Can somebody, anybody, explain to me what the attraction is in moving to Spain for someone who can't speak Spanish?
I imagine your whole happiness would depend on an ability to sit outside in the Sun getting skin cancer whilst having no other stimuli whatsoever. You've got to be an absolute, no-mates loser surely? And unless you have a big social circle of friends there, I'd say the same for the "Sunshine Coast", probably so named to disguise how boring it is.

England's great for me, BTW.

you was lucky lol

but apart from that what else as you can find fishing and real ales in Spain

You seem to think that these issues can only be resolved by leaving the UK. Yes, they can, but a lot of it is down to a lifestyle change - and you don't need to change country to change your lifestyle. You could eliminate some issues by making changes to your life here. OTOH, many people will emigrate and find the same issues in other countries.

If you're stuck in a rut then emigrating is a great way to make a fresh start. It also gives you a fresh perspective on what you left behind, and you might realise whilst there are some things that are bad in the UK, not everything is bad. That's why you find people on here are buoyant about returning to the UK - they can look beyond the crap and see that there really are some very good things about living in the UK.

No real ale in Spain....just crap lager type drinks.

Not proper trout fishing either.

Besides I can go to Spain for a few weeks any time I like....in fact I am off to the Canary Islands in a couple of weeks for a while....I will then return to a civilised country for the spring and summer... then off to Australia for a while

A friend of mine moved to Spain, she's a property developer, she learned the language enough to get by but only lasted 3 years as she couldn't cope with their attitude to getting the job done. She was instrumental in urging us to come here and give it a go as it's an experience for the kids really. We've given it a go and will return once the visa runs out. I don't know if we did the right thing or not (hubby thinks not).

I agree with you to a degree , and its each to there own to a degree if you cant swim then beaches and swimming pools in your garden arent important are they ,
However if you want plenty of swimming outdoors and boating then the Uk is of no use whatever,

There is some excellent things in the UK i agree ie; peak District , real ales , and trout fishing . and maybe a few more i have a specialist Uk fan working on this and will post more as they arrive .

But for my own reasons and which i stress is mine and several thousand others no doubt. the Uk just has lost its spark which made you forget the damp miserable weather and stuff . and it is declining in every aspect weekly.

so why didnt you like it ? and where did u come from ? as u say visa ?

I left far too many good friends behind, I thought I could get by without them but I find I can't. We have other personal issues which I can't go into on here and we blame ourselves for not having the time to check into it all. At the end of the day we will have to return to the UK (no bad thing really). We're here with hubby's job, didn't have much of a choice really. As I say, sometimes I like it and other times I don't and I can't put my finger on what I don't like. I'm resigned to getting through each day and try to enjoy it whilst we can. I'll leave the Oz bashing to others.

Sometimes there is nothing wrong with a place it just isn't home is it .

Exactly. Anybody can pick faults in a place if you're not happy. All the small minutiae (sp?) grow out of proportion but in reality they are just niggles which grate on your nerves and appear much larger if you're unhappy. Best just to get over it and get on with it.

i see , well keep your chin up and make the most of it as i bet when you get back you will look back and think maybe it was a good place after all..

i personaly believe that the perfect place doesnt exist , its all a trade off .

all you can do is choose the place that fits you the best .

everyone is different and likes different things. Just because someone doesn't have a large circle of friends and is happy with their own company does not make them a loser.

well said . i agree .

Mind you if you dont explore how are you going to find that place that gives you that feeling ?

I was in by far the most interesting, or fun as you put it, place in Australia - Sydney. And to be fair I liked Sydney a lot. But it is just one city. Outside that, once you have seen one gum tree you are pretty much seen them all.

The weather I grant you is rubbish here at this time of year. I make no bones about that fact. I await spring. But as for places to see, the UK is hard to beat. I love the national parks - 14 in of them in he UK - and the 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (compared to 16 in Australia if we're comparing). We're trying to see all or most of them. THAT is fun.

I'm not convinced you actually know that our taxes are among the highest in Europe. But anyway, high taxes on cigs, beer and car fuel I can put up with, and approve of. The working hours - 25 hours a week and 28 days annual leave. Where is the problem?

My chin is up (well one of them is)
I think the 'itchy feet' syndrome is well and truly scratched and I look forward to growing old in my native country once we get there.