Johnny

What "piece of paper" was it that you failed to submit ? Things are not adding up here. You would normally only be given written notification, your application put to one side on hold at the very most, but not rejected outright if you had paid your fee in full and submitted an otherwise compliant application. Unless of course there was some "significance" to this "piece of paper" which you failed to produce. Why were you applying for a UK visa, using a "Filipino" agent in Manila ?

Well said - It's a "feel good" thread. There is plenty to feel good about when about coming home to Britain (unless you are going to be living somewhere grotty of course).

Welcome back to civilisation, sounds like you're really settling in just fine. Its a lovely feeling coming "home".

I echo what Rule Britannia says, UK for us at least, is a much better place in terms of location, job opportunities, culture, community, history, travel, climate, facilities, shops, activities, clubs etc, the list goes on.

Whatever you do though, just make sure you've got it right. Money well spent if it's what you truly want and you are 100% sure you will never be coming back. But a lot of savings to kiss goodbye to if you are not really sure. Even back in 2000, We went through a ton of savings buying our cars, a house full of furniture appliances and setting up a new home, although we had the cash to do it at the time, it was not cheap. I would hate to think what that is going to cost somebody these days.

We did ours by garage sale. The aussies were all over it like flies, and stripped the whole place bare within a few days.

The pound got hammered over the increasing probability of a "Brexit". If the newspaper polls keep showing that the majority support leaving the EU, then it might weaken further. But a word of caution, polls are only polls and they got the general election all wrong.

I don't blame them. The writings on the wall. Get out while you can. UK has its own set of problems, but on the whole its not doing too bad.

No doubt...., but I couldn't resist winding Marisa up a bit.. Actually I did have a nice time in Sydney come to think of it, and the drive up the Blue Mountains was probably the nicest car journey I made in my time in Australia. Going back to Perth after a break in NSW and Sydney, admittedly was a bit of a contrast.

hehe, She's talking about Rooty Hill here though....oh sorry I meant "West Sydney" They need to make it $6 and cheap just so they can get people to go there !!!!. Oh yes, Sydney. I couldn't wait to get to see the "world famous" Bondi Beach.... but I needn't have bothered. What a "damp squib" that place turned out to be. Sydney...not for me. The Blue mountains were quaint though and certainly worth travelling to Sydney for. Apart from Darling Harbour, the bridge and the Oprah house, there wasn't much there that "floated my boat". Just looked like a much bigger,crowded, messy, disorganised, more dated version of anywhere else in Australia once you headed out of town.

West Sydney....oh dear, Rooty Hill & Parramatta !!!!, been through those places a couple of times...not the sort of places you go wandering about. Every door & window on every house is covered in those hideous cream coloured security meshes. I am sure I went go-karting somewhere out there once too, great track. Then we went up through the Blue Mountains and ended up staying in a dodgy but very expensive motel in some one horse town. For what that long weekend cost us, we could have flown to Singapore and stayed in the Orchard Rd Marriott.

Compared to Coles & Woolies best, Markies Food is waaaay ahead. Oh and it doesn't shut at 5:30 or on Sundays. Come to think of it, the 2 new supermarkets in town are 24 hours, 7 days a week, they are HUGE and really cheap too. Love the £3 brekkie special with tea & toast on these winter Sunday morns after doing our weekly shop. As they say in Scotland, "Ye cannae whack it jimmy" !!

Pack a winter jacket, its snowing heavily today.

Marks & Spencer's have a really good café and a very great food hall. Top quality grub !

Sometimes it takes a move just to realise how good you had it back home. Living in the heat is not for everyone agreed. I certainly prefer the seasonal weather of UK.

That's a good plan.

Anyone with a stable life, a home and job in UK would be off their rockers to give it up. Yet, we still get that stupid "Wanted Down Under" TV show being aired nearly everyday on BBC feeding people basically the same old propaganda. as ever about the skills in demand, the relaxed lifestyle, the better weather and the booming economy. The boom years in Australia are finished, and all the signs certainly point to a very long steady decline back to reality.

So the Chinese Stock Exchange plummeting and the recent sacking of their chief financial market regulator, along with the rest of the Asian markets dropping like rocks, is something that we just made up and will have no effect on Australia ? And the fact plane loads of UK migrants are selling up and are bailing out is pure fiction too ? Or have the newspapers just made that up also ? Also, you claim to be "doing fine and happy" but you're lurking around a forum where people are discussing moving back to the UK. I am glad you love it down there but you shouldn't you be over on the "We're new and will be heading out soon and we're so excited" forum ? Not on a "Moving back to UK" forum, venting frustration and sniping at those who feel Australia wasn't/isn't for them. Like I say, when the "seed is planted" its usually a one way ticket out sooner or later. I am guessing that because you are hanging out on this particular forum, that there's something niggling at you deep down too.

Failed, really ? How did you work that one out Einstein ?

We did not apply for citizenship, pointless really, we knew we would never want to return away back down there.

You summed it up very well there. There may also be the shock of being blasted forward in time by 20 years when you get here, but its a very pleasant shock to deal with. .

Unfortunately it can take quite a long time for prices to reflect the reality of the situation.

Some great points there. Our priorities change with age and having true friends and family around us matter far more than big fancy houses or cars. As regards the Equality Act, you are not obliged to put your age on a CV or give tell an employer your age until after a job offer has been made, although many agencies will try it on by asking.

Like you say, the weather, the seasons and the feelings they bring with them is one of the reasons why we moved back. Perth's weather was truly awful and limiting most of the year.