first trip back to UK
 

Hi Guys
4 sleeps and we do our first trip back to uk. been here 3.5 years so going back with mixed emotions - really looking forward to seeing friends and family, not so bothered about seeing the UK :)
really hoping that we can't wait to get back to NZ again, but concerned that all those leaving UK feelings will be back as well - especially for the children. Son was 3 when we came and daughter was 1.
how have others found it?
we'll let you know how we go

Re: first trip back to UK
 

I wasn't away for so long (just about 6 months) but even in that time the place seemed to ooze a very run down feel. It didn't help that when I went back 6 (yes six!) high street chains shut their doors including Woolies...so every high street had massive 'holes' in it.

Don't get me wrong, I love England....am am proud to be English, but the atmosphere has certainly as 'down' as I've felt it since the miners strike!

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We had similar feelings - went back after three years.
Everything felt crowded and almost claustrophobic, people were the same as when we left, but gloomier!
It felt weird to be back - familiar but foreign. I felt sort of detached from everything.
It was wonderful to see friends and family and with good friends we were just as though we hadn't been away.
We invited a load of people to meet us at a pub and half of them didn't bother to turn up - shows who your friends are!
Didn't feel we were missing anything.

The Yorkshire beer was nice though :thumbsup::thumbsup:

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Hi Joshlin,
We are also going back to the UK we have only got 1 sleep to go though!!!! We will have been away from the UK for 4 years while we are there, so quite keen to see how things have changed. Our daughters are 18 and 16 now so they were older when we left but they are still very excited about going back to catch up with friends. Have a good flight.

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We did it after 2 years...i could not wait to get back to NZ. Theres much I love about the UK but living there ain't one of them!!!! Have no desire OR intention to return for many many many moons. Its a waste of money for me. I came to live here not to be constantly revisiting the place I have no wish to live now.

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we went back just after we'd did a year. Seeing friends and family was great, and sorry to everybody else who's posted we loved be 'ome. Good as NZ is, and it is in lots of ways it will never, ever be 'ome.

To everyone here who's Welsh, Hiraeth:wub: for those of you who aren't, don't worry, you'd never understand:D

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Going back on Tuesday :thumbsup:
See friends retail therapy etc...
Then I will be coming HOME (here is 100% home)


17 year old daughter (moved here aged 15) looking forward to it but
i just know she will be glad to be back to little old Blenheim!!!

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I'm planning a long holiday back at 2 year point and am really looking forward to it......I do go a bit 'stir crazy' here as my only escape so far has been to Oz....need to get a fix of castles, old buildings and of course catch up with old friends and the rellies who haven't made it out here yet. Love the UK..will retire back there for sure.:D

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Joshlin, Lincolnshire Lass and Frenchy - I wish you all a happy trip. I know Ash1 is due for their first visit in 2 years soon too. I hope it is lovely for you all to catch up with family and friends, I am sure it will be. Enjoy.

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Hi, im guessing your "homesick"..just wondering where in Wales are you from, Im from the North

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am going back to the UK in 2011! (first trip back !!! yay! in 5 years!!!) :cry_smile:

quite keen to see how things have changed. meeting lovely friends first ...:thumbsup:

I am considering retiring to the UK as well (too young? to think about? :blink: :... sounds funny? :rofl:......). I am looking into it, I am considering it. That's the only way makes me feel better...really.

I LOVE the UK. just about everything!

It doesn't mean I am unhappy being in NZ. But I don't seem content with my life here for some reason. (I am not content to socialize with a very small circle of people in particular)

need Intellectual Sophistication & Stimulation too! :lol: &

Most importantly I’d like to get married in England ;) That's for sure.

Re: first trip back to UK
 

we travel tuesday too - what flights / route you taking, might see you en route!!! we're going qantas (great deal) from chch to sydney to heathrow via bangkok.

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gog eh!

Lovely West Wales me, but worked still in the valleys. Had an hour and half commute each way, 6 days a week and I loved it:)

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Air New Zealand (hubby works for them!!! ) AKL Hong Kong London. Have a safe trip and a fab time:)

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Also my best bud Pumpkinlou going back Tuesday from Chch:ohmy:
She has been here since November and is off back to Blighty:frown:

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Thanks:wub:

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I'd like to echo the above.
Hope you all have a good flight back and a lovely time back with UK family and friends.

Enjoy :)

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Well we are here!!!!!
First impression feels rather dull!!!
Lovely green pastures and forgot how nice Oxfordshire is!!
Staying with my pal and feeling like royalty with 5 star treatment.
Shops feel so crowded
Heathrow looked dirty compared to lovely Hong Kong
Seems odd for strangers not to be saying "Hello"
Walking around Sutton yesterday and expected to see someone I knew as that happens all the time in little old Blenheim
Lovely to see some familiar faces:thumbsup:
Already had an M&S prawn sarnie and thortntons alpini bar... yum!!!
17 year old daughter missing Blenheim already but enjoying seing her pals from 2 years ago but so glad we live in NZ which is fab!!! (She was so traumatised by the move at first):)
Its such an odd feeling looking at things that were once so familiar like my lovely old house but not really feeling any emotion towards a... a sign of transition I think.
Places that seemed big now feel small i.e my old close feels really hemmed in.
Thats about it for 2nd day in... feels good but a bit odd!!!

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Have you noticed how untidy/dirty the place is :thumbdown:

We travel a lot and it always depresses me back in the UK with shite all over the place

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Awww, mixed feelings - am sure that's only natural?:o

Make the most of it - may be a long time before you do it again! Just revel in catching up with the people you care about, that's what matters.:thumbup:

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We are going back to the UK for the first time in 3 years later this year. Just wondering if it's cheaper to arrange a hire car this end or in the UK?

Have to say, we aren't looking forward to it but promised the parents we would go. Would rather have spent the dosh going to Aitutaki ;).

Enjoy your time there, Frenchy but be thankful your home's in NZ :D

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Cheapest all-inclusive rates I could find were at holidayautos.co.uk

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Im going back on 12th June for two weeks, taking my daughter who is nearly 16, hope she realizes how great NZ is as she has never liked it here. and we have been here two Years in July.

cant wait to see family and friends though and to get some clothes shopping in, but thats about it. im just hoping my daughter would love it in Nz as much as yours did...just hoping going back will make her relize or mayber it wont! but I will let you know

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Cheers for that, I'll check it out :thumbup:

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very similar feelings for us. same but different; tired; crowded; dirty; miserable people ........... but absolutely great to see family again - feels like we've never been away in that regard.
driven past the old house - can't imagine that it was ever ours, had no real resonance.
still struggling a bit with jet lag - falling asleep early, waking up early, but that will settle.
got lots more catching up to do - want to do some more shopping - been to tesco's and felt very overwhelmed :D
at this stage kids still saying that NZ is better but they are enjoying the catch up

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We will be there in a weeks time after nearly two years in NZ, heading to Tokyo first so we are hoping this will aclimatise us to crowds prior to getting into London ;-) Really looking forward to seeing family and friends. Very interested to see what we miss, like and dislike as it is our first visit back to the UK!! Definately not looking forward to the jet lag.
Safe travels for everyone

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I've been lucky enough to have three business trips to UK in the last two years (althoug two were only for weekends en route to/from Europe). It was great to catch up with friends, but I was surprised at how little like home it felt - it really did feel like a foreign country. The beer (real ale) was great, gadget shopping was good, supermarkets overwhelming choice of prepared foods. I thought Heathrow and surrounds was a pretty horrible gateway to the country, although Terminal 5 is quite cool. I found driving very hard work, you're always dodging in and out of parked cars in towns; on the motorways everyone is speeding and the GPS was constantly telling me there was a speed camera coming up - work that one out! Everything - cars, roads, towns, houses seemed more cramped. The space and light on arriving back in NZ was striking

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My first trip back was not untill i had been here 11 years! Felt a bit strange at first but after a few days felt like i had never been away. Reawakened all the old feelings of homesickness. Could happily move back tomorrow but cant now because daughters are settled here. Nevermind, there are worse places to live, and holidays to Aus make it bearable ;)

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Heck that was a stretch!

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So here we are, home again and it so feels like home (NZ that is :))
summary of my feelings after 3 weeks in UK:
great to see friends and family - just dropped back into all the old relationships like we'd never been away
great for the children to have extended family all around - my 4 yr old couldn't get over how many relatives she has and we don't have a huge family
we were spoilt and had pretty good weather for most of our stay - lovely to see all the daffodils out and the spring coming in
didn't enjoy the crowds and general feeling of too many people, too many cars, queueing, traffic jams
very dismayed at heathrow as a first impression to UK - very dirty, dark and claustraphobic
didn't enjoy the shopping as much as I had expected - too much choice and seemed very expensive (although we were spending pounds that we'd left behind we did do conversion and found it scary) and we spent a huge amount on nothing really.
enjoyed weetabix again

so as I say - glad we went, great to catch up but very glad to be home
Vicki

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Do you mean she's going back permanently?

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Welcome home Joshlin. :thumbup: Very similar to my impressions last year - I'd never fly through Heathrow again - I thought it was horrible :frown: How's your jet lag? It's a lot in just a few weeks isn't it? you've no sooner got over the first lot.....:D

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thanks - jet lag not too bad - although all asleep by 7.30pm last night and most of us up at 4.30am - daughter went through to 7.45am - bet she wakes us all up tomorrow :D

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Hi guys - great to hear you're back and that you had a decent time over in the UK. Look forward to catching up and hearing all about it at drinks next weekend! :thumbsup:

We're planning on a trip in April 2010 if the gods of finance allow, and that'll be 3 and a bit years for me so it'll be interesting to see how things are.

Laters!

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Im going back on June 13th for 2 weeks, camt wait and should be interesting :)

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Yes pumpkinlou is now back permanently in the UK. :(

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I am returning for two weeks on 13th May, to see my Dad who is very ill:(
Will be attending two major events, my son's 21st and my brother's 50th
None of them aware I am returning and big surprise :thumbup:
I guess now I am glad kept it secret, so no one can make plans for my visit and I can see the people who are dear and close to me
Mixed emotions for sure, dreading the flight in many ways, the traffic, the queues, also the rush and push feeling
Will I be ready to return, well all I can say is love it here in NZ and the last few weeks never been better
The real pull and wish to return is back to my great husband, two younger wonderful children, and my home here in New Zealand:D

D

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That's a shock seeing as her last post was so positive. I'm surprised more people don't go back to be honest. Life's too short to stay where you are not happy.

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Enjoy the trip Kiwichicks :D - your Dad notwithstanding...my family member has rallied a bit apparently.

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Just returned from our trip back to the UK - first in two years.
Loved seeing friends and family and familiar sights.
UK was dirty, noisy and full of people and cars. Could not believe how long it took to drive around London. Amazed to see how many high street shops had closed. Service was dire and it was very hard to find a good coffee. Everyone seemed depressed and eye contact non existant.
It was quite funny to see how suspicion people were when you went to help them! For instance I swear alot of the elderly people I helped carry bags for etc thought I was going to mug them :)
There was a frenetic energy that existed in London and everyone seemed to race around and get stressed over nothing! I used to be one of those people and I am so glad I no longer sit in that bubble.
The amount of shops, bars, pubs and restaurants was excellent, so much choice - definately miss that. But was most disappointed with the supermarkets, hated the queues and most of them looked as if a bomb had hit them recently.
NZ and the UK are different, one is not better than the other just different. My home for now is NZ and I am so glad to be home. Missed the blue skies, my house and garden, friends and the countryside.
Hope all of you heading back to the UK have a safe journey.:thumbup: