h2oskineil

Few observations.....

First the thick low cloud was depressing, no blue sky during the day and it rained every day we were there.
(We live in Perth and so are fairly used to blue sky)

Generally the rain stopped late afternoon and the the sun came out (a little) and OMG..... we realised just how much we miss the late sunsets, it didn't get dark until 10.00pm, just amazing.
We went to visit friends about 1.5 hours away... we left at 6.30pm and at 8.00pm we were sitting in their garden overlooking green fields watch the sun set HOURS later..... WA get your fingers out and vote YES for daylight saving..... you have no idea the benefits of daylight after work, getting the grass cut, going to the beach.... just having a life, cannot believe they voted no!

Green, Green grass and over-grown weeds everywhere. I was told due to the large amount of rain and local authority cut backs, the grass on the roads side isn't being cut as often and has become very over grown. Gave the feeling of small roads and enclosed tunnels of trees and high grass, very different to sand and dust of Perth.

Driving.
Loved it, much more traffic, yes there was queues 100x's worse than Perth, but great to have good, fast, disciplined drivers around. Keeping to the left, allowing faster traffic through, lane discipline..... all the features you wont get here!
Many, Many more trucks on the roads.
A14 (Cambridgeshire) has average speed cameras along stretches to stop speeding, much better than one camera catching you for popping over the speed limit by mistake. (I got a speeding ticket 1 hour after arriving back in Perth) 1st ticket in 6 years.... 7km/h over the limit!

Is the supposed to be a recession there??
All our friends appear to be doing so well.... new cars (VW Tourag, Mini soft tops, Volvo, Mercs) none of them company cars, all personally owned. Nice big extensions, all new double glazed windows (nice and warm in winter.... not freezing cold like 'our homes'.

Most appear very financially secure.... If one more of my friends or close family tell me they will have their mortgage paid off n the next few years..... I think I will scream with frustration.... We have few hundred thousand to go! Yes we have higher wages, but there is something to be said for earning less and having cheaper house prices, paying it off early and enjoying retirement.

Glad we are living here.... don't want to go back....looking forward to the summer.... but worried about retirement!

chris955

Good post. Wait for the BE economists to tell you the people only LOOK to be doing well and it is obviously all on credit.
We do feel lucky to be living in a county with lower than average traffic density and the councils appear to be spending just as much on keeping everything nice and tidy.
I definitely agree about the daylight savings, it is wonderful being outside at gone 9 oclock with the sun still shining being able to get work done.
Also the driving, what a revelation driving here again.

renth

Great post. I love visiting the UK, wouldn't want to live there though....

Amazulu

I agree, a great place to visit. Saying that, as the UK gets poorer and Australia gets richer, it might become a great place to retire or to have a holiday home, as there will be masses of low-paid/cheap pommie peasants/serfs to serve your needs - Downton Abbey in the 21st century.

Gotta love that burgeoning underclass.

BadgeIsBack

I think it depends who you ask - there must be people doing it tough in many places. Most people who bought in the 90s must have their mortgages cut down to size by now...it's quite normal for people to have their mortgages paid off in both countries - unless they bought recently...or remortgaged.

renth

Plus mortgage interest rates are tiny and those who are struggling are getting their mortgages paid by the government.

This will be what I'll be doing with my UK "Pesos" when I go back this Xmas... (go on, click on it!)

Amazulu

Enjoy your trip on the mighty AUD - it'll be like Bali with grey skies

BadgeIsBack

Good point - the low interest rates - anyone with a job would be trying to overpay whilst they could.

If people can lock in those rates for a few years yet...I'm guessing that the banks are not allowing people to lock them in for more than a year (or two?)
Otherwise people would be rushing to do it for 5...etc?

fremantle

When I took my mortgage out on my home in the UK 2007 before I knew I would be emigrating to Australia I took out a LIFETIME tracker mortgage at 0.18% above the base rate. Not entirely sure what the interest rate is in the UK but think it is 0.5% so my mortgage rate is only 0.68%. My daughter continues to live in the home and pays just enough to pay the mortgage and the bills so works out well. Still has 10 years left to run but it is good to know that for the remaining life of the mortgage it will only be 0.18% above the base rate. We have thought about throwing more money at it to pay it off earlier but I suppose while the interest is so low it is more sensible to pay off a smallish loan secured on the house over here first.

chris955

Oh well that didnt take long for the self righteous to drag it down. Glad you enjoyed your trip anyway

Gems

[QUOTE=h2oskineil;10226589]Few observations.....

First the thick low cloud was depressing, no blue sky during the day and it rained every day we were there.
(We live in Perth and so are fairly used to blue sky)

Is the supposed to be a recession there??
QUOTE]

Hi,
I returned for the first time in 5years. It rained every day for me too.

As for the recession, it had hit most of my relatives. Several made redundant and struggling with their mortgages. However as much as they complained about the state they were in, they still spent money they didnt have on holidays,gadgets, cars etc. The UK is still about keeping up with the Jones even if they can not afford it.

chris955

What crap.

renth

If knowledge of the UK's economy could be represented as a spectrum, one end of that spectrum would consist of people who actually know something about the UK's economy. On the opposite end of that spectrum would be you.

chris955

northernbird

If I had never left the UK 12 years ago my mortgage would be paid off in 2 years time. Our first mortgage was when I was 18 and we reduced the term each time we moved.

The problem will arise in the UK (IMO) if the interest rates rise. I am no economic expert but lots of my family and friends remortgaged for renovations, cars, holidays when rates were low and if the rates go up they will be up the proverbial creek. This has to have been repeated to some extent all over the country so I dread to think what will happen if rates increase.