with reference to the original thread title: it'll be a good time to move back to the UK when you and the other like-minded fools you've stumbled across have left.

BTW did you read the whole thread? A great many people seem to disagree with the opinions you selected.

there is a town called Paradise in St John's NL.

http://www.town.paradise.nf.ca/

Ah, perhaps he means that. Thanks C.

Probably a play on words on the OPs part. NL is a beautiful place with some of the friendliest people I have met on this planet but 'paradise' it isn't and like most places in the world comes with its own problems.

You have just had me researching my grandfather's lineage - he is from Portdegrave in NL. My Uncles and Aunts live in Brigus.

My grandfathers family are from New Brunswick, I am doing the same at the moment. It is very interesting.

Interesting article from today's Sunday Times:

June 8, 2008

Children falling into despair

Isabel Oakeshott Deputy Political Editor

THE quality of life for children in Britain is on a downward spiral marked by depression, fear of crime and crushing poverty, according to the government’s own advisers.

The four children’s commissioners covering each country in the UK have joined forces to condemn ministers for presiding over a dramatic decline in the wellbeing of millions of children.

Their report, to be presented to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva this week, lists a catalogue of government failures, warning that almost a third of children in Britain now live in unacceptable conditions.

The findings will be a setback for Gordon Brown, who has placed a high priority on closing the gap between children from rich and poor families.

The main findings include:

- 3.1m children in poverty

- 1m children in substandard accommodation

- Soaring rates of depression and mental health problems

- One in four children living in fear of crime

- Repeated violations of human rights, including excessive use of custody for young offenders.

The findings are expected to trigger a new political debate over childhood. David Cameron, the Tory leader, will tomorrow warn that efforts to make life better for children will be doomed unless the number of broken families is reduced.

The joint report by Sir Al Aynsley-Green, children’s commissioner for England, and his counterparts Kathleen Marshall, the commissioner for Scotland, Keith Towler, the commissioner for Wales, and Patricia Lewsley, commissioner for Northern Ireland, will list some positive aspects, acknowledging that the majority of youngsters say they are happy and in good health. They will report that children are increasingly well educated and say most are “engaged, motivated, and making a positive contribution” to society.

However, they believe many aspects of modern life such as family meals being replaced by fast food have been detrimental to the health of children. Their report will warn that the NHS is failing to provide adequate services. Particular concerns will also be raised about the government’s “very punitive” approach to children who break the law.

Their report will also say that large numbers of children are suffering because of violent and drunken behaviour in the home.

It will also condemn the failure to tackle teenage drinking and pregnancy, saying: “Compared to the rest of Europe, children in the UK drink more alcohol, engage in [more] early sex, and are more likely to use cannabis.”

The criticisms are echoed in a separate report by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, backed by 100 children’s charities, which is also to be published tomorrow.

Last night the government defended its record, claiming it had lifted 600,000 children out of poverty through measures such as child tax credits. Beverley Hughes, the minister of state for children, said: “The fact that we created a new government department for children, schools and families shows how serious we are about helping families and communities to give their children a happy childhood.”

BTW, it's depressing reading when compared with the rest of Europe but does anyone know if similar surveys have taken place in Australia?

Would be interesting to hear it compared to Australia - I'm sure Vash can dig up a survey. I know there are discussions on TV in Queensland at present about how parents are "starving" their children in order to pay for rising fuel costs, but I'd like to see something factual rather than so sensational.

Kids here are far from starving. Like you say, it's sensationalism at it's best and emotive crap at its worst.

Australian's love their kids. They'd never resort to starving them. It's not that bad is it..

He won't if it shows the wrong thing...

Oooh a survey - must be correct then
How do they know? Seriously, this is the main thing that pisses me off with surveys. Just because they may have asked 100 children and 25% said they lived in fear, does not mean that one in four of the country's children do - it's hog wash.

Cutting!

Perhaps, BUT, you would trust that they haven't just asked 16 kids living in Wandsworth.

I'd hope that the Sunday Times would have at least checked the veracity of the organisation doing the analysis.

Every nation loves their kids. At the same time every nation has problems with child abuse. You cannot generalise about the strength of one nation's love for their children.

Marvellous isn't it that all these ex pats living in Oz saying how great the UK is (strange that most of them don't want to come back) and worries over high taxes (council tax especially), immigration, crime are all overblown.

I've lived in both countries and the social and economic problems Australia faces are nothing compared to the UK. I could add some others that haven't yet been mentioned like high prices for basic goods and services, nanny state, red tape, welfare benefits thrown at single parents rather than married ones, less NHS dentists than ever before, GPs paid more for doing less, declining school stds (which is why more people are going private despite the dumbing-down of GCSEs and A'levels) and guess what? More UK citizens looking to emigrate than ever before because of the scale of decadence in the UK.

Most people have finally woken up to the fact that the Labour Gov't under Brown and Blair is the worst in living memory. Something I foresaw and could have told them in 1997.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ted-youth.html
Just one indicator of how bad this country is governed, and this report is only applicable to the young people of this country!