Celticspirit

Yes it will. My brother bought a MacBook Pro when he was here last Xmas. He thought it was cheaper in the UK only to discover there really wasn't any difference in price.

dontheturner

Hi Peigi -- No I am not counting ( Liar) just 70 days to go!!!! Thanks for thinking of me. Do you intend to buy Wee Mac, a small alarm clock? my Boy and Girl always had one, in their bed. Trying to send you a shot of them - sadly no more now, Bobby died,(Min German Schnauzer) and Rosie ( Poodle) went back to her Mother, when we left, and came back here. Take Care.
Love Don xx

Derrygal

Barb is correct - unfortunately there are homeless people on the streets in other countries, including the UK. I actually saw a few homeless people begging on the streets in N Ireland when I was back there last summer - this shocked me - I can never remember that when I was growing up there - sure there were a lot of people who lived in poverty (I was one of them) but everyone had a roof over their heads. I would be the first to admit that the US has it's problems and the healthcare system sucks, but not everything is bad here. I can guarantee you that if and when you return to the UK, there are things about the US you will miss - you may not feel this way now, but you will. There is no utopia - every country has bad and good. As for Americans, sure some of them are "fake", some of them drive gas-guzzling cars and don't give a hoot about the environment, but not all of them - many are also friendly and genuine. I was ill with bronchitis about a month ago and one of my neighbors came over one evening with some home made soup for me - this lady - bless her - has been battling breast cancer for most of the past year and yet she made soup for me!! Okay, now I've said my piece - I'm off to watch one of my favorite movies - "It's A Wonderful Life", it's on television tonight!

sallysimmons

It's true there are homeless people everywhere - but the difference is in the degree. No one in the UK ever has to worry that, after a lifetime of hard work, they will be rendered homeless because they got sick and had to pay for treatment. In the US, there are tens of thousands of people driven into bankruptcy every year because they were unlucky enough to fall ill. No other Western civilization allows that to happen to its people - it's to America's eternal shame that it does.

Ain't that the truth - about all of us. We get to escape this harsh system and move somewhere where we know we will have access to care. My heart breaks for all those people who don't have that option.

Sadly, the situation with your mom is by no means an outlier. Thousands of people every month are denied life saving care because their insurance doesn't cover it. It just doesn't get covered on the news here because big business protects big business.

Fish n Chips 56

Thanks for that JJ, I love house looking, Like the kitchen, bathroom and living room, all those colors would have to go hahahaaaaaa.
Large yard, seems a bit unusual for it to be that big, the price looks fair for the UK, Gosh I went to Sandringham a few years ago its just down the road, a very Nice area, I love Norfolk as you know.

windsong

True. But you don't have the banks illegally taking the homes of the people as you do in this country.

I don't want to start a debate about the U.S. vs. the U.K. Everyone has their opinion. I just know that I have had enough.

Oh, yes, definitely, there are things I will miss. No country has it all - but the UK has what I want

windsong

You and I think along the same lines, Sally. Yes, what happened to my mother was horrific. It was the beginning of my taking of the rose-colored glasses about this country. Getting sick with no health insurance myself was another occasion. There have been a few in the last 10 years but now I can see EVER so clearly. I'm ready to jump ship!

fulwood

Windsong, I knew picture of house was one you used to live in back in UK/Scotland just commenting on it. I was born in Peterborough, home for me is Preston and moved to US in 1984 and still here. miss UK and would like to return home to UK one day but I need to sort myself out career wise. it is not for the materialistic aspect but to be able to provide comfortable way of life for myself and my brother. We are both single and have no family so at nearly age 50 I am studying to be a speech pathologist. won't enter grad school until about age 51..so happy to hear you have a job..

windsong

Good luck to you, Fulwood. You are very wise studying for a new career. I started to do that a year ago - and then lost my job. I could not afford to continue. It's a catch 22 here.

I know Preston. My parents sometimes took me there as a young child - seaside town, if I remember correctly. I loved it.

Celticspirit

Dear Fulwood, a speech pathologist is a career in top demand. One of my Brit friends daughter has a wonderful and successful career as a speech pathologist.

Beedubya

Of course you are correct that nobody in the UK loses all they have and go bankrupt because they have medical bills. And the social housing is far superior to most any country in the world as far as I know. Certainly the countries represented by the people on this particular thread.

But nevertheless there are homeless people, maybe some of them by "choice" because of their lifestyle, and this was what I was trying to say to Windsong in my cack handed way, don't be shocked if you see them.......

And Windsong I am not being rude believe me, but sometimes I hear that you seem to know very little about the modern UK and the way of life and the changing times, you really need to do some research. It would be a terrible disappointment to you if you were to go back and find that life in the UK had sped on past you, while you were still rooted in how it used to be............said with kindness.

Easterndawn

I think these are very wise word in regards to coming back and finding things are not as we remembered. Even though I had done lots of research on the internet when I returned it was a huge culture shock for me and I think it took me about 6 months to realize the following things;
That even though I was born in the UK, loved my country of birth, had never felt I belonged in Canada. I really was more Canadian than I thought.
That there are many things that I do miss about living in Canada.
That there are things that simple make me embarrased about my homeland and it's people.
It was only after I was honest with myself that I was able to feel comfortable living back in Scotland. Yes, it is a beautiful country and I love it with all my heart but I have taken my rose coloured glasses off and I do see that there are many problems here also. If we could only take all the things we love and that are good from both countries mix them all together we would have Utopia. Unfortunately you can either live where your heart is, or live where your family/friends and probable where you have lived most most of if not all of your adult life and accept the problems that every country has.

dunroving

ED:

I think your words are particularly relevant to anyone coming back to the UK at the moment. Not only is coming back a culture shock in "normal" times, the challenges of finding a job, rental/mortgage, etc. are even greater at the moment (you have first-hand experience of that).

Tax-funded support services (including the NHS, education, higher education, social services, care services, family and unemployment benefits, pensions, etc.) that keep coming up on MBTTUK as a reason for coming back are already stretched to their limit and things will only get worse for at least the next few years.

I realise that people have lots of other good reasons for coming back (family, friends, culture), and that is great, but I increasingly read on MBTTUK (and I've been coming here for 8 years) about Mother England's "safety net" and I think that some of the people who are saying that might get a shock when they eventually get back.

Easterndawn

Hi Don, I did think about this, will see how he settles firstI di get a hot water bottle with a fake fur cover on it though will fill it with warm water if he looks like he is missing mom.
Oh, my goodnes I have become one of those dog owners who used to drive me insane when I managed kennels. Your dogs look lovely, when my family went over to Canada they actually took my poodle, Nikki, so I have a soft spot for poodles, well, if I am to be honest, I have a soft spot for all animals.

Easterndawn

Dunroving, What you are saying is very true. I do understand the need to return back home especially if you ae looking at becoming homeless or losing all the savings that you have just to be able to stay in reasonable health. For myself although I do have on going medication that I have to take, this was certainly not my reason for coming back and living for that few months on Job Seekers Allowance was a nightmare, very soul destroying. Yet, I still would do it again but perhaps differently, not sure how, perhaps I would of waited till the house sold, had a longer possession date.

I am not sure if you have noticed that British people live a lot in the past though, I have never seen so many programs about the second world war, rationing, victory gardening etc., it almost seems that people would like to return to that time in the history of this country. Is it just me that is thinking this way?