Originally Posted by Lenox (Post 9194568)

The thing about 'waiting another five years' is that you will then be five years older. Which, if you are in your twilight years, rather takes a chunk out of your retirement.
The thing to do is to buy something when you are ready and you need it. Don't wait until you have wasted five years just so you can say 'I bought at the bottom' - then drop dead the following morning!

Originally Posted by Lenox (Post 9190794)

They Dreamt of a Better Life... an article in the Daily Mail about the terrible life we ex-pats have to live here (they don't quite call us traitors, but it's for home consumption...):
'Now Villa Values Halved...'.
Gripping stuff as always. but, was the story prepared before the interviews were ever made? See here.

Originally Posted by steviedeluxe (Post 9194595)

Well it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. I've known various Spanish who've spent time in the UK over the years (Midlands, Oxford and London), and the ones around 20 or 25 have always gone back to Spain. The last couple were around mid twenties - she had a high paying pharma-biological job, and he was just here for a year to improve his English. Now, they may be the exception, as the bloke had a graphic design job (websites) to go back to, and she managed to get another job in her profession, but if the "taste of the wages" was paramount, they wouldn't have gone back (to Navarra as it happens). Now I have also met quite a few Spanish who settled in the UK, in their 50s or above now. For some reason they were always Gallegos with the exception of a couple of elderly Madrilenos I knew (who'd ended up here during the Franco years). Perhaps they preferred the UK climate ;)

Originally Posted by steviedeluxe (Post 9194696)

Well yes, you only have to catch the Tube to hear the accents from all over the world. Some will stay no doubt, but for most (including native Brits) it's not a place you want to grow old in, unless you're earning millions. I reckon I'm here 5 years at the max., and will try and enjoy every minute. However, if I get too enthusiastic about the place I only need to walk down Oxford Street, or look at the Tube prices, to realise it has bad points too.

Originally Posted by Dick Dasterdly (Post 9194598)

Touch wood I seem to have timed it about right.
First week back,beginning of Feb,quite pleasant daytime but bloody freezing with frost at night. Second week a tad better.
Now it getting to late evening and I'm sitting with the door open and outside temperature is as good as inside,a few Spring flowers showing and the lizards are now active on a night, keeping the mut busy trying to catch them.

Originally Posted by Dick Dasterdly (Post 9194644)

The Spanish seem to like it and now I hear there is a mass exodus from Ireland.
Many of them see much less prospect of Ireland recovering in their lifetime than do the Spanish, so London is high on their list of popular destinations, along with the major Commonwealth countries.

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus (Post 9194622)

So no truth in any of it then? They made it all up.... or is it a 'head in the Spanish sand' moment for posters denying it?

Originally Posted by agoreira (Post 9194858)

I think there was too much truth in it for them, hence the communal strop here and in the DM's comments.

Originally Posted by bil (Post 9194348)

I always tell people I get summer all year round. After all, winter here is quite like summer in the uk.....:rofl:

Originally Posted by Bigger Jim (Post 9195616)

We obviously should have moved 30 Kms up the coast to where you are Bil. Because commeth mid December we leg it back to the UK cause its far too cold and we can't do without our central heating. Come back again end of March and leg it back to UK end of June and back again in September.

We could stay in July and August with the aircon on but how stupid would that be. We know a lot who do so we leave it for the hordes from Madrid who fill the beaches and roads.

Each to his or her own, we reckon we get the best of it.

Jim

Originally Posted by Bigger Jim (Post 9195616)

We obviously should have moved 30 Kms up the coast to where you are Bil. Because commeth mid December we leg it back to the UK cause its far too cold and we can't do without our central heating. Come back again end of March and leg it back to UK end of June and back again in September.

We could stay in July and August with the aircon on but how stupid would that be. We know a lot who do so we leave it for the hordes from Madrid who fill the beaches and roads.

Each to his or her own, we reckon we get the best of it.

Jim

Originally Posted by steviedeluxe (Post 9194595)

Well it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. I've known various Spanish who've spent time in the UK over the years (Midlands, Oxford and London), and the ones around 20 or 25 have always gone back to Spain

Originally Posted by Lenox (Post 9195769)

Which explains, perhaps, why there isn't an equivalent here to the Daily Mail.