians, supervisors and other researchers from around the world. Perhaps contentious, but I omitted friends and family. I really wasn't sure how to word their 'support', which included 'have you finished yet?', 'what you gonna do with it anyway?' and 'yer, gonna be a stoodant foreva!' positively. So, I agree with the other posters: just make reference to the people, whether subjects, supervisors or friends and family, that really made a difference to your work.

Hi Baseline, I haven't done lab-based research so I don't feel I can comment with much 'authority'. It seems to me that you have been treated very unprofessionally and the problems you face are no fault of your own. I think that your decision to leave for another PhD when possible is a reasonable move, as if you don't have access to the materials you need it will simply not be possible to continue as you originally intended. The only thing I will say is, and I'm not playing Devil's Advocate - just perhaps being naive, would it not be possible to change you research aims and design to accommodate another 'type' of mouse? You're quite early in the PhD process and often what one sets out to achieve is not the end result of the research process. After all, you do have funding for another two years?
I had to radically change my research in my first year because I couldn't get the huge numbers of patients I required, so I made substantial amendments to my research design and managed to submit in 3.5 years. Unless you want a fresh start somewhere else (and I can understand why), I'm wonder whether you can save yourself lost effort by re-directing things? Best wishes whatever you decide to do.

Hi Lamare, what a broad range of research interests you have. Generally, as long as you have the equivalent of an undergraduate degree with a classification that matches a 2.1 in the UK, then you will eligible to apply for a funded PhD in the UK (provided that the funding is open to applicants from the EU - it often is). www.findaphd.com is as good a place as any to track down potentially suitable funded PhD projects. Good luck with your search.

I've had a bit of time away from my thesis since handing it in, and have instead worked on and submitted a paper. However, though I have no idea of when my viva will be (no letter confirming a date - but it's only been two weeks), I feel that now is the time to start preparing for my viva. I spent today reading the Tinkler and Jackson book and it seems like there's much more to a viva than I initially thought. I have taken into account all of the very helpful advice provided by Bilbo on how to prepare, but I'm at a bit of a loss... How do you actually start preparing and how do you decide on possible questions that you could be asked? It sort of feels like I've traversed on Mountain and now there's another one.
I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences that people can offer. Any ideas or personal experiences you prepared (or intend to prepare) would be really helpful. I sized up my external examiner and it's essentially David and Goliath. Thank you.

I didn't include a glossary in the thesis that I submitted. I could have done, but thought that full terms followed the appropriate abbreviations would be sufficient. I suppose I'll find out after the viva.

Hmm, seems like you've received some excellent advice below. Now for my two pence-worth, not that I can really add much constructive. First and foremost, remember that you're not just DabB, you're Dr DanB. You're a cerebral entity, an intellectual force to be reckoned with, you're financially solvent (that's how the Daily Telegraph describes people with money on their dating website) and you can recite pi to many decimal points. The only people that wouldn't be interested in you would be those that aren't really worth any interest anyway. So, be of the mindset you're worth it because that's a very logical conclusion.
I think that the key to successful dating is to be charming, erudite and conscientious. So, dinner with Miles at7 pm? You're there at 6-50 pm and you've got the drinks in and warmed the seats. I've never dated so far, but when I meet a new group of people I do a bit of reading around and concentrate on matters to do with popular culture. So, I go on Digital Spy and read up on the soaps (including spoilers) and read all the newspapers online (minus the Times, which hides behind a paywall). And it really pays off, it does. For instance, I was at a meet and greet function at my university a year ago and I overheard someone talking about a wood-burning stove... Well, thanks to a recent article from the Guardian I knew all about the efficiency and green credentials of such stoves and was able to start a very interesting conversation on how ethical they are, owing to their carbon neutral nature. I hate football, but if I was backed into a corner I think I'd be able to stand my ground thanks to the sports section of the Daily Mirror.
Perhaps get involved in some voluntary work in your spare time; it's a sure fire way to meet nice, genuine people. Similarly, join groups that share your interests and hobbies. It's not a matter of if you'll meet someone, it's when. You've got to be in it to win it.
As for success stories, I have a mate who met his now wife in a night club (stay away from then though; they're full of drugs and STDs), another who met his now fiancée on a course he was doing in his spare time and have another mate who got together with an old friend. Concerning myself, I live in the arse-end of nowhere (think Father Ted and Craggy Island), so dating is off until I finally get a job and some money.

That's great news for you, Pineapple29! Could I be cheeky and ask why you were so anxious about your thesis being pulled from the examination? Sorry if you've mentioned it before.

In other news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7540491.stm

That's rotten news and I'm really sorry to hear about the outcome. I second the comments of Gingersnaps and Mackem. Given the amount of work you've done, it's more deserving than an MPhil and I think you should appeal, doing whatever work is required to, in the subjective opinions, bring it up to standard. Best wishes.

Congratulations, Dr Algaequeen! That's brilliant news.

Sim, the very best of luck to you. I don't think you'll need it though.

Thank you, Eska! Cakeman, nothing yet. There were a couple of post-docs that I was well suited to, but as look would have it, I wouldn't have finished my PhD on time. Who know what I'll end up doing. It's probably not the best time to be thinking about a career in academia at the moment. Time will tell, as will the outcome of the viva.

Thanks Pink_numbers and Sneaks. Have finally caught up with some sleep and am feel really positive about having handed in. Going to take a few days away from it, work on a paper and present some of my work at a training day for clinicians tomorrow.

I think that you won't have to pay any of the studentship back for the time you've been registered, but they're usually paid for a few months in advance so you'll have to pay back any amount that covers the time you'll no longer be registered for. So, if you get a payment for 3 months and leave after 1 month, you'll owe two months-worth of the money back.

That is dreadful news to hear. I really hope that there's some kind of funding to allow you to continue. There's already been job losses at my place and any possibility I had of getting anything has vanished.