Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
Jul 25th 2014, 8:08 am
#61
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Location: Was Torbay, NZ now North Yorkshire UK
Posts: 813
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
I now live in Boroughbridge, right between harrogate and york, it's lovely, and also a small world as last year another new boy started at the school looking for friends and he had come from NZ also.As for quiet children, honestly I have the three quietest, always have had. They have found their own sort of friends and are really happy.
Jul 25th 2014, 3:29 pm
#62
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 67
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
Thanks for the info everybody, its so good to know that there are good people out there. This is really helping. Thank you
Jul 26th 2014, 2:35 pm
#63
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 745
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
I'm late coming into this but to reply to the original question;
If I had known beforehand how difficult it has been for me myself to re-integrate into UK then I would probably not have come to save myself the pain.
However, now that I am here and worked through it I'm sufficiently OK that I wouldn't move back to US, not because I prefer it here but because I have had enough of relocating..
I preferred my lifestyle and circumstances in US to where I am in UK.
Not everone will feel this way, not even my wife, she has settled in fine in UK.
Will you settle in UK ? Well, it all depends.
Maybe the advice from fellow corresponent Cheers will be useful; keep your eyes wide open before and half closed afterwards.
I suggest consider not moving back to where you came from. We did and found that quality of life was less then previous (or maybe than we remembered).
We moved back to a less prosperous area than we lived in US so I felt a definite downgrade in circumstances.
It may depend on your personality, whether you look inward or outward. Me, I look at my surroundings first rather then my own self, hence I saw people behaving inconsiderately and all that went with it and concluded this was not the UK I left and definately less than the US I left and was not happy to be back. Now I've learned to pretend (most of the time) that all that annoying stuff isn't there, to look inward, avoid the stuff that bothers me, go often to the open countryside.
Sad really that we have to time our days to avoid school rush or weekends or drunks in the towns as a previous poster said earlier but it works. Sad that I have to do it now in my home UK when I didn't have to in US.
If I moved again it would be to elsewhere in UK, further North than Norfolk or to the South West. If me alone then to the countryside, but my wife wants frequent buses and edge of city and access to airports so we are both compromising.
(yet another) John
If I had known beforehand how difficult it has been for me myself to re-integrate into UK then I would probably not have come to save myself the pain.
However, now that I am here and worked through it I'm sufficiently OK that I wouldn't move back to US, not because I prefer it here but because I have had enough of relocating..
I preferred my lifestyle and circumstances in US to where I am in UK.
Not everone will feel this way, not even my wife, she has settled in fine in UK.
Will you settle in UK ? Well, it all depends.
Maybe the advice from fellow corresponent Cheers will be useful; keep your eyes wide open before and half closed afterwards.
I suggest consider not moving back to where you came from. We did and found that quality of life was less then previous (or maybe than we remembered).
We moved back to a less prosperous area than we lived in US so I felt a definite downgrade in circumstances.
It may depend on your personality, whether you look inward or outward. Me, I look at my surroundings first rather then my own self, hence I saw people behaving inconsiderately and all that went with it and concluded this was not the UK I left and definately less than the US I left and was not happy to be back. Now I've learned to pretend (most of the time) that all that annoying stuff isn't there, to look inward, avoid the stuff that bothers me, go often to the open countryside.
Sad really that we have to time our days to avoid school rush or weekends or drunks in the towns as a previous poster said earlier but it works. Sad that I have to do it now in my home UK when I didn't have to in US.
If I moved again it would be to elsewhere in UK, further North than Norfolk or to the South West. If me alone then to the countryside, but my wife wants frequent buses and edge of city and access to airports so we are both compromising.
(yet another) John
Last edited by J.JsOH; Jul 26th 2014 at 2:45 pm.
Jul 26th 2014, 2:49 pm
#64
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 67
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
I'm late coming into this but to reply to the original question;
If I had known beforehand how difficult it has been for me myself to re-integrate into UK then I would probably not have come to save myself the pain.
However, now that I am here and worked through it I'm sufficiently OK that I wouldn't move back to US, not because I prefer it here but because I have had enough of relocating..
I preferred my lifestyle and circumstances in US to where I am in UK.
Not everone will feel this way, not even my wife, she has settled in fine in UK.
Will you settle in UK ? Well, it all depends.
Maybe the advice from fellow corresponent Cheers will be useful; keep your eyes wide open before and half closed afterwards.
I suggest consider not moving back to where you came from. We did and found that quality of life was less then previous (or maybe than we remembered).
We moved back to a less prosperous area than we lived in US so I felt a definite downgrade in circumstances.
It may depend on your personality, whether you look inward or outward. Me, I look at my surroundings first rather then my own self, hence I saw people behaving inconsiderately and all that went with it and concluded this was not the UK I left and definately less than the US I left and was not happy to be back. Now I've learned to pretend (most of the time) that all that annoying stuff isn't there, to look inward, avoid the stuff that bothers me, go often to the open countryside.
Sad really that we have to time our days to avoid school rush or weekends or drunks in the towns as a previous poster said earlier but it works. Sad that I have to do it now in my home UK when I didn't have to in US.
If I moved again it would be to elsewhere in UK, further North than Norfolk or to the South West. If me alone then to the countryside, but my wife wants frequent buses and edge of city and access to airports so we are both compromising.
(yet another) John
If I had known beforehand how difficult it has been for me myself to re-integrate into UK then I would probably not have come to save myself the pain.
However, now that I am here and worked through it I'm sufficiently OK that I wouldn't move back to US, not because I prefer it here but because I have had enough of relocating..
I preferred my lifestyle and circumstances in US to where I am in UK.
Not everone will feel this way, not even my wife, she has settled in fine in UK.
Will you settle in UK ? Well, it all depends.
Maybe the advice from fellow corresponent Cheers will be useful; keep your eyes wide open before and half closed afterwards.
I suggest consider not moving back to where you came from. We did and found that quality of life was less then previous (or maybe than we remembered).
We moved back to a less prosperous area than we lived in US so I felt a definite downgrade in circumstances.
It may depend on your personality, whether you look inward or outward. Me, I look at my surroundings first rather then my own self, hence I saw people behaving inconsiderately and all that went with it and concluded this was not the UK I left and definately less than the US I left and was not happy to be back. Now I've learned to pretend (most of the time) that all that annoying stuff isn't there, to look inward, avoid the stuff that bothers me, go often to the open countryside.
Sad really that we have to time our days to avoid school rush or weekends or drunks in the towns as a previous poster said earlier but it works. Sad that I have to do it now in my home UK when I didn't have to in US.
If I moved again it would be to elsewhere in UK, further North than Norfolk or to the South West. If me alone then to the countryside, but my wife wants frequent buses and edge of city and access to airports so we are both compromising.
(yet another) John
I look outward too. Its hard trying to ignore the ignorant acts of others. I understand totally what you are saying.
Jul 26th 2014, 7:31 pm
#65
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 745
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
If my wife and I looked further maybe we would find that happy locality but at this time I have been making the most of what I have here and it is not all bad providing I focus on the good.
If we hadn't had this property to move back to then we would have looked further afield for what suits us now at this time in our lives. On the plus side at least we had a property to move back to.
Jul 26th 2014, 8:20 pm
#66
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Joined: May 2012
Location: South Bucks
Posts: 1,654
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
Doubtless though, there are plenty people that move back and 'find their place'.
If my wife and I looked further maybe we would find that happy locality but at this time I have been making the most of what I have here and it is not all bad providing I focus on the good.
If we hadn't had this property to move back to then we would have looked further afield for what suits us now at this time in our lives. On the plus side at least we had a property to move back to.
If my wife and I looked further maybe we would find that happy locality but at this time I have been making the most of what I have here and it is not all bad providing I focus on the good.
If we hadn't had this property to move back to then we would have looked further afield for what suits us now at this time in our lives. On the plus side at least we had a property to move back to.
Jul 27th 2014, 10:33 am
#67
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 745
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
TBH that is worrying us a little bit. We are moving back to our house in a nice area but it probably has also changed in the 13 years or we have! We definitely do not want the hassle of having 2 homes so will try to settle into this area initially. We will do the house up to suit our needs. My OH says he just wants to put down roots somewhere and the thought of moving again will not appeal to him. Our hope is that we can buy a small caravan and when things get on our nerves (mostly the busyness) we can take off for the coast or quieter places to chill!
People can be very different in their acceptances and tolerances. I sometimes fall into the grumpy old man bracket.
As an example of personality differences, a few years ago I had a great holiday in a caribbean resort, it was quiet, empty beaches, lovely flowers, turtles, all that and I though it was wonderful. An aquaintance asked me were I had been and the next year they went and hated it, complained it was lonely, no party crowd to have raucious nights with, etc.
Your plan for a caravan might be a good thing, I had a friend that says his getaway caravan saved his sanity at a time when his work was over bearing.
Last evening was great, I sat in the small garden, weather was just right, watched the birds settle in tree for the night, saw a few bats fly overhead in the twilight, there were no noxious BBQ fumes from 3 doors down and nor were there loud voices and I just enjoyed some quiet time.
Jul 27th 2014, 10:45 am
#68
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,004
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
Hope I don't worry you too much and that is not my intent.
People can be very different in their acceptances and tolerances. I sometimes fall into the grumpy old man bracket.
As an example of personality differences, a few years ago I had a great holiday in a caribbean resort, it was quiet, empty beaches, lovely flowers, turtles, all that and I though it was wonderful. An aquaintance asked me were I had been and the next year they went and hated it, complained it was lonely, no party crowd to have raucious nights with, etc.
Your plan for a caravan might be a good thing, I had a friend that says his getaway caravan saved his sanity at a time when his work was over bearing.
Last evening was great, I sat in the small garden, weather was just right, watched the birds settle in tree for the night, saw a few bats fly overhead in the twilight, there were no noxious BBQ fumes from 3 doors down and nor were there loud voices and I just enjoyed some quiet time.
People can be very different in their acceptances and tolerances. I sometimes fall into the grumpy old man bracket.
As an example of personality differences, a few years ago I had a great holiday in a caribbean resort, it was quiet, empty beaches, lovely flowers, turtles, all that and I though it was wonderful. An aquaintance asked me were I had been and the next year they went and hated it, complained it was lonely, no party crowd to have raucious nights with, etc.
Your plan for a caravan might be a good thing, I had a friend that says his getaway caravan saved his sanity at a time when his work was over bearing.
Last evening was great, I sat in the small garden, weather was just right, watched the birds settle in tree for the night, saw a few bats fly overhead in the twilight, there were no noxious BBQ fumes from 3 doors down and nor were there loud voices and I just enjoyed some quiet time.
The neighbours three doors down have a rwody party maybe 4-5 times ecah summer, going on until way past midnight. Usually, it ends very abruptly which I assume means either the police turn up or someone knocks on the door and complains. I don't mind it too much as it isn't usually on a work night and I guess everyone is entitled to let their hair down and have fun now and again.
I sometimes wonder if my neighbours complain about the volume frommy telly. My hearing is definitely worse and so I think my telly is probably louder than most. I also sometimes fall asleep in front of the telly and wake up at 3 a.m. with the telly still blaring. So, maybe I am the local "thug"!
The relevance to the OP is that regrets can sometimes be due as much to local factors as they are about the more general/national "UK" problems.
Jul 27th 2014, 8:46 pm
#69
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Joined: May 2012
Location: South Bucks
Posts: 1,654
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
There is one thing that is going to annoy us and that is parking! Where we live obviously there is no parking issue and our driveway here is so large we can have a large RV plus space for 6 cars! Where our house is it is a cul-de-sac (which we like the idea of no through road) but it did annoy us that every house has 3 or more cars and we found it hard to get out of our driveway! We are aware of this though so will have to just be accepting! We will also try walk as much as possible to shops so we will not have to try that parking lrak in the town centre.
Jul 28th 2014, 2:49 pm
#70
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 745
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
I still intend to write a more considered reply to the OP of this thread but wanted to say that you and I have something in common, John. Give me the quiet life any time. The challenge in the UK is that most people live cheek-by-jowl with their neighbours and if you have rowdy neighbours it can make life difficult.
The neighbours three doors down have a rwody party maybe 4-5 times ecah summer, going on until way past midnight. Usually, it ends very abruptly which I assume means either the police turn up or someone knocks on the door and complains. I don't mind it too much as it isn't usually on a work night and I guess everyone is entitled to let their hair down and have fun now and again.
I sometimes wonder if my neighbours complain about the volume frommy telly. My hearing is definitely worse and so I think my telly is probably louder than most. I also sometimes fall asleep in front of the telly and wake up at 3 a.m. with the telly still blaring. So, maybe I am the local "thug"!
The relevance to the OP is that regrets can sometimes be due as much to local factors as they are about the more general/national "UK" problems.
The neighbours three doors down have a rwody party maybe 4-5 times ecah summer, going on until way past midnight. Usually, it ends very abruptly which I assume means either the police turn up or someone knocks on the door and complains. I don't mind it too much as it isn't usually on a work night and I guess everyone is entitled to let their hair down and have fun now and again.
I sometimes wonder if my neighbours complain about the volume frommy telly. My hearing is definitely worse and so I think my telly is probably louder than most. I also sometimes fall asleep in front of the telly and wake up at 3 a.m. with the telly still blaring. So, maybe I am the local "thug"!
The relevance to the OP is that regrets can sometimes be due as much to local factors as they are about the more general/national "UK" problems.
In UK, we moved back to the house we bought and could afford 35 years ago it is now rather the opposite to the circumstances that made me happy in the US. No doubt our happy place is somewhere else in the UK but for now we accept what we have.
If we had ended up in a rotten place in US then I may well have been more glad to be back in UK.
Jul 29th 2014, 10:21 am
#71
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Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
More than 2 years back in the UK after spending the last 12 years in Brisbane and I can say hand on heart absolutely no regrets whatsoever. We are fortunate that we live in the most sparcely populated county in England, we have plenty of space, great neighbours in a beautiful village. There is absolutely no reason at all why you have to live on top of others in this country, you just have to to live away from the cities which is the same anywhere.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
Last edited by chris955; Jul 29th 2014 at 10:57 am. Reason: Corrected for the pedants :)
Jul 29th 2014, 10:31 am
#72
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Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
I was thinking the same thing, what UK are they talking about, not the one we are living in 
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.
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.
Jul 29th 2014, 10:43 am
#73
MODERATOR
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 29,849
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
More than 2 years back in the UK after spending the last 12 years in Brisbane and I can say hand on heart absolutely no regrets whatsoever. We are fortunate that we live in the most spacely populated county in England, we have plenty of space, great neighbours in a beautiful village. There is absolutely no reason at all why you have to live on top of others in this country, you just have to to live away from the cities which is the same anywhere.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
Jul 29th 2014, 2:31 pm
#75
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Devon
Posts: 175
re: Any regrets about moving back to the UK?
More than 2 years back in the UK after spending the last 12 years in Brisbane and I can say hand on heart absolutely no regrets whatsoever. We are fortunate that we live in the most sparcely populated county in England, we have plenty of space, great neighbours in a beautiful village. There is absolutely no reason at all why you have to live on top of others in this country, you just have to to live away from the cities which is the same anywhere.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
We have had brilliant medical care when we have needed it, including a broken arm my son suffered, no complaints at all, just the opposite in fact. Only yesterday afternoon I had a minor surgery on my leg at a local clinic, the service and care was brilliant. I noticed a post earlier comparing a hospital visit to the third world, then I looked at who made the post
I miss family and friends but quite honestly dont miss too much about Australia, this country gives us everything we want and more.
Some call me overly positive, weird I know, but I say it as I see it. Is it perfect here? No way but nowhere is.
