gilsland

Hi Expats, Wife and I have retired and returned back to the Uk
after many years in Canada, we've been back 6 months.We'd like to communicate with anyone else who has returned home.
Peter

Bevm

There's a few of us here. Where have you relocated to?

We came back from Victoria to Whitby, Yorkshire, after being in Canada in various places for 30 years. Fine with it overall -- though there are some things -- but at the moment I'd rather be in Victoria for the weather! I don't mind rain at all, but intensely dislike icy roads and pavements.

How's it going for you,

Bev

gilsland

Hi Bev,
Yes we lived in Canada for over 30 years ,Mainly in B.C.
around Pitt Meadows and Port Coquitlam.
We've returned to Northumberland, and a I'm sure it'd be a lot
nicer in Victoria today.In fact Victoria is a lovely Town.
We would always spend the weekend there when the
antique boat show was on.
We are still trying to fit in , after all that time away,are you retired.
Regards Peter

Bevm

I'm a writer, my husband's retired. Are you retired?

Do you have family in Northumberland?

Bev

gilsland

Hi Bev,
Yes my wife and I were able to take early retirement,
and have returned to Northumberland,and yes we have a few
relatives left.How about you, was Whitby or Yorkshire, home.

jonfrank123

We've been back 6 months now after being in Mntreal for 5 years. Best decision ever!!

Ciderman

We've been back a month now. Spent 3 years in Alberta (Okotoks south of Calgary) and 3 years in BC (Maple Ridge near Vancouver). Great to be back.

jan the piglet

Hi Gilsland, that's near Brampton isn't it?
we've been in Ontario for almost 5 years and are in our 40s with a teenage son and teenage daughter - lovely kids and a 13 yr old lab who we hope will be fit enough to fly, a 7 yr old papillon and a 2 yr old pomeranian and 2 cats. We're hoping to relocate to that area and were wondering if you knew any good caravn sites near you? When we come back to the uk we're borrowing Mum's caravan, lokking for work and schools etc
Thanking you in anticipation, Jan

gilsland

Hi Jan, yes , my pseudonym is the name of a small village about 7 miles east
from Brampton.I grew up there.
We now live in a small town called Haltwhistle which is 13 miles east
of Brampton.
I know of 2 caravan sites in the area, one is at Haltwhistle and
the other is at a small village called Slaggyford.
Slaggyford is much prettier, but more remote, much to boring for teenagers.
Hope this helps.
Peter

sans

Hi we have been back home for a year and a half now and thats longer then we was in Canada..... WOW!!! Doesn't time fly when your having fun
Guess that means we are more then happy Mmm We was on Vancouver Island and home is North Lincolnshire

jan the piglet

thank you so much, Peter,we shall look in to them.
What do you think of Blighty after being in another country for so long?
we're returning to be nearer family - especially as my Step Dad's been ill after his quadruple heart bypass and then this autumn my Mum was going to come here, but didn't want to leave her husband, then she had a benign tumour on her bladder and was operated on, and I felt so guilty being her only daughter and not being there for her - that was one of the main turning points. She's 70 (but looks 65)
My real Dad died aged 64 in March 2005 and at his funeral our emigration agent phoned me to say that we had been successful in being accepted in to Ontario. My emotions were all over the place, anyway we had to see what we thought of living abroad - opportunities etc, but the pull on the heart strings was too much. I think the UK is actually more exciting than here, but glad we experienced Canada.
Thanks again and we might meet up in the not too distant future, Jan

jan the piglet

Small world in some ways -I'm from Penrith do you know Shap has the highest open air pool in the Uk and we've swum in the outdoor pool in Haltwhistle? Quaint border town. I moved to Norham, nr Berwick on Tweed then to Kelso on the Scottish side!!! had to learn haggis language, then moved to Preston and met my beloved husband from Lancaster in 1985, married in 1988.

zalaben

Hi, may I ask why it was the best decision ever? Did u hate montreal that much that you felt that you had to return to the Uk or did personal reasons play into your decision? Just curious as I couldnt imagine living anywhere else but Montreal.

Elaine B.

[QUOTE=zalaben;8239714Just curious as I couldnt imagine living anywhere else but Montreal.[/QUOTE]

I lived in Montreal for almost 2 years and it was the most miserable time of my life Not really Montreal's fault we only moved their as it's where my OH was born and his mum still lives their. The rest of our time in Canada (6 years) we live in Toronto which was an improvement but it was never home. We've been back in NI since July 2008 and are still very glad to be home.

jonfrank123

Actually I have nothing against Montreal, it's a very good place to live but life is always a complicated puzzle. We emigrated to Montreal for personal reasons (my wife is a Montrealer and her parents still live there). It wasn't an easy decision to return.

My business was always back in the UK and it started doing well, I simply couldn't run it from Canada getting up at 4am to be on UK time and flying back 5 times per year. At first , earning pounds was great until the exchange rate started to diminish. At a certain point we both realised economically, we'd be doing much better in the UK. At the beginning I was very homesick for the UK but after a couple of years that wasn't an issue.

Fast forward 6 months, life has improved hugely financially. The bigger surprises though are our social life has gone fantastic. We tried hard in Canada but I found you had to negotiate 3 weeks in advance to arrange a trip to the pub. In the UK you just ring up friends on the day. In the last month a member of my family has had serious health issues. To contrast the treatment they got in Montreal for the same issue makes the NHS look like that 6 star hotel in Dubai and the Quebec system look like a dodgy B&B in Blackpool.

Still we are looking forward to a nice long holiday in Montreal during the summer, so our kids can see their grandparents.