curleytops

+1

cheers

Do you know how she is doing? She made a good girl friend when she was down in London if I remember right.

curleytops

Only what I read on her last post on here. I think she's very happy where she is now and has a view of the coast from where she is.

cheers

Read the section on Back Home.
I read a lot in there and went back about 8 months because it was so interesting.
Returnees gave their impressions after being back awhile. Some even returned to where they came from. Mostly Canada I think.
Again some are from people we know from the over 50's.
One person I liked reading about is someone called MrMuffin who spent 26 years in the states before returning to the UK.
There were some hard luck stories about being back in the UK and broke, lonely, homeless, unemployed and sick. Sad. It is made worse because of all the budget cutbacks by the government so there is little or no help.
Maybe the trick is to tell them you are a war refugee. Not good to lie I know.

Cheers

aries

Cheers, it is difficult to be positive when life has unexpectedly, disappointingly, and upsettingly changed for the worse. Perhaps this thread has slowed down because returnees have settled in, or like me are too depressed to hear about those who are pleased with their lot. My health went downhill at a rapid rate when I moved to Torquay, mainly caused by the weather and hills. It is my hometown, but I did not expect this to happen. I sorely miss Adelaide's warmer and drier climate, and I miss decent indoor shopping centres where shops are not boarded up, or look as if they need love and care.

There used to be a poster in BE, I think may have been banned, who wanted us all to believe Britain is the most wonderful place on earth, and was critical of anyone who haven't found this to be true, it wasn't pleasant to face this every time I logged in. I can understand that people who are pleased with their lives don't want negative comments, but life has to be reported how we personally see it after making such a big sacrifice to return.

As you know I spent most of 51 years in Australia, though during periods of that time I lived in England and Germany, and enjoyed a number of extended holidays, but I still had my home in Adelaide to return to. It was always a feeling of being home when I walked out of Adelaide Airport, and every time I marvelled at the wide roads and big sky.

London has always been my favourite city since the age of 14, unfortunately when I looked for a flat there in January 2012, I was shocked by the poor places I could afford to buy compared with my previous life. The diesel fumes hanging in the air caused me concern, and travelling on 27 tube trains in 4 days looking at flats didn't help either. I remember leaving Kings Cross Station to walk to my hotel, and feeling so ill from the pollution, I wanted to tell police officers who were grouped nearby. Instead I struggled to my hotel and laid on my bed, I didn't want to go to hospital.

While resting, I suddenly heard a loud voice in my head saying that I must leave London, so when I felt improved, I went out and bought a train ticket to Torquay. I chose to stay at the Imperial Hotel where I had stayed with a German friend during a visit from Oz in 2009, but it is on a steep hill just above the harbour, and on my second day, I suffered chest pains and breathing problems walking back. Reception called for an ambulance, and I was taken to hospital. The hotel kept my room with a further free night, and I returned to my sister's house in a flat Lincolnshire village.

I am in tears writing this because I didn't learn a lesson from my experience. I entered into negotiations to buy a flat in a new block in Torquay, but the builder went broke, and the agents used me as a legal test case. Three months later my brother and his wife brought me back to see the flat, and we stayed at the nearby Palace Hotel. We walked to the flats, but although the finish of them was good, they advised me to back out. We looked at others, and I made an offer to buy the flat I am now in. On our last night at the hotel I became ill, and in Warwickshire was diagnosed with a serious case of bronchitis. The local chemist dispensed the wrong medication after not reading the prescription properly, and I became even more ill which considerably angered the doctor.

I had thought my solicitor in Warwickshire had covered all legal necessities, but in early June 2012 when my sister and her husband moved me in, there was a horrendous smell. The agent just said the windows needed opening, but subsequently the carpet in the main bedroom was lifted to reveal horrendous damp. My agent was a friend of the owner and I believe she knew, but although I sought legal advice, there was nothing I could do.

Fortunately the problem was deemed to be a building fault, so while I went to Germany for 3 weeks, the bedroom was ripped apart and tanked, and piping put underground outside. Clearly I was unable to sleep in the room until it dried out and was redecorated, and I slept on the floor in my lounge for 3 months. For someone my age with a heart condition and used to better conditions in Adelaide, it was a horrendous start for my new life.

I struggled with my breathing, and within a short time I became ill again, and was rushed to hospital, and told I was very ill with a septic lung. Despite big doses of antibiotics for 5 days at the hospital, my condition emerged again within a couple of months, and I ended up in hospital once more. I wasn't able to travel to spend Christmas with my beloved sister and her family, and I never saw her again. She was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and died. She was one of the main reasons I returned to England to live, we were brought up together.

Since then a number of health problems have befallen me, in most cases requiring hospital admissions. Following a stay of 5 days in August last year, I told the ward doctor that I had developed a bad chest infection, but he said it was just fluid in my lungs, and sent me home. That night I became seriously ill, and a GP who came was very angry that I had been sent home with no services, and arranged for a number of health professionals to come. It was fortunate that I had emergency antibiotics and steroids in my drawer which the doctor could give me. She was here for a very long time.

In December I began to suffer debilitating dizzy spells, but two doctors failed to check me properly. I collapsed in my bathroom and came to bleeding and confused, but managed to get to my phone and phone 999. The ambulance crew did what the doctors failed to do, they checked my blood pressure with me standing as well as sitting, and insisted that I go to hospital. A nurse there told me that when I stood, my systolic blood pressure dropped from about 140 to about 50, it was no wonder I collapsed. Three prescription medications were stopped, and I was in hospital for 6 days.

I have other health problems, but I think I've illustrated enough why some of us are unhappy returning to our home country. I used to play a lot of sport in Australia, one at a high level, so to be back in England and now suffer so many difficulties, has been extremely challenging and upsetting. I would love to have some warm weather and be able to walk around my own garden in a dressing gown in the morning once again, but living in a flat doesn't allow me to do this. I feel that I need an extended period of warmth to boost my body and feelings, but it doesn't happen in Torquay.

Expats who return from warmer countries might be happy to have grey skies and rain for a while, I was such a person, but the joy wore off when the climate poved to be poor for me, I should have kept to holidays only here. For those who come back and are well and happy, I am very envious, we all find our experiences different.

I apologise for the long post, but it is something I needed to do.

cheers

Thanks for posting Aries.
I hope they get you on track to getting much better.

I was in Torquay in 2013. It was a drag for me because we were with my daughter and we had to do things her way. I usually like being with her.

Cheers

Perth

Aries, sounds like you have had the most dreadful luck since you've been back. Is there really no hope of returning to Adelaide? I am hoping that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for you sooner rather than later.

jasper123

Aries I have just read your post, WOW!!! how shocking, oh Im so sorry that you have gone through all of that, its way too much to have to take, I echo Perths words and ask you surely there must be a way for you to return to your home in Australia,
A lot of people like me come home after living decades in another country and things go well and they become happy, and are mostly content with there new life,
but with you it is obviously not working out for you at all, and surely you must realise that Oz is your home, not here in the UK, you need to go back home where the climate is warmer and the air is cleaner,
I really feel for you Aries, Im so sorry that you are so unhappy, come on you need to get back your life, try to work out a way of getting back home.
Take care,
Rodney.

I like tea

Very sorry to hear your return to the UK didn't turn out as you had hoped. Your honest, thoughtful story about your health and Real Estate issues are a warning to anyone contemplating returning for them to tread with caution.

I hope you can get on top of your illnesses and reevaluate whether the UK is where you want to live. Or maybe you don't have a choice? which would be very sad.

Life throws us curved balls at times but you have shown remarkable resilience to overcome your problems. I hope good fortune befriends you and you find peace and happiness in the next few years.

black swan

Aries, I am so glad that you have taken the time to explain how things have been for you since your return to England. I remember you selling your house in Adelaide, you did'nt take long to find a buyer. The reason I have followed your return with interest is that we lived in Adelaide for many years & now live in Perth, WA. a total of 43yrs. We often dream of returning to England, like yourself we find the heat of summer too much sometimes. Having children & grandchildren here stop us thinking about it seriously. Reading your post helps me look at things realistically. Thank you for posting your thoughts. I do hope life improves for you.

aries

Thank you all for your responses, it helps that my BE "family" shows concern.

I don't really know what to do, apart from the stress of selling my flat and needing a visa to enter Oz (I have a Permanent Resident Visa), a GP has said I would need someone to accompany me on the long journey. I've travelled a lot in my life and enjoyed being at airports (Singapore is my favourite), but at the present time even shopping can be difficult.

This afternoon I walked to my surgery for an INR blood test (I take Warfarin), and finally took a taxi and ended up at our British Home Stores looking for shoes. The assistant said they could normally place an order for the size and colour I wanted, but as the old established group went into administration to-day, she didn't think it would be a good idea. I feel sad that yet another British icon could disappear and put a lot of people out of work, the assistant seemed totally lost. I'm sure if I had discussed it more she would have been in tears. At least I bought a pair of shoes at the nearby Clarks.

cheers

British Home Stores and Austin Reeds I think.

jasper123

arias thank you for being so very honest about your experiences of moving back to UK, I think that everyone should always say exactly how it is for them,
there have been quite a few expats from this thread of ours over the years that have come home and tried to live here in UK and have really tried hard to make it work cause this is what they wanted, but they returned to there expat life, and each with a different reason or reasons for not being able to make it work here, not everyone can do it!!!

but your story I think is the most sad and heartbreaking I have heard from anyone,
aries I really do wish you the best of everything, and I hope your life and circumstances change to the better quickly,
but one thing I would like to say to you is continue with your posts to us your B.E. family, a lot of people on here will support you, and that is important!!!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!
take good care of yourself,
Rodney.

aries

Something which upset me a year ago, a woman aged 81 in a big penthouse here, went to her garage at the back, attached a hose to her car's exhaust pipe, closed the windows and switched on the engine. It was too far from the building for anyone to hear. Her husband had died on holiday in Spain, so for several years on her own she couldn't cope.

At her funeral I talked with her daughter and granddaughters, and found that they had all lived near me in South Australia, and I would have been in their fruit and vegetable shop. Sadly on the day she died, a neighbour had suggested to her that she came down to visit me (I was debilitated at the time), but she had already chosen what she wanted to do. Such a shame, we would have had so much to talk about.

trottytrue

I am so very sorry Aries we have such great expectations when we finally get to go home we have reservations about how it might not turn out as we want but we put that in the back of our minds. Listening to you and others who returned and found it not all they expected it to be does help.
I am so sorry about your sister that must have been a great blow to you that one link that kept you going. But I am sure she is close by watching over you.
When ever I speak to my family member they all seem to have a difficult time with doctors in one way or another. Getting a complete picture of what is exactly wrong seems to be a problem my niece is going through that she goes from one doctor to another gets pill after pill thrown at her but never does she get better. My sister went to the doctors last week she had a nurse taking care of her who could not speak English she told my sister to sit down and she would be back she never returned my sister left and went home...
I think you need to work on your health and hopefully get it sorted out and then you can decided if you would like to go back to Australia.
I thought I was having a bad time feeling sorry for myself but I see others much worse off than me. We are all caught in some sort of a trap that prevents us from doing what we want to do. You are not alone. You have been brave enough to tell it as it is. I have learnt to take one day at a time and not look to far into the future.
I will be thinking about you I dont post very often but I do wish you the best.