Not at all. Grey clouds can be quite calming. I find day after day of relentless big blue skies to be slightly nerve wracking. When the weather is great, I feel I must be doing something active outside, and guilty if I am inside. A good mix of sunshine and cloudy days is the ideal.

Thank you! It feels great to be home, and personally I think England has so much going for it, it really is a shame that people don't praise the good things more. The only trouble is that my kids are now more American than British so we'll see what happens there.

I agree. I try to do my bit on pointing out the good/great aspects on Britain. Especially when a newbie expat claims the country has gone to the dogs. I do find the level of debate interesting and lively. This Emily Thonberry White Van story is a good example. Of course it's a storm in a tea cup, but the fact that a single un-captioned photo can convey so much, and has so much cultural reference within it is fascinating. Try explaining to an American the a senior politician had to quit because they tweeted a photo of a patriotic blue collar worker and they would be flummoxed!

They have their own issues around racism. But in general, yeah.

Elections coming up. Naturally virtually everything represents some existential threat, and explains how Britain has become impoverished and taken over by dubious foreigners. As long as it supports your party's battle cry anyway.

Daily mail also has something to do with Britain's widespread belief in wacky nonsense. I reckon election times are like Christmas for them.

Oh God. A damp cold versus dry cold conversation. I thought I'd escaped them after my last Canadian dinner party.

It depends on where in Canada though, as its about humidity. I cold in the centre of the landmass (eg. Alta, Sask) is bound to feel drier than that around the oceans and great lakes.

The Daily Mail is poison. It seems to be very prominently displayed in our local M&S, quite jarring to do your shopping with screaming headlines on the end of the aisles.

It's just a possible explanation for why people who have experienced -30 might have a recollection of feeling colder at zero.
Of course.

But that's why you dress for -30 and make your arrangements to not be out in it that long.

Whereas that unexpected wait at a bus stop at zero - when you're not done up ready for Ice Station Zebra - will feel cold.

Then you recall experiences of feeling cold at zero but not feeling so cold at -30.

It's not scientific, of course, but perhaps a human reaction.

There's an old game show where the audience is asked questions before the recording of the show and the contestants have to give answers they think the audience gave.

The purpose is not necessarily to give the correct or logical answers to the question, but to say what a popular answer would be.

This is similar.

Change to Tesco. You won't have to see it anymore there.
They're hiding the covers.

Thank you for this thread. I am not a Brit, DH is. We are moving to England in 2 weeks time after close to 10 years in Dubai. I lived in England only for 2 years and that was 12 years ago. Very nervous but excited at the same time about starting all over again. Most of the Brits I know here are not keen to go back and they seem to have one negative story to share after another. I know that I need to allocate adequate time to adjust. There will be struggle for sure but at least I know that I don't have to believe everything I read on the Daily Fail ;-)

For me, once you've been gone, England is difficult to re-acclimate to (both climate and culture). I honestly don't think I could stomach going back permanently. That's not happening.

There are some people that find relief in returning, but most don't.

Read its weather reports. Seriously, they are better than the funny pages.

I absolutely agree. If there is any one thing wrong with Britain, it is its tabloid press.