Returning to UK (Impartial???)

[Guest guest40944]

Most people here write about returning to UK from Australia and obviously do it after a lot of hard-headed thinking and soul-searching so as a family who has very recently returned to the UK in different circumstances I thought we would share our experiences in the hope they'd be more impartial (if that could ever be the case!!!!).

 

We returned to the UK after 2 years in Cyprus & 2 years in Kenya (with 2 extra daughters to show for it) nearly 4 weeks ago. It wasn't a choice, my final posting for Discharge had to be in the UK so we've ended up in lovely Uxbridge.

 

Our first impressions at Heathrow weren't great. With 3 daughters under 4 and a tonne of luggage we were just left to struggle. We'd have happily paid for help but even with unemployment so high there are no porters or anything. People saw us struggling but no-one even gave a second glance. In Cyprus or Kenya you'd be fighting off people trying to help.

 

When we got our hire car I was genuinly looking forward to driving in the UK after the madness of the Kenyan roads (I've seen way too many dead bodies after crashes for my own good) but all I got was a load of middle lane hoggers with no idea that you should return to the left after overtaking.

 

Uxbridge is not a bad part of London and the pubs are great. It really is good to get a nice meal in a "proper" pub and a good pint of decent beer as well.

 

However for a "nice" area it is completely infested with chavs. I joked to the wife that she should find a "Mums & Tots Group" to go to but she replied "I'd be kicked out for being over 16". The behaviour of kids here is shocking as well. They really are self-important little ****s who need a good clip round the ear and a large dose of discipline.

 

Meeting with our friends has been brilliant. Everyone is really worried about their jobs though and money is really tight for everyone I know. Conversely the UK looks ridiculously rich to me. Everyone's driving good cars on very new plates and there certainly looks to be a lot of cash flowing around. It doesn't LOOK like a country going through a severe recession.

 

We went on holiday to Dawlish, Devon to show the girls a bit of the UK and it was stunning. The UK is full of amazingly beautiful places and scenery and it was a great holiday. It really is underappreciated how lovely a lot of the UK is.

 

On getting back to "real life" though I found what most irritated me about UK. The "computer says no" culture. Try and do anything in the UK and if you don't fit into the "normal template" you can't get anything done. Want car insurance - we can only insure you if you've been driving in Britain for 2 years: want to register with a doctor - we'll ring you back if we accept your application to apply to register (have these people never heard of the Military Covenant) so you'll have to drive your ill 2 year old 10 miles to an NHS Walk in Centre (which, in all fairness, was pretty damn good); want a minor repair to your car - that will be 5 days and £200 (why??? In even the tiniest Kenyan village a Jua Kali would have that done in a few hours). Everything in Britain just seems to be too much effort for the person providing the service.

 

Supermarkets have a hell of a lot in them and tons of choice. If you shop wisely and take advantage of all the offers they are also fairly cheap. The one thing I've noticed though is that the supermarket meat is of horrendous quality - and finding a butcher (except of the halal variety) is nigh on impossible.

 

Other than supermarkets we've found everything else pretty expensive (though in fairness we're probably remembering prices from 4 years ago.)

 

The upside is that there are plenty of parks to take the girls to and the amount of green space in towns in the UK is very attractive.

 

On my resettlement course everybody, except the one token Aussie, wanted to emigrate and the same is true of almost everyone I worked with (Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Cyprus being the most popular). That must tell you something.

 

We're of to Australia on 22 November and I realise that we'll find all types of frustrations there as well - maybe even more. No false illusions here.

 

There probably is no one ideal place to live - I just wish more people in the UK would pull their finger out and actually provide the service that they're paid to do.

[Guest guest40944]

Just wanted to add that this happens in every country you move to; so is aimed as much at people going to Australia as those returning to UK.

 

Getting set up is really hard and frustrating in any country in the world.

 

Nowhere is perfect but you can put up with a lot if you feel good about a place. For example as a family we'd love to live in Nanyuki, Kenya but we know that we could never afford the school fees for the girls on the wage that I'd earn as a civvie out there. So that's a show-stopper. But we'd have happily put up with all the other frustrations that living in a Developing Country brings.

 

You just need to know what frustrations your family is prepared to put up with.

[Guest chris955]

Some very interesting observations and quite different to my own after being here less than a week. The driving here has been a revelation, people actually seem to know what they are doing and know what lanes are but of course my comparison is with Australia not Kenya or Cyprus. Again with the food prices I can only compare to Australia and here most things are cheap or very cheap in comparison. I haven't come up against the insurance issue, as long as you can supply proof of no claims it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Our friends here don't seem overly worried about their jobs or money, we are in a low unemployment area though.

I'm not sure you would find porters at airports in any western country, good idea though.

I have the feeling you will be very frustrated in Australia judging by your post.

We don't have any friends here interested in immigrating.

I do find these things interesting to be honest, as I have said before maybe it is regional ?

[Peach]

There is no right or wrong. Those that feel in their guts that they want to migrate will look for evidence in their surroundings and destination to support that choice and justify the decision. The same goes for those that have want to or have moved back to the UK. The opinions are polar opposite and never the twain shall meet.

 

Chris955.. Heathrow has porters (SkyCaps) but as the OP pointed out he didn't want to go the cost. Respectfully I'd suggest that many of your friends haven't travelled much further than the M4 corridor. The OP has been stationed around the world it stands to reason that he moves in a mobile social group.

[Guest chris955]

As I said it is interesting and at the same time strange to think that 2 different people can see things so differently. I'm not sure how you come to the conclusion that my friends haven't travelled, it couldn't in fact be further from the truth and I'm at a loss to understand how you can jump to such a silly conclusion.

[Peach]

You right I can't back up the fact that your friends haven't travelled. Apologies for that. )

 

BTW this isn't meant to sound sarcastic. I don't have any evidence to support my assertion. Again apologies.

[starlight7]

Gareth I could relate to everything you said. I guess that is why I would never contemplate living in the UK again. Not many people are brave enough to say those things though- good on ya for your honesty. I think you will find Australia a breath of fresh air after tired old Britain. Nothing is perfect and we have our problems but you can sense the difference in attitude very very quickly.

[Salma]

it seems that anyone who is well off and has not been effected by the downturn cannot see how it is impacting people who live from month to month.

 

the figures of unemployment/social problems are not just imagined but are real and no one is denying that similar issues do not happen in other countries but to say the problems in the UK are exagerated is unjust.

[Guest chris955]

My friends aren't well off, just normal working people who are happy with their lives.

To be honest it has never been any different, I have been through a couple of recessions both in the UK and in Australia and they didn't impact on me specifically.

 

 

it seems that anyone who is well off and has not been effected by the downturn cannot see how it is impacting people who live from month to month.

 

 

[Salma]

My friends aren't well off, just normal working people who are happy with their lives.

To be honest it has never been any different, I have been through a couple of recessions both in the UK and in Australia and they didn't impact on me specifically.

 

so because you and your circle are not impacted it is not an issue for you fair play but keep on saying that all of us in the UK doom mongers talking about lack of jobs etc is unjust come to communter towns for london where people bought houses at the height of the house prices and are now sitting on properties which are worthless then the mortgages owed on them or people who have lost jobs try telling them everything is rosy Chris because you and your friends are ok.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

As a previous poster said those wanting to go to Australia will see the good side of everything and those coming back or wanting to come back will see the good side of the uk. Pubs to me are horrible, others think they are great, everyone is different, it doesn't mean pubs are horrible its just my opinion.

 

The uk has alot to offer and is a great place to live, but the truth is it has gone through a very long recession and it is still struggling at the present and at currently job prospects are better in Australia, its a fact, its not a cause for arguments, its just how it is at present.

[Susanssy]

As a previous poster said those wanting to go to Australia will see the good side of everything and those coming back or wanting to come back will see the good side of the uk. Pubs to me are horrible, others think they are great, everyone is different, it doesn't mean pubs are horrible its just my opinion.

 

The uk has alot to offer and is a great place to live, but the truth is it has gone through a very long recession and it is still struggling at the present and at currently job prospects are better in Australia, its a fact, its not a cause for arguments, its just how it is at present.

 

This too is dependent on which region of Australia you are living in and the type of employment you are looking for. The Gold Coast had very little employment in my husband's line of work and yet since moving back to Surrey he has been inundated.

 

Just one person's experience but it contributes to the way that we view the two places, and thus form our opinions of them.

[mrsindecision]

Some very interesting observations and quite different to my own after being here less than a week. The driving here has been a revelation, people actually seem to know what they are doing and know what lanes are but of course my comparison is with Australia not Kenya or Cyprus. Again with the food prices I can only compare to Australia and here most things are cheap or very cheap in comparison. I haven't come up against the insurance issue, as long as you can supply proof of no claims it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Our friends here don't seem overly worried about their jobs or money, we are in a low unemployment area though.

I'm not sure you would find porters at airports in any western country, good idea though.

I have the feeling you will be very frustrated in Australia judging by your post.

We don't have any friends here interested in immigrating.

I do find these things interesting to be honest, as I have said before maybe it is regional ?

 

I have to agree with you Chris955 I was expecting crap service, crap food, chavs, and crap supermarkets but have been pleasantly surprised by my experiences 98% of all my interactions have been lovely - genuinely friendly and helpful - have seen hardly any chavs (which really surprised me). However really hate the gum on the streets and the appalling habit of spitting - we must do something about that!!! However shops are gorgeous, choice amazing and fashion - well..... fashionable. Good luck in Oz hope you enjoy - with young kids I reckon it will be fine for a while - enjoy.