Moving back to UK
Jan 11th 2010, 2:36 pm
#106
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: South of Calgary
Posts: 13,374
Re: Moving back to UK
I hope not mate, I haven't got a license.
I have thought about learning whilst I'm over there actually, I would need to look more into the driving schools etc though. I imagine it's a lot cheaper to learn there and it's definitely a lot cheaper than learning in my girlfriend's homeland.
I have thought about learning whilst I'm over there actually, I would need to look more into the driving schools etc though. I imagine it's a lot cheaper to learn there and it's definitely a lot cheaper than learning in my girlfriend's homeland.
I wouldn't waste my money on lessons - brake/accelerate with your right foot, use indicators only if you want to show people that they work - that seems to be all you need to know.
Jan 11th 2010, 2:38 pm
#108
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to UK
If you can drive a dodgem car, you can drive as well as 99.9% of Canadians, especially the ones that drive trucks I wouldn't waste my money on lessons - brake/accelerate with your right foot, use indicators only if you want to show people that they work - that seems to be all you need to know.
I wouldn't waste my money on lessons - brake/accelerate with your right foot, use indicators only if you want to show people that they work - that seems to be all you need to know.
How does one go about getting a license then? Will they issue them to foreigners on temporary visas?
Jan 11th 2010, 2:43 pm
#109
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Moving back to UK
And don't forget that it is just their opinion from their own experience. There are many expats in Canada who are quite satisfied with their decision to come here and are doing just fine, equally as well as in the UK or better.
Jan 11th 2010, 2:52 pm
#110
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 15,706
Re: Moving back to UK
BUT surely that was Fled is saying anyway, In the grand scheme of things My experiences here have been Positive and I'm doing better here than I was in the UK. BUT my experiences have definitely had some downs and there have been times I wish I'd never left the UK and others that I would happily have jumped on the next flight out.
Jan 11th 2010, 2:55 pm
#111
Account Closed
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,284
Re: Moving back to UK
Oh yes that's true enough, but ignoring the downside is daft. I know this because that's what I did.
Jan 11th 2010, 2:57 pm
#112
Account Closed
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,284
Re: Moving back to UK
Young and on Bunac, I see that as a fun adventure nothing to lose. Something people should do. It's when you are older, more established that it becomes a more risky propostion.
Jan 11th 2010, 2:58 pm
#113
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Moving back to UK
I find that hard to believe, although I really don't know. I would imagine that schooling debts are higher in Canada (although the UK is catching them up rapidly) and I suspect that the number of toys that Canadians have are unlikely to have been paid for with cash.
Most people I know have a mortgage and most of those are a similar multiple of salary as were those of friends in the UK.
Most people I know have a mortgage and most of those are a similar multiple of salary as were those of friends in the UK.
Average household debt in the UK is ~ £9,016 (excluding mortgages). This figure increases to £18,784 if the average is based on the number of households who actually have some form of unsecured loan.
The last data I can find for canada is pretty old (2002!), at <$15k consumer debt per adult. Thats scary enough. Anyone have a current/ recent number?
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc....g/ca02111.html
http://www.creditaction.org.uk/debt-statistics.html
OK, maybe you are right...$400 billion between 30M people!
http://www.commonsensedebtsecrets.co...tatistics.html
Jan 11th 2010, 3:03 pm
#114
Sidecar Falcon
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,504
Re: Moving back to UK
Jan 11th 2010, 3:09 pm
#116
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 15,706
Re: Moving back to UK
<feels offended and kicks zimmer frame across the room>
Jan 11th 2010, 5:01 pm
#117
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,648
Re: Moving back to UK
Certainly debt levels in the UK far exceed those in Canada. But its individuals that take on debt, lets not blame either country. The canadian economy is largely resource based (oil, lumber, minerals), with a decent amount of manufacturing still. Its certainly not as service driven as the UK...you cant outsource resources. Canada's immigration driven expansion will in some ways help with any demographic shortfall.
Further to this having been in the UK and in London the last 18 months I have seen how brutal the recession is. The reality is the UK will not see real growth for quite some time. Quantitive easing has been used to stop a total melt down and get back to growth but in the last year and a bit the UK GDP has dropped around 5%. We are unlikely to see much more than 1% growth this year or next (Unemployment is expected to continue rising)- the economy is pretty much at a stand still. They will also turn of the quantitive easing so there is a real danger we could fall back into recession. Even the recent cold spell is set to further disrupt things with lots of crops etc being destroyed and food prices set to rise.
The Canadian economy is definately a brigher prospect than the UK one over the next 5 to 10 years. Hense why I am making the move.
People coming back to the UK need to be aware that in terms of jobs and earnings it is not the same wicket here that it was pre summer 2008 (the credit boom).
Last edited by JamesM; Jan 11th 2010 at 5:09 pm.
Jan 11th 2010, 5:27 pm
#118
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 16
Re: Moving back to UK
Out of interest, where are you thinking of moving to?
Jan 11th 2010, 5:53 pm
#119
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 95
Re: Moving back to UK
At the risk of repeating myself, I was told by an elderly patient in the UK years ago that most people who "fail" emigrating do so because they can't get Marmite!
When I looked surprised he explained that if not Marmite per se it could be cheese, or wine or whatever, ... but some small and apparently inconsequential item that summed up for the emigrant as the whole reason why they were miserable in their new life.
Of course it's not the reason, ... it's a symptom of the fact that they really can't settle, and becomes a tangible focus for their discontent.
If you are happy then the fact that some item of food is "inferior", prohibitively expensive or unavailable is really no deal-breaker.
Sorry you did not settle. Hope you can settle back in the UK, though it's been seen many times on here that once home, folks might remember why they left in the first place. You can end up feeling disgruntled and unsettled wherever you are. Hope this is not you. Good luck.
When I looked surprised he explained that if not Marmite per se it could be cheese, or wine or whatever, ... but some small and apparently inconsequential item that summed up for the emigrant as the whole reason why they were miserable in their new life.
Of course it's not the reason, ... it's a symptom of the fact that they really can't settle, and becomes a tangible focus for their discontent.
If you are happy then the fact that some item of food is "inferior", prohibitively expensive or unavailable is really no deal-breaker.
Sorry you did not settle. Hope you can settle back in the UK, though it's been seen many times on here that once home, folks might remember why they left in the first place. You can end up feeling disgruntled and unsettled wherever you are. Hope this is not you. Good luck.
we have never really settled, we find it too different plus we're thinking about being there in the Uk for our aging parents who we intended sponsoring to Ontario, but they can't come for health reasons. Sad all round, but we shall be with them soon.
Jan 11th 2010, 6:06 pm
#120
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,648
Re: Moving back to UK
Toronto
Mainly because I've heard the job market outside of Finance is still pretty good. And I lived there for a year on BUNAC so I know and like the city.
Mainly because I've heard the job market outside of Finance is still pretty good. And I lived there for a year on BUNAC so I know and like the city.