fulwood

Thanks for this thread will be 50 in 2 years time! aes1 - hang in there and please just do things one at a time. I am sorry but I have lived in US for 25 years now on October 1 and at end of day think Brits are far more friendlier than Americans. So what I am trying to say when you move to UK it should be a wee bit easier to make some friends than here. I've lived in same neighborhood for nigh on 10 years and can count on fingers of one hand folks I've spoken to or know by first name. You can do it and things will work out. That's coming from someone who is a miserable old pessimist. Life is short so one step at a time and it will work out. I'm desperate to leave Arizona right now and move to east coast so at least wee bit closer to UK but like you have house to sell. I am thinking of just selling and if break even so be it. do not want to be burdened with house. Take care and see you across the pond one day!

dunroving

Well, I know there was a serious point to my previous post, but it is the reason I have a rule not to get on the computer late at night when I'm half-asleep (literally, woke up leaning over the keyboard, saw I had typed up something, finished it, or thought I had, then hit send and logged off).

I was responding to an earlier post about concerns re: ending up in a nursing home, etc., during "really old" age. I can understand that concern, even though I'm a long way off being there. I think it's just a function of modern society in many countries, and changes in health care that keep us going until we have no spare parts left.

Concerns about health and social care in our dotage, and financial difficulties (which have also been mentioned on this thread) are a good reason to come back to the UK. For all its faults, there are a lot of breaks you get here when you are short of money, in ill health, or need a little extra help taking care of yourself. There are lots of progams designed for folks in that situation, plus breaks such as free public transport, help with winter utility bills, higher tax allowance, etc. Plus the good old free (at point of service, of course) NHS.

I don't know about Canada and Australia, but compared to this, the US sometimes seems almost inhumane. You can lose everything through one major illness (though at least Obama is trying to do something about this).

Having said that, it can be very difficult moving back to somewhere you haven't lived for many years, even though it may seem like "home". It's surprising how much living in another culture for 20, 30 years can change you.

Bevm

We're just back, but we're not looking to the pension. My husband has his employment pension from Canada and I'm still working. Self employed writer. So I don't know what the difference would be after 65. We also emigrated in the '70s

We had no complaint against Canada except for general boredom, plus being on the west coast, we were a long way from nearly everywhere we wanted to be.

I suppose I should change my profile.

Bev

Easterndawn

Dunroving: For myself if I was not a medical plan through my husbands employer it would cost me over $300.00 per month just for meds that are essential for my good health. These meds are not anything special, or for any major health problems just the run of the mill kind of meds that I have been on for over 10 years.
If my husband was to be layed off, we would have a difficult time paying for these meds at this time and god forbid that our health was decline to a point that we were unable to work.
These are not good reasons to return to my homeland but have been considered when deciding. Perhaps if the Health care in the country that we were going to was not as good as it is, then we would make a different decision, thank god it is not, and that we can return knowing that we will not fall between the cracks.
We both have many years of work left in us, and will become contributing citizens of the UK, just as we have been in Canada. The difference for us is that it seems that here it is not reconized in any meaningful way. If you cannot afford to pay for your mortgage and lose your house your completely on your own. No help from the local, provincial or federal Gov't here.
I guess for me, this has never been home, I always say that I was dragged to Canada kicking and screaming by my parents We have lived in different cultures before and tried to become involved in the communities that we lived in, this we felt helped immensly in fitting in and becoming part of the solutions and not part of the problems.

aes1

Well, it took me a long walk ( saw a huge fish, must have been 3 feet long jumping 4 times high out of the water, travelling along the surface of a pond), 3 cups of tea, a session of yoga, watching a couple of episodes of "One Foot in the Grave" on DVD, and reading all your posts and kind and comforting words and wishes, to pull me out of the quicksand and back over to the positive side of living!
So thank you, thank you, to everyone on here, the best thing I have ever found on line is this site!!! Dunroving, you make excellent points re living in the US versus UK and everything you say is true. It really is an inhumane country here in many ways, and one enthusiastic president is not going to change that. (BTW only last week I heard of a man locally driving through a neighbourhood, came across a mother duck and babies (8 in all) crossing the road in front of him. Instead of stopping, he kept going, ran straight over them, killed them all - and was laughing as he did it!!!!) This country is going through its 'teenage' years, rebellious, wanting everything now, demanding attention, scared of losing power in the world and always needing to win. I say this after living and observing it for 26 years. In contrast, the UK is the wise parent. No matter what happens when I move, I KNOW I don't have to worry anymore about growing older and being taken care of. Returning to England is like returning to the womb! Now one stroke at a time towards that, swimming across the pond.........

Gillwrayhk

We have just hired a car in the UK from Thrifty.co.uk(Big company) New car and you can book it in advance to reserve it then pay when you pick it up with cash. You do need to give a deposit so I guess you could do that in cash too.
Good luck
Gill

Adelia

Trottytrue, we moved back to the UK in March this year and really love it here. I lived in Australia (Brisbane) for many, many years and I'm 60 now. All I can say is go for it! If you prefer to live in the UK don't keep thinking about it just do it.

All the best to you.
Adelia

Easterndawn

Glad to hear that you are feeling more positive. For us finally having a date that I would be going over made all the difference in how we looked at things. It is now only 2 weeks and 9 hrs till I leave, do I still have reservations, of course, that is human nature. But my gut and my heart tell me that this is right, I have done everything within my power to make the transition as smooth as possible and I am satisfied with that.

The big worry is to have a place to stay for a few months, this for us was a huge worry, I used to have nightmares of wandering the steets with my suitcases looking for somewhere to sleep. Finding Ailsa was a godsend and i truly believe was meant to be. I hope that you are successful in finding a place before you leave, it takes time and it depends what you are looking for. For me it started out looking for a furnished flat and finished with finding a beautifull furnished double room, with broadband, small fridge, TV. I have full use of the house and yard. All I have to provide is my food etc. That weight has been lifted and I can now concentrate on other things. It gives me an address to open a bank account two weeks before I go at HSBC, through our branch here in the Maritines and also I have the reassurance of being able to put it on my luggage.

I am flying Icelandic Air, one way fair from Halifax, $465.00, if I had booked earlier would of got better rate, but still good. I will be leaving at 10pm our time and arrive in Glasgow 4:30 their time. I will be stopping in Iceland, Denmark then on to good old Scotland. I chose this company as they are not a charter company and will allow me to be overweight in my luggage. I have the prescribed number, size and shape, but they are I am sure overweight. Of course everything in them is an essential . As well I am allowed a carry-on, my laptop, and a backpack. Even though the ticket was reasonable, I have researched the company and found good things about them. If you are looking for cheap flight , and they fly out of your airport, here is the address www.icelandair.com for some reason can't get it to link up.

I always remember something that happened to me many years ago, when I am feeling down. it was aound Christmas, long day at work and still had to get groceries, winter in Manitobaso very cold and windy, my feet hurt, and I was tired and cranky. I was walking to the store from the parking lot, thinking about how miserable I was feeling, I saw a young man getting out of a mini van, and suddenly my sore feet seemed very slight indeed, for this young man was getting himself into a wheelchair and he had no feet!!

You will get there, and it will be great, take care
Peggie

robin1234

You make some good points about how the UK is more "senior-friendly" than the United States. You mention bus passes etc; public transport and better town planning can mean that frail elderly people can often remain independent and enjoy some quality of life in the UK. I live in a small rural town in New York. A local non-profit built a really excellent "independent living" facility in our town about ten years ago. Actually, it's about half-a-mile out of town, beyond the high school, with no side walk.. so residents rely on being driven to get to the library, bank etc. I've seen similar developments in English small towns and they are often right in the centre of town so residents can walk to local amenities.

No-one knows for sure, when they are in their 50's or early 60s, how they will deal with care issues in extreme old age. Will you be there for your spouse or partner when they need care? Will one or both of you have long-term dementia or other debilitating issues, or will you just keel over and die while out on a long cycle ride at the age of 98? Will your children be living close by, and able to help you, in twenty or thirty year's time? So I think that earlier rather than later is the time to make the big move (for instance, back to England for retirement) while you are still able to do it & hopefully enjoy some years of active life. Other necessary or prudent moves may need to be made in the future.

aes1

Peggie, thanks for all the details!!! Definitely helps! Can I ask you again how you got your rental place? I know you put in an ad in Gumtree, but that long ago, how did you know what to say and did you already have a date in mind that you needed something?
Robin, I read posts like yours and want to jump on a plane right now!!! It is so nice to have such positive feedback from complete strangers!!! Of course, you are all friends to me now Through this site, I think the ratio is more like 5:1 in returning to the UK being successful! Trottytrue, seems like this and next year are the times to go - no sense waiting for chronological age to creep up in number - that's all it is, a number!!

Easterndawn

aes1: No I did not have a specific date in mind, placed ad in Gumtree Glasgow as that is the area where I new I would be going to live. The ad read as follows, Mature professional lady is looking for room to rent in Ayrshire area. Moving back to Scotland in very near future. Would need room for short term only ( 3 to 6months). None smoker, good sense of humour looking for a place to call home. Must be near Railway station/bus route. If you think you might be able to help please respond to the above e-mail address, with complete information, pictures, rate and what the rent includes.

Remember that you should make sure that your rent includes council tax, if it does not then you have to ad this to your rent rate. All the people who responded sounded great, but the fact that Ailsa is my age and single made me respond to her e-mail. Now I might just have been lucky, but she has been wonderful and I feel that I am going to live with a friend. I was actually looking for short term , but in the UK it is very accepted for these arrangements to last a long time. Anything else I can help with, give me a shout.

alba1

Hi Peggie,
did you say you were going to Kilmarnock or nearby? that is one of the areas I would be interested in so I will eagerly wait to hear how it is. I lived off the Kilmarnock Rd. just outside of Glasgow growing up. It's hard to know if areas have changed a lot and are still safe to live in.

callé

aes1, I will gladly be your friend on this side. I still remember so clearly all the things to sort out, and how hard it all is. I am in the midlands, so I may not be that much more help than your friend, but I am here if you need a contact or any advice or just some encouragement! please let me know if I can do anything to help. Just remember to take one thing at a time. Make a list, it helps.

Boodles

What a great thread this is, complete strangers taking so much trouble to encourage others to acheive their dreams. If the whole world functioned like this thread, think what a paradise it would be. And, I agree with several of the posters, it is not that living in Canada, or wherever you are, is so aweful, for the most part I am sure that we are all grateful we have lived in such a prosperous and peaceful country. Canada has made top of the UN list of best courntries to live in several times and is always in the top 5, it is just that home sickness is a real feeling, irrational though it may be, and, as we get older, it seems, for some of us, to get stronger. I wish for the very best outcomes for all of you who are trying to get home, swimming against the tide is not always the easy way. It will be intersting to see in a couple of years how many of us have made it. I hope I am one of them.

Relocateme

Great posts today!..this is very exciting..I am getting excited for Easterndawn ...only two weeks to go eh?...its all coming together Peggy!
I do so wish you all thes very best and when your there do raise a glass and think of us still plodding on with selling up our stuff !! ha!

Oh well, Yes I am happy in Canada we do not have the headache over medical money. I have to go to chir three times a week for work injury and I would have no house left. My naprox (antiprostagalndins) to take the selling out were only $12 so this cost is ok for me

I can totally relate to the story of the sore feet and tired after having got home from work.. and the poor guy with no feet...Boy that bought tears to my eyes. and the geese crossing story

In Winnipeg we have geese crossing signs and everyone slows down or stops to let them over...one big trucking company put up huge sign on a main road and everyone stops there .

I had to laugh this year as the cops usualy sit in this spot and try to give out tickets for over 50kper hr...Now the geese are crossing and they are sitting there right ticked off...then they leave with angry looks ontheir faces.

I laugh because I do not like this with Wpg Police...now they have unmarked private cars just sitting on any road with the camera all set up in the front window watching for you to come.

I live in a village so no crime, no traffic lights, no cameras its very peaceful but very boring...living alone and work alone...Wonderful in summer for gardening but no sitting out for mosquitoes and I mean eaten alive!

Glad AEs1 is back in the swing of things.

I am going through the dreaded passport process my UK runs out Oct 9th so I want to get cracking (add an egg)..Last night tried to open and print the download forms but my computer is too old so will have to do it at work tonight

Not sure whether to get new Canadian one as well is it worth it?...will I use it?..should I have it? Its $180 for UK and $90 for Cdn\

Has anyone done the Walmart Passport pics and will they accept them?

Oooh I just hate all this rigmarole all over Osama Bin Laden and then in an 11th hour move GW pardons him before leaving office ...Whats up with that...


Gotta go to work