British Expats

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-   -   Moving back to UK (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/moving-back-uk-645584/)

thepeacock Feb 3rd 2010 1:54 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
I agree. The main reason I want to give Canada a go are:

1) Does seem a better work/life culture

2) Much cheaper property

3) Not 1/4 as cramped.

Stil lno-where is perfect and it's going to be hard.

dbd33 Feb 3rd 2010 2:03 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by thepeacock (Post 8308315)

2) Much cheaper property

3) Not 1/4 as cramped.

I think this is only true if you move to the Canadian equivalent of Wales.

iaink Feb 3rd 2010 2:13 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 8308342)
I think this is only true if you move to the Canadian equivalent of Wales.

So anywhere that is not Calgary, Toronto or Vancouver is like Wales:rolleyes:

Id have gone after the work/ life balance thing myself...Hello, 2 or 3 weeks vacation!

Londonuck Feb 3rd 2010 2:22 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by thepeacock (Post 8308315)
I agree. The main reason I want to give Canada a go are:

1) Does seem a better work/life culture

2) Much cheaper property

3) Not 1/4 as cramped.

Stil lno-where is perfect and it's going to be hard.

Its just a different way of life and a really interesting experience.

Much cheaper property? Hmmm not sure about that one mate.

PaulOK Feb 3rd 2010 2:29 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by thepeacock (Post 8308315)
I agree. The main reason I want to give Canada a go are:

1) Does seem a better work/life culture

2) Much cheaper property

3) Not 1/4 as cramped.

Stil lno-where is perfect and it's going to be hard.

These are my reasons too 'thepeacock'. I'm am very happy here in Canada but I respect (and even partially agree with) people who have had less than a great experience over here (IMO there is a bit of a 'redneck' mentality in 'our' part of Canada and my wife always complains about the lack of decent clothes shopping compared to London) . However these gripes are minor and the prohibitive costs of decent housing in London combined with the dire economic and political climate in the UK were big factors in the move to Canada.

dbd33 Feb 3rd 2010 2:46 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by iaink (Post 8308371)
So anywhere that is not Calgary, Toronto or Vancouver is like Wales:rolleyes:

Montreal is not like Wales.

dgjamison Feb 3rd 2010 9:57 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by sarah.lazell (Post 8307573)
Just thought I would randomly join in, not really sure which quote to reply to, but just want to mention that I live in the South of England, and love the community, the people and schools. We have our visas through for Canada and shall be coming over some time this year, but will be renting our home out, just in case we need to come back. I am quite hopeful, But always believe its what you make it, (of course money always helps). If anyone is thinking of coming back to the UK have a trip first, it is terribly competitive in the job market at the moment, I should know, my back ground was until recently HR/Recruitment, (now at home with children). Houses are extremely expensive, and everything is taxed, and dont forget if you want to drive 15 miles along the motorway, it will take you an hour in the traffic on a good day. Saying that, I am very happy here, and also hoping to be happy in Canada too.

What you are doing is very wise. You don't say if you are coming to a job or not, but if you read my earlier post, when we came in '76 my husband had a great job and we had a good life. So to be honest, dosent matter where you live if you can afford the lifestyle it makes life a lot better and easier to settle imo. The thing you will probably find really different unless your very lucky, is the lack of friendly neighbours, community ( in the sense of how we know it in the uk. Most people work here, my neighbour is 70 and still works, she told me she does it to keep her health insurance benifits) so in that way, I have found Canada disappointing, you won't get a neighbour talking to you over the garden fence!!!!! In other ways it is really good, so like i say if you have a good paying job with all the benefits you can have a really good life here.:D

Auld Yin Feb 3rd 2010 10:12 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
you won't get a neighbour talking to you over the garden fence!!!!

This may be your experience but it is definitely not mine or that of my family members and friends here.

JonboyE Feb 3rd 2010 10:17 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
Or mine.

terese677 Feb 3rd 2010 10:23 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
or mine, my neighbours are very friendly and we are on very good ladder-borrowing terms:)

airbornesapper Feb 3rd 2010 10:24 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
I wish I was allowed a fence :)

dgjamison Feb 3rd 2010 11:01 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by Martian75 (Post 8307783)
I am also from the South of England, Hampshire as well. We also have a great life where we live, great friends and family and on the whole the community is lovely. Your story sounds very similar to ours, we are coming to Canada in April and are going to rent our house in the UK as a back-up, we are not going with rose-tinted glasses but are also not going hoping to live as we do here in Canada, we understand that it is a different way of life and are prepared to embrace that.
Whereabouts are you from and going to?

As for people moving back to the UK then I agree with you,sarah, houses have gone ridiculous and jobs are hard to find although things do seem to be improving. As for the traffic, well I spend an hour most weeks travelling 4 miles up the road. Our choice to leave the UK is a variety of things, we have a good life here however, we have become very dis-illusioned with the way the UK is run, the latest madness is the new tax on our home telephone line!! We are fed up with some of our taxes paying for the 'can't be arsed, i'll sit at home all day and have more kids whilst someone else pays for me' or the 'I know I'll have a baby at 16 instead of getting a job/going to college so that I'll be given a place to live' culture that we seem to be be breeding on a daily basis! We see a great country being ruined more and more each day by the men in suits who call themselves our Government and with an election round the corner can only see yet another party getting in who promise the earth but cannot actually deliver. We need someone with some balls who will let Britain stay Britain, not give the can't be arsed such an easy ride and not be afraid to say that 'anyone is more than welcome in our country but you must live by our way of life and accept our rules and regs' exactly like other countries do and are respected for! Anyway thats another rant.
Our main reason for leaving is because of the opportunity being given and the major worry of looking back and thinking 'what if'. Opportunities don't come along everyday during a lifetime, we have been given one and are going to grab it with both hands. You only live once! We are looking forward to our move and hope it will work out for us and hope we are making a good decision for our children as well. Britain is letting our youth down badly.
:thumbup:

what part of Canada are you going to?

dgjamison Feb 3rd 2010 11:14 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by Auld Yin (Post 8309786)
you won't get a neighbour talking to you over the garden fence!!!!

This may be your experience but it is definitely not mine or that of my family members and friends here.

As I said before, " unless you are very lucky", so obviously I have been very unlucky!!!! I am living in a gated community (which I thought would be great for my OH and myself to make friends) as my family are not in this country!! Give my neighbours xmas cards, not one returned or acknowledged??? never personally came across this before. when we moved house at home I always put cards through my new neighbours letterbox and ALWAYS got a card returned and found after that if I saw a neighbour they always said hello, and passed the time of day. I do not find that here sorry, I take it you have lived in your neighbourhood a while? Where we lived at home, our neighbours all took turns every xmas to have each other in for a drink nibbles, and a chin wag. I don't expect that here, but a hello are you settling in would really have been nice. My husband who is really quiet and easy going can't believe how unfriendly our neighbours are so as I said maybe we have just been terribly unlucky. I hope so, I don't think I have rubbished Canada, (I tend to rubbish my own country more) but I like to call a spade a spade, and Canada is a great country, but definately not perfect, and as far as I'm concerned getting worse IMO:lol:

G77 Feb 3rd 2010 11:18 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 
I don't think xmas cards are a big thing here, so I wouldn't read too much into that....

Our neighbours are friendly enough, our son plays with their kids and we've been in each others houses.... When we asked them into our pool last summer they couldn't come around quick enough (they just have an inflatable one).

dgjamison Feb 3rd 2010 11:28 am

Re: Moving back to UK
 

Originally Posted by G77 (Post 8309942)
I don't think xmas cards are a big thing here, so I wouldn't read too much into that....

Our neighbours are friendly enough, our son plays with their kids and we've been in each others houses.... When we asked them into our pool last summer they couldn't come around quick enough (they just have an inflatable one).

KIds are a great ice breaker, unfortunately my are grown up and still in the uk, hence our decision to come to a gated community, anyhow it has'nt worked for us (sadly) and yes when we lived here before we also had a pool and used to have neighbours and Hor'd'ouvres round the pool, was fantastic, but we are older now and I have to say it is not the same. Suffice to say do not move abroad when you are over 50 otherwise it is much harder. Can I ask have any of you moved to a new life after the age of 50 and if so how did you find it? really interested to know. And can I just say, this was our decision to move so I blame no one else, I am just telling it as I see it!!!!:ohmy:


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