Findings on the UK after 2 years - long post!

[Guest Devon]

Don't know if anyone is interested but here goes:

I've been in Oz for the last two years but only on a tourist visa (long story). Having decided that I did actually want to stay I've come back to the UK for 8 weeks to get added to my OH's SIR visa (I didn't want to go before which is why I didn't get added originally - big mistake)!

I was really looking forward (other than leaving OH for 8 weeks) to seeing old blighty again.

The flight from Adelaide to Singapore was great. 6 hours walking around Singapore was ok.The flight was on a 380 to Heathrow. I can honestly say that after doing that flight a couple of times before the 380 experience was my worst ever flight!!!! There was a lot less room than the usual planes even though they say you get more. I couldn't sleep on it as the seat was so hard and you can't walk around so much as you could on the old type planes. The stewards on the flight were lovely as ever and explained that they were having a bad flight too as it was one of the only times the 380 was to full capacity and they were being inundated with complaints about lack of room in seats so it wasn't just me

 

So anyway been back in UK for two weeks now and what a difference!!!!!!!

 

It's great to see family again especially mum (will be horrible to leave her again, get tears in my eyes just thinking about it) although even though I speak to family every week when in Oz it's only when you see them again that you realise how you have actually grown apart (even if you were extremely close) it's something I can't explain but you now have different lives!

 

It's good to see the green grass and cottages of Devon you forget how pretty the UK really is. It is also very clean here - I don't always find this in parts of Adelaide! Before people kick off I'm talking about Devon not other parts of the UK!

The weather Well I had been cold in Adelaide for the couple of weeks before I left but then it was coming into winter. It is definately warmer here at the moment but where's summer? In the whole of the two weeks yesterday was the 2nd day it didn't rain!!!! Something I'm really not used to seeing now and fed up of it already!

 

Everyone seems to be so grumpy and down here! It is really depressing and most shop assistants are so unhelpful and miserable as if they don't want to be bothered by you at all! I am really missing the aussies smiling faces even their whinging is better than this!

 

Exmouth has changed soooo much - it is in a nice term very multi-cultural now if you get my drift - something I thought I would never see! I'm really not being racist here as after all I'm an imigrant in OZ - just making an observation.

 

Crime appears to be the same as in Adelaide - although we had a bomb go off in Exeter the day after I arrived and haven't seen that yet in Adelaide!

 

Food shopping and toiletries is sooo much cheaper in the UK!!!! Can't believe how much more we pay for certain items in OZ especially fruit, veg and toiletries! I'm also not talking about buying Uk products in Oz as I'm one of the ones who buys local.

 

Driving is more pleasant - no-one tail gating and they are more courteous here! Although took a while to get used to the small roads!!!

 

I've been paying into the UK national health system since I left a few years ago to be patriotic - I was coming back to have a minor op and did not feel guilty about that as I have been paying but can you believe Ive just been told to have the op I will have to pay £2,400!!!!!! It seems it's because I have been out of the UK for more than 12 months, it doesn't matter that I've been paying contributions still!?! This I am really mad about as I have been still paying my dues hence to say I won't be anymore:realmad:

The moral of this is that I am now 5 weeks and 4 days hopefully from coming home - thinking of kidnapping my mum as immigration are being wonderful and I am really missing everything about OZ. I have always said that I wouldn't want to live in the UK again and still not sure if we will stay forever in OZ as I've mentioned before the old parts of Spain are my favourite place. However I know after coming back here now that Oz is better - somethings are better in the UK but overall Oz is the winner!

[cormcvcr]

Hi Cathy,

 

thanks for your post, it was great to hear your views, as honest as ever!

 

It's sometimes a good thing to get the experience again, that way you know if you have made the right decision or not!

 

Can you get a double suitcase with extra wheels and an engine so as you can put your mum in it and bring her back with you?

 

Keep in touch, it was great to hear from you.

 

P.s. have they made a babysitter out of you yet?

 

Take care and see you soon x

[Guest graandjac]

:notworthy:Great post and very honest and glad to see you prefer oz .Although we have not found the driving here as bad as some have said but i guess it depends on where you come from in the uk , the city or the country . Safe journey HOME . cheers Graham

[Guest Devon]

Cornelia

What a great idea for getting my mum back

 

Ohhhh yesss it was half term last week so had my neice for four days all to myself. Was a real experience she taught me loads It's amazing how quickly they grow! She is now 6 acting like 16! It turned out to be fun (except for the rain so made it difficult to play outside, you won't remember that it's this wet stuff that keep's pouring out of the sky) :biglaugh:and she was really funny and cute but don't get any ideas - still hasn't changed my mind about having little ones.

 

Although if you two ever need a night out the offers always there for you - just make sure they're out for the count before you go and we'll be alright

 

Looking forward to being back soon

 

Cathy x

[Guest Devon]

Thanks Graham. It was difficult in Oz to begin with and I sometimes wondered if we had done the right thing. Coming back I now know for sure. It's just getting through those first few hurdles and lows. Glad you and your family appear to be settling well. Hope it continues for you all, think you definately went with the right attitude so hopefully you won't have had those feelings at all. Good luck in all you do and thank you I am really looking forward to going HOME! Think it took this trip to realise that though so I can really understand the ping pong game!

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

Way hay...good to hear from you Dev! Glad you are having a good time and glad you are looking forward to coming back!!!

Watch out for those bombs!

sarah

[foxychick]

Good to hear you are having a good time and are looking forward to coming home. At least everything should be easier when you get back and all the visa stuff is sorted.

 

Enjoy the rest of your time

 

Rachel

[Guest Guest75]

Good to hear from you Devon.Interesting to read your observations:)

[Guest mOZzy]

great idea and interesting read!!

glad it turned out to be the right decision to have moved to oz!!

i can imagine 'you never know really' - but you do now

[Guest Devon]

Hi Sarah thank you - Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humour!?! You are going to have so much hair to cut off when I get back - all this rain is making it grow

 

Hi Foxychick thank you also - How's things going with your new addition? Well I hope. Yes it will be really good to sort out this visa and hopefully be able to earn some dollars, although won't remember how to work after they wouldn't let me before!

 

Thank you Tyke (will have to try some of your olives by the sound of things)!

 

Thanks also MoZzy - Good luck with things your end - I hope you will find Australia better as well. I have to admit my posts used to be quite negative and I will still be honest with things about Oz however now know where I definately want to be. They don't always seem to be jolly over there and at times things can be hard but I haven't seen so many depressed people as back here in two years!!!!!

 

Another addition to my earlier posts is that my visa got lodged on 23rd May (a couple of days after I left as I had to be offshore) acknowledgement on 26th case officer on 27th!!!!!! UK police check in already Hopefully AFP will be soon as well (I had to have both as had been living in Oz already) Only medicals to go which are booked for 23rd June (earliest appt) so way hay fingers crossed - cannot praise Migration Solutions enough at the moment (hope I haven't just jinxed it)!!!!!!

 

Counting down the days here to going home :v_SPIN:

[Guest happy feet]

nice to read a post like this ..... gives me positives vibes when i'm feeling scared,

 

thanks

 

cara

[Guest katsmajic]

Hi, great post, good to hear you are itching to come home...

good luck with your app, hope they rush it through for you. xxx

[Guest Devon]

Thank you Cara. Glad it helped. Good luck with everything

 

Thanks also Kat, hope they do as return flight to Oz booked for 13th July - have checked with Singapore airlines re flights in case I need to stay here a week or two longer and they're pretty full for July now:arghh: Don't think I wait until August

[Guest alan smallman]

Hi

 

Just read your post with interest after having been back only 3 weeks after our reccie to Adelaide. Our return journey seemed an ordeal compared to our journey out to Oz, though my missus reckons its a psychological thing with us not looking forward to coming back to the UK. Though there wasn't anything psychological about not being able to stretch your legs, the woman who sat next to me wanting all the elbow room, her dropping her buttery knife on my jumper:arghh:, and somebody in the nearby vicinity who didn't seem to have a problem passing wind in very close company!! The flight crew didn't seem that friendly either.

 

Got Back immediately to rain and it hasn't stopped since! Except for one day when the sun broke through for half a morning. It's just grey and cold. Went to Peterborough to drop daughter off at the train station to go back to London (where she studies). Had a diesel leak and had to leave car there longer than the allowed 'drop-off' time. Didn't fancy getting a fine through the post, so I though I'd let someone know I wasn't purposely hanging about and was only waiting for the RAC to come and fix the car. Went into the Estates office and Politely asked if this was the place responsible for car parks. The guy's immediate response was; "Why? What's yer problem?!":shocked:. He was so negative and aggressive (though he calmed down after my explanation). Decided to have a cup of British Rail coffee to pass the time - it was like dishwater - not like the coffee and cake sessions we had got used to whilst we were over 'there'. It was served by an unhelpful, surly, long-faced teenager who couldn't be bothered to raise a smile. "Sugar's there if yer wannit" was all she could muster! Why is it that everywhere you go wether it's a clothes store in Adelaide or a small Bakery in Glenelg, a Gas Station in Brighton, or asking directions from a couple of Traffic Wardens in the City (nice to see them dressed in light blue instead of officious black), everyone greets you with a (genuine) smile and friendly manner, and goes out of their way to talk to you and be helpful? On the way back from Peterborough, because she was only going 60mph (on a 60mph road) she was overtaken by a middle-aged chap who couldn't resist showing his annoyance at our keeping in the speed limit, by making a particularly crude hand gesture to her as he overtook.

 

Aaaaah - sure is great to be back in England!!! Apologies for going on, but I feel better for that now. Can't explain the relief I felt when the guy from the Estate Agent came round to put our For Sale notice up!! Just need to keep taking big breaths for a few more months:biglaugh:.

 

Feel better for that - soz going on, going to bed now :SLEEP:to dream of warm autumn days, pleasant folk, good service, and a 'can-do' culture.

 

Alan

[Guest Guest75]

The people and their attitude here were one of the biggest reasons for us moving here.

We worked in retail for years in the UK and were at the "sharp end of things"

Some people were genuinely surprised by our warm and friendly attitude - right attitude - wrong country!!:biglaugh: