just back from the UK

[Scousemouse]

hi All,

just returned from my first (and probably, my last) trip back to the motherland.

I have just become a grandmother for the second time, both kids in the UK, sadly, and whilst i miss them already, i am so glad to be HOME.

 

The shopping was great, Gosh how i miss Primark, TKMAX, Asda..........Greggs the bakers;

Went to the old haunts, met old friends, visitd family.......and enjoyed all of that. The museum of Liverpool Life was AMAZING, as was Tate, the maritime etc.

 

BUT, I was reminded of alll the things that made me choose to leave, and the trip has confirmed that i made the right decision to leave.

We havent had it easy, as those of you who know us will agree, and i do get lonely sometimes; but the place has changed beyond what i recognise as "home"; shocking news of a 94 year old woman, beaten and having her finger almost severed, whilst she was in bed, by some scumbag....and the police have no clues who did it,or why this happened to her..........re afirms that getting the H out of it was absolutely correct.

News that certain ethnic groups grooming young girls and passing them round their "fiends", and the police did NOTHING about the complaints for almost 2 years; and then "protect" the lawyers of this group from "racist" protestors was saddening in the normality of what i remember about it all.

 

So for now, i am staying here in Adelaide, sheilded by my ignorance, and content to forget.

Have a good day all.

[Rachiegarlo]

My husband was here for 14 yrs before he went back to Liverpool. This was six years ago now and it was this trip that made him say how glad he was that our kids were growing up here. The area he lived in now had gangs of youths after dark and young kids running amok around the shops and no adult said or did anything. Sharp contrast to when he was growing up and if any adult collared a kid messing about with property , smoking, drinking his or her mum would have been told quick smart. I love Liverpool and London and the UK in general for visits, but I love coming home to this place where your eyes aren't closed in by buildings and you don't have to watch out for too much dog poo on the street . Obviously there are areas like this in the UK too, but this place feels like home and I get that coming home feeling of excitement when you touch down on the runway. Also I like the fact that the money is instantly recognisable just by colour alone

[Diane]

Whenever I have bouts of 'homesickness' for the UK, or start looking back with my rose coloured glasses on, I go out and buy a copy of the International Express - bloomin' expensive but money well spent and a lot cheaper than a plane ticket! Yes, I know the reporting is hardly unbiased (what a shame the Daily Mail doesn't do a weekly international edition!) but a few pages of stabbings and 'political correctness gone mad' usually reminds me why I'm here rather than there!!

 

Welcome home!

[Guest Roo1]

Welcome Home, Scousemouse. I'm hoping to go back for a visit next April. It will be the 1st time in 6 years! I'm looking forward to seeing the family, friends and shopping but I know I'll be hackering to come back to Adelaide after a couple of weeks! Judi x

[Guest moonraker1959]

I read Adelaide Now pretty much everyday and yep same goes on there does'nt it?The funny thing is though,I spent 30 years in Adelaide,been in the UK a few years now,and sometimes I am truly shocked by reading the Adelaide news,and it really does'nt sound like the Adelaide I know/knew!A lady got murdered in Callington a while ago now(small town in SA)and you never would of thought something like that would of happened there!And I know that area well!I guess all you can do is choose where you live very carefully and hope for the best!Unfortunately in this day and age,no where is 100% safe is it?

[ian mc]

shocking news of a 94 year old woman, beaten and having her finger almost severed, whilst she was in bed, by some scumbag....and the police have no clues who did it,or why this happened to her..........re afirms that getting the H out of it was absolutely correct.

 

There is no difference to what happens here.Take off the rose tints.......

Thats just like the 87 year old woman in Seacliff last year who was found in her back garden with her throat cut.

http://www.news.com.au/national/youths-cut-elderly-womans-throat-youth-court-hears/story-e6frfkvr-1226176380133

Edited May 11, 2012 by ian mc

[Jenny]

I hate to have to do this BUT!!!!!!!!!! please Adelaide is NOT perfect - I have been here almost 21 years and things have changed in that time and its not the place it was when I first arrived, its gone downhill like everywhere else, I've also been back to U.K. quite a number of times and found things there (well from where I lived) quite ok - so PLEASE STOP slagging of the UK to make yourselves feel better for making the move here and having to defend that decision - there I've said it ................ let the slagging begin, because it will. (Ian Mc knows what I mean)

 

Old people have been attacked (even murdered here - please remember that)

[Rachiegarlo]

Don't think anyone has slagged off the Uk yet, just mentioned some crime. Of course crime happens everywhere. I don't think any of us who have been here a while have rose tinted glasses on, we are merely stating how for us Adelaide has a sense of home. Places do change, as do people, which often means if a place or people are revisited then life has not stood still for them or there either. I think the above are just some observations about revisiting somewhere after some time and noticing changes and how for us it reaffirms the fact that we are happy to have moved here, built a life and are happy to return. Others may not be so, some may wish to see the back of Ads. I have lived here for 30 out of a possible 35 years and I <3 it !

[Scousemouse]

Thanks for the replies.

 

firstly; Ian, i dont have any rose tinted glasses, i am VERY MUCH aware that crime happens everywhere, even in dull old Adelaide.The case i refered to was met with a shrug and a "oh well, it happens" attitude, people are becoming immune to such disgusting events it seems. I think it is a sad reflection on society

 

secondly; Jenny. I dont recall defending or even justifying my choice to be here; merely stated that my choice was the right one for us. I have in no way, i think, "slagged off" the UK; I love Liverpool, its people are the best anywhere, including Adelaide!

 

thirdly;Moonraker, i totally agree! nowhere is 100% safe, and there are pitfalls to wherever one lives.

 

I dont want to get into a slanging match about the UK versus SA; i am proud of my English heritage, but i am equally proud of living here........Im sorry if anyone feels i am being disrespectful or idealogical or just plain niave.

 

Judy, the shopping is GREAT. Diane, grand job, keep it up. Rachel, i know EXACTLY what you mean.

 

Regars

Jane

[Scousemouse]

Oh, and just as a little aside...........

I came back with a Union Flag; union flag tee shirts; Everton tops for the kids; the KOP as my screensaver, pictures of my old home town, the local rag.......ECHO for those not in the know; a book about my hometown, it people the architecture, its history!

I took to the UK, a book on Adelaide, fruchocs, a socceroors shirt for my grandson.

No bias there then

[Guest moonraker1959]

Scousemouse,sorry if I read your post incorrectly but you did say you were reminded of all the reasons you chose to leave?I guess no one likes to be reminded of the negatives of where they come from,as we all know,no where is perfect,and if anyone finds that place?Please tell me and I'll move there myself!lol Sometimes on forums people describe where they live(I'm talking about the UK here)and its quite surprising how different,places can be within the UK,just like Australia.Unfortunately there is no utopia's out there,and if anyone thinks there is,then they're deluding themselves.I recently had a conversation with someone at work who is thinking of moving to Australia.They had watched "Wanted Down Under"and figured everyone lived in mansions,sipped champagne on the beach all day,and acted like they were on holiday 24/7.I asked them to give me reasons why they were thinking of moving,and told them I would be honest,and tell them if the same thing applied in Australia ok?So we went down the list........(I won't go into it,but I think you'll know what they said)and they were genuinely shocked that all the things they were alledgedly getting away from,were,yes in Australia as well!I was watching episodes of the Australian Secret Millionaire recently and thought that painted a more realistic picture of Australia,than those silly "Wanted Down Under"shows!

[Guest moonraker1959]

Ps I love Fruchocs!!!lol:wink:

[Scousemouse]

Thanks Moonraker.

 

Utopia? Adelaide? PMSL at that one.

Look, i was excited and anxious about returning to Liverpool, my memory was rose tinted, but frayed around the edges..........and i hold no illusions about the old town,,,,or this new one!

My visit confirmed that i, personally had made the right choice to move. I certainly wasnt expecting a life of luxury in Aus, which is just aswell, i aint got it,lol.....no koalas in my gum tree, no kangas on my front lawn, and as for champagne on the beach, nope not got that either.

Wanted down Under is a gimmick, Gawd knows who thought they could sell Aus that way, and i say time and again, Australia is nice, beautiful even, but the lifestyle comes at a cost!!!

I will send you some fruchocs if you want.............save my waistline at least.

Regards

Jane

[Guest moonraker1959]

Well thankyou for the offer of the Fruchocs!lol(xxxx)and I am glad someone agrees with me about the Wanted Down Under shows.On that issue they are cringeworthy,and as much as I love Oz(and the UK for that matter)I know in reality,it would be like showing episodes of "Escape to the Country"to aussies and telling them everyone lives in detached beautiful immaculate homes in gorgeous countryside when "we"know thats just not true hey?lol It must be quite an eye opener if you do happen to come from a not so pretty part of the UK,move to somewhere nicer in Oz,and then return for a visit to the UK(your old stomping ground)and yes it would be a tad bit depressing I would of thought?Unlike me,I happen to live in a beautiful place in the UK,but also lived in a very nice place when I lived in SA.One of my daughters(australian)lives in Cornwall and is completely settled and happy there and recently told me she could'nt imagine living anywhere else!Must be hard for you Scousemouse with your kids living that far away?I do completely understand how that must feel for you!

[Scousemouse]

Actually, i lived in a very nice part of Liverpool, and lived for 3 years in Cheltenham, so there:tongue:, also in a very nice area!

 

Cornwall is very lovely so i can see why your daughter loves it there!

My son and daughter in law live on the wirral........and yes, it is hard not seeing them and the grandsons; but i have 3 teenagers here, so im kept busy,lol!

 

Liverpool has changed, cleaned up its act, but there is a lingering shadow of the seedy....and the same militant attitude and victim mentality. They even go out in their curlers for pity's sake!! Nope the place aint home.

 

Enough, time to get the weeding done!!

[Anne B]

It's interesting to hear people's opinions of the UK when you go back on holiday, as you see familiar places with an outsiders eyes. I remember looking at all the people in the queue at the checkout in a shop once, thinking how pale and unhealthy and depressed they looked. It always takes a few days to re-adjust, either way.

 

Crime is everywhere, just today on the news a 79 year old was attacked in her robbed at gunpoint in her own home http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/woman-held-at-gunpoint-during-home-invasion-at-smithfield/story-e6frea6u-1226353569857 Society is becoming polarised worldwide (between haves and have nots) and a subclass of people is emerging who have little respect for the law, or other people and their property and who also lack common decency and manners. Things are different to how they were when we were young. This seems more widespread in parts of the UK than here in Adelaide, but I reckon Australia is heading in the same direction, only lagging a few years behind. There are almost nightly shootings in western Sydney on the news each morning.

[jim and adel]

There are almost nightly shootings in western Sydney on the news each morning.

 

On the news last week they were saying there had been six shootings in Adelaide in 18 days ...

[sueoc]

Compared to what i have experienced in the UK Adelaide is peaceful place.I have not seen any violence,or come across anything like the mindless yobbish culture i saw there.Adelaide to me is a City where people are almost always pleasant,respectful and decent.This is the big plus to me,even more important than weather and affordability.Living in peace is heaven,and that to me is what life is all about.

[bergkamp10]

crime here in my opinion is no way as bad as England.mostly petty crimes due to drugs.Most crimes in England dont even make the papers.have worked all over Adelaide and have never come across anywhere as bad as the places i have lived in London.

Edited May 12, 2012 by bergkamp10

[Guest Guest5035]

On the news last week they were saying there had been six shootings in Adelaide in 18 days ...

just a turf war between bikies and taking pot shots at each others houses, a couple got sent to the wrong addresses, must work for australia post.

 

stevo

[Guest katsmajic]

I went back to Cheltenham last month on another flying visit...thankfully not for another funeral.

Cheltenham didnt seem to have changed much, it looked tired and a bit more run down in places and the high street had alot of empty shops or charity shops in place of what i remembered.....i loved going for a walk up on Cleeve Hill - which is my favorite place in the world - beautiful fresh (bracing) crispy air. The countryside was so green and lovely, but the air in the town did feel heavy/dirty and i developed a nasty cough etc...and Chelts not even industrial.

Despite it being 'nice weather' my poor knee was screaming at me after 2 hours of landing....

 

I totally enjoyed the cheap alcohol, and chips and curry sauce, felt bitterly disappointed in my kebab....i loved seeing my family.

But also saw the despair on the job and social front.

So many young people out of work, let down by the education system etc, alot of hopelessness which did bring a higher crime rate and suicide rate. The rich are richer and the poor are poorer and the scum are breeding like rats.

Alot of crimes dont even make it into the papers as there's too much to report on (closest friends are in the police force) and it's not like Cheltenham is a big city.

 

Food shopping was a hell of alot cheaper, especially if you wanted cheaper processed products, i wish sainsburys/tesco could deliver here lol...cheese was sooo cheap, but on checking out steak and chicken breasts i was stunned at the price per kilo - twice what we pay in dollars.

Friends who had good jobs still have good/great jobs, but friends in the lower end brackets struggle every day to make ends meet....but then i could say exactly the same about here. I'd rather be poor here than there though.

 

Cheltenham is a beautiful town/area, but after seeing so many of my older kids mates, some on their 2nd even 3rd kids, i know we made the right call for them, for our younger kids and for us.

 

I saw a job for HG, 18,000k gbp per annum....he was on more than that before we left...i couldn't earn what i earn here, and we'd never be able to buy a 2 bed house let alone build a 5 bed one....

 

Adelaide is a small town, bikies cause issues, drugs cause issues, there's good and bad areas as in all places in the world, its an incredibly 'small' town as well with alot less than the 6 degrees of separation lol.....i get to see the worst ends and some of the higher ends of the social scale in my job, i love that there is a level of humanity and get see that the middle classes will happily integrate with the poor, and many upper middle/middle dont actually look any better off than the poorer counterparts. I know a CEO who goes shopping in a singlet and barefoot

 

Its bloody hard work just living life, anywhere in the world....but as i said i'd rather be poor here than poor in the uk.

[Scousemouse]

I didnt have time to visit dear old Chelts.........or the Lakes, nor Yorkshire:sad:

 

The news this morning reported that Gloucester police had arrested 2 people on terrorism charges in Cheltenham.

Im surprised it has taken this long really, what with "spy central" being slap bang in the middle of it!!

Just shows, even wealthy areas are prone to crime, not just the major towns and cities.

 

 

It's nice to know other had similar thoughts.....i was begining to feel i was the only one!

I know Adelaide isn't perfect, it has some bad points.......expensive bad points, no curry sauce in the chippy, no tesco........i can live without them for the sense of peace of mind i have here!

 

Stevo, was the double posting to emphasise the point? lol

[Guest lastboyscout]

The wife makes a blinding curry sauce for chips, the recipe was on here somewhere!!!

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/barbie/11609-your-help-needed-wing-yip-curry-sauce.html

[Guest Guest5035]

Stevo, was the double posting to emphasise the point? lol

 

the site does that to me every now and then, didn't see this one, but its gone now, ta ..

 

stevo

[Guest moonraker1959]

crime here in my opinion is no way as bad as England.mostly petty crimes due to drugs.Most crimes in England dont even make the papers.have worked all over Adelaide and have never come across anywhere as bad as the places i have lived in London.

Erm I think London is a tad bit bigger than Adelaide!!!