Is it time to escape Britain? [Archive] - SV650.org

rob13

04-04-08, 06:43 PM

I have spoken to quite a lot of people over the last 6 months or so who really seem to be seriously thinking about leaving this country to set up elsewhere. It seems odd that I have only really experienced this in this short period of time, and Im sure people have their reasons for leaving, most popular being amount of tax/chavs and our increasing financial burdens. Most are seeking a better way of life in warmer climes. New Zealand has been the place of choice for most of those who I have talked to and some have been given "golden tickets" to move there.

I have considered this on a few occasions, however dont think I could take myself away from my parents at this time, neither could my Fiance take herself away from her family. I would probably be swayed but she is pretty adamant that she's staying.

The problem is that I really love this country for the finer things that it has, wonderful countryside, a lot of good hardworking genuine people and I love the British sense of humour, however cant help feeling fed up when looking at what im faced with every day at work, looking at my pay packet & deductions (and even more taxation on products) and then walking around town which is like dawn of the dead.

Is Britain bust as a nation? Are we trying to keep a sinking ship afloat?

ukrobuk

04-04-08, 06:57 PM

Soon there wont be any Brits left here. I'll be off when i'm older hopfully. Just have to try and save while trying to pay to live aswell.

600+

04-04-08, 07:00 PM

You wanna hear the point of view from someone that moved to the UK for better?? Well u don't get a choice now that I started typing :)

I come from Corfu, Greece and there is a considerable amount of Brits that relocate there. To me it seems stupid as the package that most get is as follows.

Move to Greece:
Less money
Same tax
Everything works with who you know and no processes at all

Stay in the UK:
A lot more money
Same tax
Almost Everything works according to rules that are hard to avoid (I consider this a good thing)

AND you can decide to spend your hard earned being pampered at any warm sunny place you want during summer or winter.

I think people moan a lot here in the UK, about the weather, the money, the tax etc etc.

To put things into perspective for you all though....Corfu has the same rainfall as Manchester! It rains a lot more heavily in a shorter period of time (for you that challenge this). If you move abroad you can be a plumber, or own a B&B or a cafe like sooo many other people.

Why don't you just choose to "invest" your money in a good holiday abroad? At least here you get to make money to go on holiday :)

Price of petrol in Greece is a bit cheaper than here but the basic salary there is 570euros a month and you need at least 250euros to rent a cave to live in!!

Shellywoozle

04-04-08, 07:18 PM

rob13

04-04-08, 08:02 PM

Shellywoozle

04-04-08, 08:08 PM

Shelly, |I know a lad who is moving to Oz in the job in May. I must say that Im pretty envious, however I have never been to Oz so dont know what it would be like. Im sure they have their punters just like we have ours.

I think the country needs a good kcik up the **** to be honest, and a change in government.

My bessie mate is out there now looking into it, I was meant to go with her but due to financial issues I couldn't afford it just yet.

I have a mate online who is in the job out there and he is making me really want to work over there. I am sure their customers are just the same as ours but I would rather be arresting sun tanned surfers .... I'd find an offence that fits :smt045

wyrdness

04-04-08, 08:24 PM

04-04-08, 09:06 PM

I'd love to live in NZ, but Mrs Wyrdness doesn't want to. I probably should have seriously looked into it a few years ago when I was single. We'll probably just move out of London to somewhere in the countryside, preferably near a good country pub and some excellent roads!

You'd love Shropshire:D

I would head west, to the US, a country I admire, respect and like hugely - but I don't know which part - would have to be warm as I find English winters increasingly miserable. And yes I can't stand that Scot in London, to smile would crack his face, nor any of his homies. It won't happen though cos Mrs Ed doesn't want to go, at least while her mum is still alive, cos there simply isn't anyone else in her family - only child see, with useless tosser ars*hole cousins who last time we 'met' them all crossed the street to avoid us.

muffles

04-04-08, 10:37 PM

MiniMatt

04-04-08, 10:49 PM

One piece of advice passed on from countless PH threads on this subject: Move to somewhere, don't move away from somewhere. If you're moving because you want to live in the other country, fine, but if you're moving because you don't like where you are, then they aren't the right reasons to move.

+1. Actually +2.

I hired a kiwi guy ages back who came over here to increase his disposable income. He did.

I've friends and relatives in the states so stay with them rather than in the tourist spots - as such you get a better feel for the real america rather than the disney version. Whilst staying in Chicago my uncle taught me Spanish for "please don't shoot me, here's my wallet" and made me repeat it before letting me out on my own (I was only 16).

Tim in Belgium

04-04-08, 11:04 PM

Belgium had very few Chavs, and people were fun on a night out with little agressiveness, however if you think we have rules bureaucracy and tax you should try Belgium.

But if you become unemployed your first year's benefit is 80% of your last years salary :shock:

I'll move about for a while until I fall in love, get a job next to a race track or both.

PS Any posh race bike ladies looking for a spanner monkey let me know ;)

MiniMatt

04-04-08, 11:10 PM

Don't forget the Stella factory Tim.

Tim in Belgium

04-04-08, 11:17 PM

Yeah, I used to live in Leuven home of Stella, and drink that weakest of Belgian Beers known as Stella (the equivalent to Mild over here ;) the good beers were 7-13% abv).

I used to run by the brewery on my marathon training runs, but stopped off once on a ride for a shot with the SV:

http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/15727/2095743570084392296S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2095743570084392296TRxzGC)

MiniMatt

04-04-08, 11:27 PM

Meep! Not worthy! :notworthy:

kitkat

05-04-08, 07:22 AM

I dont mind this country really. I dont earn a lot so tax is never really an issue. Petrol has gone up, everything has. I can afford to do what I want on the whole. Of course I would like more disposable income but I would spend it on rubbish. I would have liked to move abroad to give my kids a better standard of living but its too late now. If they want to go and live abroad they can do when they are a few years older. I have relatives in Australia, Canada, South Africa and Texas. But kids seem fairly happy in this country.

mister c

05-04-08, 08:14 AM

When I got divorced about 4 years ago it was crossing my mind to leave the country because I had nothing to hold me here, so it was a case of new beginnings etc. But when the ex wife left me, the kids stayed with me which gave me something to stop here for.
It is still just me & the "Kids" & I know I get fed up, but on the whole I have nearly everything I want, not a lot of money, but I'm fairly happy.
Ok this country's struggling at the moment, but that's only down to the way it is run. It will get better over time just like it has in the past and I must admit, even when the weather is garbage - like today, Britain is still a cool place to live & I dont think I would want to live anywhere else now :)

http://www.georgedingwall.co.uk/images/Union-Jack.gif

Rider

05-04-08, 12:42 PM

I must be the only one here who loves living in the UK. I live near Heathrow, have a safe if stressful job, great friends and colleagues, lovely boyfriend, own home and a couple of cool bikes. It's not a boast, but this is the path I've chosen and worked for and I'm happy with my lot.

Naturally, there are a few things I hate about London & the UK - public transport, the general public and over population which means I ride bikes, have no contact with the general public in my choice of job and don't go into town or crowded places on a weekend. However, taxes are not one of my bug bears as I find them pretty reasonable compared to the rest of Europe.

I had a stint of living in France and Italy when I was younger and NO THANK YOU!

I'm definitely here to stay!

Steve W

05-04-08, 01:44 PM

I think there are good and bad places to live in Britain.

I was brought up in London but it would now take me a great deal to make me live south of Sheffield. There's more space up here (both on and off the roads!) and compared with thirty years ago it's no longer a cultural desert.

I planj to move to the west coast of Scotland when I retire - mainlky for the stunning scenery but also a country where I cna afford to grow old...

grh1904

05-04-08, 03:11 PM

Rob, I've often thought about it, and like you I'me becoming more and more depressed with the state we've become.

However, I do also believe that it's the job we do that can make us think that way. A colleague at works brother transfered to the Police out in oz, and he loves it.

To put it into perspective for those that don't do what we do, imagine working a shift where you are due to finish at 4 or 5pm, but you end up dealing with a persistant offender, where upon arrests you as the OIC are required to give the detained person the PREMIUM service.

WTF :confused: I want premium service when I'm a paying guest at a hotel.

Any way you bust a gut, until about 2am when you charge the light blighter and then finish at about 5 am after doing the file to go to court with him in the morning, only to find that the court won't even listen to the basic facts because there are now 2 dozen waiting to be seen to that day so everyone gets bailed to come back in 2 weeks or so.

Then the little darling gets 12hours on a community reparation order.

That's one of the reasons why I really feel that this country is going to the dogs, and if something isn't done to stop it then I too will be off.

p.s. - Rob, I'll let you know where I go and if it's any good.

metalmonkey

05-04-08, 03:22 PM

I spent quite a lot of time in the US a few years back, though about moving out there I applied for a few jobs but didn't get them!

Would move there now, or somewhere else? Nope I'm quite happy here having spent a few years travelling about, I'll stay where I am.

Though having lived in London now for year 1/2 almost, I want to move back out to the home counties London isn't a permant home for me. Its too crowded and not a great place for me and my bike!

Though looking at my pay cheque, I do think why do I pay so much tax?

I guess it depends on why you want to move away from the UK....I would later in life wouldn't mind doing some work over seas with the job I do now, that would be fun.

dizzyblonde

05-04-08, 03:47 PM

my theory of Im Indoors plans to move to OZ or NZ........
I dont particularly fancy it...if he finishes uni with super duper mark I may consider it.
All grass is brown on the other unless I am totally convinced, too complicated for us a couple on the off, not married, don't live together in 4 years, my son not his etc.....
So, he can commit to buying a house here together first(obviously) I already own mine and we need bigger accomodation, then when hes done that, if he wants he can go test drive the country of his choice( while I'm still at home in the UK)
When he finds out it rubbish( which I think he will) as his reasons for moving there are rose tinted and maybe not the reasons for going there.........he can come back home with his tail between his legs for me to say i told you so.
If it is good, then he can find some way of affording to ship out nine bikes in a container, 2 dogs, 2 cats.....because I ain't selling any of mine and I aren't palming off my beloved pets just to go away.

You see after all the planning...its toooo expensive to do all that, and you may as well stay here, or.........move to rural France, in a tent, in the garden of your best mate...hehehe cheaper, nicer, and my prefered option
You may feel that my views on this subject are awful( and feel sorry for Im Indoors), but I don't go nowehere unless I'm completey convinced and so far(even with friends in NZ) I have not been convinced to move anywhere other than somewhere else in the UK

Tomis

05-04-08, 05:03 PM

Quote:
Is Britain bust as a nation? Are we trying to keep a sinking ship afloat?

Yep it is !

My problem is that at my age I know what this country was like fifty years ago
and believe me it was a great place to live in and to be on the road on a motorbike.

sv-robo

05-04-08, 05:45 PM

Shelly, |I know a lad who is moving to Oz in the job in May. I must say that Im pretty envious, however I have never been to Oz so dont know what it would be like. Im sure they have their punters just like we have ours.

I think the country needs a good kcik up the **** to be honest, and a change in government.
+1
We are thinking of moving to oz in the next 2/3yrs,just really starting to get fed up of this country they'll let any fu**er in.How can they call it england anymore? plus the weather sucks.

That is all:mad:

kitkat

05-04-08, 05:47 PM

I planj to move to the west coast of Scotland when I retire - mainlky for the stunning scenery but also a country where I cna afford to grow old...

well i have a lovely 2 bedroom flat on the banks of loch lomond for sale - can you take early retirement ie next week? :rolleyes:

Gordon B

06-04-08, 11:33 PM

Shelly mate,

See here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/25/canada)

Flamin_Squirrel

07-04-08, 06:42 AM

+1
We are thinking of moving to oz in the next 2/3yrs,just really starting to get fed up of this country they'll let any fu**er in.How can they call it england anymore? plus the weather sucks.

That is all:mad:

Oh no, they won't let just anyone in at all. There's a careful selection process.

If say, you're a drug dealing scumbag from Africa, then you're welcome. If you're a well educated white westerner who wants to work here, but you're from outside the EU like my American girlfriend, then you're not.:smt013

redbouy

07-04-08, 09:50 AM

I did move, and that was from NZ. I would never go back. my family, Parents> aussie sister>aussie, big sister>aussie because she can not afford to live in NZ and support her kids there. Brother >UK. Me> France.

I like the US but only the north has soul.
Aussie is ok. warm but no history.
Uk not warm but has history, and its close to fly when you want a weekend away. Try fly out of NZ. 30 hours to the UK. 16 to the US.
Nope for me, Im happy with this side of the world.

SoulKiss

07-04-08, 09:53 AM

I do think why do I pay so much tax?

Well someone has to pay your wages :P

Camel

07-04-08, 02:00 PM

Short answer.....YES!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article983713.ece

I suppose you'll get this wherever you go though. :(

Tomcat

07-04-08, 02:08 PM

I feel very dishearted with this country at the mo. There is no room for free spirit or sense of adventure. Every where you go people seem to like to tell you you are doing something wrong, be that in the country or in the town.

The rules and reg's in this country have become petty and have reached the point where people dont want to use common sense anymore, but just want to shout out 'YOU CANT DO THAT' ... this then provokes a need in me to rebel, or get angry!

Oh, and the weather really gets me down!

johnnyrod

07-04-08, 03:22 PM

It's a tricky one alright, I'm thinking about the same things and it's been very interesting reading. I like things about Britain like its multi-cultural-ness which all the jingoists complain about over their curry and imported beer, it is the home of mild winters, decent ale, irony, Mornington Crescent, and all that sort of crazy caper. On the other hand it seems sometimes to be full of chavs, drugs, bigots, scroungers and general a'holes and they seem to be breeding quicker than anyone else. Government - no one will ever be happy, might as well take that out of the equation, and it doesn't make or break a place anyway (broadly), in terms of whether you want to live there or not. But I am thinking, as someone said about retiring to Scotland, why are you waiting?

Also I have dual nationality with Canada so it could be easy...

gettin2dizzy

07-04-08, 03:38 PM

On the other hand it seems sometimes to be full of chavs, drugs, bigots, scroungers and general a'holes and they seem to be breeding quicker than anyone else.
The UK used to be REALLY bad for drugs...

...you can get them pretty much anywhere now though ;)

Mornington Crescent

With you on this one my friend. One thing I love about the UK is the wit of the people.
Additionally though, the thing I detest about the UK. .... is some of the people

Flamin_Squirrel

07-04-08, 03:41 PM

Government - no one will ever be happy, might as well take that out of the equation, and it doesn't make or break a place anyway (broadly), in terms of whether you want to live there or not.

Totally agree. Government maybe staffed with incompetant self serving idiots, but we've had several chances to kick them out and we've done nothing.

We've made our bed...

rob13

07-04-08, 04:00 PM

Being 26, I feel that Ive got the chance ahead of me if I want to do something else. Maybe Im a bit P***** off with my job at the moment and any change seems a welcome break but at the moment, I keep seeing all of the bad stuff and none of the good!

Maybe I need another holiday.

How much is that flat in Loch Lomond going for Kitkat? :D

AlanSv

07-04-08, 07:15 PM

So its been 6 months since I moved from Sunny Surrey to Columbus in OHIO, US

And you know what, I don't think I'll be coming back if I don't have to. Sure all countries have nutters and problems, but I'm loving it out here.

Ohio has similar weather as the UK except it has colder winters (we had 22inches of snow one night!). Financially I seem to be a lot better off, even though I took a pay cut to move to the US. Theres less tax, and more tax deductables. Prices of most things are cheaper, houses and cars are bigger, but house prices, and Petrol are cheaper.

Theres a lot of nice people in Ohio, its not overly religious, or built up, I can drive the 20miles to work in 30mins no problem. Sure they have their share of wackos, and lots of my collegues have guns, but personal freedom and the friendlyness of the people, is refreshing after living in london.

gettin2dizzy

07-04-08, 07:55 PM

but personal freedom and the friendlyness of the people, is refreshing after living in london.

I find it amazing you think of America as free

....but on second thoughts, compared to the UK....

I never thought I'd see the day :scratch:

Gene genie

07-04-08, 08:15 PM

couldn't live in another country, blighty for me. my dad fought in 1944 as a young foot soldier, my grandad fought for his country and his dad probably did. is it right for me just to upsticks and give in without a fight, my dad would turn in his little wooden box. i've been to lots of other countries (all have their problems) and always glad to come home, but not necessarily back to work.
one country that did appeal to me though was finland, very fresh in every way.

bad-sv650

07-04-08, 10:02 PM

I'd love to live somewhere like ozzie/n.z but family and a big mortgage keeps me here.

just some things i hate about living in england, is that it's lost it's britishness, :mad:

What happened to the days you'd walk down the road and could say 'hi' to someone, and you would most likely know them, and have a day out with the family, and not have to worry about if you had enough money to put it the tank!

And to top it off, having a job where you felt secure, and not worried that some desperate polish bloke would do the some job for ?2 an hour less, then bugger off back home. which will one day make us all out of a job.

There is alot of bad feelings going around lately about this country, and we all feels the same way about things, but nothing ever gets done about it, cos we're all to scared that we might affend some one,

trickywoos

07-04-08, 10:23 PM

Well my folks moved to the sunnier climes of the south of France, and I'm not far behind them to tell you the truth.

I worked a couple of seasons in the Alps, and I'm still not sure why I haven't gone back - sensible head telling me I need to earn money rather than spend it I guess!!!

But I feel completely at home in the south of France- yes my family home is there, but also everything about the place- the weather, the people, the fresh air!! I love it there, and can't wait til I move there....maybe in a few years.....

Demonz

07-04-08, 11:12 PM

Reading about some of the comments from the Police guys - If I was in that job and had the choice I would move to Aus in an instant - just for the warm barmy nightshifts. I did a lot of those in Aus.

The only real thing keeping me in the UK is my wifes family. Otherwise i am about ready to sell up and go back... fed up with the congestion and really missing that sense of space and freedom.

Steelman

07-04-08, 11:39 PM

I dont think we are bust I tink we all have the "grass is greener" syndrome.

I was and still am thinking of joining the Police in Western Australia, the application form is all filled, I never sent it off due to me fella (ex) but now he is out of the equation I am very tempted, wish I had not considered him now.

My life here seems to have gone from bad to worse and I need a new start, when I am back to work full time I may consider a career break to spend some time over there, see if its for me.

Unless I find my dream man over here I don't see me being in this country in 10 years time.

I would not be leaving the UK becuase of the UK, I just want some new lifes experiences and a new start .... good way to start, always a door back in the UK if I stay in the job... what a transfer LOL

Hi Shelly

Lived in Perth (for a year) a number of years ago, and only came back as I was under contract to do so (seconded from a London Teaching Hospital). Fantastic life, great people, beautiful beaches - the sun sets on that side, so its all off down to the beach for a barbie with sundowners! Perth is great if you're into watersports :rolleyes: as the Swan river is really wide and great for windsurfing/sailing.

Have a lot of friends in WA and on the East coast and go over as often as possible. Sydney is amazing but too expensive but really fond of Brisbane and hope to end up there.

Enjoy!

Tim