captaincook

I agree but whereas the English Brits are prepared to criticise anything the other brits i.e Welsh, Scots etc seem only willing to criticise the English and blindly ignore their own faults or failures.

In many ways it is the English that are the true Brits whereas a lot of Welsh and Scots act almost like patriots with what seem like very out of date views of patriotism.

MrsLondon

I'm gonna really go out on a limb because everyone keeps saying they hate London. I love London. There is plenty of work, hundreds of places to go and things to do, comprehensive transport (may not be perfect but it usually gets me anywhere I wanna go) and easy-peasy to get to hundreds of other places via direct flight.
Yes, property is expensive, rents are high, but compared to Grantham (where my mum lives) I'd rather live here, even though we could afford a three-bed detached house in Grantham (have a one-bed flat). Reason? There is sod all work in Grantham, and what there is is minimum wage. Sure you can commute to London. I did for 6 weeks before I bought the flat. But it costs £500 for a monthly train ticket, so you'd better have a damn good job to make it worth it. Definitely always a couple of degrees warmer here too, and there's no buses at all on Sundays or after 6pm in Grantham.
Not everybody hates London. Afterall, there are several million people living here.

bondipom

I am with you on that. London has its problems but it also has tonnes to offer.

I always say London is great if you have the cash but can be depressing if you are skint.

muppetking

The majority of our friends live and work in London in stressful but well paid jobs and none of them would consider changing their lifestyles for another. London truly is a miracle.

dunroving

Took a friend of mine from US to London a while back. She'd never been out of the US before. As we sat on the underground about 11 pm on a Friday night, she was swooning over how fabulous London was, so much to do, so vibrant. She thought for a moment and then said - "It's just like New York - but without the crime!"

muppetking

In NZ the media like to bash London and equate it with all of England. However, the vast majority of our friends that have visited from these shores are simply blown away by it. I still get a buzz wandering around or going out with friends because there is always something new to see or visit. For me London has SOUL and a unique character. It stirs the blood. Something impossible to replicate in the Southern Hemisphere. NOT that I am implying that anywhere is trying to be.

bondipom

I think the London bashing by NZ is because of the old colonial insecurity that Sydney has almost shaken off. NZers go off in their droves on their OEs to London and many do not return. I guess that hurts the NZers pride.

sibsie

I'm only 2 years out of the London so I'm not really looking back on it with rose tinted googles. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm getting married to an American I would give very serious consideration to moving back there.

It's not perfect. It's expensive, overcrowded, dirty in a lot of places and there is crime. But that being said it's one of the best, livliest, most cosmopolitan cities on the planet and it was a good home to me for 34 years.

I never had a single crime problem there and I lived in West London and worked all over London. My first year in Spain in a quiet Costa backwater, I was robbed once and burgled twice!

bondipom

That is the same with any major city in the world. I think a lot of the people who are emigrating should really be moving into the country or to a less crowded city.

sibsie

I think the problem I had with my move to Spain was that I didn't move to another city. I opted for a really quiet place so I went from one extreem to another and never settled.

Next stop 40 miles outside of Boston which is nowhere near as lively as London but a hell of a lot better than where I am now.