Good job news

[Guest chris955]

Thanks for that, it is always nice to hear a REAL assessment rather than chip wrapper headlines and what a friend of a friend told someone.

I am heading over in September and will check things out for myself, have a look at property etc.

I'm like you, I love the feeling of the country being alive rather than sort of ticking over.

 

Look Chris ,i will try to cut out the bull**** ........in 2009 the uk fell off a cliff overnight .

Slowly but surely we are clawing our way back ........it will never be the same as it was ,in relation to public debt .......because the banks arent borrowing willy nilly anymore .

But borrowing is up 15 % in one month

 

The wheels are turning again

 

My nephew and his aussie wife have just left us , they loved it , London ,the countryside, the greenery .....as i have said ,they were shocked how cheap the uk was for clothes ,leisurewear and food .......but not fuel.

 

My daughter works in large national retail outlet and people are now paying in cash a lot more now.....they are having to .

She has 2 job interviews next week ....people are s,lowly starting to hire....

 

In relation to the building industry , i have my fears because the coalition have stopped works on all schools and public buildings

 

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY , FOR ALL ITS FAULTS - over crowded , crap weather , sometimes poor service .......BUT THE PLACE IS STILL GRITTY AND ALIVE

 

ps just watched the new series of Shooting Stars .......lots of tears ......very funny

[Paul1Perth]

Blokes indeed. Thanks Australia, that's typical and one of the reasons I've got my ticket back to LHR in August.

 

I hope that when I get there, I prove to be a 'statistic' of those who are working rather than those who are not. I'm a single woman in a professional position and have supported myself for 25 years. Too much of Australia is centred around the jingoism of the little labouring man working in a manual job for 30 years to pay off a 600 sq m block and being exalted for it. If you're a single woman past your twenties in Australia with no children, kill yourself now or renew your passport. NO THANKS.

 

Hit a raw nerve there I think.

[Guest Caitmelbourne]

It's still worrying times for those who work in the public sector & the amount of projects being slashed. I was granted a career break when I came to Aus but I have been informed that this is no longer possible due to budget.

 

Many of the council funded projects that were due to get off the ground (some wonderful) before i left have been put on hold & there is a recruitment freeze in a couple of London councils I know of, two being host Boroughs for the Olympics.

 

I'm using it as an opportunity to go back to Uni & complete a Masters & I'm sure others will move from public to private sector which is no bad thing. But many many people will be out of work due to the cuts.

[Guest chris955]

The public sector is so overstaffed it is incredible. It will be tough for sure.

[bunbury61]

The public sector is so overstaffed it is incredible. It will be tough for sure.

 

There are thousands of pockets of this country ,where people have a very enviable lifestyle .......i was in a place called Wixford in Warwickshire ( google images) .......stunning.

and yet 10 miles up the road you are in brum .........worlds apart .

 

Last night i had a game of cricket ( once a year ) for a load of fat old poms:biglaugh: , in a village called Willoughby ......again fantastic ......few beers , good company , scenery

 

FIND A POCKET

[Guest chris955]

Yes exactly, that's is precisely what we will be looking at doing. When we were looking for a house to buy here in Brisbane my brother told us to make sure we look on this side of the freeway and not the other. To be honest I couldn't see how it could be any different a couple of k's down the road but the difference is startling and also about $150k. The good thing is we know the South West pretty well and know the little villages etc. I am very much looking forward to the village lifestyle.

[Paul1Perth]

There are thousands of pockets of this country ,where people have a very enviable lifestyle .......i was in a place called Wixford in Warwickshire ( google images) .......stunning.

and yet 10 miles up the road you are in brum .........worlds apart .

 

Last night i had a game of cricket ( once a year ) for a load of fat old poms:biglaugh: , in a village called Willoughby ......again fantastic ......few beers , good company , scenery

 

FIND A POCKET

 

I went to Uni in Birmingham and lived in typical student housing in Sparkhill for a couple of years. I remember going to Solihull to the swimming pool there. It was like going to a different country. You could suddenly see the standard of housing change on the bus journey. Solihull was a nice place and good to go out for a few beers.

 

We also used to go to leisure centre in Acocks Green (I think). The place was almost entirely staffed by black guys and we used to try not to catch anyones eye walking by the Gym. We went in for a game of squash one day and a young black guy ran, laughing, off the court we were about to have our game on. He had had a crap in the middle of the court. We had to go back to the entrance and get the guys to shovel it up. They weren't impressed.

 

Solihull was only about another 5 miles up the road but, strangely, OK.

[bunbury61]

I went to Uni in Birmingham and lived in typical student housing in Sparkhill for a couple of years. I remember going to Solihull to the swimming pool there. It was like going to a different country. You could suddenly see the standard of housing change on the bus journey. Solihull was a nice place and good to go out for a few beers.

 

We also used to go to leisure centre in Acocks Green (I think). The place was almost entirely staffed by black guys and we used to try not to catch anyones eye walking by the Gym. We went in for a game of squash one day and a young black guy ran, laughing, off the court we were about to have our game on. He had had a crap in the middle of the court. We had to go back to the entrance and get the guys to shovel it up. They weren't impressed.

 

Solihull was only about another 5 miles up the road but, strangely, OK.

 

youre right Paul , iam brummie from Bournville ( still nice).

I was all over the inner city today .......not pretty .......but there again i didnt find inner city Melbourne very pretty either .

At least where iam ,its on the edge of the " sticks" .........20 minutes ......henley in arden .......30 minutes Stratford or Warwick

 

Theres no rose tinted specs with me about the uk ........i have worked in the roughest areas of most of the big cities

[Guest chris955]

I dislike cities wherever they are, most of Melbourne is a dump outside of the CBD, same with Sydney, Birmingham, wherever. I am constantly amazed at how things change so quickly from one suburb or area to another even if only separated by a major road or river.

[pablo]

two ads for brickies in the lpool echo this last week,altho one was an agency,first ive seen in over a yr,so thats something i suppose

[Mongrel]

two ads for brickies in the lpool echo this last week,altho one was an agency,first ive seen in over a yr,so thats something i suppose

 

Someones told em ya leaving mate:biglaugh:

[Paul1Perth]

I dislike cities wherever they are, most of Melbourne is a dump outside of the CBD, same with Sydney, Birmingham, wherever. I am constantly amazed at how things change so quickly from one suburb or area to another even if only separated by a major road or river.

 

I've been to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide numerous times. We stay in Kings Cross when in Sydney and I've never seen anything near as bad in any Australian city as I used to see in Birmingham. There is just no comparison. Sydney is beautiful for the most part all around the centre and anywhere you can get a glimpse of the harbour. I'm afraid most English cities don't have much going for them, they all feel cramped in, old and dirty.

[Parley]

I dislike cities wherever they are, most of Melbourne is a dump outside of the CBD

 

This is just ridiculous. Melbourne is a beautiful city. Unless you have been touring an industrial area, this is just plain wrong.

[Guest siamsusie]

This is just ridiculous. Melbourne is a beautiful city. Unless you have been touring an industrial area, this is just plain wrong.

 

I am always happy to visit Melbourne, its an amazing city /outskirts. I suppose yet again you have to separate fact from fiction, one thing for sure I never rely on travel books/brochures/ forums .... you have to see it and experience it for yourself. Some people can perceive Henley on Thames as a dump:wink: Susie

[KIRK AND CO]

Wait till they start the public sector job cuts eh?!still no good news up here,over a year since an ad for brickies in the lpool echo,soz to be realistic an all that:wubclub:

Pablo here in south east things have picked up considerably in building trade lots of people now moving on with extensions so it wont be long untill it has a knock on effect through out the country so fingers crossed your be inerdated with work soon all the best.

[Guest chris955]

Although I congratulate on feeling the need to stick up for all things Australian it was a general comment about cities wherever they are, I have been to many cities all around the world, they are just cities.

Parleycross, I dislike Melbourne, it isn't wrong for me to dislike Melbourne anymore than it is for you to like it. It's not ridiculous, it's my opinion.

 

I've been to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide numerous times. We stay in Kings Cross when in Sydney and I've never seen anything near as bad in any Australian city as I used to see in Birmingham. There is just no comparison. Sydney is beautiful for the most part all around the centre and anywhere you can get a glimpse of the harbour. I'm afraid most English cities don't have much going for them, they all feel cramped in, old and dirty.

[Parley]

For you to call Melbourne a dump is ridiculous, as it is simply not true.

[Guest chris955]

That's fine, it's your opinion. :wink:

[Guest leon17]

exactly, if you grew up in Melbourne you know the ins and outs of it and is a part of you and who you are.

Sometimes when you move to a new city you think it will work but will never truly know till you get there and experience it.

least you had a go chris

[mrsindecision]

exactly, if you grew up in Melbourne you know the ins and outs of it and is a part of you and who you are.

Sometimes when you move to a new city you think it will work but will never truly know till you get there and experience it.

least you had a go chris

 

I have been back in the Uk a month and am conflicted by the range of places some so beautiful they could be a Constable painting - others so appalling they look like Paris slums (or other slums I haven't seen). It is hard to reconcile. Today I drove from Maidenhead ( lovely ) through Reading (crappy) to the shopping centre (lovely) back to Pinkney's Green lovely lovely - cant even begin to think how Birmingham looks. I think we have lost some pride in our cities. By the way at the shopping centre there is a great food area around the canal, a manmade beach these fun balloon things that kids crawl inside, a wonderful variety of people (not everyone looking the same like they do in Oz) and surprisingly no chavs or anti social behaviour. So the UK is a real mix of experiences which can be heartwarming and shocking ( help my senses are just too confused!!).

[Salma]

I have been back in the Uk a month and am conflicted by the range of places some so beautiful they could be a Constable painting - others so appalling they look like Paris slums (or other slums I haven't seen). It is hard to reconcile. Today I drove from Maidenhead ( lovely ) through Reading (crappy) to the shopping centre (lovely) back to Pinkney's Green lovely lovely - cant even begin to think how Birmingham looks. I think we have lost some pride in our cities. By the way at the shopping centre there is a great food area around the canal, a manmade beach these fun balloon things that kids crawl inside, a wonderful variety of people (not everyone looking the same like they do in Oz) and surprisingly no chavs or anti social behaviour. So the UK is a real mix of experiences which can be heartwarming and shocking ( help my senses are just too confused!!).

 

you obvioulsy didn't go to Reading High St as that is Chav central but all the other places mentioned are really nice went to school in maidenhead.

[Guest chris955]

Exactly, this makes you understand how people can have such mixed opinions of a country. I can drive 15 minutes from here and feel as though I should lock the doors on the car as I drive through but where we are is lovely. Get on any train out of Brisbane CBD and look at some of the areas you go through, massive problems with graffiti, rundown housing etc.

Probably the only city I really like is Bath.

 

I have been back in the Uk a month and am conflicted by the range of places some so beautiful they could be a Constable painting - others so appalling they look like Paris slums (or other slums I haven't seen). It is hard to reconcile. Today I drove from Maidenhead ( lovely ) through Reading (crappy) to the shopping centre (lovely) back to Pinkney's Green lovely lovely - cant even begin to think how Birmingham looks. I think we have lost some pride in our cities. By the way at the shopping centre there is a great food area around the canal, a manmade beach these fun balloon things that kids crawl inside, a wonderful variety of people (not everyone looking the same like they do in Oz) and surprisingly no chavs or anti social behaviour. So the UK is a real mix of experiences which can be heartwarming and shocking ( help my senses are just too confused!!).