So sorry to hear you are feeling as you are.

I have been in the UK since August last doing some research about moving back after 11 years living in Toronto suburbs. I get very homesick for my friends etc along with other things. Two of my children 20 and 24I came over for a month and did the partying in Ibiza, London etc but could not wait to get back to Toronto to their better quality of life. It made me really sad to hear as the dream of returning as family had collapsed.

Anyway point is after being here for a while now it is not the place I left. There is a great feeling of anger felt in many different ways resentment of what is going on etc all of our friends are living on the edge. I have to disagree cost are higher in Canada I have noticed here everyday costs have gone up greatly, recently gas and electric have jumped 13 %. Car insurance is has I would say jumped high. If you read up on statistics in Canada well Toronto where I live it is generally 25% less for cost of living than the UK.

Education we have found to be brilliant French immersion programme for my daughter and boys in University of Toronto, great opportunities for them as they quoted when they returned. On their weekends in the Winter they drive 25 minutes to Ski in the summer they drive 30 minutes to Water ski "What can I say" .

Maybe you can let us know what you filled your shopping basket with as maybe I am guessing it was chicken wings as I could not believe the cost over here for what we usually throw away in the UK but that is about all I would think of. I know in the summer I buy a huge sweet watermelon to take on a picnic of which we put in the lake to keep cool for $2.97 I could not get that in the UK.

I think maybe you live in a really slow paced area which just has not suited your lifestyle. We have made alot of very good and fun friends here but we still miss that dry and clever sense of humour. I guess we have just had to weigh up the most important things in life to us and make the choice. I had really hoped to come to the UK and warrant the desire to return but I cannot ask the family to return back just for myself knowing the situation is not the greatest at the moment and does not look too good a future either and as I say I am not sure I really want to.

I really hope things work out for you and I have not put a damper on things just trying to be realistic on facts. You can come visit us in Toronto their are some great Brit pubs and lots to do and we have great barbeques and parties through the winter and summer pool parties to get us through everyone is most welcome........ I will post a thread when I return back.

Good Luck

I have lived in Calgary, and Red Deer and the family and I are now back in the UK. Been back since September and to be honest with you all I have my moments of being homesick for Canada and then back to loving where we are at the present. IMHO it is the attitude you adopt that makes the location you are pleasant or not.

True since moving here we are faced with the fact that we may not be able to afford to buy a house for quite a while, and that is despite the fact we have no debt and my OH is on a pretty good salary for the UK (in fact in the 4 months we have been here has moved from a contract position to a permanent job to Infrastructure Manager for a International Chemical company) OH works from home so no problems with traffic jams or travel costs, we own our car outright and not other debts!

I can find half leg of lamb (to feed 5 with leftovers) for under 4 quid (know when to visit the COOP for reduced food, freeze on day of purchase and use within 1 month)

Eldest boys loves his preschool (fully funded) he attends 5 mornings a week, second boy attends 2 days a week (6 quid a session), he will be fully funded at the age of 3 for 5 sessions a week. As we live within the village we can walk, although I give you the rain the last week was not fun so rather than get the kids soaked the drive to school did take place. We fill our car for 90 quid for the month. (of course longer trips do add to this bill) Yes the cost of petrol has gone up - we counteract this by walking more, using the car less. (I know this is not possible in Canada, certainly not at -20 with little kids, been there done that).

Yes there is litter, I noticed it in Red Deer as well, and Calgary. I think just the nature of a group of animals living together you are going to generate some litter. You could always do your part and pick it up when you see it. When we were out walking my eldest noticed some litter and actually asked my why people left their rubbish behind. We agreed that next time we would take a bag with us and pick up anything we saw. All it takes is one or two people to be proactive like this. And before any of you start to warn of the safety issue of collecting rubbish (broken glass, disease etc) we wear gloves and make a game of it!

We did consider a move to another province before the move back to the UK. We are happy back here at present. We will reevaluate in a few years, who knows where we will end up.

Where do they live I find after returning to the UK that people where I live actually have a smile on their faces and seem very happy(especially in the country pubs where I live) the pace of life is more relaxed and carefree than my time in Perth, as you say "whatever rocks your boat" I have been offered more money to return to my job in Perth but have decided the quality of life FOR ME is much greater where I am in the UK

All day. God that must hurt. Are theu on acid or somthing

There's the Feathers. Is there another?

A nice Irish pub a few minutes along Queen Street from Feathers (great Pub, remember it fondly) where the Guinness is equally good!

If you're talking about O'Farrell's (faux-Irish orignally run by an Australian, Paddy, and Yuri who lived over Zippers but wasn't obviously gay) they got busted for dealing drugs from behind the bar and it was shut down. It recently reopened under a new name but I haven't been in.

Such is progress

Have not been in that neck of the woods for a few years now and travel to Toronto as infrequently as humanly possible Having said that enjoyed the Beaches and its pubs enormously, including the aforementioned - but only for the Guinness!!!

So glad things are working out for you. I come from an area Sutton Coldfield suburbs of Birmingham. Constant incidents happening feeling most upset at the moment wondering what is going on?!!!! I feel so bad for alot of my friends seeing how they are strugling especially those self employed they just cannot seem to compete with the cheaper labour that is on offer now.

Sounds great where you are let me know where maybe I need to check out other areas before I slap the lid on.

Happy days to you.....

Sutton Coldfield is lovely my sister lives just near Sutton park and they never have had any trouble in the 20 years they have lived in Sutton, and regarding cheap labour the papers blow it all out of proportion, I am an electrician and have never even seen skiilled immigrant workers on sites I work on, only immigrant labourers who are bloody good workers and get paid well, don't believe the media

I guess for me I have been receiving some many negative comments as to "Why on earth are thinking of living back here??" I am attending Sutton Coldfield College myself and received such comments from even the tutors there much to my surprise. Why do you think it is the mass exodus is happening then is it all the papers making it up and no grounding to it??

What mass exodus?.....stop reading the Daily mail.

G

I do not! I was told by a variety of people aparently 26 per cent are leaving each year. Is that not correct? I makes me think even when I went to watch a local footy game yesterday morning I was told of two families from there one to oz and one NZ. Do you really think it is not happening??

Britain has a population of about 60 million people. 26% equates to over 15 million people leaving per year. Were the variety of people who told you this out on care in the community?

I think her friend exaggerated a little.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/emig1107.pdf