Is it really that bad???
Jan 29th 2003, 2:12 pm
#16
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Caribbean
Posts: 105
Originally posted by captaincook
£350,000 will buy a great house in London one of the most expensive cities in the world. We want to settle in Hampshire also expensive and we can find a lovely 3 bed detached for less than $250k in top area no worries and only pay 1% stamp duties.
People seem to forget its not just UK where house prices are rising although not sure they are any more in parts of Southern England. We sold our house in Oz and made 50% gain in 3 years. Everything in Brisbane is booming. I personally think prices are crazier here than in UK given the state of the country.
£350,000 will buy a great house in London one of the most expensive cities in the world. We want to settle in Hampshire also expensive and we can find a lovely 3 bed detached for less than $250k in top area no worries and only pay 1% stamp duties.
People seem to forget its not just UK where house prices are rising although not sure they are any more in parts of Southern England. We sold our house in Oz and made 50% gain in 3 years. Everything in Brisbane is booming. I personally think prices are crazier here than in UK given the state of the country.
Mar 22nd 2003, 2:48 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: recently back in the UK
Posts: 96
Re: Is it really that bad???
Originally posted by Jennie2003
I left the UK almost 11 years ago and am really missing home. I have been reading the comments posted on this site and I get the impression that England is the last place you should want to go!
Is it really that bad? Should I consider moving back?
I'd appreciate any conmments you have.
Thanks.
I left the UK almost 11 years ago and am really missing home. I have been reading the comments posted on this site and I get the impression that England is the last place you should want to go!
Is it really that bad? Should I consider moving back?
I'd appreciate any conmments you have.
Thanks.
This is an old thread. so not really sure if you're still thinking of moving back/have moved back, but from our personal experience I have to say no things are not that bad! I agree (I think it was Herman) who said something about the press having a negative pysche....people here generally have never been richer, there's plenty of work going (although that may change with the global slowdown) and the overall quality of life is still in many ways very good...are things perfect, no of course not, but everyone's doing OK...as I said just a few thoughts, not sure if you need them....
Mar 23rd 2003, 1:21 pm
#18
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Caribbean
Posts: 105
Re: Is it really that bad???
Originally posted by BigBill
This is an old thread. so not really sure if you're still thinking of moving back/have moved back, but from our personal experience I have to say no things are not that bad! I agree (I think it was Herman) who said something about the press having a negative pysche....people here generally have never been richer, there's plenty of work going (although that may change with the global slowdown) and the overall quality of life is still in many ways very good...are things perfect, no of course not, but everyone's doing OK...as I said just a few thoughts, not sure if you need them....
This is an old thread. so not really sure if you're still thinking of moving back/have moved back, but from our personal experience I have to say no things are not that bad! I agree (I think it was Herman) who said something about the press having a negative pysche....people here generally have never been richer, there's plenty of work going (although that may change with the global slowdown) and the overall quality of life is still in many ways very good...are things perfect, no of course not, but everyone's doing OK...as I said just a few thoughts, not sure if you need them....
Thanks for the feed-back. Actually, I am going to England for a visit in about a week, so when I get there I will be able to get an idea as to what is going on.
Before I started this thread, I had heard ALOT of negative things about moving back so I am glad that I am finally getting a more balanced view.
I'll post when I get back and let everyone know how my visit was!
Mar 23rd 2003, 8:08 pm
#19
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,005
Re: Is it really that bad???
Have you thought about living in SCOTLAND? I lived there for 12 months (2000), after 17-18 years in the Bahamas and US (I'm now back in the US). Loved it!
The Scots are great, house prices are not as crazy as the rest of the U.K. (maybe Edinburgh and some areas of Glasgow). Plus, Glasgow has all the culture you could ever want.
I lived a 20 minute drive from my job in Jordanhill (west part of Glasgow), in a former council house in an idyllic little village with hundreds of different walks right outside my front door. My kitchen window looked out on the Campsie Fells, and my rent (for a small-ish 2-BR terraced house) was all of 300 pounds! Can't beat it.
Don't listen too much to the naysayers, make up your own mind and make your own judgements. Hey, I could be wrong too, but I wnated to give you a positive viewpoint.
Good luck!
dave.
The Scots are great, house prices are not as crazy as the rest of the U.K. (maybe Edinburgh and some areas of Glasgow). Plus, Glasgow has all the culture you could ever want.
I lived a 20 minute drive from my job in Jordanhill (west part of Glasgow), in a former council house in an idyllic little village with hundreds of different walks right outside my front door. My kitchen window looked out on the Campsie Fells, and my rent (for a small-ish 2-BR terraced house) was all of 300 pounds! Can't beat it.
Don't listen too much to the naysayers, make up your own mind and make your own judgements. Hey, I could be wrong too, but I wnated to give you a positive viewpoint.
Good luck!
dave.
Mar 24th 2003, 10:08 am
#20
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Last edited by Amazonman; Mar 24th 2003 at 1:41 pm.
Mar 24th 2003, 11:20 am
#21
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Caribbean
Posts: 105
Originally posted by Amazonman
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90c and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90c and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Anyway, I'm going to England for a visit next week. I will finally be able to see for myself how much has changed and if it really is all "doom and gloom"!
Mar 25th 2003, 12:04 am
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Originally posted by Amazonman
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Mar 25th 2003, 4:21 am
#23
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: England
Posts: 279
Originally posted by Amazonman
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Mar 25th 2003, 6:49 am
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: recently back in the UK
Posts: 96
Originally posted by Amazonman
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
Jennie 2003
The largest fault the English/British people have is putting themselves down, ever since we gave back our empire on the whole peacefully to its rightful owners we have had a struggle with our identity.
When I was at school we were taught to be proud of being British, nowadays you almost have to apologise for it. For our tiny size we are still the fourth largest economy in the world and when it comes to standing up to the tyrants of the world we are still pretty good at that also.
Theres a lot wrong with the UK and its society but what country in the world hasn't got problems of one sort or another. Generally speaking we are a peaceful tolerant country with the same sort of violence levels as other comparable countries, its just here with our rampant press that you read an awful lot more about it then you would in say Australia.
For the few thousand people that emigrate each year around 60 million people decide to stay so it can't be all bad.
Yes the weather can be pretty depressing at times but then 90f and 100% humidity as can be experienced in parts of Australia isn't my idea of fun either, and I don't have to be worried about a spider the size of my hand crawling out from underneath the car dashboard, this happened to a friend of mine whilst driving suffice to say he stopped fairly quickly and vacated it quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.
I too have got very fed up at times with life in the UK but since finding this forum I have realised that life isn't always as wonderful overseas. I personally like the idea of Australia but at the same time one has to be realistic, the number of well paid good quality jobs are just not available and you can't spend your whole life sitting around a swimming pool, I know because I do it every summer in Spain for 3 weeks and thats enough for me.
Finally don't believe everything you read about the UK yes house prices have gone up but you won't necessarily have to spend £350000. If your lucky enough to have a good summer and we do have them occasionally we've just had almost two weeks of unbroken sunshine there is no finer place than the UK, and as yet it has not all been concreted over I can vouch for that as I spend my days in the cockpit of an aircraft flying backwards and forwards all over it so I have a birds eye view.
And very very finally to those brave men in the UK and American and Australian armed forces now giving their lives so that our children can have a more secure future I salute you. Sometimes countries and leaders have to take and make very hard decisions and whether you agree or disagree the armed forces deserve our 100% support.
It makes events like the American Oscars ceremony seem very small and irrelevant and for that reason I switched it off. Catherine Zeta Jones summed it all up in her rather naive way when she said the ceremony should go ahead because it would provide a moral boost to the troops, to her and her career maybe but no one else.
smart post...never been to Oz, but agree with what you are saying about UK 100%...still a good place to be....and still lots of us here proud to be here!
Mar 29th 2003, 12:15 am
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 43
Originally posted by BigBill
smart post...never been to Oz, but agree with what you are saying about UK 100%...still a good place to be....and still lots of us here proud to be here!
smart post...never been to Oz, but agree with what you are saying about UK 100%...still a good place to be....and still lots of us here proud to be here!
all very true - but what about people under 35 ish who can't afford to buy?!
also the class system is the most annoying thing about Uk - really, really noticeable when you come back!! people are either well spoken, uptight, up themselves, carry on, or they're down in the gutter, miserable, negative.
uk people generally miserable, uptight - and i never really noticed until i came back from australia
mike
Mar 29th 2003, 1:20 am
#26
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Going Home
Posts: 1,215
not sure how relevant this will be, but my ex partner was in Oz for two years, and she came back to UK, loved it for about two weeks. Then went back to Oz.
So I guess its all down to what you miss most. Taking a holiday back here is the best idea. The place is pretty much the same as it always has been. When the suns out its a great country, trouble is we don't see enough of it. !!
So I guess its all down to what you miss most. Taking a holiday back here is the best idea. The place is pretty much the same as it always has been. When the suns out its a great country, trouble is we don't see enough of it. !!
Apr 7th 2003, 3:02 pm
#27
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2
Re: Is it really that bad???
Originally posted by Jennie2003
I left the UK almost 11 years ago and am really missing home. I have been reading the comments posted on this site and I get the impression that England is the last place you should want to go!
Is it really that bad? Should I consider moving back?
I'd appreciate any conmments you have.
Thanks.
I left the UK almost 11 years ago and am really missing home. I have been reading the comments posted on this site and I get the impression that England is the last place you should want to go!
Is it really that bad? Should I consider moving back?
I'd appreciate any conmments you have.
Thanks.
Apr 7th 2003, 3:43 pm
#28
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 83
Re: Is it really that bad???
Originally posted by Hope n Glory
If you plan to come to Britain, and you don't have a job and have no intention of getting one, then youre making a great choice. Just turn up and we'll sort you out with everything you need.
If you plan to come to Britain, and you don't have a job and have no intention of getting one, then youre making a great choice. Just turn up and we'll sort you out with everything you need.
Probably a troll...ignore.
Apr 11th 2003, 5:02 pm
#29
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 20
Originally posted by Ceri
Like you I've been living out of Britain for 11 years (5years in Singapore and 6 in Aus where I am now).
I miss home, and know that I will go back to live in the UK within the next few years as this country (Australia) is not my home and will never be.I did not emigrate to get away from the UK for a better life, it was work related with me, so it was never supposed to be forever.
The people who are discouraging you, have they lived outside the UK for years? or are they new immigrants abroad? Why I'm asking this is because to me it seems that the people who are discouraging about the UK haven't lived abroad for very long, or they are people who are still living in the UK. It seems to me a lot of people who want to go home (not all) are the people who have lived a good few years outside the UK, like 10 years and so on, and they are the ones which seem to want to go home for family reasons etc.
If you are torn, why don't you go back to the UK for a couple months, take a very long holiday if it's possible, so that you can make up your mind to whether you want to make the move back home or stay in the Caribbean. That way you can look around at the houses, jobs and the cost of living there again, basically life in general, and to see if you really do want to make the move back home. Only you can decide, and to be honest I wouldn't listen to the discouragers too much, only you can decide and know what is right for you.
cheers
Like you I've been living out of Britain for 11 years (5years in Singapore and 6 in Aus where I am now).
I miss home, and know that I will go back to live in the UK within the next few years as this country (Australia) is not my home and will never be.I did not emigrate to get away from the UK for a better life, it was work related with me, so it was never supposed to be forever.
The people who are discouraging you, have they lived outside the UK for years? or are they new immigrants abroad? Why I'm asking this is because to me it seems that the people who are discouraging about the UK haven't lived abroad for very long, or they are people who are still living in the UK. It seems to me a lot of people who want to go home (not all) are the people who have lived a good few years outside the UK, like 10 years and so on, and they are the ones which seem to want to go home for family reasons etc.
If you are torn, why don't you go back to the UK for a couple months, take a very long holiday if it's possible, so that you can make up your mind to whether you want to make the move back home or stay in the Caribbean. That way you can look around at the houses, jobs and the cost of living there again, basically life in general, and to see if you really do want to make the move back home. Only you can decide, and to be honest I wouldn't listen to the discouragers too much, only you can decide and know what is right for you.
cheers
You've lived 5 years in S'pore and 6 in Aus. Which period was that 5 years in S'pore?
What do you say of a Singaporean who's thinking of settling in the UK with his wife and 10 months old kid? It's OK you can be candid
. Cheers.
Apr 19th 2003, 10:33 am
#30
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 43
Originally posted by captaincook
£350,000 will buy a great house in London one of the most expensive cities in the world. We want to settle in Hampshire also expensive and we can find a lovely 3 bed detached for less than $250k in top area no worries and only pay 1% stamp duties.
People seem to forget its not just UK where house prices are rising although not sure they are any more in parts of Southern England. We sold our house in Oz and made 50% gain in 3 years. Everything in Brisbane is booming. I personally think prices are crazier here than in UK given the state of the country.
£350,000 will buy a great house in London one of the most expensive cities in the world. We want to settle in Hampshire also expensive and we can find a lovely 3 bed detached for less than $250k in top area no worries and only pay 1% stamp duties.
People seem to forget its not just UK where house prices are rising although not sure they are any more in parts of Southern England. We sold our house in Oz and made 50% gain in 3 years. Everything in Brisbane is booming. I personally think prices are crazier here than in UK given the state of the country.
it really annoys me - who can afford a 250,000 house!!!!! i earn 35,000 k a year - a good salary - therefore my budget is about 100,000!!!!