Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Aug 18th 2006, 8:43 am
#16
this is me
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Jerez
Posts: 832
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
no joke
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
Originally Posted by Lorna1234
No offence but 'a teacher', please tell me that is a joke with the grammar and spelling in this post?
In response to the thread, I live in the North of England, everywhere you look can be classed as rural and many 'southerners' are moving to the North mainly due to property prices etc. the North of England is not what you see in Coronation Street, well parts are but have been upgraded, nor is it the 'ee by gum' farmers, actually the farmers are far richer than the average person in the North, what you will find is something that is lacking in the South, community and friendship, we actually speak to each other and look after each other. I would really like to move for the many reasons already highlighted in this thread and others, unless you live here you cannot comment, the same for those of us who live in the UK cannot comment on Spain.
I live on the west coast, motorway 2mins away so the main cities are literally on the doorstep and far easier to get to and take less time than commuting within London. i.e. Manchester 40 mins, Liverpool 40 mins, etc Unfortunately much that has been said about the immigrant explosion and violence is very very true. Please do not misinterpret that, we are a very small island, we cannot keep taking more and more people here, it just isn't possible and it is creating 'hotspots' and it is only a matter of time before that 'timebomb' explodes.
As a country we do tend to look after just about 'everyone' but that practice cannot carry on and something does need to be done, we cannot do it!
Having said that if you can put up with all your salary being eaten up with various bills and taxes, you will be OK. If you like spending 3/4 of your life damp, you will be OK. Having said that the posts I read on here show that even though people have moved continents, their friends will always be their friends back here in the U.K. I have sold myself now, this is home!
Come on over, you 'might' like it! lol
In response to the thread, I live in the North of England, everywhere you look can be classed as rural and many 'southerners' are moving to the North mainly due to property prices etc. the North of England is not what you see in Coronation Street, well parts are but have been upgraded, nor is it the 'ee by gum' farmers, actually the farmers are far richer than the average person in the North, what you will find is something that is lacking in the South, community and friendship, we actually speak to each other and look after each other. I would really like to move for the many reasons already highlighted in this thread and others, unless you live here you cannot comment, the same for those of us who live in the UK cannot comment on Spain.
I live on the west coast, motorway 2mins away so the main cities are literally on the doorstep and far easier to get to and take less time than commuting within London. i.e. Manchester 40 mins, Liverpool 40 mins, etc Unfortunately much that has been said about the immigrant explosion and violence is very very true. Please do not misinterpret that, we are a very small island, we cannot keep taking more and more people here, it just isn't possible and it is creating 'hotspots' and it is only a matter of time before that 'timebomb' explodes.
As a country we do tend to look after just about 'everyone' but that practice cannot carry on and something does need to be done, we cannot do it!
Having said that if you can put up with all your salary being eaten up with various bills and taxes, you will be OK. If you like spending 3/4 of your life damp, you will be OK. Having said that the posts I read on here show that even though people have moved continents, their friends will always be their friends back here in the U.K. I have sold myself now, this is home!
Come on over, you 'might' like it! lol
Aug 18th 2006, 9:03 am
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Velez-Malaga
Posts: 4,916
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Well I can't resist putting in my twopennyworth!
I live in a very small town in the North of England, semi rural I suppose you could call it, and work in the centre of Manchester. I have had my house here on the market for 6 months and will be moving to Spain (Axarquia area of Malaga province) as soon as it sells.
What I don't like about living in England:-
Very high proportion of your salary is taken up by housing, council tax and utility costs
Public transport is dirty, unreliable, uncomfortable (especially overcrowding on trains, no air conditioning on buses during recent heatwave, air con on trains broken half the time) and very, very expensive compared to Spain - and as a woman normally travelling alone I often feel unsafe using it especially at night.
Public services in general seem to be of a lower standard for a higher cost than in Spain - there are no local authority cultural or leisure facilities at all in the town where I live, public parks are mostly unusable as they haven't been properly maintained for years.
People's behaviour towards each other seems more intolerant, aggressive, rude and potentially violent than it does in Spain - road rage, trolley rage, queue rage, fights over parking spaces, you name it. Public service workers especially in the NHS are regularly assaulted at work.
Even in quite small towns, let alone cities, there are hordes of extremely drunk young people on the streets late at night, vomiting, urinating in public, fighting and generally causing mayhem.
The behaviour of children and young people seems to be getting progressively worse - travelling on a bus full of schoolchildren is intolerable with constant shouting, foul language and fighting going on. Many areas are troubled by groups of children and teenagers roaming the streets commiting random and quite serious acts of vandalism, damaging people's houses, gardens and cars. In the Manchester Evening News last night a case was reported where a gang of teenagers had pitched a tent in a woman's garden and had a loud and drunken party - the police said they could do nothing as it was a civil matter not a criminal one but they had asked them not to do it again!!!! If someone challenges these children they risk becoming a target for more vandalism or worse - there have been two cases in the Manchester area in the last year of men being killed by these teenagers after challenging their behaviour.
Any kind of leisure activity - eating out, theatres, cinemas, public sports facilities is much more expensive in general than in Spain.
Hotel and catering standards, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are much worse than in Spain. I have stayed in many two-star hotels in Spain and got a spotlessly clean, decent sized room with en suite bathroom and airconditioning for the equivalent of £30 a night for two people. Try booking into a 3 star hotel in any English city especially London, or seaside resorts such as Brighton or Blackpool and see what you get. Shabby furnishings, carpets so dirty your feet stick to them, miniscule rooms and you would pay at least 3 times as much. As for restaurants, you can go into any cafe bar in Spain and order a meal at pretty much any time of day. Last year I went to the Lake District and walked into a hotel/restaurant at 2.00 pm on the dot. The first words we were greeted with weren't 'Good afternoon, how can I help" but "I hope you don't want anything to eat because the kitchen closes at 2.00". Basil Fawlty is alive and well and living all over England.
The weather is terrible.
Things I do like about living in England:-
There is a better choice of items like clothing and furniture available at cheaper prices - large electrical appliances are also cheaper, on the whole.
There is a wider choice of food items available all year round in English supermarkets and imported goods are cheaper than in Spain.
Shops are open all through the day - I find the siesta period a bit hard to get used to - and on Sundays.
Bank charges are very low or non-existent in England but seem to cost a fortune in Spain.
Public libraries are a great, free service which I will miss in Spain. The Spanish ones may be good also but my Spanish isn't good enough to read for pleasure!
Low cost airlines make it easy to make frequent short trips to many European destinations - just as well as so many of us want to get away from England!
I live in a very small town in the North of England, semi rural I suppose you could call it, and work in the centre of Manchester. I have had my house here on the market for 6 months and will be moving to Spain (Axarquia area of Malaga province) as soon as it sells.
What I don't like about living in England:-
Very high proportion of your salary is taken up by housing, council tax and utility costs
Public transport is dirty, unreliable, uncomfortable (especially overcrowding on trains, no air conditioning on buses during recent heatwave, air con on trains broken half the time) and very, very expensive compared to Spain - and as a woman normally travelling alone I often feel unsafe using it especially at night.
Public services in general seem to be of a lower standard for a higher cost than in Spain - there are no local authority cultural or leisure facilities at all in the town where I live, public parks are mostly unusable as they haven't been properly maintained for years.
People's behaviour towards each other seems more intolerant, aggressive, rude and potentially violent than it does in Spain - road rage, trolley rage, queue rage, fights over parking spaces, you name it. Public service workers especially in the NHS are regularly assaulted at work.
Even in quite small towns, let alone cities, there are hordes of extremely drunk young people on the streets late at night, vomiting, urinating in public, fighting and generally causing mayhem.
The behaviour of children and young people seems to be getting progressively worse - travelling on a bus full of schoolchildren is intolerable with constant shouting, foul language and fighting going on. Many areas are troubled by groups of children and teenagers roaming the streets commiting random and quite serious acts of vandalism, damaging people's houses, gardens and cars. In the Manchester Evening News last night a case was reported where a gang of teenagers had pitched a tent in a woman's garden and had a loud and drunken party - the police said they could do nothing as it was a civil matter not a criminal one but they had asked them not to do it again!!!! If someone challenges these children they risk becoming a target for more vandalism or worse - there have been two cases in the Manchester area in the last year of men being killed by these teenagers after challenging their behaviour.
Any kind of leisure activity - eating out, theatres, cinemas, public sports facilities is much more expensive in general than in Spain.
Hotel and catering standards, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are much worse than in Spain. I have stayed in many two-star hotels in Spain and got a spotlessly clean, decent sized room with en suite bathroom and airconditioning for the equivalent of £30 a night for two people. Try booking into a 3 star hotel in any English city especially London, or seaside resorts such as Brighton or Blackpool and see what you get. Shabby furnishings, carpets so dirty your feet stick to them, miniscule rooms and you would pay at least 3 times as much. As for restaurants, you can go into any cafe bar in Spain and order a meal at pretty much any time of day. Last year I went to the Lake District and walked into a hotel/restaurant at 2.00 pm on the dot. The first words we were greeted with weren't 'Good afternoon, how can I help" but "I hope you don't want anything to eat because the kitchen closes at 2.00". Basil Fawlty is alive and well and living all over England.
The weather is terrible.
Things I do like about living in England:-
There is a better choice of items like clothing and furniture available at cheaper prices - large electrical appliances are also cheaper, on the whole.
There is a wider choice of food items available all year round in English supermarkets and imported goods are cheaper than in Spain.
Shops are open all through the day - I find the siesta period a bit hard to get used to - and on Sundays.
Bank charges are very low or non-existent in England but seem to cost a fortune in Spain.
Public libraries are a great, free service which I will miss in Spain. The Spanish ones may be good also but my Spanish isn't good enough to read for pleasure!
Low cost airlines make it easy to make frequent short trips to many European destinations - just as well as so many of us want to get away from England!
Aug 18th 2006, 10:15 am
#18
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 62
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Thanks everybody for the very insightful observations, you have given me a lot to think about. I'm on my way to catch a flight so let me just post a couple of observations for now.
In taking such a decision I think it's important to separate the "essential" things from the "background noise". To me some of the essentials are: an environment in which I can fully develop professionally; the possibility to buy a home and still have money left for a decent middle-class life (occasional dinners, trips, vacation, etc); sufficiently pleasant surroundings in terms of low crime, proximity of leasure activities and culture, friendliness of people around me; sufficient proximity to my family in case of emergency.
I consider "background noise" the political situation, which has its problems in every country and can change with time. (On this topic, in my opinion Spain is going through a horrible period because of the rising regional nationalisms, which recently have reached absurd levels and imho may lead to serious trouble down the road. Much as I don't like Blair, he's a giant compared to the clowns that populate national and regional Spanish politics.)
In taking such a decision I think it's important to separate the "essential" things from the "background noise". To me some of the essentials are: an environment in which I can fully develop professionally; the possibility to buy a home and still have money left for a decent middle-class life (occasional dinners, trips, vacation, etc); sufficiently pleasant surroundings in terms of low crime, proximity of leasure activities and culture, friendliness of people around me; sufficient proximity to my family in case of emergency.
I consider "background noise" the political situation, which has its problems in every country and can change with time. (On this topic, in my opinion Spain is going through a horrible period because of the rising regional nationalisms, which recently have reached absurd levels and imho may lead to serious trouble down the road. Much as I don't like Blair, he's a giant compared to the clowns that populate national and regional Spanish politics.)
Aug 18th 2006, 10:55 am
#19
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 15
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by gallerie9
no joke
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
My comment regarding not being able to comment on the UK if you don't live here etc was not directed at your personally or anyone else I was trying to say that ..... for example I could not possibly comment on Spain as I have no 'real' knowledge as I have only been there as a tourist, it was not personal.
Why am I on an expat forum, to try and find out information about Spain and hopefully make a decision as to whether I should move.
I hope that clears up any misunderstanding you may have.
Aug 18th 2006, 11:58 am
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Chiclana
Posts: 3,327
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by poollounger
Cause we need another woman PM to erase the memory of Mrs Thatcher....
Just kidding...I don't know....just some kind of gut instinct I suppose....I like her dignity and quiet confidence...she was my favourite at the time of the leadership contest. I am not anti Blair and although I disagreed with the Iraq war I doubt we will ever know the real reason why he backed Bush. Gordon Brown doesn't convince me....I always feel that everything is for effect. Sadly in modern politics it's the TV image that influences most of us.
Just kidding...I don't know....just some kind of gut instinct I suppose....I like her dignity and quiet confidence...she was my favourite at the time of the leadership contest. I am not anti Blair and although I disagreed with the Iraq war I doubt we will ever know the real reason why he backed Bush. Gordon Brown doesn't convince me....I always feel that everything is for effect. Sadly in modern politics it's the TV image that influences most of us.
Aug 18th 2006, 4:47 pm
#21
this is me
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Jerez
Posts: 832
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
thanks for your apology............. on you coming to Spain with 14 year old child.........be careful.........you are asking a lot of a child to change his/her life style at a crucial age........as you say GCSE are looming an education is very important ............. working in Spain ..........do you have a good command of the language ......... as many Expats are looking for work ......... we have friends who are finding it impossible to get work ....... with a decent command of the language ....so be careful ............On the plus side life is much easier here .....people are great and the sun shines ......... no great big tax man steeling my salary........and taxing me on living to .......our friends open there mouths in astonishment when i tell them they we are charged up to 200 pounds per month to have our bins emptied once every two weeks ...... included are a few other things....they cant quite get there heads around us paying a licence to watch TV ....... and the price of a coffee .....and the price of cigarettes knocks them for 6 .....a lot of both spanish men and women smoke ........my advice is to make sure you have all angles covered and be sure ..........
Originally Posted by Lorna1234
I apologise, it was a rude comment. However, I didn'
say Coventry and Leamington Spa are in the South, I merely commented that many Southerners are moving to the North because of house prices and also because they want a more rural lifestyle. Yes I agree that the 'timebomb' is prevelent in the major cities and has been building up over many years but those same 'timebombs' are now in small rural communities, small market towns. The comment about farmers was merely 'tongue in cheek', around here there are very wealthy and I don't take that away as they work long and hard.
My comment regarding not being able to comment on the UK if you don't live here etc was not directed at your personally or anyone else I was trying to say that ..... for example I could not possibly comment on Spain as I have no 'real' knowledge as I have only been there as a tourist, it was not personal.
Why am I on an expat forum, to try and find out information about Spain and hopefully make a decision as to whether I should move.
I hope that clears up any misunderstanding you may have.
say Coventry and Leamington Spa are in the South, I merely commented that many Southerners are moving to the North because of house prices and also because they want a more rural lifestyle. Yes I agree that the 'timebomb' is prevelent in the major cities and has been building up over many years but those same 'timebombs' are now in small rural communities, small market towns. The comment about farmers was merely 'tongue in cheek', around here there are very wealthy and I don't take that away as they work long and hard.
My comment regarding not being able to comment on the UK if you don't live here etc was not directed at your personally or anyone else I was trying to say that ..... for example I could not possibly comment on Spain as I have no 'real' knowledge as I have only been there as a tourist, it was not personal.
Why am I on an expat forum, to try and find out information about Spain and hopefully make a decision as to whether I should move.
I hope that clears up any misunderstanding you may have.
Aug 18th 2006, 4:58 pm
#22
this is me
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Jerez
Posts: 832
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
hi
i had a good job ....... i was a teacher in a good school ...........but i can honestly say that teachers starting to buy a home were finding it impossible house in most of the UK are in excess of 150 .000 that is a great deal of money when starting salary's are generally around 22.000 a year ....... i had a nice house paid for but i still had to have a take home pay of 1500 per month to live ............to drive a car to pay council tax television licences and all the other associated cost with living in the UK ......... my advice is ...if you can command a salary of 40 .0000 a year you will have a good standard of living that will allow you to have a mortgage and still have money left over for the finner things in life ......... i can say that as i know my children to have a decent standard of life and a ordinary house need to have two salary's coming in to achieve that ..... good luck and the UK can be good ....
i had a good job ....... i was a teacher in a good school ...........but i can honestly say that teachers starting to buy a home were finding it impossible house in most of the UK are in excess of 150 .000 that is a great deal of money when starting salary's are generally around 22.000 a year ....... i had a nice house paid for but i still had to have a take home pay of 1500 per month to live ............to drive a car to pay council tax television licences and all the other associated cost with living in the UK ......... my advice is ...if you can command a salary of 40 .0000 a year you will have a good standard of living that will allow you to have a mortgage and still have money left over for the finner things in life ......... i can say that as i know my children to have a decent standard of life and a ordinary house need to have two salary's coming in to achieve that ..... good luck and the UK can be good ....
Originally Posted by DrStarsky
Thanks everybody for the very insightful observations, you have given me a lot to think about. I'm on my way to catch a flight so let me just post a couple of observations for now.
In taking such a decision I think it's important to separate the "essential" things from the "background noise". To me some of the essentials are: an environment in which I can fully develop professionally; the possibility to buy a home and still have money left for a decent middle-class life (occasional dinners, trips, vacation, etc); sufficiently pleasant surroundings in terms of low crime, proximity of leasure activities and culture, friendliness of people around me; sufficient proximity to my family in case of emergency.
I consider "background noise" the political situation, which has its problems in every country and can change with time. (On this topic, in my opinion Spain is going through a horrible period because of the rising regional nationalisms, which recently have reached absurd levels and imho may lead to serious trouble down the road. Much as I don't like Blair, he's a giant compared to the clowns that populate national and regional Spanish politics.)
In taking such a decision I think it's important to separate the "essential" things from the "background noise". To me some of the essentials are: an environment in which I can fully develop professionally; the possibility to buy a home and still have money left for a decent middle-class life (occasional dinners, trips, vacation, etc); sufficiently pleasant surroundings in terms of low crime, proximity of leasure activities and culture, friendliness of people around me; sufficient proximity to my family in case of emergency.
I consider "background noise" the political situation, which has its problems in every country and can change with time. (On this topic, in my opinion Spain is going through a horrible period because of the rising regional nationalisms, which recently have reached absurd levels and imho may lead to serious trouble down the road. Much as I don't like Blair, he's a giant compared to the clowns that populate national and regional Spanish politics.)
Aug 18th 2006, 7:18 pm
#23
Maño-Americano
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: In the heart of the Ozarks
Posts: 10,216
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by gallerie9
no joke
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
and well...... i didnt need you insult .............yes i was a teacher and a very good one ................... and a reply .......Coventry and Leamington spa are not down south and many people from these areas are former miners or car workers and where are there jobs now !!!!!!!!!..............and what are you doing on an Expats forum your not an expat...........and i can comment on the UK i lived and worked there for 48 years ............. and yes i have visited the north of england as you put it .....i have many friends in the north of england .........many as you say are rich farmers..................and i was brought up on a farm.............and the time bomb as you put it has been waiting to happen for many years........... i taught in inner Birmingham at the time of 7/11............and i can tell you the talliban is alive and well in central Birmingham..................
and by the way when did one of the rich farmers you talk about last give you a bag of carrots...............they cant they are all owned by Tesco
enough of my ranting i just dont like rude people
Aug 18th 2006, 11:24 pm
#24
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 15
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by ironporer
Then why on earth do you choose to write like a semi-literate 13 year old?
Thank you Gallerie9 for accepting my apology and to the original poster who mentioned moving from Madrid to UK I think, go for it, at the end of the day, you can move if you don't like it! Good Luck.
Anyone wondering why I post at this time of day/night? Flipping kids, my PC but can't get on it! lol
Aug 18th 2006, 11:55 pm
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 160
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Hi Lorna, same problem waiting for me son to come off PC, chucked him off in the end 
Have you decided whether to make the move over to Spain?
Have you decided whether to make the move over to Spain?
Aug 19th 2006, 12:07 am
#26
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 15
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by kaylee
Hi Lorna, same problem waiting for me son to come off PC, chucked him off in the end Have you decided whether to make the move over to Spain?
Have you decided whether to make the move over to Spain?I am waiting for a reply from St Georges and English International College but as it is August I guess I won't get a reply until early September. We want to move but I need to be sure that his educational needs are sorted first then I can make a decision as to where to live. I will be working in Gibraltar so commuting back and forth needs to be sorted too. I have to be near enough to a school for transport and then think about me getting to work!
Fun and games!
Aug 20th 2006, 12:32 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2006
Location: denia
Posts: 192
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by Mitzyboy
Hello Dr S
Well I live just South of the City of Coventry. Sorry to people who hail from there, but in my humble opinion its a horrible place. Thats an opinion shared by many I know around here, and we all avoid the place like the plague.
Having said that the surrounding areas are very nice, and if you only have to go there to work then its not going to be the end of the world.
Although I love this country as regards the way of life and the countryside itself, I have to say that year by year I enjoy living here less and less. Yes, thats partly because of the yob culture, nanny state and crackpot immigration policy. And thats on top of the rip off culture that seems to be prevalant here now. You'll probably earn more for sure as opposed to Spain, but you'll pay 30% more for your groceries (against rural Spain), you'll pay up to £1 a litre for your petrol, £200,000 ish for a decent modest house, and on that house you'll pay £1500 a year to the local council.
On the plus side the countryside is stunning, the villages are really pretty, theres loads of history locally such as Stratford (Shakespeare), Warwick Castle, Coventry Cathedral and the nightlife of Birmingham with its theatres, cinemas and restaurants is only a short drive away. The NHS is free, but as I'm not sure of your status I'm not sure if it would be for you.
Having said that I've spent 52 years here and survived, but I can assure you that its not the country it used to be.
Good luck in your decision .... hope its the right one for you!
Well I live just South of the City of Coventry. Sorry to people who hail from there, but in my humble opinion its a horrible place. Thats an opinion shared by many I know around here, and we all avoid the place like the plague.
Having said that the surrounding areas are very nice, and if you only have to go there to work then its not going to be the end of the world.
Although I love this country as regards the way of life and the countryside itself, I have to say that year by year I enjoy living here less and less. Yes, thats partly because of the yob culture, nanny state and crackpot immigration policy. And thats on top of the rip off culture that seems to be prevalant here now. You'll probably earn more for sure as opposed to Spain, but you'll pay 30% more for your groceries (against rural Spain), you'll pay up to £1 a litre for your petrol, £200,000 ish for a decent modest house, and on that house you'll pay £1500 a year to the local council.
On the plus side the countryside is stunning, the villages are really pretty, theres loads of history locally such as Stratford (Shakespeare), Warwick Castle, Coventry Cathedral and the nightlife of Birmingham with its theatres, cinemas and restaurants is only a short drive away. The NHS is free, but as I'm not sure of your status I'm not sure if it would be for you.
Having said that I've spent 52 years here and survived, but I can assure you that its not the country it used to be.
Good luck in your decision .... hope its the right one for you!
Mitzboy-you summed it all up well!
Aug 20th 2006, 3:04 pm
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Depends
Posts: 4,041
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
It seems that a few of us are from the Warwickshire area. I went to school in Stratford as a toddler, Henley in Arden and Warwick. Stratford was my drinking hole when I returned from Australia after being away 12 years, Worcester and Cheltenham were the others. I actually looked a buying in those areas before I decided on Spain. I spent two years living in that area and couldn't settle, I decided on Spain because it gave me a lifestyle I missed from Australia but I was closer to my elderly parents. Otherwise I wouldn't have stayed. My company is also based in the Midlands. I can stay on a farm up the road from Stratford or I stay in Millionaires Row in a 6 bedroomed house. There is no money in Farming, most I know a struggling and are held to ransom by the Supermarkets, many haved turned their farm buildings into Craft shops etc and their homes into Bed and Breakfast to make some extra money. Yes there is plenty of history and the countryside can be beautiful, some of the pubs are still homely, and London can be great for Museums etc. I decided to buy in Spain, I live more rural outside Marbella, my neighbours are all Spanish and yes they keep an eye on me, and help me if I need it. I also find bags of vegetable and am invited around for dinner. The deciding factor was I got more for my money for £200k. I have quarter of an acre, 360 degrees sea and valley views, an orchard with different fruit etc and a 3 bedroom cottage which has the sun on the terrace all day. I'm 40 minutes from the airport and 2 and half hours from Birmingham if I need to be in UK, which I commute from Spain, so split my time between both countries. I get the best of both worlds, I earn my living in Uk and on the international scene but when I'm here I get the outdoor, sunshine and a lifestyle I want. I personally couldn't live in UK full time, I find it depressing, even though I'm in a nice area and have friends there. I find I can do more in Spain, on the outdoor front even in winter.
The bottom line is what people actually want out their lives and making it happen, the one good thing is spain is accessible back to UK and the rest of Europe. I'm lucky as I've made it happen for me so I can get the best of all worlds. Even though I get pressure in going back to UK as my company is based there at the moment, being one of directors I can make it happen more to suit me and what I want out of life. Flights aren't that expensive now, I've flown into Gatwick for a meeting in the morning and flown back out again either that night or the following morning. I do that reguarly, or even for a few days. My other half also lives in UK, and we've been dating 4 years, lol. Perfect relationship
The bottom line is what people actually want out their lives and making it happen, the one good thing is spain is accessible back to UK and the rest of Europe. I'm lucky as I've made it happen for me so I can get the best of all worlds. Even though I get pressure in going back to UK as my company is based there at the moment, being one of directors I can make it happen more to suit me and what I want out of life. Flights aren't that expensive now, I've flown into Gatwick for a meeting in the morning and flown back out again either that night or the following morning. I do that reguarly, or even for a few days. My other half also lives in UK, and we've been dating 4 years, lol. Perfect relationship
Aug 20th 2006, 4:13 pm
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Madrid
Posts: 206
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by Lorna1234
No offence but 'a teacher', please tell me that is a joke with the grammar and spelling in this post?
Aug 20th 2006, 4:31 pm
#30
Senior Moment
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: On the edge
Posts: 20,460
Re: Thinking of moving from Spain to the UK
Originally Posted by Mercedes
It seems that a few of us are from the Warwickshire area. I went to school in Stratford as a toddler, Henley in Arden and Warwick. Stratford was my drinking hole when I returned from Australia after
