Originally Posted by Oink (Post 8474512)

The Winter of Discontent, Callaghan and Healey, The Jags, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Anna Ford :thumbup:, Keith Moon :( Lager 35p a pint and king size 555's Ahh the good days.

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8473839)

Bedford. Probably not much better than Bradford from what I hear. I'm not in the business of tit-waving but I might take to getting extremely drunk. ;)

Originally Posted by Elvira (Post 8473861)

Seems you need to hear good things about the UK! :)

Here you go:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=3338.0

(Lots of other useful stuff on that forum too.)

Originally Posted by fledermaus (Post 8473873)

Then head off to Wells-Next-the-Sea in north Norfolk. Buy a Magnum (this is an icecream bar) and sit on the beach to eat it. It's not huge cliffs and waves but it is lovely.

You can also get to Cambridge easily, Milton Keynes is great for shopping, theatres, cinema. They have an indoor ski slope, real snow and cold stuff. Bedford has windsurfing, boating, rowing, golf, bloody golf everywhere. Try not to live in the town if you can. Also avoid Kempston. There are nice spots in both places but it can be rough.

Originally Posted by MrsBritain (Post 8473881)

Someone once told me not to make life-changing decisions until after 2 years of having a huge event occur in your life, such as major surgery or a baby (you may even be suffering from baby-blues)

We holidayed in Canada then applied for emigration from England. We miss our family, culture and BEAUTIFUL countryside and ease of commuting and not necessarily by car!!! On foot and cycling so much better and healthier lifestyle in Britain. The winters are not that bad, we get gorgeous sunny days in Nov and Dec then spring is sprung in March and all those colourful flowers start to bloom. In Ontario the winters are from Nov to March/April and are so much longer than British ones with no colourful flowers to speak of all green green green and not as nice a shade as UK grass. We find we have to plan everything we do in Canada whereas in the UK you could just go out and not worry about the ice snow and freezing rain - DANGEROUS stuff that no -one warned us about. The food and electric prices in Canada are ridiculously high.
British homes are lovely generally, the wages are twice that of Canadian wages, but the overall cost of living is on a par. Buildings, architecture and restaurants are so much classier in the UK.

Really, you sound very young and should have thought about starting a family with a foreigner without discussing long term plans. Also you have an idea about Britain that is not built on any of your actual experience of it as you have never been there. Try going there and seeing for yourself - many Canadians love it and ask why we emigrated from England to Ontario. As for being a young Mum you can join in toddler groups and meet a whole new lot of friends, your husband has a job with his family and in no time, you'll be able to afford to fly back and see your own family in Canada.
We're heading back this summer and can't wait.
All the best in whatever you decide

Originally Posted by holtyny (Post 8473916)

piece of advice dont leave canada for england for the love of god what as got into you, this once great country is no more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Kiwilass (Post 8473953)

You don't know, which is why you need to think about it. I also recommend going to the MBTTUK forum for some insight into what it's like to be the partner stuck in a country you can't leave cos of the kids.

on the other hand, you might love it and the OH might be begging to come back after a few years :D

Originally Posted by Kiwilass (Post 8473963)

No, because I didn't think it would be a permanent move. BOth the OH and I talked about heading back to Europe, which is where we met. I hadnt' spent longer than 2 weeks in Canada before I moved here as a PR. I had no/low expectations, honestly. I thought there was snow 6 months of the year and everyone had sled dogs.

I do love it here but I went through bad culture shock in the beginning and used to whine constantly about how much canada sucked :thumbsup: but I also knew that I liked it, which sounds contradictory, but that's how it was. However, once I got past the shock, it just 'works' for me on a lot of levels, but I wonder if it's also because a. I had low expectations (I did NO research before coming) and b. I thought we would leave if we didn't like it - the OH was up for that. I was also in my late 20's so probably easier to adapt, who knows.

So I guess my advice is to be prepared for the worst. The only thing that gives me pause is that you sound very close to your family. I am not close to mine at all. If you are close you may well find it a lot harder than I did. :(

Originally Posted by leepee (Post 8473977)

Hiya.....

I have lived in four different countries and now have good friends in all of them!

How things turn out will, to a large extent depend on your attitude going into the situation. IF you just sit at home you will have a miserable time....However, if you grit your teeth and go to all the mom and tot groups that you can you will make friends and things will get easier. Having a child certainly helps. When you go to the parks make an effort to chat to other mothers. Some will be totally unfriendly but others will be better. In the UK the local churches often have little playgroups. It isn't fun to walk into a place and know no-one - believe me I have done it. BUT you simply have to do it and that is all there is to it. You have to accept that you will have to go outside your own comfort zone but hopefully not for too long.

You could also take a look at www.canuckabroad.com Maybe you might find some expat Canadians to meet up with....

England is different. The houses are small, the traffic is crap, a lot of the people are hugely unfriendly BUT....The culture is amazing, the countryside is beautiful, and a lot of the people are fantastic and sooooo funny!! Go for it and at least you won't regret never having done it.....

Good luck with everything
Lisa

Originally Posted by TheThornes (Post 8474003)

Many of us on this site may not be the best persons to ask as we're the ones that wanted to move away from the UK, all for various reasons.

Personally, I think the UK is a beautiful place; it has a bit of everything, coast, mountains, rolling hills etc etc. Unfortunately the UK has many problems now that, for us, made us feel it wasn't a place we wanted to raise our children any more. I allow my children far more freedom here in Canada than I would have ever have done so in the UK.

To be honest, I'm not over familiar with Bedford (driven through a few times). I'm sure much of it is very nice and I don't mean to offend anyone that lives there, but it isn't a place necessarily recognised for its beauty as say the Lake District, Cornwall or the Scottish Highlands etc.

Having a young child will, I think, help you meet people; it certainly has helped me when moving over here. You will meet other parents through parent and toddler groups, pre-school etc etc. You just need to make the effort sometimes.

There are differences in culture which take some adjusting to.

And yes, there's the weather. You do get sunny days in the winter time but I think it's fair to say you will get more grey and wet days than you will sunny ones and that probably applies to the summer too!

Personally, I wouldn't even contemplate moving to another country without first having a couple of visits. I know some people don't visit first and I think they are very brave. I came to Canada twice before we made the move over; once in the summer and once in the winter.

I know people have mentioned the scenario of you moving over, hating it and wanting to return home with your child and your husband refusing to allow you to remove your child from the country. In the UK, I worked for the Family Department of a solicitors office and we had some similar cases. Although there's no hard and fast rule, in most cases if the matter went to court, the wife was granted permission to return to her native country if it was considered in the child's best interest - ie. support of extended family etc etc. There's never a certainty but there's always the possibility!

It's true what others have said too about the housing in the UK. Property is very expensive and compared to what we have experienced here in Canada, generally much smaller. There are some parts of the country that are somewhat cheaper but I would imagine Bedford to be quite high due to its proximity to London.

If I had to choose between Beford and NS, I certainly wouldn't choose Bedford.

I wouldn't advise you not to go because you might absolutely love it over there. However, just give it some serious consideration. I know you said finances don't allow but I really would try to go for a visit first to get a feel for the place. A visit first will cost you a lot less than moving over, hating it and moving home!

Well I wish you well with whatever you decide and, if you do make the move, I hope you will be happy there.

:starsmile:

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8475638)

I. Now if it weren't for the grey skies and tiny houses... ;)

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8475598)

The indoor ski slope sounds like fun, lol. It would be ironic for me to go there since we haven't been skiing here in the past three years and there are two outdoor slopes within driving distance. Will definitely visit Wells-Next-the-Sea, what a name. That's one thing I noticed and love about England - the place names!

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8473771)

Bedford area. I have no choice in the matter as that's where his parents are living and he'll be working for them.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8476604)

We moved from the Bedford area. There are lots of parts of Bedford that are run down and rather shabby looking and there are some very nice areas. There are lots of very pretty villages and several market towns around the area too, lots to do, places to go etc. Not the worst part of England to move to:rofl: Ask if you have any questions.

Originally Posted by Elaine B. (Post 8473754)

Hi there

it might be worth checking out the Moving Back to the UK forum to get some advice. I moved to Canada back in 1999 and I'd never even visited before so I understand your apprehension.

FWIW I moved to the UK with my Canadian OH and he wouldn't dream of moving back to Canada (mind you he had lived here for quite a few years before). Oh and we do see the sun every so often so don't worry too much about the weather;)

Originally Posted by dollface (Post 8476628)

No regrets Elaine?

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8473741)

Hello all,
Do you have any advice for me? When you moved to Canada did you have reservations? Should I just take the plunge? It seems like some of you really love it here in Canada. I sure wish my fiance felt the same way. :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Chookie (Post 8476702)

What would happen if you didn't move?

Would he go back to the UK anyway and leave you where you are? Or would he stay with you?

What if you went and absolutely hated it - would he be agreeable to you moving back to Canada?

Personally I think you really do need to try to visit before you make this kind of decision. And you need to discuss the above questions with him as well.

Originally Posted by fledermaus (Post 8476766)

Er, you wouldn't have to live with his parents too would you? That would rule out any move for me.

You said he has only been thinking about going back since his parents have gone back. Maybe he is just missing them and not missing the UK.

You're young, 27 isn't old at all, let him go back by himself and see how he settles. Don't spend $$ on shipping stuff over and burning your bridges here until you know more about what he really wants. Once he is earning enough to buy a house in an area that you would like, ie not hemmed in, then you can rethink. Maybe he won't like being back but if he likes it more than being with you in NS then you are well rid of him.

Originally Posted by Kiwilass (Post 8476732)

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8476979)

The way it looks now, he'll be going with or without me and our son. I think you're right I do need to see it beforehand and we have to have a solid agreement. This should be a fun prospect, but it's truly daunting!

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8476984)

That's a possibility, that he's just missing his parents. He's also convinced that he'll make it big over there with the products his father is distributing. They had bad luck (i.e. made bad decisions) in Canada. No, we wouldn't be living with his parents. I couldn't deal with that either!

I think you're right in that I should not go over there just yet.:)

Originally Posted by fledermaus (Post 8477027)

Er, if he is contemplating going without you, leaving his son behind then let him go.

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8477004)

That's heartbreaking and scary. I think before I set foot in the UK I'll have a letter of permission to leave with my son written and signed by my OH.

Originally Posted by dannyg1001 (Post 8477096)

No offence intended, but he sounds really selfish.

He has a child for God's sake!

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 8477332)

Seems to me that the OP knows exactly what they are going to do and are just prevaricating.

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8473741)

Hello all,

I'm a Canadian possibly moving to England looking for some advice from those who have done the same except the other way round. My partner moved to Canada nearly 5 years ago with his family, we met and had a son together who is nearly 2 now. His family has gone back and he would like to follow.

I'm not "sold" on the move yet. I love it here in NS, I've never been to England and we can't afford for me to even have a visit before moving there permanently. The visa fees and container would be expensive, not to mention the flights for us and the higher housing costs there. I'm prone to seasonal depression and am terrified at the prospect of not seeing a full sunny day from Nov-May. I'll miss the wide open, unpopulated spaces. I'll miss my family. I would love to have an extended visit in the UK, but I'm afraid I won't like living there. I've dreamed of travelling to the UK all my life but when faced with a permanent move I'm balking.

Do you have any advice for me? When you moved to Canada did you have reservations? Should I just take the plunge? It seems like some of you really love it here in Canada. I sure wish my fiance felt the same way. :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by highlandspirit8 (Post 8477731)

Britain is going down hill rapidly. It's becoming very Americanised with crime, vandalism, litter, and drugs. You will get sunshine occasionally especially the more South you go, but winters can be very, very depressing, just constant dull days, rain, wind and NO snow (or very little)

Originally Posted by oconnorkerry (Post 8475598)

That's one thing I noticed and love about England - the place names!

Originally Posted by rubberduckofdeath (Post 8478531)

I don't think I'll be saying anything new here, but he's my 2p anyway.

England is not a bad place to live, it's just no longer what I want from life. England has a lot of culture and lots of nice places to visit. The biggest problems with this are that you never end up going anywhere because of traffic and the fact that everything's so bl**dy expensive now.

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 8478633)

Drifting a thread, but is it really the case that everything in the UK is so expensive compared to Canada? With the obvious exceptions of property and gas (although the gas price is to an extent offset by more fuel efficient vehicles), are the daily staples of life -food, drink, clothing, energy much more expensive than Canada? I'd say not but then I haven't lived in the Uk for 5 years or more.

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 8477332)

Seems to me that the OP knows exactly what they are going to do and are just prevaricating.