Originally Posted by licinius

I moved abroad because I'm sick of being messed with. I have a philosophy of live & let live, you don't interfere with me & I won't interfere with you. But you can't live like that in Britain. There is always some jobsworth eyeballing you hoping that you're going to drop litter or park in the wrong space. Some waster copper out to achive his daily quota of stopped motorists. You get warning letters from the council threatening fines for putting your dustbin out too early, in fact you get threatening letters from just about anyone with warnings about absolutely anything!

The UK breeds anger, it breeds resentment, what happened to all the community spirit & togetherness we hear so much about during the Blitz? Can you really imagine putting your kids on a train & asking some country bumpkin to look after them indefinitely??? How about someone knocking at your door & asking you to look after some strange kids from the East End? It just wouldn't happen today would it? How many people would try suing the RAF for damages if a Spitfire pilot was shot down & landed on their greenhouse?

That takes me to life in Spain, where the police are police, if you break the law then you're well & truely in trouble, but if you mind your own business then you have nothing to fear from anyone. I'm relaxed since moving abroad, nobody messes with me, I can just live my life in my own little comfort zone. I won't show the George Cross in Spain as I did in the UK not will I wear an England football shirt, again as I would in the UK. This is out of respect for the natives. If you are so proud of your national flag that you feel the need to fly it on your house, then why did you leave in the first place? Do us all a favour & go back!

I don't speak much Spanish & most of my friends are British, but I feel rude, ignorant & embarrassed asking a Spanisrd to speak English to help me. I was never very good at languages but I will pick it up eventually.

In summary; Life is good in Spain, life is **** in Britain!

Originally Posted by Chiclanagir

I hope this is not turning into a "I hate the UK" thread.

Originally Posted by HBG

I fear that when the OP writes his essay the word bickering might appear at an early stage.

Originally Posted by bil

Well, I was merely expressing my views on returning. Others may feel differently about where they were buried.

Originally Posted by HBG

My views on returning have changed constantly over the years. They can change on a daily basis. Most of my close family are in the UK, Australia and Canada. I can’t cut myself in four, so I’ve stayed here.

I sometimes worry that maybe I’ve come to Spain to escape my parental responsibilities, it’s a recurring nightmare which may have an element of truth, even though the close ones are all adults.

It’s a horrible truth I need to live with. What if I had bought that-rose covered cottage back in the UK, would they have preferred that?

I know the answer and it hurts.

Originally Posted by bil

Don't let it. You can't live your life on what your friends or family might think/want.

We joke about having got away before they start producing granchildren and expect a free babysitting service. There's a bit of truth in that to be honest.

We reared them and set them on their way. We now figure that we are entitled to some time on our own.

Originally Posted by HBG

Of course you’re right Bil. But it doesn’t stop me thinking of some families I know where two generations live under the same roof and if there’s trouble everyone responds.

I know this is morose which is not my normal nature, God knows what brought it on, but if I got into serious trouble, I’d be ****ed with only my wife to help and she might not be up to it, for various reasons.

The Doberman that I love would probably eat me if I wasn’t able to feed him. That’s the cruel reality of life.

Originally Posted by agoreira

I've never had of any of these warning letters that we all are supposed to receive, nor do I know of any friends, relations or neighbours that have either.

Originally Posted by licinius

A news item this week reported that a local council has ordered the removal of 'hanging baskets' from outside somebody's home. The reason given is that they could impede emergency services from entering the property

If the hanging baskets are not removed (they've been there 11 years already) then the owners have been told they will be prosecuted.

I wonder what will be left of Britain when these tosspots have finally driven all the good people out.

Originally Posted by The Oddities

Not surprising seeing that very little fits in with his request.

Rosemary