British Expats

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-   -   Returning to the UK after many years (https://britishexpats.com/forum/rovers-return-111/returning-uk-after-many-years-937214/)

jenn32 Feb 19th 2021 7:15 pm

Returning to the UK after many years
 
I left the UK with my family when I was 5 years old and have lived in Canada and the US since that time. Now that I am retired, I am thinking of returning to the UK within the next year or two and live out the rest of my days there as I feel uncomfortable with the way things are developing here. We had lived in Bramhall, Stockport, which may be a good area to return to, but I would also consider the Norwich area or Devon. Any suggestions?

SanDiegogirl Feb 19th 2021 7:29 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Norwich, Devon before Stockport area; also Guildford Surrey area

Jerseygirl Feb 19th 2021 7:37 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by jenn32 (Post 12975381)
I left the UK with my family when I was 5 years old and have lived in Canada and the US since that time. Now that I am retired, I am thinking of returning to the UK within the next year or two and live out the rest of my days there as I feel uncomfortable with the way things are developing here. We had lived in Bramhall, Stockport, which may be a good area to return to, but I would also consider the Norwich area or Devon. Any suggestions?

I used to live in Bramhall many moons ago. Prestbury, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Knutsford, Tarporley, to name a few places in Cheshire.

This thread may be best in the UK forum. Please let me know if you want it moving.

jenn32 Feb 19th 2021 8:52 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Yes, please move it to the UK forum, as you suggested. Thanks
The last time I stopped in Bramhall, years ago, it seemed as though half the homes in the area I used to live were up for sale. I'm hoping conditions have improved since.

SanDiegogirl Feb 19th 2021 9:17 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by jenn32 (Post 12975432)
Yes, please move it to the UK forum, as you suggested. Thanks
The last time I stopped in Bramhall, years ago, it seemed as though half the homes in the area I used to live were up for sale. I'm hoping conditions have improved since.

Best way to get an idea of how the housing market is in an area and/or what the housing stock is like is to look at rightmove.co.uk and do some research.
Also do some Google map searches, including street views.

robin1234 Feb 19th 2021 9:48 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Bramhall looks like a nice area. Property was much higher than I expected - fairly ordinary semi-detached for £400,000, two bedroom flats, £250,000, that sort of price.

Jerseygirl Feb 19th 2021 10:06 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by robin1234 (Post 12975452)
Bramhall looks like a nice area. Property was much higher than I expected - fairly ordinary semi-detached for £400,000, two bedroom flats, £250,000, that sort of price.

It was and still is an expensive area. To say Bramhall, Stockport gives the wrong impression...more Bramhall, Cheshire. :D

SanDiegogirl Feb 19th 2021 10:21 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 12975459)
It was and still is an expensive area. To say Bramhall, Stockport gives the wrong impression...more Bramhall, Cheshire. :D


Knutsford and Hale look very attractive - well the 5 million GBP and 6 million GBP houses i've just pulled up......:lol:

scilly Feb 19th 2021 10:54 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Bramhall, Knutsford, Hale etc used to be known as the "gin and telly" belt ........... I taught in a town close to there back in the mid-60s.

It sometimes seemed as if the phrase we used to use for an area in West Vancouver back in the 60s and 70s wasn't also applicable to those Cheshire towns ...............

"wears a fur coat and has a VW in the garage that they can't afford to run"

Winston_the_Great_Dane Feb 21st 2021 6:11 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
We left Norfolk in late 2018 to come to the US for family reasons, otherwise we were very happy there. Wymondham in particular is very pleasant.

good luck

brits1 Feb 28th 2021 8:14 am

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by jenn32 (Post 12975381)
I left the UK with my family when I was 5 years old and have lived in Canada and the US since that time. Now that I am retired, I am thinking of returning to the UK within the next year or two and live out the rest of my days there as I feel uncomfortable with the way things are developing here. We had lived in Bramhall, Stockport, which may be a good area to return to, but I would also consider the Norwich area or Devon. Any suggestions?

If you want to return to the North West but a different area then Lytham is very nice, West Kirby, Caldy and Heswall are all nice areas with great views over to north Wales. Devon, Dorset and Norfolk are some of my other fav counties as is Northumberland. I know Bramhall/Woodford and surrounding areas very well and they are good areas but for me they are now quite built up and although knutsford is still fairly green for me your still too near the M6 M56 traffic

philat98 Mar 1st 2021 7:36 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Manchester has 133 rainy days and another 133 that are not much better. Throw in a Covid lockdown and you have an uninviting prospect.

Lion in Winter Mar 1st 2021 7:40 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by Winston_the_Great_Dane (Post 12976035)
We left Norfolk in late 2018 to come to the US for family reasons, otherwise we were very happy there. Wymondham in particular is very pleasant.

good luck


Originally Posted by brits1 (Post 12978272)
If you want to return to the North West but a different area then Lytham is very nice, West Kirby, Caldy and Heswall are all nice areas with great views over to north Wales. Devon, Dorset and Norfolk are some of my other fav counties as is Northumberland. I know Bramhall/Woodford and surrounding areas very well and they are good areas but for me they are now quite built up and although knutsford is still fairly green for me your still too near the M6 M56 traffic


I would be interested in any more Norfolk impressions. We are looking at the area ourselves. What is Kings Lynn like, for example? Or Norwich itself, come to that. I would like to find somewhere that isn't exclusively a place for retired people, but is a little more diverse than that.

Helen1964 Mar 2nd 2021 4:23 am

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 
Hopefully Robin will be along soon to answer your question about Norfolk. I think he has a place out near the coast and is a mine of useful information.
The Norfolk tourist board should be paying him a commission - if Northern Ireland doesn’t work out I’m seriously thinking of giving Norfolk a go on the strength of his recommendation.
If you find somewhere nice let us know!

robin1234 Mar 2nd 2021 12:50 pm

Re: Returning to the UK after many years
 

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter (Post 12978659)
I would be interested in any more Norfolk impressions. We are looking at the area ourselves. What is Kings Lynn like, for example? Or Norwich itself, come to that. I would like to find somewhere that isn't exclusively a place for retired people, but is a little more diverse than that.

I have only been to Lynn once. I took the bus there, and stayed overnight at a lovely b&b. So, two intensive days of sightseeing. I was absolutely blown away by the town, it is amazing and beautiful.. even after the powers-that-be demolished a lot of the ancient centre and replaced it with boring post-war “shopping precinct.” Two of the most gorgeous and unique churches in Norfolk (and Norfolk has more medieval churches per square mile than anywhere else in the world.) There’s a very fine museum, it’s one of those museums that you spend two or three hours in, leave because you can’t take any more, determined to revisit another day - because you saw only a fraction of what’s in there. The customs house is lovely (seventeenth century I think?) I found one of those really good east European restaurants where I got a massive plate of ham, egg & chips and an excellent mug of strong tea, all for very little money. The town has lovely parks, medieval ruins, lots more. Very good train service. Property at all price levels. Economy a bit sluggish, the usual problems associated with that.

As always, Norwich is a great place to live.


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