What do you hate about the UK?

[Guest chris955]

I wasnt sure how I would cope with the depths of winter or more the point our Brisbane born and bred kids but we all took it in our stride to be honest.

The get home from school at 4oclock and even mid winter it was never dark when they got home and the fact that it is now light gone 9 oclock more than makes up for it.

I really dont hate anything about the UK, there are things that annoy me but nothing major, no Dim Sims

[Guest Julz]

Having been back 6 months there isn't really anything I hate. Ok Scotland doesn't get the best weather however I have really enjoyed the change in seasons, this weekend has been lovely, kids have been out playing since Friday night...periodically popping home for food, a bath and some sleep.

 

If I had to choose something i dislike it would be the thick frost on the car during the winter months but plan on having the garage cleared out by this winter to avoid that this year.

[fizzybangs]

Whilst back in UK on holiday I have been offered a job. So I am going to stay for the time being whilst my family are still in Brisbane. I hate the fact that the UK is a long way from my hubby & kids but we need the money. The weather is atrocious but after 7 years of QLD sunshine, it's a bit of a novelty. Struggling to find a lot to hate tbh, but I'll need to revisit that in a few months!

 

Congratulations on taking such a leap. We too only arrived back a month ago and are still on cloud nine but expecting to slip or fall off it when winter arrives! We lived soutside of Brisbane and the Gold Coast for 32 years. I'll put up with this weather as the trade offs are huge! Life here is fabulous but we are living in Paignton in Devon and there are so many places to see, things to do and the people are so friendly plus the car drivers are polite! Oh and the food! so cheap and so much variety and eating out is cheap!

[fizzybangs]

I am not moving back until the end of the year, but I am dreading that I may or may not need to tackle the Habitual Residency Test. And also that it can be a pain in the bum to try and open a bank account, as opposed to just rocking up to the bank in Oz and walking out 20 mins later with your account and plastic card in the mail.

 

But there's really not much I dislike about the UK at all. I even love the cold, and wet. If I have to be picky.. the only thing that truly irritates me is the money.. the different sized paper notes that don't fit in some wallets very well, especially the large 50 quid notes. I love the Australian plastic money.

 

We walked into Lloyds, were taken straight into a private office and came out 20 minute later with everything done! We've had absolutely no problems and even though the doctors can't find our NHS numbers my OH still saw one the other day when he needed to. All you need now is a passport for ID, nothing else as rules have changed.

[Sapphire]

We walked into Lloyds, were taken straight into a private office and came out 20 minute later with everything done! We've had absolutely no problems and even though the doctors can't find our NHS numbers my OH still saw one the other day when he needed to. All you need now is a passport for ID, nothing else as rules have changed.

 

Thats really helpful to know about the bank account

We opened an account here, through NAB, with the Yorkshire bank, but they closed it as we have not been able to activate it in the UK within a year.That is their rules apparantly!!!

So I take it you now dont need utility bills etc, to open a UK account, once you are there.Thats going to make things so much easier.

Great news that you have settled back home, so well.You are in a lovely part of the UK.

[fourcorners]

I didn't like the traffic in West Yorkshire where Mum was living as when I was back we always had the decision of either taking the motorway or putting up with endless 30 and 40 zones with numerous speed cameras on them. Traffic was much easier to deal with in Devon and far fewer cameras!

 

I'm not a massive fan of 'ghettos' around bigger cities where you don't want to be out at night, but then most bigger cities all over the world have cities like that.

 

Both myself and my partner both got informal job offers when we were back, with my old employer. Just shows it's good to keep in touch, and you never know we may be taking the offers up in the not too distant future....

[VERYSTORMY]

I didn't like the traffic in West Yorkshire where Mum was living as when I was back we always had the decision of either taking the motorway or putting up with endless 30 and 40 zones with numerous speed cameras on them. Traffic was much easier to deal with in Devon and far fewer cameras!

 

I'm not a massive fan of 'ghettos' around bigger cities where you don't want to be out at night, but then most bigger cities all over the world have cities like that.

 

Both myself and my partner both got informal job offers when we were back, with my old employer. Just shows it's good to keep in touch, and you never know we may be taking the offers up in the not too distant future....

 

Still in exploration?

[fourcorners]

That was with a consultancy in Cornwall. I'm a senior resource geo which actually makes getting a job back in the UK much easier than straight exploration. Earning peanuts in Cornwall is not a bad life, especially considering we're on track to pay off our mortgage there by the end of this year. Although my partner works for Barrick here so who knows how long he'll have a job for!

[Creese]

Ipswich

 

Im from Clacton on Sea but worked most of my life in Colchester. Ipswich isnt so bad, like you say not far from from Cambridge, Norwich etc.. We hope to move back to Colchester in near future.

[Guest guest74886]

I am not moving back until the end of the year, but I am dreading that I may or may not need to tackle the Habitual Residency Test. And also that it can be a pain in the bum to try and open a bank account, as opposed to just rocking up to the bank in Oz and walking out 20 mins later with your account and plastic card in the mail.

 

But there's really not much I dislike about the UK at all. I even love the cold, and wet. If I have to be picky.. the only thing that truly irritates me is the money.. the different sized paper notes that don't fit in some wallets very well, especially the large 50 quid notes. I love the Australian plastic money.

 

Get yourself an off shore bank account with somebody like Lloyds all you have to do is jump thro some hoops with ID and stick 2500 in it, tell them you need it for paying for services in UK prior to returning to UK, very useful for transferring funds when the exchange is in your favour.

[fizzybangs]

Thats really helpful to know about the bank account

We opened an account here, through NAB, with the Yorkshire bank, but they closed it as we have not been able to activate it in the UK within a year.That is their rules apparantly!!!

So I take it you now dont need utility bills etc, to open a UK account, once you are there.Thats going to make things so much easier.

Great news that you have settled back home, so well.You are in a lovely part of the UK.

 

There was one bank before where the manager had said no problem, just bring passport in but he was out the day we turned off and some stupid young officious girl insisted we need so many things including proof of where we had lived for 5 years, that we walked out and walked into the bank next door which was Lloyds. They told us that you used to need utility bills etc but with so many people moving from country to country the rules have been changed and now that we have the new passports that is all they need. They also added that proving where you live is so not important - it is who you are that is the main thing. We had no appointment. Lloyds seem to be bending over backwards down here in Paignton for customer relations. We walked in the other day and there is always someone to greet you and she asked what we needed to do and filled out the form for us and escorted my OH to a teller to the point where he forgot to sign the form! It's like having a butler doing everything for you LOL

[Wishful]

I hate that we "poms" think everywhere else is better and constantly complain about the weather like its the only thing that matters , I hate we don't realise how great our history is

[Guest chris955]

I hate that we "poms" think everywhere else is better and constantly complain about the weather like its the only thing that matters , I hate we don't realise how great our history is

 

Is the this habit that actually annoys me more than anything, it is equally as bad and as inaccurate as Australians assuming everywhere else is worse. I hate OTT patriotism and flag waving but wish sometimes we would be a little more enthusiastic about this wonderful country.

[MrsLZB]

Im from Clacton on Sea but worked most of my life in Colchester. Ipswich isnt so bad, like you say not far from from Cambridge, Norwich etc.. We hope to move back to Colchester in near future.

 

Spooky, I actually grew up in F-O-S! Love the coastline there. Love Colchester

[Creese]

Spooky, I actually grew up in F-O-S! Love the coastline there. Love Colchester

 

Love Frinton, the beaches are the best. We lived in Holland-on-Sea for 11 years before moving here 7 years ago, really miss it :-(

[Woofyhugger]

Lloyds seem to be bending over backwards down here in Paignton for customer relations. We walked in the other day and there is always someone to greet you and she asked what we needed to do and filled out the form for us and escorted my OH to a teller to the point where he forgot to sign the form! It's like having a butler doing everything for you LOL

 

I had a look on the Lloyds website and they state that for one of their accounts (just basic daily account with a visa debit card or something) you only need your passport and nothing else. I doubted this as surely you would need proof of address etc etc, so contacted them, and they said if you are moving to the UK and want to open an account with them, as stated on the website you only need your passport as it is to assist those new to the UK. Amazeballs! So I will likely be going with them when I get back.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Woofyhugger

[Guest chris955]

We opened an RBS account and it was very easy, just filled out a form basically. He already have an HSBC account that my wife opened a few years ago.

[Conniebygaslight]

And a GP wow, I'd have never guessed - you come across as an intelligent and caring bloke so that's not surprising really but nonetheless wow!

 

Lol.......:wink:

[Conniebygaslight]

I read the Daily Mail....in fact we have it delivered, it doesn't mean that I'm a homophobic, immigration hater. In fact the DM has absolutely no influence on my political views at all. I cannot stand all the bitter posts on here and FB from people who constantly go on & on about 'the state of this government and the benefits system' etc. My Brother in law reads the Guardian and he is always going on about us Daily Mail readers as though we were the devil....it's funny because to me he's just Kev...