Originally Posted by Lothianlad (Post 8830539)

Thanks - Lothianlad! My question seemed to fall on deaf ears! So thank you for the run down , Woollies were even selling boiled ham and similar items, in the later 50's, and then at one time in the 90's handling their own range of large TV's - so when I return, to re-furnish my house on the cheap, they would have been useful - but then, I aim to use some of the Charity Shops, too ---Thanks again dontheturner

Originally Posted by Petals (Post 8830742)

We were surprised at the length of the grass around and wondered why it was not cut. Then we found out that this is the new
Towns centres were scruffy I thought too much litter.

Not enough healthy options in restaurants and pubs for me. Hence I put on a lot of weight whilst we were there.

Originally Posted by nun (Post 8834382)

Lots of change.

Middlesbrough not in Division 2, either Premiership or now Championship.
Angela Ripon is really old
Who are Ant and Decks (sp)
Labour Party has Conservative Party policies

Originally Posted by robin1234 (Post 8834554)

Talking about getting old, I see that Joan Bakewell ("the thinking man's crumpet") ain't as young as she used to be. (sigh)

Originally Posted by nun (Post 8834785)

only Marina from Stringray stays the same, although her head and eyes are still ridiculously large

Originally Posted by nun (Post 8834785)

Yes, time's arrow only goes one way. All those women I liked as a teenage boy are getting up there,

Joanna Lumley
Gabrielle Drake (remember Space 1999)
Diana Rigg

only Marina from Stringray stays the same, although her head and eyes are still ridiculously large

Originally Posted by ExBritFL (Post 8816064)

I am so envious of you right now!! What I'd do to wake up to a crisp morning and hear the birds chirping outside my window...:)

I'm still waiting for my house to sell before I can go back, however, I'm glad I moved away for a while, or I'd never have had this new found appreciation of our motherland...

Originally Posted by betsyboob (Post 9110000)

You have to pay for bags in TK Max :rofl:
Eastenders and Corrie had changed their schedules :rofl:

Originally Posted by ldyinlv (Post 9111873)

I wonder why it is TJ Max in the US, and TK Max in the UK?? I think its the same store right?

Originally Posted by ldyinlv (Post 9111873)

I wonder why it is TJ Max in the US, and TK Max in the UK?? I think its the same store right?

Originally Posted by Englishman43 (Post 9111921)

They have TJ Max in England ?? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! God almighty it's one thing to proliferate your own country with faceless franchises full of crap but not my green and pleasant land. ( rant over - still bloody shocked though :huh: )

Originally Posted by Englishman43 (Post 9111921)

They have TJ Max in England ?? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! God almighty it's one thing to proliferate your own country with faceless franchises full of crap but not my green and pleasant land. ( rant over - still bloody shocked though :huh: )

Originally Posted by dontheturner (Post 9112354)

Yes! And Asda belongs to Walmart! - Already been in trouble with UK law.._ (They were made to comply with the Basic Pay Rate) Dontheturner

Originally Posted by robin1234 (Post 9113129)

Up here where I live, in Northern New York State, our regional electricity utility is National Grid - a British company. Naturally folks sometimes have problems with their electricity provider, it goes without saying.

So I'm reading the "Sound Offs" in our local free newspaper. These are anonymous rants people send in about local issues, and are the only thing worth reading in the paper. Someone complains about National Grid (I think the company had cut off his power because he hadn't paid his bill :ohmy:)

Instead of just moaning about what inhuman beasts National Grid are, the writer goes into that tired old riff "I thought we got rid of King George and the Redcoats back in the War of Independence. Why should we pay our electricity bills to a foreign, colonialist company? Is America independent or what?" I was going to fire off a rejoinder mentioning Ford & General Motors & McDonalds etc but what's the point...

Originally Posted by beachgal21 (Post 9113172)

This made made me laugh. I can't imagine anyone equating the War of Independence to their power company ... but funny :rofl:

My OH listens to a talk radio show and the host has views similar to Palin with the "Take back our country theme" :rolleyes: The guy believes that the US should cut all trade deals with the rest of the world and be self sufficient etc etc, and he sells t-shirts with various political slogans on them. Well my OH brought 2 t-shirts (much to my disgust), but what made me smile was that when they arrived, I checked the labels and one was made in Haiti and the other in Nicaragua :p

Originally Posted by mbike (Post 8817083)

We were away for 4 1/2 years.

I think public transport has got better - especially into and around London. Having seen public transport take a largely second place in Perth to the omnipresent car it is nice to find real investment in infrastructure projects like the Overground (now complete) and Cross rail (in progress).

Much more organic food in the supermarkets and a greater range of more or less everything (I counted seven varieties of potato at Sainsburys the other day). imo Coles and Woolies don't do enough to justify their total monopoly in WA.

More (too many) TV channels resulting in this poster switching to iPlayer and 4oD - and telling the TV Licensing where to go (yes, you can now legally opt out of paying if you don't watch "live" tv)

Much better recycling and green inititiatives - you get nectar points if you use your own bags in Sainsburies now.

Fewer smelly old bangers on the road. God bless the scrappage scheme.

Sadly, a proliferation of rubbish charity shops in the dead parts of local high streets. Not sure if it is ebay/gumtree/car boots that has killed of the supply of interesting bric-a-brak, but they sure are depressing now. They make Good Sammies look like Harrods.

People seem to smile more. No, seriously.

Originally Posted by Cumbrian Lass (Post 9114028)

where did you live before going back?
Been away 10yrs and only went back for the first time in 5yrs about 6 months ago.Found that i apprieciated the lakes district more than ever.People chat and smile in the street.Not too much dog poop to dodge in the streets !!!! and yes London was clean :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by citizenmarie (Post 9123439)

I am considering returning to live in England, but what I noticed when I've visited is that my home town had NOT really changed that much! My old primary school still exactly the same. The nice neighbourhoods were still nice. Very comforting to see all the same old buildings, whereas in the US they are constantly knocking things down and building new stuff.

Plus, for the better, the bathrooms, kitchens and showers all got MUCH nicer since the 80s! Restaurant food is better now too.

I'm not sure about all these CCTV cameras everywhere. That seems really odd to me, now an Americanized Brit.

Originally Posted by citizenmarie (Post 9123439)

I am considering returning to live in England, but what I noticed when I've visited is that my home town had NOT really changed that much! My old primary school still exactly the same. The nice neighbourhoods were still nice. Very comforting to see all the same old buildings, whereas in the US they are constantly knocking things down and building new stuff.

Plus, for the better, the bathrooms, kitchens and showers all got MUCH nicer since the 80s! Restaurant food is better now too.

I'm not sure about all these CCTV cameras everywhere. That seems really odd to me, now an Americanized Brit.

Originally Posted by mbike (Post 9124591)

Retaining things over a short period time contributes to heritage over a longer period of time. That we still have all those medieval barns, quaint old country cottages, georgian townhouses, victorian villas and even interwar semis here in the UK - often in close proximity to each other - is what give the UK its character and charm. I used to feel sad when yet another old house was demolished in Perth to make way for a characterless front-to-back block filler home. Only Freo seemed to make any effort to retain the old-world charm. In their defence, somebody told me the old JWB homes only had a life expectancy of 40 years but why build a house that is going to need to be knocked down so soon? Haven't they read the story of the three little pigs? (the big bad wolves in Perth are the speculators and developers who magically turn one house on a block with a child-friendly back yard into 6 tiny homes with no yards that sell for the same price as the original!)

Originally Posted by ExBritFL (Post 8816064)

I am so envious of you right now!! What I'd do to wake up to a crisp morning and hear the birds chirping outside my window...:)

I'm still waiting for my house to sell before I can go back, however, I'm glad I moved away for a while, or I'd never have had this new found appreciation of our motherland...

Originally Posted by sammax (Post 9140647)

Yes, do miss the seasons I must admit, but the weather - no, no and NO! Would never consider moving back for that reason and a few more besides.

Originally Posted by sallysimmons (Post 9142216)

Never say never. I used to say that too and then one day I just felt differently. Now going back is all I can think about.

Originally Posted by sallysimmons (Post 9142216)

Never say never. I used to say that too and then one day I just felt differently. Now going back is all I can think about.

Originally Posted by robin1234 (Post 9142246)

It's getting to be beyond a joke with me. At work, I'm searching for houses on Rightmove and looking at the Guardian's "Let's Move To.." feature (the last two weeks they have covered Saltburn and Margate, which are both the kind of place I could live!..) Every time a colleague comes to my office to discuss a project or whatever, I'm showing them pictures of semis or terraced houses and asking their opinion of the kitchen..

Originally Posted by hayleyatfla (Post 9142838)

same here if you would have said 5 years ago that i would leave florida and move back to the UK i would have said u were crazy... but now i just cant wait to go "home".........

Originally Posted by Cumbrian Lass (Post 9144091)

yeah me too !!!! hours go by and i am still looking....getting excited at one until i look at the satalite photo and its next to a railway track,then another and its next to a farm ,and it just goes on and on.Every day we talk about the subject and then only hope our house sells here. :fingerscrossed:

Originally Posted by sallysimmons (Post 9144072)

Last week I found a great house for sale in my perfect location and for the right price. Very depressing to be stuck here and not able to just go buy it.

I think I have to stop looking at Rightmove. I'm wishing my life away.

Originally Posted by Lorac05 (Post 9145141)

I just found one that really seems to fit my criteria - now I just need my closing to go as planned and for it to stay for sale for the next 2 months so I can get home and check it out in person ;)

Originally Posted by SomersetGirl (Post 9145631)

Well, you might just be lucky, as from what I've seen of the stats, houses are staying on the market for a long time..I think the average is 200 days.