Any English people?
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Oh and I agree 100% with Goktor. I am a huge fan of the NHS. And the weather's pretty good down on the South Coast where I live.0
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Why would you want to live in England? The weather is ****, the food is bland and the people are mostly racists and homophobic and theres a class system and the divide between the groups is only getting bigger. It's not very nice.
But on the other hand, there are no monsoons or true droughts; there is a great national health service; the government isn't massively corrupt; most of the police can be relied upon to do their job; the justice system, although not perfect, is a lot better than in the majority of the rest of the world; statistically, you are unlikely to be raped or murdered (or both), stolen from, beaten up etc; there is very little poverty here (although there *are* homeless people and folk living on the breadline); the postal system works (generally!); the church doesn't try to interfere too much; this is a great climate for growing food; there is a shedload of history; there's loads of great theatre; this is a wonderful multicultural melting pot of diverse cultures (and despite what the media would have you believe, racism *is* on the decline). And there is very little dangerous wildlife (unless you count the chavs)!
Go to Bangladesh and see how people live there - Britain is a paradise by comparison. When amato mio went out there a couple of years ago, he was moved to tears. The class divide is astounding - makes Britain seem devoid of it. In fact, I'm not really aware of a true class divide here - I think it's a bit of a myth, really!
However, it's true that there are pockets of many of the things that Needleknievel mentioned above but I think you'd get that anywhere. I have to agree about the food though! In general, British food sucks! Fortunately, thanks to the aforementioned cultural diversity, it's pretty easy to find good and interesting food.
Despite missing Italy every day of my life, the UK really is not a bad place to live...I do wish it were warmer though!
Oh, and my MIL lives in a cottage in the country (and she *does* speak like the Queen!)! We used to have a cottage too, until we decided to move to a town and bought a converted Victorian shoe factory in 2006! :happy:
Well said "TheGoktor" ,I live in Gateshead ,would love to live in a cottage by the sea would be nice ,if the lotto comes up I am away :happy:0 -
Hi there, I live in a beautiful village in Devon in England, I don't actually live in a Cottage but there are plenty in the village, we have a church, small local village shop and a pub, The nearest town is 7 miles away and we love it. I love the UK and don't mind the stereotyping, bloody hell, cup of tea, tally ho and all that :laugh:
I love meeting american people and hearing their accents and as a child I always wanted to live in America (I haven't even been on holiday there).0 -
Goktor I disagree strongly with the majority of your points, I am shocked you see the NHS, postal service, police, crime rates and the government in such a good light. As for the class system, once you're at the bottom of it looking up you soon realise how big the divide is - granted its not as bad as other countries but a little bit of a bad thing does not make it right or acceptable.
I don't need to go to Bangladesh to see it there, that's like saying if I had a broken arm go and visit somebody with terminal cancer and see how good I've got it. I don't need to see somebody worse off than me to realise I've still been dealt crap cards.
I am sorry you feel you've been dealt a rubbish hand but honestly, if you saw a bit more of the world, even your own country, you might revise your opinion. In the UK, we are incredibly fortunate. Just because *you* have a less than equitable life, it doesn't mean it is the same for everyone. If it's so bad, why don't you change it? I have to tell you, that *I* was dealt a dreadful hand but I changed my life because I wasn't prepared to let other people beat me into submission (both physically and mentally). Living in the UK meant that not only did I survive my childhood (no mean feat) but I was able to get a decent education, which in turn enabled me to eventually have a good life.
So thank you NHS for fixing all my broken bones, and thank you UK system for taking me away from a mother who tried to kill me, and for keeping me safe. Thank you also for educating my children, for making the streets where I live safe and clean, and thank you for helping even the poorest people in the country have access to healthcare, food and education.
(And yes I do know what I am talking about because I worked for SHELTER for several years, and continue to do voluntary work with the homeless.)
Your cancer analogy was fatuous to say the least.0 -
I find English/British people so lovely and charming. I adore the accents, and the cottages and the land. Does anyone else adore citizens from across the pond?
Totally not related to fitness. Sorry lol
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.0 -
I know the UK may have its problems and I am right at the bottom of the class system but like to look at what I have got and not what i haven't like my beautiful kids my health a roof over my head ect. A lot of people in the world don't have any of those things.
As for the NHS i would probably be dead in any other country as I had a rare blood condition when I was younger where my white blood cells killed my red ones. I got all my treatment for free and can honestly say they saved my life so I will never say that its a bad thing. I know they have their faults but I sometimes think we take for granted that when we are ill we just go to the drs without a second thought0 -
I know the UK may have its problems and I am right at the bottom of the class system but like to look at what I have got and not what i haven't like my beautiful kids my health a roof over my head ect. A lot of people in the world don't have any of those things.
As for the NHS i would probably be dead in any other country as I had a rare blood condition when I was younger where my white blood cells killed my red ones. I got all my treatment for free and can honestly say they saved my life so I will never say that its a bad thing. I know they have their faults but I sometimes think we take for granted that when we are ill we just go to the drs without a second thought
Very, very well said! :flowerforyou:0 -
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
And of course, the UK has Shakespeare too! :bigsmile:0 -
I find English/British people so lovely and charming. I adore the accents, and the cottages and the land. Does anyone else adore citizens from across the pond?
Totally not related to fitness. Sorry lol
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
The world has Shakespeare, and his many under-rated contemporaries too. *Sigh of contentment.
* I'm Irish btw, and I just thought I'd pip up and say 'home is where the heart is'. Ppl need to reeeelaaxxx!!! lol 0 -
I'm a Canadian living on the Isle of Wight just off the south coast of England. I live in a modern townhouse in a village. There is a castle within walking distance of my home. The weather is mostly very good, and I can ride my motorcycle year round. The food is excellent, not bland at all, and the beer is superb. Most of the people I've met since moving here are wonderful. The area has problems with unemployment, but that can be said about a lot of places at the moment. I like where I live. It is physically very pretty, and if you like cycling, hiking, or other outdoor pursuits it's a great place to be. I have zero complaints about the NHS or our local hospital, and my doctor is a great guy. He happens to be German. I'm the one with an accent here, and I'm told it's 'charming' or 'sexy'. I'm occasionally mistaken for an American, but that's ok.0
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I'm a North Londoner its like most other places in the world it has its built up areas and then on the outskirts of towns its such a beautiful place when the sun's out, you can't beat those country views especially when we get the odd sunny day!!
Then inner Londoner is great on a sunny day and you generally get a happy atmosphere...0 -
The world has Shakespeare, and his many under-rated contemporaries too. *Sigh of contentment. * I'm Irish btw
Ireland gave the world James Joyce. I still, to this day, have no freakin' idea what "Finnegan's Wake" is about. Not a damn clue.
There's another thing we excel at as shown by this thread. Being ridiculously morose. Being grumpy is admittedly one of my favourite pastimes. It must be the stupid weather. We lead the world in navel gazing. Who else could come up with bands like The Cure or The Smiths? Nobody else would have them. Hurrah!
"A grief ago,
She who was who I hold, the fats and the flower,
Or, water-lammed, from the scythe-sided thorn,
Hell wind and sea,
A stem cementing, wrestled up the tower,
Rose maid and male,
Or, master venus, through the paddler's bowl
Sailed up the sun;
Who is my grief,
A chrysalis unwrinkling on the iron,
Wrenched by my fingerman, the leaden bud
Shot through the leaf,
Was who was folded on the rod the aaron
Road east to plague,
The horn and ball of water on the frog
Housed in the side...."
and so on.0 -
The world has Shakespeare, and his many under-rated contemporaries too. *Sigh of contentment. * I'm Irish btw
Ireland gave the world James Joyce. I still, to this day, have no freakin' idea what "Finnegan's Wake" is about. Not a damn clue.
There's another thing we excel at as shown by this thread. Being ridiculously morose. Being grumpy is admittedly one of my favourite pastimes. It must be the stupid weather. We lead the world in navel gazing. Who else could come up with bands like The Cure or The Smiths? Nobody else would have them. Hurrah!
"A grief ago,
She who was who I hold, the fats and the flower,
Or, water-lammed, from the scythe-sided thorn,
Hell wind and sea,
A stem cementing, wrestled up the tower,
Rose maid and male,
Or, master venus, through the paddler's bowl
Sailed up the sun;
Who is my grief,
A chrysalis unwrinkling on the iron,
Wrenched by my fingerman, the leaden bud
Shot through the leaf,
Was who was folded on the rod the aaron
Road east to plague,
The horn and ball of water on the frog
Housed in the side...."
and so on.
LOL - All tis true! And at least you made it through 'Finnegan's Wake'! I see you made to sunny Wales to seek refuge instead. 
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LOL - All tis true! And at least you made it through 'Finnegan's Wake'! I see you made to sunny Wales to seek refuge instead.
Yeah, I did struggle through "Finnegan's Wake". I'm not entirely sure I finished it though. It could have just been a psychedelic dream sequence shot in high definition & widescreen which I imagined...
The singing in the Valleys was calling out to me. How could I resist? I guess that's another thing the UK has - great choirs!0 -
The singing in the Valleys was calling out to me. How could I resist? I guess that's another thing the UK has - great choirs!
And Doctor Who! (Sorry, Wales makes me immediately think of The Doctor!)and the beer is superb
Agreed! British beer (as in real ale) is wonderful - so much better than lager! Cider is yum, and of course, Guinness (I know, I know, it's Irish but hey, we've had James Joyce....!).
And while we're at it, chocolate! I am aware that some chocolate-snobs are a bit sniffy about British chocolate but actually it's not at all bad, and really, quite comforting at times! Take note, Americans! :laugh: Oh, and strong Cheddar. Yum! :bigsmile:0 -
The singing in the Valleys was calling out to me. How could I resist? I guess that's another thing the UK has - great choirs!
And Doctor Who! (Sorry, Wales makes me immediately think of The Doctor!)and the beer is superb
Agreed! British beer (as in real ale) is wonderful - so much better than lager! Cider is yum, and of course, Guinness (I know, I know, it's Irish but hey, we've had James Joyce....!).
And while we're at it, chocolate! I am aware that some chocolate-snobs are a bit sniffy about British chocolate but actually it's not at all bad, and really, quite comforting at times! Take note, Americans! :laugh: Oh, and strong Cheddar. Yum! :bigsmile:
The ales are pure heaven. I don't think I've tried an ale yet that I didn't at least like, and there are many I love! I haven't developed a taste for cider yet, although a cold cider on a hot day is great.0 -
We have a great micro-brewery around the corner to us where, as well as brewing their own flavours, they allow you to customise your own ones, and will even allow you to design your own labels! They're fab!
When I used to co-run a permaculture project a couple of years ago, we used to have stalls at the local food show in the summer - strangely enough, we were always sited opposite several ale stalls....and being fellow exhibitors, we'd get loads of freebies! Nom! :laugh:0 -
Goktor I disagree strongly with the majority of your points, I am shocked you see the NHS, postal service, police, crime rates and the government in such a good light. As for the class system, once you're at the bottom of it looking up you soon realise how big the divide is - granted its not as bad as other countries but a little bit of a bad thing does not make it right or acceptable.
I don't need to go to Bangladesh to see it there, that's like saying if I had a broken arm go and visit somebody with terminal cancer and see how good I've got it. I don't need to see somebody worse off than me to realise I've still been dealt crap cards.
It has been brought home to me recently how grateful we should be to have the NHS. I have seen topics on here from Americans who do not have health insurance, and they cannot afford to even go to the doctor for a simple check up on something that MAY be minor, but MAY be fatal. I would far rather live in a country where I don't have to put a price on my health lihe that.
There are so many programs run by the states and fed that people can get help if they need it. I will bet that the majority of these people have opportunity to get insurance but they don't want to pay for it or they don't want to work. There are exceptions of course and that is what the gov programs are for. The taxes that are required to fund such a service hold people down rather than allow the pursuit of happiness. People will see what I'm talking about when there is an added taxes assessed to there employer provided health coverage.
The reason it's so expensive is because of gov intrusion and laws that squash competition. Plus, it is not common for US citizens to go to another country to receive care. There is a reason for that. We do have a problem with cost, but it can be fixed without nationalizing it.
Hospitals and Dr's are a limited resource, how is it fair for the state to decide who gets what care and when?0 -
I live in Devon in the UK, love to walk in the rolling countryside when the weather let's me lol! Dont live in a cottage, just a nice average house. Dont speak posh either, just a slight Devon twang! But I do love it here, would also like the opportunity to travel more and experience other cultures, got to win the lottery to do that tho!! :laugh:0
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Im from Hertfordshire. Lots of Americans on this site. Have been to many places in the U.S and always found it welcoming to English people.
I'll go back to America as much as i can.0
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