lizard

I have just returned from the UK ( went back to show off our new baby) After living in NZ for just over two years. I really do believe the country is going down hill. I love England so much and it makes me really sad how the country is going. The countryside is still really beautiful, but you need to be a millionaire to live there. All the traffic, the people in shops and restaurants rude, litter everywhere, yob culture ( much worse) , people don't seem to have any respect or care, gun crime and murders. Everywhere is full of eastern europeans and other groups ( I am not being racist here, I just think that a limit should be imposed. After all the country is very small and overcrowded already) I think England is an easy place to go ( whats wrong with all the other European countries?) I am all for a multicultural world but when foreigners out number the locals it seems a bit ridiculous. It used to be great to meet someone from a different country or culture but now. Mind you after watching some of the Brit teenagers it may be for the best ( dilute the thug culture or will it get worse? I don't know, I hope so) I could go on and on.

The point I am really trying to make is that it was great to see family and friends again and go to the pub even though you have to be outside for a smoke ( that will be great fun in the winter)

I really could not wait to get back to NZ. Its much better here ( safer and much friendlier)

England will always be my home and I do love it dearly but I do not think I could ever live there again and this makes me really sad.

There will always be an England
While theres a country lane
Wherever theres a cottage
Beside a field of grain
There will always be an England
If England means as much to you
Has England means to me.

I really hope so

P2L

Know what you mean Lizard

We have always been proud to be British and feel both sad and let down by the 'system', that we have left to provide our children and ourselves with a future where they will be safe and have the offer of some prospects as far as education and housing are concerned.

Maybe one day they will choose to return back to the UK but at this moment in time, the thought of having to get on a plane and go back feels me with dread, a feeling that I am not proud to have

ned

England isn't New Zealand and New Zealand isn't England.
If New Zealand was England it wouldn't be New Zealand

happynz

^ Ned, you're alright.

lizard

?

sananddave

We all know that England is England and New Zealand is New Zealand and also that its personal choice where people prefer to live for whatever reasons. We personally feel that the Great has long gone out of Great Britain for all the reasons stated and it also makes us so sad at the rapid decline. We have lived all over the world in several countries and New Zealand has come out tops in our estimation so much so that we are now preparing to go back and apply for residency asap as we feel it has so much to offer in the way of a better quality of life and peace of mind which to us means everything.

ned

The point I was trying to make was that England and New Zealand have both different and shared histories. Remember England is the mother of the Industrial Revolution, the founder of an empire.

What are not that different (I think/Hope)are the people. I dont think that the people who live, or choose to live in New Zealand will be that different from the people who live or choose to live in the UK.

Imagine New Zealand with a population of 60 million, struggling with the effects of a post industrial society adapting to life in a greater europe. Tell me how good that would be.

I am hoping to move to the wonderful country of New Zealand not because I hate the UK and think its going down the pan. I fancy an adventure and I think I will like the people of New Zealand and I hope most of them will like me

theduke

Hi

I have just read this thread and it made me laugh a cheery laugh not sarcastic or anything like that, I really agree with you about the eastern europeans, but further north in Scotland, they come to the UK because the labour party in their wisdom give these people money to live in the UK, it is called dole money to you and me, the borders should be closed and only people scoring the right amount of points should be allowed in, to get the people they need and want.

However, look at us here immigrants ourselves in someone else's country "diluting" their country, and there are people on here going on how bad NZ is and then wondering why the Kiwis tell us to just go home then! I believe in "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". But us being here is not the same, is it????

uk+kiwi

Good to hear about your trip.

I think it depends hugely on where you live/d and visited in the UK.

I am very lucky to live in a beautiful area with safe clean countryside and beaches, loads of space and recreational activities, excellent schools, good salaries (commutable to London) and approachable friendly people, including teenagers. And access to Europe that many seem to miss, not that this is important to me personally.

I've just downloaded a pile of photos off my phone onto the PC tonight and said to hubbie 'you might think twice about NZ once you've looked at these'.

The only major downside I can see personally with England is rush hour traffic and commuting times (although Auckland is very bad too). Plus the people aren't as friendly as they are in NZ and houses are expensive relative to wages, certainly in the South East.

NZ has its own merits, but have faith that 'my England' is bloody great.

Justcol

Having lived here (uk) all my life you dont notice the over crowding as its always been that way.
You do notice the roads getting busier and busier.
You do notice the way "ordinary" people have withdrawn from society,
the days of the friendly neighbour have long gone. I have been in my home for
10 years and barely know any of my neighbours, its not for want of trying,we're a pretty friendly family on the whole but everybody seems
so frightened of giving out anything more than a cursory nod when mowing the lawn.
Yob culture is running out of control, even in relatively small towns like mine there are incidents in the local press every week. Only this week a young girl
died after being set upon by a group of youths, she was kicked and beaten unconsious for no other reason tan she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Many pubs are now of limits to decent folk unless you want to sit surrounded by foul mouthed filth intent on nothing more than getting drunk.
It sounds a little hypacritical to comlain about the number of imigrants arriving here but we are having to jump through hoops to get to nz whereas these people have to do nothing more than get onto a cross channel ferry and claim asylum.
House prices are now at ridiculous levels. even small terrace houses cost well over £120,000 partly due to the greedy buy-to-let landlords who are snapping up everything and renting them out to the imigrants at extortionate rents. Its reached the point where i look forward and wonder how on earth my children are ever going to afford to buy a home of their own when they are older.
I dont know if this is the case everywhere in britain but i can only speak about the areas i know (manchester and lancashire).
There are some beautiful places in the uk but they are dwindling fast.

Cape Blue

I also think it depends hugely on ones attitude to life - some people have a negative, defeatist attitude to life and some have a positive can-do attitude.

ned

Yes! they probably wanted the Germans to win the war!

Mind you they did have nicer uniforms

Justcol

I guess that makes me a negative defeatist
But i do have a very positive attitude to life, its just that i just have morals and standards
and i find it difficult to accept the social and moral decay i see all around me.

ned

...........and better weapons

FishermansFriend

There's something very, very strange about the large scale and totally uncontrolled immigration which is taking place into the UK.
The NuLabour government are well aware of what's happening but do nothing about repatriating illegal immigrants or failed asylum seekers and leave the doors wide open for virtually anyone, with or without a criminal record, with or without any sort of skill, and with or without any command of the English language to enter.

The UK is an island and contolling who comes and goes would be a relative dodle (admittedly they do say that they will put contols in place by 2014 ).
With a little patience history will perhaps solve they mystery of why NuLabour are doing it though I doubt we'll hear the reason from their own lips anytime soon.