Taffyles

Yes, North Wales isn't the place to go looking for work- the industrial South Wales is the place for jobs. It sure is beautiful up there, with its picturesque landscape- idyllic, (althought the weather is better down South) but the biggest industry is tourism. Swansea is known as the graveyard of ambition- because anyone who relocates to work there doesn't want to leave LOL. Ceri I can make it from Swansea market to Llangennith in 30 mins- usually the roads are empty once you get out of town.

LOL We'll have to agree to disagree on the UK stuff
I'm a unionist like your hubby- I still haven't forgiven Blair for devolution! But I admit I may have been wrong on that issue- the Welsh Assembly has done some good and isn't quite the waste of tax payers money I thought it might be. Welsh students are far better off than English ones :-). Don't get me wrong I'm Welsh to the core and would have been out there on the front line with the men defending my country in days gone by, but I believe in a United Kingdom in this day and age- Welsh Heart but British head is how I put it LOL. My hubby is a geordie, although he adores it in Wales, my two sons were born in Scotland and very proud of that, and my daughter born in Redditch, Worcs so the home internationals are interesting for our family, hehe . It always came in handy to have an English husband when Wales were playing in Cardiff- he got the job of watching the kids whilst I went off to the match with my Dad LOL
Know what you mean about delays in things happening to stop you going home- life gets in the way. I'm thinking of changing jobs after my daughter's wedding next month, so will take time out and go home for a month, before getting back into the work work work routine here in US --I need a dose of Wales badly!

How do you cope with homesickness when it hits? I usually put a CD on of the Morriston Orpheus and sing along at the top of my lungs- ahhh that feels better. Especially after a day dealing with the idiots at work. I once heard Dudley Moore saying when he lived in CA, that when he got homesick he'd put on a tape of Chariots of Fire have a good cry and he'd be okay again. What do all you other Brits do?

Ceri

Have to disagree on that one then - did you hear about the last census - you had to tick the English or "other" box - upset a lot of welsh people - "independent Wales" took a lot of census papers in a coffin to no 10 - the other lot stuck a welsh flag sticker over the box on the census paper -lol

Dylan Thomas - your top statement- try and rent/buy that film "Twin Town" I think you may enjoy it.

cheers

P.s I'm feeling homesick now! must try and have a holiday back there soon.

Geeze my spelling is getting worse! I keep having to edit my statements - correcting my spelling "I actually wrote Here instead of hear" typing to fast! - that's my excuse anyway

Taffyles

You must be online now- I've edited my post since you've replied to it LOL yeah I type fast too- but you'd think I'd have learnt to prrof read before I hit the button instead of after. Oh I may be a Unionist, but I'll fight like hell for a fair deal for Wales make no mistake. Yep I heard about the Census, but the Welsh are quietly restoring a lot of what has been taken away from them in the past....and its better done within the Union I think than a complete break. Our culture is pretty much intact when compared to Scotland and Ireland, who have been a lot more angry and violent about things. Energy is best put into ensuring the language and culture survives regardless instead of fighting. When people were punished for speaking Welsh in public, years ago- they gathered on the mountains to speak it, the language has survived. Although my grandmother said she spent half her school life with one of those boards hung round her neck for speaking Welsh in school. To the day she died, if there was anyone English near her she would only speak in Welsh.

ontheball

someone mentioned the friendliness of people here. haha I laugh in your general direction.

its fair enuf to return to blighty, but don't idealise it. remember how you felt when you left? or do you have a selective memory

AndrewR

can't speak for anyone else but I have a pretty good recollection of what blighty is like....managed to get back three times in last 15 months and had a blast everytime. Not idealising it, just recognition that generally my life/standard of living in UK was very good

AndrewR

do you mind if I add my two-punce worth into your dialogue? Bit cheeky as I'm not welsh but... I've already said this on another posting but i was born in england, though my mums side of the family is scottish. Consider myself to be both english and british, whilst I'm sure if you asked my mum she would say she was both scottish and british...being british doesn't make her or the rest of her family any less scottish, its just a different aspect of their nationality (in a similar way me being english/british are different aspects of who I consider myself to be). Personally would hate to see scots/welsh go their seperate ways, consider that we're all stronger together (same as my mum)
...anyway..sorry for interupting here....

Ceri

No I don't mind Andrew, although I'm not sure if your question was directed to myself or Taffyles. Each to their own - everyone has a different view. Hubby would agree with you by the way. But I have a different outlook. Although I would call myself British second - I would dearly love Wales to have independence - for a lot of reasons - too many to go into, I'd have to write an essay on it. Politically Wales is not a country like Scotland - which is a joke in itself as it is a country. I would rather see Wales governed from Wales - the assembly is a bit of the way there , but not enough.

cheers

Taffyles

Hi ontheball

I'm not idealising it and I remember exactly how I felt when I left- very sad, although I buckled down here and made the best of it, always game for an adventure LOL. I wasn't one of those who left Britain cos I hated it ( I think that's a relatively recent thing I'm hearing from ex-pats) people work abroad for many reasons- I was enjoying a very good life in UK and our kids were in exellent schools. My hubby was sent out here by a British firm and it took 18 months, and four fact finding holidays, before I made the decision to uproot the kids and join him LOL. We'd done the living in another country bit years before, so I had no rosy images of living in the US.
We have a very good life here too- I can enjoy myself where-ever I am, but it aint home- never will be and I'm not ending my days here. Been home on visits and the best thing about living in Florida- near the Mouse- is that our family and friends come out often to stay with us too. But I never meant to live here for ever! I really believe that the 'quality' of life is much better in UK.

Taffyles

You're not interrupting, you're joining-and welcome I call myself Welsh heart/ British head- I see it as an added dimension too, and also believe we should stand as individual but united. I'm a monarchist too- don't thump me Ceri (ducking) LOL. I'd have been there in the mall belting out Land of Hope and Glory with them all, during the Queen's Jubilee, if I could have made it over. I'll be there for her Diamond Jubilee- nothing will keep me away again. I've lived in a police State, a republic and a constitutional monarchy is my favourite. The different countries in UK are unique and enriching I think and while they should be nurtured, I would hate to see division.

sundarize

I live right on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Those nearby will know exactly what I mean. On any nice weekend its choked with cars and people. Car parks are full and theres the sickly smell of the resident burger van and the drone of the portable generator. Its not worth venturing anywhere on a Bank holiday as its even worse. Yes I know theres plenty of places to wander in Wales, but its not easy to get to for most people. Of course a 4hour treck on the M1, A42, M42, M5 etc only to be told to f**k off by the natives kind of takes the edge off wanting to go to Wales.

The two old ladies were absolutely real - they must have been in their 80's and I can honestly say I was perfectly polite to them. I simply could not believe my ears.

Ceri

I've never met a Monarchist before - eek! , I haven't honestly, most people I come across whether they are English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish even the Australians - dislike the royals. I can remember when I was a kid - I went to the leisure centre to wave the union jack at the old bat (opening of the leisure centre) - those were the days I did not know what I was doing

Not so much as an anti - monarchist (actually that's a bit of a lie) as a "where's the vote ?" fair enough if people want to keep them - but do they? I recon there should be a referendum on them. How "we" as in Britons can call our country democratic I don't know. It's hardly democratic having the royal family the way it stands now.


Sundarize - if it's true what you are saying, all that I can say is you were extremely unlucky with these two old ladies. You get odd people everywhere. About two years ago in Aus, we were looking to buy this certain house. put in an offer (the asking price as well) - the estate agents told the owner that it was a Welsh couple (us) - he turned around and told the estate agents that he's not selling to f.. ing foreigners! this guy was not an aborigine, but a white old g*t. Anyway he wouldn't sell to us even though we offered the asking price - nice eh. I haven't come across another person like this here in Aus , thank god - but there are racists in most countries.

And on the subject of leaving UK - us too, we did not leave for a better life - it was work related, we just ended up in Aus after Singapore.

Cheers

sundarize

I guess you're right that it works both ways. The English and Welsh are notorious for being obnoxious to each other.

Did you ever see the clip from the Australian news channel where they had gone to interview a guy who had advertised his house and the advert said "strictly no Asians" After much quizzing from the reporter and defence from the old man that he thought they were a bunch of freeloading bastards, it emerged that he actually said "No Agents". He'd got nothing against Asians at all. The uresolved question, though, was why Estate Agents were fair-game in the discrimiation stakes! (suppose its because they're freeloading bastards!!)

The problem mainly with the English is that there is no pride anymore. It was St Georges Day last week and it went without a mention. Not once. St David, St Patrick, Bastille Day, 4th July are all celebrated vigourously in England though. Seems very strange to me....

dunroving

I just wanted to bring this thread back to the top. I enjoyed re-reading the posts. There have been way too many overly negative posts on here lately about the U.K. Funny, it seems that most of the single-minded negative posters just don't want to acknowlege a more balanced perspective, calling people who describe the positive sides of the UK as "idealists", "dreamers", or making snide remarks about being out of touch.

The fact is that many of the people who post here about the positive sides of the UK visit often, or didn't leave that recently. And as these posts show, they're not unaware of, or unwilling to acknowledge, the negative sides also. But the opposite is rarely true. The UK-bashers single-mindedly drone on and on and on, rarely if ever acknowledging a single positive. They just aren't satisfied unless they're spoiling someone's party. Hey, that's their prerogative, and I for one understand that the beauty of the internet is that anyone can post their opinion. But I have to wonder why some people constantly strive to rain on the parade of anyone who dares to say something positive of the UK.

I am proud of the UK. It's not necessarily the best country in the world, and the US and other countries are better in many respects (right now I'm looking out at a warm, beautiful, cloudless day in Ocracoke, for example). Maybe we need to start a new forum - "UK-bashers", so they can all go and hang out together.

I'm particularly fond of Scotland. If you are too, here is a site that shows how beautiful Scotland is, built by one of my former neighbors:

http://www.scottishpanoramic.com/index.html

(Sorry about the earlier non-functioning url- blame it on the computer!)

RoB1833

It seems strange that the main people on this thread are Welsh and have a real pride in their country. It's mainly the English on here that do the UK bashing and it makes you wonder if somehow we lack a sense of identity and patriotism in the same way the Welsh and Scots have.

I am a born Englishman but have always been raised as British throughout my life (if that makes sense???). It hasn't afftected me and I have a deep rooted sense of loyalty and pride for my country, shame others on here don't feel the same way.

muppetking

Let the Soothsayers rain all they like I say. We know that England is for us and travelling abroad as much as we have simply confirms all that we hold to be true about home. It's where the heart is. Paradise is measured in the brief moments of your life not the full extent of it. Sitting on top of the South Downs on a breezy day, whatever the weather does it for me.