ozzieeagle

Well I must say I'm very pleased to be back, more so this time than ever before.

I've realised that i've looked at the UK this time through very Australian(ised) eyes. (understandably so after 36 years here) Which gives me a totally different perspective.
For quaint I now see difficult living, for diverse I see inequality. I had more poor quality food eating out in 7 weeks in the UK than I've had in 35 years in Aus and thats the blunt truth. It feels like they pick a certain member of the bar staff, maybe the most capable, to prepare and cook the food for that day. What the hell is an Angus Burger supposed to be.. I stupidly tried those twice in venues 100's miles apart....It was like a frozen cheap Aussie processed burger. It was definitely a frozen product.

I would have had at least 40 meals outside of the home in my 7 weeks there.

I doubt I'll entertain the idea of a base there again.

I now feel sorry for people that live there.

All I can say is those doing well there seem to be a far smaller percentage of the population than do well here. Which lets face it is the vast majority of Aussies.... which is why Australia consistently does well in the standard of living and place to live stakes.

It all makes sense and in my eyes has been clarified now.

Sorry but there it is.


I've not even mentioned the crowds...... (damn I just did.......)

jad n rich

You make it sound grim

Never mind, had you gone in summer under different circumstances with the wife, touring europe, having a laugh it probably would have looked different.

But the bright side of having a crap time is priceless. Knowing you are in the best place for you peace of mind, settled, sorted.....

Umm not many of us get that feeling.

Actually getting fairly sorted myself now. Youngest son got first year of uni done, so feel less obligated now. So will be living overseas for 5 months this year. Guess what months , bloody aussie summer !!! That is one of lifes pleasures I can do without.

Welcome home.

Moses2013

Lack of sunshine is in peoples heads and many Europeans don't see more sun than people in the UK during winter, but still get on with their lives. Even if it's a problem, there are plenty of cheap winter destinations that have a bit more sun, so I think that's not the issue. Look how many fair skinned people live in Australia and they either end up with skin cancer, or have to sit in the shade all day. Overall, most of the UK has a great climate and you can be outdoors without dying.

paulry

Welcome back to paradise

ozzieeagle

Just much easier living, In fairness I think it's more about me not having the right mentality for the UK anymore.

How can people live without two seperate living areas How do they cope with the insipid trickle of a power shower and having to step up into a bath every time they take a wash. Constantly giving way to oncoming traffic as they navigate up to the local supermarket only to wait 10 minutes to find a park. Dodging slalem style the Dog crap on the pavement, There was a hell of a lot of that in Rhyl, most of it already squashed, by some poor unwitting kid in most cases I would assume.

The beer was cheap and interesting there, Ill give erm that, the pubs were better there, even in Rhyl, The rail network is brilliant, but that's slightly stymied by the fact that it costs about the same fare to travel return from MK to Rhyl than it does to fly return from Melbourne to Sydney, Adelaide or Tassie.

There are lots of great people in the UK, some great humour, plenty of friendly service, However I felt different to the majority at a very base level.

So it's me. I dont mind admitting that at all.

Bugga... back to the drawing board on the retirement planning stakes... thats one thing less on the list I guess.



I'm still highly amused/bemused by the slightly gentile hotel in Torquay, which had evening entertainment. Which can only be described as a geriatric holiday camp. My mate... ex rocker who was a 'name' on the London punk scene back in the 70's, Who I spent time with at the hotel, thought it was great. He doesn't get out much anymore, cant get out much actually on account of a removed lung from cancer and Prostate cancer... poor bugger.

Yehp I've got the wrong mentality.

Beoz

I think you need to try a different location Ozzie. Remember you live in Melbourne which gives a great deal more diversity than Rhyl.

FWIW. When I stay with my inlaws in south east England there is no bath for our son, just a bloody shower. Its amazing what renovations can do

The local pub has an excellent cook, and the inlaws have 2 living areas.

Again that is the countryside and is a world removed from a city like Melbourne.

Moses2013

Have to agree and be it UK/Australia, there are always good parts and bad parts. If you hate an area or place in general, you'll never like it. I could never live in a big city, but plenty of people seem to like it. Because of history, many houses are older in the UK/Europe, but homes can be renovated (as you said). I sometimes don't understand the British taste when it comes to furniture, but Australia can be just as bad. It's no problem to buy an Italian, or German kitchen. If you don't have water pressure, it's easy enough to install a shower pump somewhere in your home.

TravellerMan

I agree, steaks are normally cut way too thin here in the UK. It's the same in the supermarkets as well, although I have found Morrisons can have some decent steaks - usually some of the cheaper per kg ones.

scrubbedexpat098

we went back over Christmas too, although we didn't go to anywhere as grim as Wales. Me and my boy were playing spot the smiler, at 5 quid per person we see smiling, in 5 weeks, I owe him a tenner.
My home town is a 50/50 split between pikey scumbags and aging gurkas.
I'm glad to be home, and have no plans to go back, shit hole

Tr1boy

When I see some people describing their home towns, I can see why they wanted to go to Oz. Where the **** do some of you people live(d)?

ozzieeagle

Problem is leaving Melbourne..... It really does spoil you. This is the first place I went for a coffee (I couldnt believe how much I missed the Coffee and all that goes along with that, It was the first outing I wanted to do) when I got back.... Then I had a Breakfast out yesterday same place. Less than 3 mins walk away. There are lots of places like this within walking distance of me... Then there's Coburg Lake less than 3 mins walk the other way. I was amazed to see they are building a massive wetlands down there... finishes June 2016. Thats on top of the Miles of walks along creeks that already exist.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Resta...a.html#REVIEWS


http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/globa...cept--plan.pdf


Just finishing my first home cooked breakfast of Porterhouse Steak and Eggs.... Wifes out at Collingwood Childrens Farm, helping my daughter organise her wedding there in March. 2nd oldest (Nyz) actually bought her first house that she moves into in April... Torquay no less... Views of the Surf Coast and an easy walk to be beach.

Functions & Catering — Collingwood Childrens' Farm


Yehp the problem really lies with leaving Melbourne... and perhaps most of the other places where the majority live within Aus. That's a bit of a unexpected bugga actually.

scrubbedexpat098

There are some lovely villages dotted around the south east, but I never lived in one of them, I lived in trashford, where the pound shop shut down after they priced themselves out of the market

jad n rich

You have 5 kids happily settled in OZ and a wife who really does not want to leave Australia. Like many deep down you know you are here for good.
Its probably just that, the people you care about are here.
You can find good cafes/restaurants/parks water anywhere, but you wont find the one thing that matters to you other than in Melbourne.
Your people.

scrubbedexpat098

Yeah I like this, countries are like pubs, the venue is unimportant when compared with the company

Tr1boy

If it makes you feel any better, I live in Winchester, which is apparently one of the top places in the UK for burgurlary we are pretty safe though, we live in a conservation area, no uvpc doors allowed so in winter our front door swells up so badly that burglar would have wait a month before they could get out.