First update.

[Guest KG1978]

Oh come on - you're letting your prejudices show mrs indecision. Don't generalise a whole country. Saying it's 'flying to the moon' for the kid of an aussie tradie to go to an ivy league university? that is ridiculous. I know because I am one, and there are plenty more like me.

[mrsindecision]

Oh come on - you're letting your prejudices show mrs indecision. Don't generalise a whole country. Saying it's 'flying to the moon' for the kid of an aussie tradie to go to an ivy league university? that is ridiculous. I know because I am one, and there are plenty more like me.

 

well done to you - seriously! I was talking about where I lived in Oz (regional) and my circle of friends (who are lovely people I must add) which prompted us to return because we wanted more for our kids - which was already here for us among our circle of friends.

[Guest KG1978]

Thank you.

 

I am not having a go at you per se, I'm just tired of posters in this forum using their interactions with a very small, specifc group of people, whether it's in the UK or Oz, combined with their existing prejudices, as the basis for a claim about millions of other people. It's irrational, and plain bad science.

 

I'm from regional Australia too. Big deal. Of course there are Australians there with just as much ambition as people anywhere else. Perhaps you just didn't mix with them.

 

And I think, in rich countries like ours at least, smart kids can always rise to the top, regardless of where they start. Ok, rant over.

[mrsindecision]

Thank you.

 

I am not having a go at you per se, I'm just tired of posters in this forum using their interactions with a very small, specifc group of people, whether it's in the UK or Oz, combined with their existing prejudices, as the basis for a claim about millions of other people. It's irrational, and plain bad science.

 

I'm from regional Australia too. Big deal. Of course there are Australians there with just as much ambition as people anywhere else. Perhaps you just didn't mix with them.

 

And I think, in rich countries like ours at least, smart kids can always rise to the top, regardless of where they start. Ok, rant over.

 

I understand where you are coming from - I did work all over Oz and worked in some exceptional schools and universities - I wont go into to it all here but there really is a distinct difference to UK. However our choice was to move and start again in Oz to sydney or melbourne where we were advised its hard to break into social circles - stay where we were with limited opportunity for work and education for our kids - or come home where we know the standards are good and we "fit". Life's too short to keep banging your head against a wall. This is not about the big argument for or against - more so about personal choice and personal circumstances - we're all just trying to live a life that's rewarding for us in our own frame of reference.

[blondie]

Well I arrived in the UK on Sunday, beautiful sunny day and quite warm. First impressions, Heathrow is clean and very very big :laugh:

Picked up the car and there was an Aussie whinging about being given a Renault, he didn't like the idea of having the steering column controls were on the opposite sides to what he was used to. My car also had this 'problem', it took me all of 5 minutes to adapt.

Got onto the M4 and headed west, I was very concerned by some of the driving I witnessed, people driving in the left lane, overtaking on the right and moving back to the left. No trucks in the fast lane under the speed limit and everyone was very fast and safe. Quite an eye opener.

I have so far caught up with quite a few friends, none so far have questioned my sanity regarding our decision to move back to the UK and in fact all are positive and happy and all are working. This really isn't going to plan, I fully expected a country on the brink of bankruptcy, constant doom and gloom, rude miserable people and gangs wandering the streets. I'm just not seeing it and I feel as if I've been conned, could people be exaggerating ?

Something that has really amazed me is the cost of food and many other things, some things are on a par but the majority are cheaper and many are far cheaper. It doesn't matter if you use the 2:1 exhange rate, the difference is amazing.

I haven't had a chance to check out any houses yet, I'm too busy enjoying catching up with old friends but I'm going out at the weekend to see what's about.

Something else I was surprised about was the amount of rubbish, I was led to believe the roads were littered with rubbish :wink:

went to Bath today, I had forgotten just how beautiful it is and much better now they have pulled down the eyesore of a shopping mall and bus station there used to be, they have been replaced by a very attractive precinct in Bath stone and a very modern glass fronted bus station.

The traffic and small roads atke some getting used to but it's no big deal.

 

 

More later..........

 

I can't believe I found this !! I have just come back to Sydney after my first trip to the uk since moving here 3 years ago. I also wanted to share that the uk I found was warm and sunny, driving on the roads was a pleasure after the horrors of Sydney driving standards, to drive through the west country with it's great scenery, little villages and listening to BBC radio was something I have missed so much. I also stayed in Bath for a few days and how nice does it look ??

 

The only sign of a recession I saw was the absence of some high street shops. Nobody I know has lost their job, houses seemed to be selling (not too many For Sale boards around) so good luck with that bit of it.

 

Now you're back on the mothership, I wish you all good luck. I hope it can be me in the not too distant future.

 

Blondie

[Guest spongy42]

can't comment on oz

but have lived in 3 countries of the 4 that makes the united kingdom north and south town city and rural , scotland aberdeen , and near lockerbie , wales snowdonia and anglesey , cardigan england blyth hartlepool ipswich swanage tiverton mitcham surrey workington and can add a long list ive visited too

have found very poor service bad attitude snobbery and rudeness cliques mess fly tipping apathy and people stuck in a rut going through the motions better the devil you know is a phrase that i hear often

have also found kindness beyond belief great service care great friends beautiful countryside passionate people who care about others

we moved south to ipswich and the people at my husband 's work said oh blah will arrange this that etc they never did an aussie came to work there so we invited her to join our family get togethers etc as she knew no one the others at her work did not once ask her to theirs

they said what a lovely girl etc but not once did they invite her out

but i am glad i helped her as her family and she have stated that anything they can help with the move to oz for us they will if they are scouting for cars for us places to live theyve sent links to things

ive always moved and adapted to where i live i miss certain aspects of everywhere ive been but have the memories too

now ive waffled

but think i saying

theres good and bad everywhere some find it easy to move and adapt others dont its hard to be accepted in certain areas in the uk your a stranger till you've lived there 30 ! we are all different and should rejoice in the differences that make us all special

ive lived in places in the uk where the nearest m&s was 100 miles away the only supermarket was kwiksave and the nearest macdonalds was 70 miles away people just got on with it they knew no different and it was a really special treat to go to asda and m&s and mcdonalds lol !!

[pablo]

Ah well,the aussies will just have to admit it,the brits are far too intelligent,sophisticated,and cultured for australia,NOT arrogant tho:no::rolleyes:

 

Thank christ all the "intelligentsia" are going home and leaving us tradies alone to knock up a few wooden shacks and dig some irrigation ditches,awww i have a "rye" smile at the very thought,thats a whisky smile btw:wink:

[Guest guest36762]

Ah well,the aussies will just have to admit it,the brits are far too intelligent,sophisticated,and cultured for australia,NOT arrogant tho:no::rolleyes:

 

Thank christ all the "intelligentsia" are going home and leaving us tradies alone to knock up a few wooden shacks and dig some irrigation ditches,awww i have a "rye" smile at the very thought,thats a whisky smile btw:wink:

 

The thing is pabs, I think you're a bit too mentally agile to fit in here. Please, believe me, esp in Adelaide ffs. I implore thee, reconsider Canada

[pablo]

The thing is pabs, I think you're a bit too mentally agile to fit in here. Please, believe me, esp in Adelaide ffs. I implore thee, reconsider Canada

 

 

:wink:Too old for canada now dom i think,besides me knuckles would be freezing dragging them thru that snow everyday:tongue:

[Guest guest36762]

:wink:Too old for canada now dom i think,besides me knuckles would be freezing dragging them thru that snow everyday:tongue:

 

Listen derek

don't give me that ****. Why too old for Canada?

[pablo]

Listen derek

don't give me that ****. Why too old for Canada?

 

T'was my first choice dom,allways wanted to go to B.C,but never thought they would need humble artisans like myself:wink:,never actually looked into to it tbh,just assumed,and we know what the great man said about ASS U ME eh?so my fault,nobody elses.

 

Only after investing a lot of time,money and stress hormone into the oz visa process did i see the advert "CANADA NEEDS BRICKLAYERS":rolleyes::biglaugh:.

Rang up Willis Brazelot( immi agents for canada)and they confirmed that it was true.

Typical me,should have checked first,only got my paperwork in for oz TWO! days before the 45 year cut off date tbh,so too old(i think),invested too much into oz and besides that i think jan prefers warmer climes(i dont!)

 

Btw ,soz chris,im going now,lmao,OFFTOPIC bigtime!

[Guest chris955]

Well I'm still enjoying it, another nice day today, warm and a bit sunny. Went for a drive to Cheltenham up the back roads through all the lovely villages. Some absolutely beautiful places that most people don't get to see because they stick to the main roads.

[bunbury61]

Are you sure you are in UK Chris and not just some parallel universe?:biglaugh: Sounds like my experience when I go home as well! Just steer clear of Bradford and you should be just fine! Are you planning on settling in the Bristol/Bath area?

 

Hope it all continues to go well for you all!

 

No Quoll ,not just Bradford, any major conurbation on the M1 - M6 corridor .......brum , wolverhampton, Coventry, Sheffield to name a few .......Most of the rest of the country is VERY liveable ......i drive it every day .

I see the **** first hand ......no rose tinted specs here

The thing is we have poverty here ........but nothing like the U.S and dare i say it Australia

[bunbury61]

Well I'm still enjoying it, another nice day today, warm and a bit sunny. Went for a drive to Cheltenham up the back roads through all the lovely villages. Some absolutely beautiful places that most people don't get to see because they stick to the main roads.

 

 

SPOT ON CHRIS .......Welcome home

[Guest KG1978]

No Quoll ,not just Bradford, any major conurbation on the M1 - M6 corridor .......brum , wolverhampton, Coventry, Sheffield to name a few .......Most of the rest of the country is VERY liveable ......i drive it every day .

I see the **** first hand ......no rose tinted specs here

The thing is we have poverty here ........but nothing like the U.S and dare i say it Australia

 

Well, why don't we examine that last claim?

Poverty is measured in different ways but some class 22% of the UK population as being 'low income'. That figure has been rising for the past five years, and is worse than it was in the early 80s. http://www.poverty.org.uk/01/index.shtml Other measures say it's not as bad, but still around 15%.

 

In 2009 14.3% of the US population lived below the poverty line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17poverty.html?src=mv

 

This article puts the australian figure at 9.9%.

Two million Australians below poverty line - National - theage.com.au

 

I accept these figures are a few years out of date and they may have changed since the GFC. But they won't have reversed.

 

Please, we're all entitled to opinions - based on fact. Not one-eyed parochialism.

[Guest valleylass]

any major conurbation on the M1 - M6 corridor ....... Sheffield

 

Sorry Bunbury I have to disagree, Sheffield is a fine city and the greenest city in England. It has the soul of a village and it may not look splendiferous from the M1 but it's a great place to live with the Peaks on the doorstep, a great theatre, galleries and thriving cultural life. A notable musical history (Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, Artic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, The Human League, Heaven 17.....) And genuinely affordable housing within the context of UK average house prices. The hospitals are awarded the highest rating possible and have maintained this despite the swinging cuts. The Children's Hospital is a centre of excellence for certain specialisms, plus there is constant 'new blood' coming to the city with the two universities with a significant stay on rate after graduation (the highest in the UK at one time, don't know if that is still the case).

Agreed that Murderhall is a blot on the landscape but that is on the Rotherham border :biggrin:

But it is horses for courses, I could not live in a rural region as beautiful as they are they just don't appeal, give me the vibrancy of a city any day!

[mrsindecision]

Sorry Bunbury I have to disagree, Sheffield is a fine city and the greenest city in England. It has the soul of a village and it may not look splendiferous from the M1 but it's a great place to live with the Peaks on the doorstep, a great theatre, galleries and thriving cultural life. A notable musical history (Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, Artic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, The Human League, Heaven 17.....) And genuinely affordable housing within the context of UK average house prices. The hospitals are awarded the highest rating possible and have maintained this despite the swinging cuts. The Children's Hospital is a centre of excellence for certain specialisms, plus there is constant 'new blood' coming to the city with the two universities with a significant stay on rate after graduation (the highest in the UK at one time, don't know if that is still the case).

Agreed that Murderhall is a blot on the landscape but that is on the Rotherham border :biggrin:

But it is horses for courses, I could not live in a rural region as beautiful as they are they just don't appeal, give me the vibrancy of a city any day!

 

great to hear hopefully my son will be doing his medical training there next year!

[Guest girlwizz99]

Sorry Bunbury I have to disagree, Sheffield is a fine city and the greenest city in England. It has the soul of a village and it may not look splendiferous from the M1 but it's a great place to live with the Peaks on the doorstep, a great theatre, galleries and thriving cultural life. A notable musical history (Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, Artic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers, The Human League, Heaven 17.....) And genuinely affordable housing within the context of UK average house prices. The hospitals are awarded the highest rating possible and have maintained this despite the swinging cuts. The Children's Hospital is a centre of excellence for certain specialisms, plus there is constant 'new blood' coming to the city with the two universities with a significant stay on rate after graduation (the highest in the UK at one time, don't know if that is still the case).

Agreed that Murderhall is a blot on the landscape but that is on the Rotherham border :biggrin:

But it is horses for courses, I could not live in a rural region as beautiful as they are they just don't appeal, give me the vibrancy of a city any day!

 

 

I did my PHD at the University in Sheffield and absolutely loved the place - the locals were excessively friendly... Crookesmoor is a lovely place to live - although Walkley up the hill is an eye opener . Weekend walks at Ladybower reservoir were delightful.

[Paul1Perth]

great to hear hopefully my son will be doing his medical training there next year!

 

Yes Sheffield can be a good and lively place to live. We used to go there on weekends and to see a lot of bands. As you say it is very easy to get to some beautiful countryside very quickly. The only problem is, if it's a nice day, a few hundred more people will have the same idea but that is just due to the number of people in the UK now.

Can't be compared to Aus though.

[Paul1Perth]

No Quoll ,not just Bradford, any major conurbation on the M1 - M6 corridor .......brum , wolverhampton, Coventry, Sheffield to name a few .......Most of the rest of the country is VERY liveable ......i drive it every day .

I see the **** first hand ......no rose tinted specs here

The thing is we have poverty here ........but nothing like the U.S and dare i say it Australia

 

You must be living in a fairly protected area of the UK to say there is more poverty in Australia. My wife used to be a health visitor in Moss Side years ago and when we moved here did the same type of work for a while. She was warned about going to certain places by her workmates but was pleasantly surprised when she started doing the job. The so called worst areas here were nowhere near as bad as Moss Side. I remember being in Salford too where nobody lived in the first four floors of a tower block there as the windows were all smashed. The unwritten rule was you lived higher than anyone could throw a stone. That's a few years ago but I can't see that things could have improved too much.

[Parley]

Whats with these weird english words like conurbation.

Never heard that word uttered in my life in Australia.

[Guest siamsusie]

Ah well,the aussies will just have to admit it,the brits are far too intelligent,sophisticated,and cultured for australia,NOT arrogant tho:no::rolleyes:

 

Thank christ all the "intelligentsia" are going home and leaving us tradies alone to knock up a few wooden shacks and dig some irrigation ditches,aww w i have a "rye" smile at the very thought,thats a whisky smile btw

 

I tell you what, some people must be on the "happy juice" writing such divel! (not referring to your post btw Pabs xx)

My darling man , dare I say it Pabs....:mad: a Tradie no less! worked rural! for 25 years, in the desert up the mines.Brought up his two lads single handedly sending them to a state school:confused:, saw them both through University, both qualified as a Doctor and a Chemical enginner, may I reiterate he is a Tradie! nope he didnt stop for a tinnie at 3.30pm, 12 hrs shifts prevailed but in many instances in cyclonic season anything upto 16 hrs on occasions.

I am exceptionally proud of my husband and his and his children's achievements, it doesnt matter what corner of the world we come from the opportunity is there if you want it to be!

 

Now time for a Voddie and Tonic me thinks!:hug: thank you Pabs love Susie x

[Guest chris955]

That isn't really poverty, what you are describing is vandalism. Have a look at many of the Aboriginal communities up North.

 

 

You must be living in a fairly protected area of the UK to say there is more poverty in Australia. My wife used to be a health visitor in Moss Side years ago and when we moved here did the same type of work for a while. She was warned about going to certain places by her workmates but was pleasantly surprised when she started doing the job. The so called worst areas here were nowhere near as bad as Moss Side. I remember being in Salford too where nobody lived in the first four floors of a tower block there as the windows were all smashed. The unwritten rule was you lived higher than anyone could throw a stone. That's a few years ago but I can't see that things could have improved too much.

[Guest siamsusie]

That isn't really poverty, what you are describing is vandalism. Have a look at many of the Aboriginal communities up North.

 

Pleased you are enjoying your trip back Chris, it's so important to find happiness and direction in this world, so just enjoy! Susie

[Peach]

I tell you what, some people must be on the "happy juice" writing such divel! (not referring to your post btw Pabs xx)

My darling man , dare I say it Pabs....:mad: a Tradie no less! worked rural! for 25 years, in the desert up the mines.Brought up his two lads single handedly sending them to a state school:confused:, saw them both through University, both qualified as a Doctor and a Chemical enginner, may I reiterate he is a Tradie! nope he didnt stop for a tinnie at 3.30pm, 12 hrs shifts prevailed but in many instances in cyclonic season anything upto 16 hrs on occasions.

I am exceptionally proud of my husband and his and his children's achievements, it doesnt matter what corner of the world we come from the opportunity is there if you want it to be!

 

Now time for a Voddie and Tonic me thinks!:hug: thank you Pabs love Susie x

 

Suze, I think you're shooting the wrong messenger. Pabs (saracastic) posts appear to be in response to those of Charlie666 on the first page of the thread.. :hug: