Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I have been away for a long time and I am in torment at the moment about my future life decisions.

I wondered if anybody has any regrets about their move back to the Uk now they are there?
Would any of you leave the Uk again?
What was the biggest shock ?

Thank you :)

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Hi....no but I`m in the same boat as you.Nearly 15 years in Australia,and torn really.Also don`t have any family in U.K,Will be interested to know,what others think.I suppose it boils down to how much you want to be home.After all,home is where the heart is... I do know from some friends there that it is a more difficult place to live since I left.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

We have been back now for nearly two months. The weather has been glorious so it will be interesting to see how we manage the winter! No shocks, we feel quite at home. It takes a while to get established again but everyone is very helpful and efficient. My husband is on a spouse visa so there are some concerns about renewal in two and a half years time but we try not to think about that too much. Our advantage is that we have adult children here and other family which helps a lot.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Ive been back exactly two months today and so far no regrets, in fact my life in the US seems like it was a million years ago. Cant say I have really had anything that I have missed, other than my friends in the US but with modern technology we are still constantly in touch. The glorious weather right now has definitely helped I think. Don't have a job yet as the recruiting process is a lot slower than the US but Im still consulting for my old employer in the US which helps bring a bit of cash in. Hopefully something full time will be along soon so that I can move into my own place. One of the only things I am missing is having my own space (staying with the parents right now), but thats not related to being in the UK, just used to having my own place. In order for a move to the UK to be successful I think you really have to want to be there, if you do then even the negatives are bearable. It also helps to visit before you plan a move and not just as a tourist, get a sense of what life is like in the UK.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I have been back in the UK for 4 months after 14 years in Canada. I have had days when I regretted leaving Calgary. We were very settled there but I convinced myself I would be happier in the UK, hiking in the Lake District and visiting family in Devon. I enjoyed the first month back in Devon, but since moving to Lancashire the reality of everyday life with a long drive to work, lower disposable income and worries about house prices have overshadowed the things I looked forward to. I have enjoyed days back in the Lake District and visiting family and friends in the south west, but the enjoyment from those days is quickly replaced during the work week when the other concerns re-surface.

The biggest shocks have been seeing my savings disappear so quickly and realising that moving back to the UK has not answered the question of where to live. I don't know whether to stay in Lancashire, move to the south west to be closer to family or move back to Calgary.

I am hoping that time will tell. I had planned to buy a place when my 6 month tenancy ends, but others on this forum have recommended taking more time to get settled before buying.

I apologise for all this whinging! I am generally cheerful and positive, at least outwardly, but your question deserved honest answers and this is my experience so far. It's entirely possible I will feel completely different in another few months. I hope I do.

Would I leave the UK again? If I still feel the same in 6 months time, I would seriously consider moving back to Calgary. But before doing that, I might try the south west first, to see whether being closer to family makes me feel more settled. One problem is that I have discovered I cannot reliably predict how I will feel after moving, although this may be because I am still in transition.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

This coming Sunday (20th July) I will have been back in UK for exactly a year, having lived in Pennsylvania for 17 years.
The first month or two were like a whirlwind, getting used to our new home, finding me a suitable car, being constantly thrilled with shopping in Sainsbury's et al, catching up with old friends and generally just loving the fact that we were home. It was summer and the weather was great.

Then, as autumn set in and the days became shorter the reality hit and if I'm honest I began to wonder if we'd done the right thing by moving back as the novelty of it all was wearing off.

Once the jolly-ness of Christmas passed and the dreary winter months of dark, damp miserable days dragged on I really started to miss the crisp, cold sunny, wintry days of NE USA and did get quite depressed about it.

However, this past May, I had 2 American friends come to visit for a week, and during that time we took them around the area doing all kinds of touristy things and it wasn't until then, when we were really looking at our surroundings and taking the time to see the beauty of where we lived, that it became clear to both my husband and I we had absolutely 100% made the right decision to return to UK.

Since that 'epiphany' I can say, hand on heart that I love it here and would not consider moving back permanently to USA.

I do hope though, that at some point in time we get to go back for a holiday to the US, because we do have a special place in our hearts for the country in which we resided for such a long time.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I think we nomads/ gypsies or whatever just have itchy feet. I have lived in seven different countries and have never stayed in any house longer than five years. Now retired but can feel the itch beginning again.
Almost by definition migrants are people who are naturally dissatisfied (not in a bad way, just want more) so settling down may not be easy.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Its so scary to make such a big move AGAIN when funds are getting limited and children are near college age. Its also tough being gypsies at heart. I love the Uk or do I love the memories of the Uk? Thats what I dont know. But I dont have the funds for us to do a trip back to check it out. I have been gone 14 yrs and my children dont really know it either but they remember the trips back when we lived in Europe and they loved those but again, those were trips to Devon to stay with family and it was Christmas and so it was fun times. We havent been back to the UK now for eight years, too far and no family now. My parents died while we were out here and so I have nobody really. I have great friends in the Uk, spread about but where they live is very expensive. I worry about security in the Uk. We live in the Caribbean and we leave windows open, car doors open, my teens can go to the mall or hang with friends in the street with no problems of gangs, hoodies or stabbings. I also worry about healthcare. We have a very high standard of healthcare here, all very inexpensive, I have the cell phone numbers of my cardio and gastro in my phone. No having to wait to see a GP. There are many benefits here but there are some things that have gone bad for me and I am a divorced mum with two teens, one that wants to go to university too. I have always been so independant and strong but as I have got older and the death of my parents and lack of funds being overseas all seems so much. I dont know what is the best anymore. I am so confused. As I get older I find I cant bear the heat so much, its nearly always 35C and very humid and I never have any energy. I dont have work now and the wages are terribly low. I am sorry to whinge.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Lived 30 years in the US now back in the UK 2 years. It's a move that I regret for many, many reasons to many to post on here otherwise one is seen as whinging. However the latest was I took my wife to hospital for a check up. I kid you not the part of the hospital we went to was like going into a third world hospital. If you want to know more let me know.

Regards
John

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Just wondering where in the Caribbean you live! No crime, inexpensive, good health care? Wow! We came back from there Bahamas where unfortunately the crime rate is on the rise. We certainly would not leave our doors open! Access to healthcare is good if you have health insurance and, yes, it was nice to be able to contact a specialist quickly. That was definitely a plus. But health insurance was very expensive. We only came back really though ( I loved it there!) to be nearer our children as we are senior citizens and I have no regrets so far. I can understand your dilemma. It is always hard to make such a huge decision. You asked about shocks on returning. My only shock, now I think about it, has been seeing how many people, young people, still smoke here! How do your children feel about the move? Apart from one wanting to go to university.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

We are in the Mexican Riviera, between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, Caribbean side, very beautiful and peaceful.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Hi John, I can only imagine. My friend came out to visit us from the Uk and she had been waiting months for blood tests to be done, as it happened while she was out here I fell ill. I rang my gastro at 9am and by noon the same day I had seen my gastro and had an ultrasound in a top class clinic. It cost 35 pounds. My friend was stunned at the availability of healthcare here and how clean it was. You have so many choices here for doctors and tests, all different prices, some free. It depends on what you want to pay. Many of the chemists here now have free GPs working in them, no appointment needed. Some farmacies have laboratories in them where you can go and request any blood test you want or have an EKG. You dont need a letter from your doctor.
Medically we are spoilt here and that is a VERY big worry for me about coming back to the Uk and safety for my kids.
I have been ill the last few years and part of staying here I think was the healthcare.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

One teen wants to stay here and the other one doesnt mind although I think she would prefer to go to University in English and not Spanish even though she is totally bilingual. I think it would be a huge shock for all of us the change though. But there is something pulling me.......?????

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I would guess most replies to the OP's question would be, at best interesting, or would simply re-affirm preconceived concerns, for the OP, about a return to the UK.

I know I'll have regrets about moving back from the US, and I know I'll have concerns about moving back to the UK. The bigger question is whether the positives outweigh the negatives.

Time will tell.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Not sure how old your teen is who wants to go to university. Bear in mind that you have to have been resident in the UK for 3 years before qualifying for local fees - otherwise you will have to pay international fees. Just something else to think about...

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

My only regret is that I didn't move back sooner!
Loving it back in the UK. Beautiful countryside, nice friendly neighbours, cheap food and good services.
Only shock is the council tax!! But then again we're not paying for an expensive city garage spot so that offsets it.

Come from a third world and I am spending less in the UK! So many 1 pound offers in the supermarkets for daily items! Bread 75 pence!! Wonderful. We were paying almost 2.50 in Uruguay and not as half as tasty!!

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

We are living in London and food is still cheaper than I the Bahamas. Depended where you shop!

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

This is really helpful people. Thanks for the comments. Its hard to decide what to do when you are stuck in the middle of it. I do miss the english countryside and the food and the sense of humour. Something that is totally lost in other parts of the world. Thanks again :)

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Where are you living in the Uk?

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

6 years in Calgary, nearly 3 years back home, only regret, we went to Canada in the first place !!!:rofl:

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Lichfield, Staffs

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Lichfield Staffs? I am green with envy. Lichfield is lovely. Staffordshire - not a terribly well known county but some great towns and countryside.

Have you been to the museum in Stoke? Really well worth a visit. It has the most incredible pottery collection. And I do not mean cups and saucers.
Stone is a lovely little town too. Gosh I am envious.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Yes it is lovely. My parents moved here 20 years ago from Wirral.
We found a house just 3 blocks from them. Got greeted by 2 neighbours within the first 2 days of arriving! An elderly neighbor had already given gifts to my son. Real community spirit here and everyone says hello when walking past each other.
Haven't been to the museum no. But there are many great parks and canals to visit. Close by is Tamworth, Drayton Manor and other places.

Huge culture shock for my wife as the town is dead after 5pm!
Was so quiet around the neighbourhood it felt spooky at first but now its just a delight.



:thumbsup:

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

There is something pulling you, and that's memories. A lot depends on your own personal situation. For example do you have the funds to move back to the UK and if so do you have the funds to buy or rent a property. Also a lot depends on age and health. You will often find that most people that post on here very rarely have anything negative to say. There are many faults here as there is in any country, but for me it was the memories but in reality the memories were just a figment of my imagination. During my 30 years in the US my then wife now ex had vacationed in the UK twice a year and you do not see the realities until you live here. Yes, you can buy some things for a pound but not of the better quality, and you certainly can't get the basics in pound shops, some may disagree. For me I believe it's more expensive in the UK, once again depending on location.

Can you work, if so at what, that is if you can get work. The working class in the UK find it very hard to make ends meet. Unemployment is high. Can you drive, can you afford to buy a car, if so can you afford to to run it, Insurance, ect. If you do get a car consider paying 7-8 Dollars a gallon, true the UK gallon is a little more than the US gallon. Rent depending on area can be as low as 400 GBP but for the most part you do not get much for that. Council tax that you have to pay even if you rent. If you buy a TV it is registered at the point of sale and then you have to get a licence 145 GBP per year.

The weather is rather temperate in the UK. Headline in the paper
" Britain swelters with 80F " In the winter, once again location, is just misery day in day out overcast wet, windy. Electric/Gas very expensive.

As I said I use to visit the UK twice a year for nearly 25 years and you do not see how it is when living here. This is not the England that I left in 1982. I have been back now pushing three years and for me it was the biggest mistake I could have made.

Regards
John

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Me too! I've been living in Sydney for 21 years now, just over half my life and all of a sudden I am obsessed about moving to Bath or Bristol. Sydney is a great city but I don't want to live in a city forever and I don't feel any connection with the Australian landscape and have no desire to move to suburbia either. The cost of living here is up there with London and our massive mortgage for a modest house in the inner city means we can't afford much else. My plan is to spend the next 5 years working hard and paying off this hefty mortgage and then taking my kiwi husband and daughter (plus baby due end of this year) back to the uk. I have always been concerned about leaving the weather and lifestyle of Sydney behind and how I'd cope with a uk winter after so long, but the reality is I never go to the beach because I'm scared of the massive waves and hate the sand, I spend 6 months of the year indoors because it's too hot, Australia is wasted on me! And it's time for a change. I do feel like I'd need to go back cashed up though, the wages seem lower than here is Sydney and I don't think England is a good place to live if you are skint?

I'm also really interested to hear how people are getting on after returning after a long time overseas.

Sorry to hijack your post and not answer your question btw, this is my first time on any forum and I'm still finding my feet, just saw your post and felt similar.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

John - Do I have you mixed up with another poster? If so, my apologies. But is my recollection correct that in the US you had a couple of houses? You had a very good paying job? More than one car?

I've often observed that migrants who have managed to attain a very high standard of living in the US miss those creature comforts when they go back to the UK.

As I said previously, my apologies if I have you confused with someone else.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I'm not sure if you have me confused with another poster, sometimes the thread gets confusing sometimes.
Yes, I did have a couple of houses in the US. I still have a house in Northern Virginia in which my 39 year old daughter lives in. When I retired
(to early in my opinion ) my then wife being a little older than me wanted to retire once again to early. We also bought a holiday apartment in Delaware of which we rented out, the rent did not cover the mortgage so that became an issue, Delaware have rent controls. My then wife and I cashed in my 401K and bought a house in Henderson Las Vegas. And with bad tax advice had a big shock from the IRS. My then wife stayed in the house in Henderson and walked out of our 30 year marriage after living just 9 months in the Henderson house. And she just buggered of back to the UK. So divorce took place and had to sell the Delaware and Henderson properties and lost a bundle on both.
Now I live in the UK a move I wish I had never undertaken should have moved back into the Virginia house.

Regards
John

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Sydneycider, I dont mind you hijacking my post. I am ears to all opinions.
My head is so confused that its a relief to hear other peoples views.

I have the money to rent in the Uk and buy a car and get set up but to buy a house in the Uk I would have to take out a loan and I am almost 50 so that could be impossible.

I have enough cash to buy a house in Ireland which is another option for me.
I do like the culture there and as for the weather, well, thats part of life I guess.

I dont go out here because its 38c most of the time, hot and humid and it zaps me and so I have no life really even though I live in beautiful surroundings, you cant live on the beach all day and working in this heat is painful, very painful on my body lol.

I am seriously considering Ireland too.

As for high car insurance and tv license, yes that really irritates me because things are so much lower priced here and there is no tv license.
So free here in comparison yet I have no pension and I feel I need to get back to the Uk soon otherwise I am going to be living in a box under a bridge somewhere when I am 60.

It would be so much better if I had parents but they died :(

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I did remember you had suffered a divorce. That can be so, so very debilitating sometimes.

I guess when I have read your posts, I've wondered if it's really the UK you are unhappy with. Or if you are just generally unhappy due to all the bad stuff that has happened to you. (I wouldn't blame you one bit for being unsatisfied).

And I only bring that up because these advice threads can be so emotionally wrenching. It's hard enough to cipher out what makes a person happy. When we ask someone else "did something work out for you" - well that's such a loaded question.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I like that sentiment about not feeling any connection to the landscape. I feel the same way too here in Florida. (Not that there aren't other way more attractive places in the US, but in general, I don't feel anything no matter where I might be.) Similarly, the US national anthem leaves me cold, but whenever I hear the British one, I cry like a baby :lol:

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I avoided replying to this post for a while, for fear of appearing too much like an angry old man.... but, what the heck, here goes........
Returned to the UK last year after 35+ years away; lived and worked in several countries (professional expat; last 10+ years in the USA - Virginia (I hated the USA and am ashamed to have stayed so long).
Returned to the UK solely for family reasons - absolutely NO nostalgia and ABSOLUTELY NO - repeat NO - nationalist "sentiment" (I was educated in the 60's - when "nationalism" was, quite rightly, a joke.)
Overall, extremely pleased and relieved with the practicalities of return. e.g. smooth integration into the NHS system (have been lucky, no new medical issues, and ongoing issues have been dealt with in an exemplary manner). I understand the NHS is pretty much a post code lottery - we are in a solid middle class area in the north of Nottingham city - and, believe me, "class" matters more in contemporary Britain than it did in the 70's when we left. ). Like everyone else, I love rediscovering the British countryside, pubs, conversation (with intelligent people).......lots of positives.
With respect to leaving the USA, for me personally, I have to say I have not given the place a single second's thought since the plane took off from JFK. Not a single thought.
Negatives/regrets about returning to the UK....just a few.
1) Brits are drunks. No matter what age, what class, what sex, what location. Television "personalities", journalists, sportsmen, every idiot on "Twitter" - they all boast of "getting wasted" and the intensity of their latest hangover. As the Spanish know all too painfully well, a "traditional English breakfast" is many pints of lager. Avoid any British city centre after 11 at night (when the "youth" are vomiting and pis*ing in the street) - and even after 7 pm, when the middle-aged drunks are getting tanked up, and blundering around, loudly, usually in fancy dress costume. Never ever stay in a British hotel on a Friday or Saturday night - they pollute many European cities too on their obscene Stag/Hen nights.
2) British culture is truly an intellectual and cultural wasteland. Everything - everything - is pitched at the level of the lowest common denominator. TV is abysmal - BBC included - endless, endless repeats of brainless pap. The dumbest programs (e.g.Top Gear, Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain has Talent) are wildly popular - makes professional wresting look tasteful.
3) British educational has fallen off the scale - nearly as bad as the USA. "University" education is a sick and costly joke. There are British University Arts graduates who have never heard of Jane Austin. There are "science" graduates who can't do basic Maths. Being intelligent in modern Britain is mostly considered an anachronistic joke (as opposed to many places in the USA, where being intelligent is considered a mortal sin).
4) British politics is utterly dreadful - all the political parties are completely clueless. Most are professional politicians who have never done a proper job of work in their lives. The idea that, in the 21st century, Britain would be "governed" by Bullendon Club lowlifes, is truly shameful.
5) The British press is a national disgrace. The likes of "The Daily Mail" and "The Sun" are shockingly horrible. For a true picture of modern Britain, try Googling "ownership of the British Press" - Jesus wept.
However, on a positive note, if you enjoy Facebook or Twitter, or texting while driving, or Tattoos, or Earrings, but especially, getting "rat assed", then Britain is for you.
I hope I haven't put you off.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Sounds like how Canada is getting :p

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

To JRuss87

Only know Canada (Calgary) from the late 80's (when the Flames won the Stanley Cup) and loved it - the whole family did. If only we could go back in time......

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

SOLANOCASA,
I want to laugh and cry at your post. You speak how I imagine it to be HOWEVER, are you glad to be back? Will you be staying for the moment?

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I'm in Southern Ontario (St Catharines), it hasn't been a good place to live since the mid 1990's, I live in a city that is marred by unemployment and extremely high cost of living. Plus its a s*** hole, the only nice area around here is the GTA which is 45 minutes up the road and the tourist traps in Niagara Falls which is about 15 minutes away.

For example, recently the local news indicated that there are over 1000 applicants for every one job vacancy in St Catharines and the average rent is $800 per month for a one bedroom apartment. Almost seems like the tables have turned, Glasgow where my mum immigrated from to this area in the 1970's was having serious unemployment issues and high cost of living while Canada was enjoying high employment rates and relatively low cost of living.

Now I'm reading that the UK is experiencing an economic upswing with many job opportunities, cost of living is another thing however. Calgary on the other hand is supposed to be beautiful, but I've never been out that way, the flights are very expensive.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

To LostBrit99

Overall (honest!) I don't regret returning. Whatever the negatives (which I expected, but not to the degree actually experienced), it was the right thing to do - I think, usually, we (many of we soft-backboned specimens anyway ) know only too clearly what is the right thing to do, but will delay as long as we can, and seek every excuse, to avoid the truth. If you are (or expect to become) a miserable old git like me, there's a huge amount of amusement to be had in contemporary Britain - (e.g. Ukip out-Pythons the old Monty Python's Circus every time !). You couldn't make most of this up. And, if you are happy (and have a reasonable amount of income - it's honestly not too expensive) to set up a comfortable life for yourself, to your own standards, then you can certainly do that back here. Good luck.
And I will stay as long as my immediate family need me. Should that change, I will move back to Southern Europe in a heartbeat. (As an aside, I can never work out why the heck Europe would want Britain (other than for our money) in Europe. If you have seen how Bullendon-club types act in Britain, imagine how much worse it is in Europe !).

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

Jane Austin is more often called "Jane Austen" and I imagine you are trying to refer to the "Bullingdon" Club.

I too have spent thirty years all over the world, The UK has its problems but what you describe is a travesty of the truth.
Drink - yes, but that has been the case in Britain for centuries. Hogarths Gin Lane was no invention
The NHS is not all it could be it is true, but free access to those in need is a concept that quite simply makes me proud to be British. And always will. Of course it is unaffordable, of course we cannot treat the whole world, but to me it is simply unacceptable to imagine that someone might go to hospital and not be treated because they cannot afford it.
Education has it is true been appalling over the last quarter century or so, But the establishment IS now being rolled back. Anyway you have established unequivocally that it was not as great in the 60s as you fondly remember.
The Press in the UK has always been robust. The Mail and the Guardian are however just two ends of a spectrum. Most sit comfortably in between. Many countries would envy that range of views.
Nobody forces you to watch TV and to define British culture by the idiot box is an act of breathtaking ....I don't know what. Some of the stuff I have seen at the National and the Royal Ballet has been breathtaking and thought provoking.
Perhaps you should just get out more.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

To JRuss87

Sorry to hear about your local conditions. I hear things have gotten much more expensive across Canada, Calgary included) over the years - my old experience is completely irrelevant to your present day situation (for example, I was paid essentially in US dollars, and the exchange rate was much more favorable then).
As to back here (UK), we have found it, overall, much less expensive than we thought it would be - on similar income we are at least as well off here as we were in the USA (retired in both places, for the last 5+ years). Tax admin is a nightmare, but there may just be light at the end of the tunnel).
My wife is from Glasgow - which seems to be enjoying a relative boom these days - at least until the Tories find a way to tear the heart out of it.

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

I suppose it may be some of both. Of course it is a loaded question, but what I find on most, if not all of the post's on here they are for the most part positive rather than negative. I on the other hand tell it like it is. I thank you for your reply.
Regards
John

re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
 

To Bigglesworth

Thanks for your spelling corrections - I stand unequivocally corrected, and am very red faced. (And I never could spell - I had to look up "unequivocally" from your post.)

I thought I was in fact praising the NHS ( and agree fully with your pride in it) - I'm sorry if I gave a contrary impression.

I too have read about the historical roots of British drunkenness - not sure how that excuses the current excesses, though.

On other matters, it sounds as if you (somewhat reluctantly) agree with much I have said - it's perhaps my clumsy and somewhat belligerent tone you are reacting against... ?

And I am happy to hear that you are able to enjoy ( and can afford to attend) the National and the Royal Ballet. I can only manage to get to the local Playhouse on an OAP discount.