aviva

Lighten up, it's only a an online forum where folks bitch and complain with impunity because they can.

dunroving

Including bitching and complaining about our own country. Whingeing is a national pastime for Brits. We don't just reserve our whingeing for the US.

aviva

Never mind

black swan

Hello Chriswinter

I would have been so interested to hear of the experiences your Mum had in the war in Croydon. I was born in the Croydon area in 1941 so was too young to remember much of it. My parents never wanter to talk about it much.
I left there in 1973 to come to Australia.
Paula

between two worlds

Aviva I'm trusting that when you said "never mind" you were saying, I take it back, let's let it drop--which is good.

Still I just feel I must say that it absolutely IS the right forum for DDL, she is one of the most useful and helpful contributors to this forum!

It's wonderful to hear how she and Tony are settling in, AND the fact that she's American is hugely useful and interesting, because lots of us are going back with US spouses and it's so helpful to see the return thru US eyes.

And I think as has been said before we should go easy on bashing the USA (or any other country) in this thread, and focus instead on the "Moving Back to the UK" part of it.

Let's respect people's feelings. It's like the UK--we Brits, tho perhaps more those who live there than we expats, are, as Dunrovin says, eternal whingers about the country--but just let anyone else criticize our beloved native land, and we're up in arms!

By the same token, we should be careful not to be too unpleasant about the USA (or Australia, or anywhere) on this forum, for as DDL says, not only are there American readers like her, but many of us have American spouses and children and will be forever intimately connected with the place, wherever we end up living.

DDL, don't go away! Ignore the griping if you can, and keep us posted! Hope you're enjoying Devon.....

Tina/BTW

Easterndawn

Why do you feel the need to be so rude, this forum is for everyone and I do not want to see US or Canadian bashing. As I have said before there is good and bad in every country. After being back here for almost two years now, I can certainly give an opinion that all is not well back in the good old UK but it is my homeland and like Denise I will be damned if anyone should bash it. Many of us have contributed on this thread for as long as it has been running, it saddens me that you would come into the thread and spout such nonsense.
If this is how this thread is going then I for one will be bowing out.

jasper123

All Ive seen is lots of pics on Yorkshire on line but never been there, soon I want to rectify that cause I agree its so so beautiful there.

aviva

She's complaining about what other people have said, not about what I've said.

between two worlds

But Aviva, it was a bit rude to say "Maybe wrong forum for you"--I think this is what Eastern Dawn was objecting to, as I did earlier.

However, you did say "never mind" later, which I would like to hope was an apology of sorts....

This is the "right forum" for any returning UK expat, would-be returning UK expat, spouses of returning UK expats, especially (but not restricted to) those in 50s and 60s!

But that said, we should just try and be polite and thoughtful, as in any conversation with friends....

Tina

between two worlds

Eastern Dawn, please DON'T bow out, you are a crucial member of the forum!

Later on Aviva did say "never mind" and I am hoping this emant, "never mind, I didn't mean to be rude" or something similar....

ED and DDL you are among the forum's most useful and appreciated members, so please stay around!

Tina/BTW

aviva

Like I said, she's complaining about what you folks have said, not what I have said. Perhaps you should look to that instead of jumping on me.

jasper123

Curleytops,
In your last sentence you really hit the nail right on the head, WE --- the ones that have gone back home after a lifetime away, WE are the ones that have that very special appreciation of home now that we never had before,
And we are all fortunate to have had that time away,

sallysimmons

Exactly. I have to say this is one of the things that makes me most uncomfortable in America. Here it seems that loving your county is taken to mean never saying a bad word about it. I didn't grow up that way.

Not too long ago I made what I thought was an affectionate joke about how some nutty thing could 'only happen in America' and the people I was talking too got all huffy and started to point out all the nutty things English people do. Dude I know! Brits are insane. You don't have to tell me!

This is a British Ex-pat forum about returning home, so it's hardly surprising that a lot of the people congregating here are miffed with their current home country. Bee was pretty fed up with Australia for example. I'm sure the conversation on US Yankee isn't the same, but this is British Ex-pats. Even if the whole current crowd left tomorrow and new people arrived, I bet they'd all be whining about where they are now. It's the nature of being a British Ex-pat who wants to go home.

sallysimmons

Rodney get on that train NOW! You will have such a wonderful time. If you like walking, I recommend Swaledale as the most beautiful place on earth. Too remote to live for me, but just gorgeous.

chriswinter

Just to add some thoughts here...I may be British born and I highly prize that fact..still I know today, I'm more American in my ways, attitudes, and god knows, my purely Chicago accent. I can't really whine about England, as I spent such a short time there. But I do remember, the one time I 'whined' to a clerk in Grant's, Xmas-time, 1965. I could not understand why my mom was having to use 'cotton' thread to hang ornaments..and voiced so to my mom. Surely England must have the wire ornament hangers like we had in the states? Off I went to Grant's..hunting high & low for those hangers. The clerk then asked if she could help me. Well, I then began my litany about the wire ornament hangers we had in the states, and why wouldn't England have the same...afterall it was 1965! OUCH! She told me, with this look of disgust on her face, for me to have someone in the states mail them to me and walked off! My first lesson in whining in a country, where I most definitely was identified as a *Yank*, as soon as I opened my mouth. Same thing when I lived in Southeast Texas for over 20 years..I tried not to complain too much to the natives..again, open mouth..once again I was a 'Yankee'. Rule for myself..I will try to be a good guest when visiting another's home. I will not remark on how badly they keep their house or the strange color scheme of the home I am visiting. I have learned to 'whine' to those who have mostly the same outlook, attitudes, as I. And believe you me...I complain loudly these days to those who will listen, in how disturbed I am lately with current American events and politics. I feel I have earned the right..I've lived here 60+ years. But I would never think to 'whine' about England...for me, I just haven't earned the right to do so.
Actually on this BE forum, I feel like a fish out of water...but there is this certain comfort I feel here, listening to all. Maybe just being British born and raised by a British Mum...brings a smile to my face being here. And believe me, when I tell you all...this forum and others here at BE...has been a learning experience as well..mostly positive, but there has been a few negatives as well. But I can take it...I've been to forums elsewhere on the net, that you would need to rinse your eyes with bleach afterwards ...current politics in America today. So thank you One and All, I always wear my Big Girl Panties...

BTW....question for the Brits....why do Brits have this curious habit of so much red in their homes? *am now ducking*..Honestly I have looked at so many pics of British homes..inside...what is this obsession with red!?! or various forms of?