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4 years back in England
Hi all, so it's our 4th Britiversary tomorrow, after spending 7 years in Nova Scotia, Canada, so I thought I would jot down a few lines; the good, the bad, and the fugly.
The good: Driving - as soon as I returned I began to love driving again The great British countryside Old buildings - churches, cathedrals, Tudor house, Victorian houses, etc.... The variety in landscape Shopping - food & clothes - the variety available and much cheaper Booze - being able to buy at petrol stations, corner shops & supermarkets Chocolate - no more needs to be said! The restaurants - so much choice Fantastic cheese, bacon, sausages & pies The atmosphere - don't really know how to explain, I just feel alive here Spring - arrives in February with beautiful flowers NO SNOW - or much less of it Cheap & easy access to Europe Making up with my sister after 14 years and my great nephew being born The bad: Traffic - no surprise there Roadworks - again, no surprise My daughter not being here, she returned to NS last March :( she's doing well with a full time job, an apartment, and a boyfriend. The fugly: Can think of nothing All in all I am still very happy I returned. We are located in the sunny south, 20 minutes from Reading and an hour from London by train. Second daughter is doing well at school & has lots of friends. She went to a party last Friday & Saturday and is doing the same this weekend. She has a better social life than me! She MIGHT return to NS upon finishing school in 2 years, but who knows. Husband still working in London, loves the job hates the commute. I'm working from home selling cruises, hoping to return to the workplace after summer. Husband and I have been making plans for the future as both daughters may be in NS. We are looking at spending 6 months in each for a while (England winter, Canada summer - obviously!) until both are certain of where they want to be. We will then decide upon which we will stay. So, we may return after all, but we'll see. I know, shock right! but I can actually appreciate what we had in Canada now that I am happy, and maybe it wasn't so bad. So, that's all folks! :) |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Lorry1
(Post 12292605)
Hi all, so it's our 4th Britiversary tomorrow, after spending 7 years in Nova Scotia, Canada, so I thought I would jot down a few lines; the good, the bad, and the fugly.
The good: Driving - as soon as I returned I began to love driving again The great British countryside Old buildings - churches, cathedrals, Tudor house, Victorian houses, etc.... The variety in landscape Shopping - food & clothes - the variety available and much cheaper Booze - being able to buy at petrol stations, corner shops & supermarkets Chocolate - no more needs to be said! The restaurants - so much choice Fantastic cheese, bacon, sausages & pies The atmosphere - don't really know how to explain, I just feel alive here Spring - arrives in February with beautiful flowers NO SNOW - or much less of it Cheap & easy access to Europe Making up with my sister after 14 years and my great nephew being born The bad: Traffic - no surprise there Roadworks - again, no surprise My daughter not being here, she returned to NS last March :( she's doing well with a full time job, an apartment, and a boyfriend. The fugly: Can think of nothing All in all I am still very happy I returned. We are located in the sunny south, 20 minutes from Reading and an hour from London by train. Second daughter is doing well at school & has lots of friends. She went to a party last Friday & Saturday and is doing the same this weekend. She has a better social life than me! She MIGHT return to NS upon finishing school in 2 years, but who knows. Husband still working in London, loves the job hates the commute. I'm working from home selling cruises, hoping to return to the workplace after summer. Husband and I have been making plans for the future as both daughters may be in NS. We are looking at spending 6 months in each for a while (England winter, Canada summer - obviously!) until both are certain of where they want to be. We will then decide upon which we will stay. So, we may return after all, but we'll see. I know, shock right! but I can actually appreciate what we had in Canada now that I am happy, and maybe it wasn't so bad. So, that's all folks! :) Can you sell me a cruise? |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Novocastrian
(Post 12293071)
The fugly is Brexit. (Which thankfully isn't going to happen).
Can you sell me a cruise? Amongst other things, I hate that my European passport is being taken away from me! it's going to be a nightmare. I just hope that with our 'special relationship' (I wish someone would tell me what that is!) with the US, we don't get shipped their earwax cheese on the cheap, while European cheese prices rise. We are just going to get a sh1t deal all round :( Yes, I can book you a cruise LOL |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Lorry1
(Post 12293083)
yes, you are right, Brexit is very fugly!
Amongst other things, I hate that my European passport is being taken away from me! it's going to be a nightmare. I just hope that with our 'special relationship' (I wish someone would tell me what that is!) with the US, we don't get shipped their earwax cheese on the cheap, while European cheese prices rise. We are just going to get a sh1t deal all round :( Yes, I can book you a cruise LOL |
Re: 4 years back in England
Wow 4 years already! Your positives almost mirror mine! We are between Reading and High Wycombe so I totally agree about traffic and add parking too! Far too many cars here with some couples having 3 between them while we share 1.
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Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Novocastrian
(Post 12293089)
Your obsession with cheese strongly suggests that you were in NS far too long.
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Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by feelbritish
(Post 12293328)
Wow 4 years already! Your positives almost mirror mine! We are between Reading and High Wycombe so I totally agree about traffic and add parking too! Far too many cars here with some couples having 3 between them while we share 1.
I am actually so glad a lot of regeneration is happening at the moment. It will be a real job and economical boost for these towns. Lets hope theres more shops selling cheese :lol::lol: |
Re: 4 years back in England
I'm looking forward -- end of next year, or shortly thereafter -- to returning after what will be 10 years in the Middle East / North Africa, and all the Good bits (apart from your cousin, of course) are the things I'm looking forward to, and the bad bits don't apply (I'll be oop North). I hate to wish time away, but I'm truly relishing access to the good things on a daily basis...and just hope that Brexit doesn't go the fugly way it could.
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Re: 4 years back in England
Four years! Time flies, doesn't it? Sounds like you are doing well. Even if you do return, you will have had an experience to remember.
Everyone here in Norwich complains about the traffic, and reports that cost of parking is more than in London, so we happily do with no car. Of course, you have to live somewhere where that is possible. We have found the every-five-minutes buses take us anywhere we wish to go, including all around Norfolk county. We live a mere 5 mins walk from the train station, which takes us to the beach within an hour. |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Bahtatboy
(Post 12297045)
I'm looking forward -- end of next year, or shortly thereafter -- to returning after what will be 10 years in the Middle East / North Africa, and all the Good bits (apart from your cousin, of course) are the things I'm looking forward to, and the bad bits don't apply (I'll be oop North). I hate to wish time away, but I'm truly relishing access to the good things on a daily basis...and just hope that Brexit doesn't go the fugly way it could.
I hate Brexit I just wish it would go away. Your time will come soon :thumbup: Then you will look back and start seeing good things from the Middle East (yes it takes a while but does come!) |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Perth
(Post 12297077)
Four years! Time flies, doesn't it? Sounds like you are doing well. Even if you do return, you will have had an experience to remember.
Everyone here in Norwich complains about the traffic, and reports that cost of parking is more than in London, so we happily do with no car. Of course, you have to live somewhere where that is possible. We have found the every-five-minutes buses take us anywhere we wish to go, including all around Norfolk county. We live a mere 5 mins walk from the train station, which takes us to the beach within an hour. We could probably live without a car, except daughter now goes to school out of our area and the school is quite a way from the train station there. I checked and the buses don't even match up wit the trains :( Glad you are loving your time in Norwich. I only ent there once to a friends wedding. It was beautiful. Keep on loving :thumbsup: |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Lorry1
(Post 12297356)
Yes I am glad I would've had this extra time in England as I am much happier here. But I may have to go where my girls are. It would be the right thing, I think :sneaky:
We could probably live without a car, except daughter now goes to school out of our area and the school is quite a way from the train station there. I checked and the buses don't even match up wit the trains :( Glad you are loving your time in Norwich. I only ent there once to a friends wedding. It was beautiful. Keep on loving :thumbsup: DD, who is 25, wants us to go back when she decides to have children. I'd much rather they grew up here, but that looks unlikely. OH's view is that he never wants to go back, and think of the glorious summer holidays they can have here! I don't think it is as easy as that though :( |
Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by Perth
(Post 12297618)
But have you considered what you will do if it ends up being one in each country? I guess the 6-month here/6-month there would work. Would you be able to have health coverage in both countries though? I knew a British couple in Florida who did the 50/50 thing, but they had private health insurance in both countries.
DD, who is 25, wants us to go back when she decides to have children. I'd much rather they grew up here, but that looks unlikely. OH's view is that he never wants to go back, and think of the glorious summer holidays they can have here! I don't think it is as easy as that though :( Hubby will contract in London for 6 months here and build up a good buffer, then hopefully do his photography for 6 months in Canada. I will sell cruises in both lol. I am hoping to open my own shop here in the next couple of years and then have a partner to work with in Canada too. This may only happen for a couple of years until we just buy in one place, whichever that will be. I have said I don't want my grandchildren to grow up while I'm not there. I want to support my DD if she has kids. We do not know what my other DD wants to do yet as she's just 14. So I may have the tough situation of one here and one there, which is why the 6 months in each may work for us initially. It is so hard though as I really survive better here. Maybe with extended family over in Canada I will do better? It was me who wanted to return here and hubby didn't. But now he wants to stay as the thought of another international move doesn't appeal. Life is tough! |
Re: 4 years back in England
"Special relationship" in this case means that Washington tells London what to do. And it is done.
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Re: 4 years back in England
Originally Posted by scot47
(Post 12298357)
"Special relationship" in this case means that Washington tells London what to do. And it is done.
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