If you haven't left the UK yet..........

[Pommy99]

I've been here nearly four years now and read the british news papers online. The Daily Mail paints a picture of a lawless, violent crime ridden place where decent values in society have broken down. The ploice are never there when needed and honest decent middle class working famalies are taxed to the hilt as the economic depression forever deepens.

 

If you still live in the UK, do you think this is an accurate picture??

[Diane]

The Daily Mail has always said such things! It's well known for it!

[Guest Guest5035]

The Daily Mail has always said such things! It's well known for it!

Something to do with the truth,,,,,,,,tell it as it is, bit like me.

 

Stevo

[Pommy99]

Thanks guys but it would be interesting to hear from readers still in the UK.

[Guest guest569]

The outlaws landed today for their hols and gave me thurs daily mail. I like the read to see whats going on there .Especially the sport.

[Pesty650]

We left the UK 3 months ago & it wasn't like that where we lived. Sure you can find lawlessness, crime ridden places, but then you can here too. All depends on where you live. The UK is a very diverse place, many parts are very pleasant places to live, have decent people, good education etc etc. The British press prints headlines that sell newspapers. I stopped buying papers years ago & don't bother with online versions either. You can't judge anything from a newspaper or tv programme. You have to experience it for yourself. Are you thinking of returning to the UK then? Too many bogans in SA?

[jim and adel]

Thanks guys but it would be interesting to hear from readers still in the UK.

 

Working on the basis that threads are open to all members and not just those specified by the OP, I'll chuck my view in.

 

I'd say no, that's not what the UK is like. Are there specific examples that can be used to support the tabloids' long-held agenda? Of course. Does that mean that all society in the UK has broken down? Of course not. Are things getting worse? Er, might well be in the short term because of the GFC and how badly the UK has been hit, but otherwise I doubt it.

 

Jim

[ThunderRoad]

Unfortunately, these stories reflect life in the U.K to some extent. I am willing to take my family to the other side of the world, to get out. Immigration, crime and devalued institutions like family and marriage are "real" issues for me......I don't need to read newspapers to to see how bad things are.

[Guest wijaya]

I've been here nearly four years now and read the british news papers online. The Daily Mail paints a picture of a lawless, violent crime ridden place where decent values in society have broken down. The ploice are never there when needed and honest decent middle class working famalies are taxed to the hilt as the economic depression forever deepens.

 

If you still live in the UK, do you think this is an accurate picture??

 

Hi there

We are still in the UK, and will move to Adelaide in September. I have been living in London for the last 16 years and is a journalist.

So this is my take on your question.

Regarding the Daily Mail, I think you have to take their stance with a pinch of salt. The Daily Mail is regarded as a "right wing" paper. So in this election year, where it is known to dislike Labour Party, it is no wonder if the paper keep publishing story to scare voters not to vote Labour.

 

As the crime and everything else, I think the UK is little bit worse compare to 16 years when i came in 1994. But overall, this is still a great country. I've never countered any problem here, even though I am not a native (ie: white british).

We have lived in "rough areas" in London like Plaistow in East London, Finsbury Park for several years before moved to place like Morden, which is better.

 

When i said a little bit worse, crime like young boys being stabbed happened a lot in the last 2-3 years. You read them in the newspaper. Also now because of the reccesion, there is sense of gloomy, plus with the worst winter in 30 years, you can sense that many people are not happy here.

But for me, coming from "worse country" I still very much enjoying living here.

Hence our move to Oz is to be able us to have a new adventure, and to our children to live to a nearer place to my home country, where they could visit their grandparents more often.

 

Regards

Wijaya

[Sallyh]

I'm not sure anyone should base life choices on the Daily Mail being gospel - or any newspaper. If you look at Adelaide Now its just as depressing most days - 11yo in car chase today for example. In Victoria 3YO boy murdered. SA State Premier in sex scandal etcetcetc. Not so long ago a terrible murder of child, attempted of another and suicide in a house of wealthy people on The Parade. This stuff is happening everywhere and if the grass is greener and we move somewhere else, sooner or later we will find that there are either the same problems we left behind or different ones.

 

It may well be that life in the UK is 'worse' by some standards than it was a number of years ago. But if so I don't think that the UK is alone in that. I think 'society' may be in decline (whatever 'society' is) and we have to make the best of the situation we are in, the place we find ourselves, perhaps move somewhere else for valid reasons and make it work, but not expect we can move to a perfect place where our happiness will be guaranteed.

[Guest Admar72]

I've been here nearly four years now and read the british news papers online. The Daily Mail paints a picture of a lawless, violent crime ridden place where decent values in society have broken down. The ploice are never there when needed and honest decent middle class working famalies are taxed to the hilt as the economic depression forever deepens.

 

If you still live in the UK, do you think this is an accurate picture??

 

 

The Daily Mail and other national news papers reports on stories from all over the UK (and further afield) You may get a clearer picture of what it's like here from local news papers. Here's a link to our local rag. Hope it helps.

 

Milton Keynes Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More

 

Maria

[Guest guest569]

the Adelaide Advertiser is no chrime free comic. Take into account the fraction of the land area of the two countries and then add the population. Of course the UK will have a higher chrime rate. Its here, there and everywhere.

Its just warmer here and i'm glad i made the move.

[Guest k8bug79]

I live in Cornwall and it's certainly not crime ridden. However I would say it is worse than it was 15 years ago. Then you didn't really hear of any crime but you certainly do now, whether that is the papers glorifying it or not I am unsure. I think in any place where you have a large population crammed into a small place you ar egoing to get trouble. That is true of a lot of areas in the UK.

 

However I do agree with the taxed to the hilt. There is definitely no incentive to stay to gether as a family and wok for a living. The payscales and assistance is all out of kilt, there is no motivation to improve yourself becasue you are penalised for it. Its become too much of a requirement for 2 people to work to survive and this is havinga knoc on effect to the children, hence more crime (to generalise)

 

I think some things about UK of today are great and certainly better than other areas/ countries in the world, but I think we are nannied abit too much and our media has far to much input into our lives. They aren't responsible in the way they report certain concerns and as such we have become a nation of paranoid people. Fear breeds fear.

[Pommy99]

Thank you to everyone for their replies.

[mummytummy]

Here are my local papers

 

Stafford latest news, headlines & events. Stafford sport, jobs and business - Staffordshire Newsletter

 

Midlands News – West Midlands Local News – UK News « Express & Star

 

Sue

[Rammygirl]

Well I live 12 miles north of Manchester. I can walk from my door into open countryside, nature reserves, woodland, restaurants, supermarkets, local shops, cafes etc. Just as well as snowed in for weeks in Dec/Jan! My son went out and left the door unlocked for hours on Sat and no issues. Good nieghbours. No local vandalism to speak of, less graffiti than in Mount Barker.

 

I honestly could live back in SA or UK they both have their pros and cons.

 

PS I don't read the Daily Inflamer but my father in Law does and his perceptions are different!

 

Life is what you make it. You can have a completely different lifestyle depending on where you live in the UK or Oz. You need to look at what you want out of life and as ever compromise!

[Guest mayjess]

I would estimate that quite a high percentage of us are not moving over to Australia because we hate the UK, some of us want to experience a new way of life and different scenery/culture etc. All the time I have lived in my city we have personally never had any probs with crime or vandalism. Im from the North aswell were we are `supposed to be` all on ASBO`s lol.

 

I could easily live 6 mths in each country, the UK/Australia.in an ideal world.

 

Mayjess

[Pommy99]

Well that's an interesting comment. I am wondering why people come here. I think most leave the uk because they have grown to dislike it one way or another and believe OZ is a good (better) alternative. But I do very much agree with the person who called the daily mail the daily inflammer !!!!

[jim and adel]

I am wondering why people come here. I think most leave the uk because they have grown to dislike it one way or another and believe OZ is a good (better) alternative.

 

I can only comment on our reasons and these were for a new experience. We had a great lifestyle in the UK: good jobs, very small mortgage, a lovely cottage in a very desirable village, no experience of crime (although there was once a nasty rumour that a neighbour had raised his voice ...) etc.

 

No disenchantment with the UK for us, nor wild expectations of what SA could offer. We now enjoy our lives here, although we'll face a much larger mortgage than we used to have once our house is built. I could happily live in either place.

 

Jim

[ratters2005]

You know being pretty new to Australia its nice to see a balanced debate regarding the Motherland.

Australia certainly is not Utopia and the UK certainly is not the back and beyond. Both places have problems and the only true thing is that here the wheel will certaionly go round, right until it catches up with the UK.

Since being here I have been to jobs that I have also seen back at home, up close and personal. The murder of a small child and his mother will be etched on my memory for life. The dream 0of a better place is still possible as long as the idiots stay out and the Government take head...

Not sure then the airports will be full of Poms trying to get a better life here, more like a large number leaving to go to another Island with hope.

Just my thought and may I stay here for as long as I like it.

[Rammygirl]

I often wonder about peoples motives and suspect that those who find everything hateful about the UK will find fault anywhere!

I hear people say they want more space and to be outdoors more - to come to OZ and rarely go outdoors for more than a BBQ! You can achieve much of what you want by re-thinking your life and priorities then looking at what you need to do to get there. You can often just move within the UK - yes even for better weather - to achieve them.

 

As I said i could live happily in the UK or OZ but being back in the UK after a spell in SA has made me appreciate it more.

[Guest Guest75]

I can only comment on our reasons and these were for a new experience. We had a great lifestyle in the UK: good jobs, very small mortgage, a lovely cottage in a very desirable village, no experience of crime (although there was once a nasty rumour that a neighbour had raised his voice ...) etc.

 

No disenchantment with the UK for us, nor wild expectations of what SA could offer. We now enjoy our lives here, although we'll face a much larger mortgage than we used to have once our house is built. I could happily live in either place.

 

Jim

 

Jim - I'm not picking an argument here - but why did you come - if you had a good life in the UK.

I'm genuinely interested.

[jim and adel]

Jim - I'm not picking an argument here - but why did you come - if you had a good life in the UK.

I'm genuinely interested.

 

Hi Tyke, no problem with you asking; it's a fair question. We'd discussed for several years the possibility of moving somewhere else for the experience of doing it. The 'somewhere else' might have been as close as some croft in Scotland (which we very nearly did), to somewhere much further like Vancouver (we put a lot of effort into exploring the pros and cons of living in Canada and might yet put that research to good use). In the end, though, we agreed that if we were going to do it then we'd go for somewhere with a Mediterranean climate (at least as our first stop) but without the language barrier of the Med itself. Our search eventually landed us here. I've no idea if we're here for good, but there are no plans to move on just yet - especially as we're having a house built.

 

As to why, there's no single answer. 'You only live once', 'regret the things you do rather than the things you don't', 'the world's your oyster' - choose your cliché! We thought that wherever we went we'd have fun along the way, learn new things, have enriching experiences, and we were fairly confident that we'd get back on our feet eventually even if we spent most of our savings setting ourselves up in our new lives, and even if - as is likely - my earnings never match what they might have been in the UK.

 

Jim

[Guest TraceyT]

I live in a decent part of Blackburn, quite a sleepy location and my son's bike got nicked on Saturday out of his friends drive. We have not had any thefts before (prob quite lucky), but that has really sealed the coffin for me. We fly to Adelaide in 14 weeks & 6 days and cannot wait.

[Guest clare]

yep ,yep sounds right!