Decided to escape

[flag of convenience]

Well that's Southampton damned then, I understand from that then that you fully endorse the govt's intention to make the poor and the disabled responsible for the country's decline and they deserve to be screwed, nothing to do with the bloodsucking , incompetent bankers selling completely worthless investments, it's all the fault of the skiving poor and the layabouts who couldn't be bothered to get themselves a proper education.

Everybody who is on disability benefit must be able to do some work, I mean they can pick litter up out of those wheelchairs can't they, that's the attitude of this govt isn't it.

 

Amazing how a shiny suit without a limp can fool the pundits into thinking they must be a man of integrity. It appears to work the entire time. Meanwhile those priced out, forgotten, labelled the dregs of society in their own country are kicked from pillar to post. Some country that. The increasing divide of society. Already one of Europe's least unfair nations.

 

I'm afraid not a country I would wish to be part off. Tabloid thinking seems to rule. Little thought for the injustices and marginalised lives lived by many. How insular life there seems to have become. Or is that the way life has always been outside of London? Self interest above all. I do feel this was a product of the eighties induced values that apparently became more entrenched and even mainstream over the following decades.

[ali]

its so amusing to me that on the MBTTUK section of pio,where one presumes its for members to confide in there feelings about leaving oz there seems people who love oz putting there 2 pennith worth in--a bit of an X files to me--still there you chuffin go:daydreaming:

 

There is a separate part of the forum (a MBTUK Group) that people can ask admin to add them to in order to post freely without getting attacked.

 

Nice to see you back - even if it is briefly

[Gbye grey sky]

I repeated the verb you used, out of politeness: "its so amusing to me that on the MBTTUK section of pio,where one presumes . . ."

 

As for Southampton - it's a depressing place overflowing with bogans and dole bludgers - I've never seen so many people on crutches in my life, it's funny the way they limp on to the bus (to show they deserve their disabled bus pass), then later you see them striding down the street. The only people who look bright and purposeful are the Poles.

 

However we've decided not to bother moving as we'll be returning Oz mid-next year. We're not basing that decision on So'ton alone, we've done a lot of touring around the country already and it's become obvious that the only places we'd like to live in, we can't afford. We'll be using the next six months to make the most of our proximity to Europe, So'ton will be just a base.

 

At least you gave it a good go. You are right that there are plenty of lovely places to live in the UK but they are either very expensive or a bit remote. I think that applies to Oz too btw. I spent a good deal of time in Southampton and its environs (not through choice) and it is certainly not a place I would choose to live. In fact I would be surprised if anyone chose to live there. They were either born/brought-up there or moved for work.

 

I always sensed that Tassy or NZ may have been more suitable for you than moving from Sydney to Southampton.

[JockinTas]

At least you gave it a good go. You are right that there are plenty of lovely places to live in the UK but they are either very expensive or a bit remote. I think that applies to Oz too btw. I spent a good deal of time in Southampton and its environs (not through choice) and it is certainly not a place I would choose to live. In fact I would be surprised if anyone chose to live there. They were either born/brought-up there or moved for work.

 

I always sensed that Tassy or NZ may have been more suitable for you than moving from Sydney to Southampton.

 

We thought of retiring to the South Island of NZ. In the end we decided on Tasmania simply because we knew it well really liked it. Another deciding factor was my brother and his wife had a house in Queenstown and would have retired there. Sadly he died before they would have made their move from Thailand to Queenstown.

[Marisawright]

The UV index in Tassie is about the same as Spain unbelievably, so still too high to persuade him out of the house in high summer! Never even considered NZ.

[Gbye grey sky]

The UV index in Tassie is about the same as Spain unbelievably, so still too high to persuade him out of the house in high summer! Never even considered NZ.

 

We have friends who emigrated to Dunedin about 7 years ago and love it there. Hoping to visit them one day. Don't know what the UV index is like there. Wouldn't expect it to be worse than Southampton.

[JockinTas]

We have friends who emigrated to Dunedin about 7 years ago and love it there. Hoping to visit them one day. Don't know what the UV index is like there. Wouldn't expect it to be worse than Southampton.

 

Dunedin is the old word for Edinburgh. I didn't like the place much - I don't know why really. Prior to the earthquake, Christchurch was a lovely place. I would have lived in Queenstown. Plenty happening there but found it expensive.

[starlight7]

My mum managed to get skincancer in London. She didn't travel much at all, except to Yorkshire. If you're going to get it, you'll get it I think.

[Que Sera Sera]

My mum managed to get skincancer in London. She didn't travel much at all, except to Yorkshire. If you're going to get it, you'll get it I think.

My Step Father too. Apart from a brief 1 week trip to Paris he never set foot outside the UK, and he had two lots of skin cancer.

[Gbye grey sky]

This may sound counter-intuitive but I felt that the risks were higher sometimes in the UK. You could have a sunny but chilly day in May or June with temperatures not exceeding the mid teens. Because the sun did not feel hot on the skin it was easy to forget sun protection when gardening or out walking but the UV index could be 7 or 8 which is plenty enough for serious sunburn.

 

In Oz that sun feels hot on the skin so it reminds you to slap some sunscreen on if you are out in it for just a few minutes.

[kungfustu]

This may sound counter-intuitive but I felt that the risks were higher sometimes in the UK. You could have a sunny but chilly day in May or June with temperatures not exceeding the mid teens. Because the sun did not feel hot on the skin it was easy to forget sun protection when gardening or out walking but the UV index could be 7 or 8 which is plenty enough for serious sunburn.

 

In Oz that sun feels hot on the skin so it reminds you to slap some sunscreen on if you are out in it for just a few minutes.

 

:laugh:......are you serious?

 

The UK's UV levels never go above 8......in fact 8 is extremely rare.....7 may occur but normally during the 2 weeks around the summer solstice.....the only time I can remember seeing 8 is whilst living in Perth and it was not uncommon to see at 13.

 

7 or 8 during May/June....I have heard it all now lol

[Perthbum]

My mum managed to get skincancer in London. She didn't travel much at all, except to Yorkshire. If you're going to get it, you'll get it I think.

But you can greatly reduce your chances.

[Gbye grey sky]

:laugh:......are you serious?

 

The UK's UV levels never go above 8......in fact 8 is extremely rare.....7 may occur but normally during the 2 weeks around the summer solstice.....the only time I can remember seeing 8 is whilst living in Perth and it was not uncommon to see at 13.

 

7 or 8 during May/June....I have heard it all now lol

 

So, regardless of the UV index numbers (which are debatable but I cannot be bothered) you are surely not asserting that there is no danger of sunburn in the UK in May/June when you have a cool sunny day - or are you?

 

UV indexes are much higher in Oz, that is not in dispute, but the temperatures are normally higher and the sun 'feels' much hotter making you more likely to become aware that your skin is burning.

[BacktoDemocracy]

Amazing how a shiny suit without a limp can fool the pundits into thinking they must be a man of integrity. It appears to work the entire time. Meanwhile those priced out, forgotten, labelled the dregs of society in their own country are kicked from pillar to post. Some country that. The increasing divide of society. Already one of Europe's least unfair nations.

 

I'm afraid not a country I would wish to be part off. Tabloid thinking seems to rule. Little thought for the injustices and marginalised lives lived by many. How insular life there seems to have become. Or is that the way life has always been outside of London? Self interest above all. I do feel this was a product of the eighties induced values that apparently became more entrenched and even mainstream over the following decades.

 

I agree, unfortunately i felt the same about Oz, at least Cameron got his knuckles rapped pretty sharpish when he tried john howards dog whistling with his comment about"swarms of refugees" and he didn't try it again, which i feel is one of the few advantages of being back here, also the tories are being seriously challenged about cuts to tax credits.

I think that is the major difference here is that there is some opposition and comment about the crassness of some of the policy making and comments by people expressing racism and sexism sentiments, it does hold it in check a bit, whereas i felt it was open slather for those kinds of sentiments in Oz.

I do agree though that the gutter press here has found new lows and works to exploit people's most basic instincts, but then reading comments on here about why people are choosing to emigrate to Oz because of how it handles its immigration and refugee policies makes me very concerned about where Oz is heading in the coming years.

[kungfustu]

So, regardless of the UV index numbers (which are debatable but I cannot be bothered) you are surely not asserting that there is no danger of sunburn in the UK in May/June when you have a cool sunny day - or are you?

UV indexes are much higher in Oz, that is not in dispute, but the temperatures are normally higher and the sun 'feels' much hotter making you more likely to become aware that your skin is burning.

 

Debatable?.....why are they debatable.....they are facts that are widely available for everyone to read.....I think its always beneficial to be in possession of the facts before going to print.....mind you all the that sensationalising is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

 

I'm not "asserting" anything.

 

"Debatable".....or....."not in dispute"......make your mind up.....

[Gbye grey sky]

I agree, unfortunately i felt the same about Oz, at least Cameron got his knuckles rapped pretty sharpish when he tried john howards dog whistling with his comment about"swarms of refugees" and he didn't try it again, which i feel is one of the few advantages of being back here, also the tories are being seriously challenged about cuts to tax credits.

I think that is the major difference here is that there is some opposition and comment about the crassness of some of the policy making and comments by people expressing racism and sexism sentiments, it does hold it in check a bit, whereas i felt it was open slather for those kinds of sentiments in Oz.

I do agree though that the gutter press here has found new lows and works to exploit people's most basic instincts, but then reading comments on here about why people are choosing to emigrate to Oz because of how it handles its immigration and refugee policies makes me very concerned about where Oz is heading in the coming years.

 

I am a proponent of multi-culturalism and strongly believe that immigration has benefitted the UK in general in the past. However if I was in the UK now I would be concerned about the scale of the issues being faced by Europe; and the UK by extension. The potential numbers of people alone must be a concern given that overall Europe is over-populated. Not to mention even the migration of Europeans westwards.

 

Unfortunately the gutter press are in this instance highlighting a real issue that needs to be addressed and not shouted down by cries of 'racism'.

[Marisawright]

My mum managed to get skincancer in London. She didn't travel much at all, except to Yorkshire. If you're going to get it, you'll get it I think.

 

There is certainly a genetic component, but it's not the whole story. The risk of getting melanoma in Australia is about three times higher than in the UK because due to the sun's tilt, Australia is physically closer to the sun and therefore gets more of the damaging rays.

[Marisawright]

This may sound counter-intuitive but I felt that the risks were higher sometimes in the UK. You could have a sunny but chilly day in May or June with temperatures not exceeding the mid teens. Because the sun did not feel hot on the skin it was easy to forget sun protection when gardening or out walking but the UV index could be 7 or 8 which is plenty enough for serious sunburn.

.

 

You just have to look at the statistics to know that's not true! Even though many Brits still actively seek out a tan, the incidence of skin cancer in the UK is way, way below Australia.

 

The reason is that in the UK, the UV index never gets above 8, and rarely gets anywhere close. I've been surprised here in So'ton, when checking the UV index on a hot, bright July day, to find the index was only 6.

 

The official WHO advice for that exposure is to wear sunscreen and a hat. In Australia, most of the country exceeds an index of 11 for most of the summer, and can hit 14 - and the WHO classifies that as "extreme" and says sunscreen is not enough, you need to stay in the shade!

 

I suspect that is being excessively cautious, but it does give you an idea of the relative risk - it's not as bad to go out without sunscreen on a day when the index is 7, than it is to go out with sunscreen on a day when it's 14.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Marisawright

[northernbird]

You just have to look at the statistics to know that's not true! Even though many Brits still actively seek out a tan, the incidence of skin cancer in the UK is way, way below Australia.

 

The reason is that in the UK, the UV index never gets above 8, and rarely gets anywhere close. I've been surprised here in So'ton, when checking the UV index on a hot, bright July day, to find the index was only 6.

 

The official WHO advice for that exposure is to wear sunscreen and a hat. In Australia, most of the country exceeds an index of 11 for most of the summer, and can hit 14 - and the WHO classifies that as "extreme" and says sunscreen is not enough, you need to stay in the shade!

 

I suspect that is being excessively cautious, but it does give you an idea of the relative risk - it's not as bad to go out without sunscreen on a day when the index is 7, than it is to go out with sunscreen on a day when it's 14.

 

More people die from skin cancer in the UK I believe. Yes there are far more cases in Australia but I think as a nation we are generally much more sun smart than British people.

[Marisawright]

More people die from skin cancer in the UK I believe. Yes there are far more cases in Australia but I think as a nation we are generally much more sun smart than British people.

 

More people die, yes - but the figures are 8,000 in the UK from a population of 63 million, vs 5,000 in Australia from a population of only 23 million. So per head of population, the risk of dying is still far higher in Oz.

[Perthbum]

More people die from skin cancer in the UK I believe. Yes there are far more cases in Australia but I think as a nation we are generally much more sun smart than British people.

You have to look at the rates per percentage of population...much higher in Oz. Why anyone actually goes out when it is at its hottest is beyond me. Same as smoking, some none smokers will get lung cancer but when you look at the statistics smoking increases your chances of getting it greatly, same as sunbathing.

[BacktoDemocracy]

I am a proponent of multi-culturalism and strongly believe that immigration has benefitted the UK in general in the past. However if I was in the UK now I would be concerned about the scale of the issues being faced by Europe; and the UK by extension. The potential numbers of people alone must be a concern given that overall Europe is over-populated. Not to mention even the migration of Europeans westwards.

 

Unfortunately the gutter press are in this instance highlighting a real issue that needs to be addressed and not shouted down by cries of 'racism'.

I wouldn't disagree but unfortunately any discussion is hijacked by the 2 extreme camps and because of the conditioning by the newspapers it tends to be the anti immigration camp that achieves support for its position and that precludes a real reasoned argument about what is to be done, and as far as the flood of refugees at the moment i think we are reaping the whirlwind of our own patronising, ignorant meddling in the arab/muslim world where we now have no allies or sympathetic ears from eastern europe right round to india, so i find myself feeling that we have little option but to try and alleviate these peoples suffering in the same way for the millions of refugees after the 2nd WW, and its about time that the USA was shamed into helping to clear up a mess they created with their war mongering.

Edited October 26, 2015 by BacktoDemocracy

[grizzly111]

Sun damage is a serious health concern in Australia. Not just life-threatening melanomas but also unsightly solar keratoses and premature ageing of the skin. Often when overseas I can spot the aussie without them uttering a word just by the condition of their skin. 30 year olds can look 40+. Please try to stay out of the sun when the UV is extreme and wear sunscreen and clothing protection where possible if spending time outdoors. I actually find the sun really burning to my skin in Oz and do my best to avoid it as I virtually daily see the shocking result of excessive sun exposure.

 

I once did a special test for skin damage to the face - I came out with nil luckily - mostly I was told because I spent so much of my early life in the UK.

Others that were tested included 18-20 year old Australia born and bred kids that showed clear, surprising, sun damage to their face. They say that if you have had skin damage (sunburn) when you were young it can manifest as cancer later in life.

Edited October 26, 2015 by grizzly111

[grizzly111]

In the UK I could not get a tan. In Australia I can tan in around 15-20 minutes easily in summer at 1-2pm. Even when there is cloud cover or if you are in the shade I can still tan. In fact you can get a UV meter, wind down the window of your car and see how much UV gets into the car by holding the meter in the car. You will be very, very surprised how much comes through an open window just from reflection. It's like when you are in the snow or on the water.

[Gbye grey sky]

You just have to look at the statistics to know that's not true! Even though many Brits still actively seek out a tan, the incidence of skin cancer in the UK is way, way below Australia.

 

The reason is that in the UK, the UV index never gets above 8, and rarely gets anywhere close. I've been surprised here in So'ton, when checking the UV index on a hot, bright July day, to find the index was only 6.

 

The official WHO advice for that exposure is to wear sunscreen and a hat. In Australia, most of the country exceeds an index of 11 for most of the summer, and can hit 14 - and the WHO classifies that as "extreme" and says sunscreen is not enough, you need to stay in the shade!

 

I suspect that is being excessively cautious, but it does give you an idea of the relative risk - it's not as bad to go out without sunscreen on a day when the index is 7, than it is to go out with sunscreen on a day when it's 14.

 

I am very aware that sun exposure is much more dangerous in Oz. Nevertheless it is possible for most people to live a happy, normal life here without contracting skin cancer just as it is possible for some northern Europeans to contract skin cancer. For most of us it is about awareness and taking sensible precautions I guess.

 

Our home here has a large outdoor, totally covered deck where we sit outside at some point every day in the shade. In the UK we had a wholly exposed patio and few homes have covered decks. This is largely to do with the average shade temeratures (Qld and Surrey) year round. When it is a breezy 18-23C (typical UK high summer temperatures) it feels very cool (even cold) sitting in the shade and more comfortable to sit in the sun (this is not sunbathing, just relaxing and socialising).

 

In the UK I would observe that unless it was a hot day (25C plus) most patrons in pubs and cafes would happily seek out tables with no shade at all. However I understand that the air temperatures themselves do not impact on the UV index so I still contend that it can be easier to get burned in the UK without your skin ever feeling hot.