Im an Englishman Get Me Out Of Here

Despite only being in my mid twenties i just cant stand living in the UK anymore. Crumbling health service, bad weather, dirty, polluted, bad food, a society that generally likes to drag the ambitious/successful down into mediocrity, immigration etc etc ok rant over.

Trading is the best job in the world, not just because of its potential financial gains but you are totally free to move around the world and i want to make the most of that.

So, lets focus on the positive, can anyone suggest somewhere that is a great country to live? Basically i would like to be in Europe purely because my family are in the UK and just couldnt move to the otherside of the world from them. As long as the weather is good and im not completely stranded from civilisation has anyone found their paradise?

Hi tommog,
I'm in a similar boat to you. Spain fits all the criteria you mention and only has one downside: the language! But that's a problem with any warm EU country. Also, any move outside the U.K. (assuming you're British) means you'll always be considered a foreigner by your host country, but that too is an issue you'll have to deal with wherever you go. If neither of these two obstacles worry you, then Spain has all you could want and few - if any - disadvantages. Their property market is in freefall - so it's a buyers market. You can pick and chose the amount of sun you want and how hot you want it. While eating out isn't as cheap as it used to be, the quality is generally much better and the range far wider. Utilities and council tax are much lower than they are here in the U.K. Health care isn't as straightforward, but just as good - if not better that the NHS - in terms of treatment. Transport is excellent, both in terms of flights in and out as well as internally. If you fly to Malaga, you can be in Madrid in about 3 hours courtesy of a new high speed rail link. Living as I do in Devon, I can be sitting in my favourite restaurant in Malaga with a cold San Miguel and a plate of fresh sardines faster than it takes me to get to London. If you're serious about leaving blighty, then Spain has to be the number one choice in my book.
Tim.

Hi Timsk,

Cheers for the advice, to be honest Spain was pretty high on my list actually. My parents have a place out there in near Alicante, which although isnt the prettiest part of spain is a great way of life, cheap quality food, sun for 9 months of the year although there are too many Brits there for my liking. Learning another language is one of my life ambitions so that doesnt phase me.

I quite like France, especially a town that only speaks French. Would happily re-learn my French.

Hang on, that's not the done thing these days. I will demand an English interpreter to be by my side free of charge thanks to the French Government, and if they say, "Non!", I will claim it is my human rights.

Why not run a few open house coffee mornings, invite your neighbours in, get to know them, bake a few French Fancy's to serve..

The United Kingdom is a lovely place, multi cultural, safe, and stil retains the British spirit. And if you really must move to another foreign place try Blackburn.

All the best.

Lets face it we are all Europeans now, wont be long before we hear the sound of Tring, Tring of the bicycles and shrill at the shock of a Dutchmans cold hand goin down the back of your trousers... For Sure..

Actually, I like where I live. My neighbours are friendly enough, the chav count is low and I don't have to pay to park my car outside my house (for the moment!). I also like England.

Crap Buddist said:

Why not run a few open house coffee mornings, invite your neighbours in, get to know them, bake a few French Fancy's to serve..

The United Kingdom is a lovely place, multi cultural, safe, and stil retains the British spirit. And if you really must move to another foreign place try Blackburn.

All the best.

Lets face it we are all Europeans now, wont be long before we hear the sound of Tring, Tring of the bicycles and shrill at the shock of a Dutchmans cold hand goin down the back of your trousers... For Sure..

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Join the club. The Spanish are going through the same problem. Go on the Metro and you'll hear every language except Spanish.

PS. Including mine.

Today's paper say's that new university exam regs are going to make English compulsory in most degrees taken.

We've got Dutchmen over here, too. They are everywhere, including Barcelona FC.

Split

tommog said:

Despite only being in my mid twenties i just cant stand living in the UK anymore. Crumbling health service, bad weather, dirty, polluted, bad food, a society that generally likes to drag the ambitious/successful down into mediocrity, immigration etc etc ok rant over.

Trading is the best job in the world, not just because of its potential financial gains but you are totally free to move around the world and i want to make the most of that.

So, lets focus on the positive, can anyone suggest somewhere that is a great country to live? Basically i would like to be in Europe purely because my family are in the UK and just couldnt move to the otherside of the world from them. As long as the weather is good and im not completely stranded from civilisation has anyone found their paradise?

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I left the UK for similar reasons to what you have mentioned.

I now live in Melbourne, Australia and although it has its own problems, it is far superior to what I was used to in the UK.

With the exception of last year, Melbourne has appeared in the top 10 list of the most livable cities in the world and with good reason IMO.....

tommog said:

Hi Timsk,

Cheers for the advice, to be honest Spain was pretty high on my list actually. My parents have a place out there in near Alicante, which although isnt the prettiest part of spain is a great way of life, cheap quality food, sun for 9 months of the year although there are too many Brits there for my liking. Learning another language is one of my life ambitions so that doesnt phase me.

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A few years ago i had the misfortune of visiting Denia is Spain for my holiday. My god - the fair trip from Alicante airport (I think) to the town was incredible. What a ****hole they're creating down there. If there's land it can be built on then they have. Hillsides completely ruined by half built property, no doubt by 2nd home brits so soon to be surrounded by egg and chip houses.

Thank god for England. You know where one place starts and the next ends. Health service problems are vastly exagerated. Immigration is an issue in every country. Do gooders have the hand everywhere - the insane human rights act has seen to that.

I'm sure all of Spain isn't yet ruined, but neither is Britain. Have you considered moving within the UK?

if it's the weather you're after, that's another story

UTB

Hi The BLades,

Yeah ive moved around a bit in the UK, i come from Wicnchester originally (which apparently is the second best place in the UK to live according to a recent poll) and now i live in London because this is where the firm i trade for has its UK office. So i think ive tasted a good deal of the better side of the UK and it just doesnt do it for me. I love the sun, i love fresh air and i love fresh food and the UK lacks a lot of this. London is great to visit, but its very different to live there, pollution and overcrowding not to mention the cost of everything (im going off on one again sorry).

Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,:cheesy:

Luxembourg, could be nice, not too far from nice places, maybe lacks airport facilities, low cost etc), excellent tax regime.
But my absolute top of the list (by a mile !) has to be Switzerland.
Depending whether you want to pick up french, german or italian, then choose your area.
Everybody speaks english at work.
I personnally rate Lausanne very very high. Go there for a WE, maybe one in winter, see how far you are from the ski slopes. Go for a WE in summer, see how beautiful the hillside on the lakeshore is, go see the mountain again, see how the mountain is cooler, in case of heatwave. see how nice it is to be able to swim in the lake.
All this in a nice, rich, civilized country, with virtually no violent crime, no unemployment, good tax regime and best of breed financial planning advice.

anyways, enough said.

JTrader said:

Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,:cheesy:

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I had the pleasure of spending a week in a Bavarian village between Augsberg and Munich. Nice place, nice people. Shame I couldn't speak a word of German.

tommog said:

Hi The BLades,

Yeah ive moved around a bit in the UK, i come from Wicnchester originally (which apparently is the second best place in the UK to live according to a recent poll) and now i live in London because this is where the firm i trade for has its UK office. So i think ive tasted a good deal of the better side of the UK and it just doesnt do it for me. I love the sun, i love fresh air and i love fresh food and the UK lacks a lot of this. London is great to visit, but its very different to live there, pollution and overcrowding not to mention the cost of everything (im going off on one again sorry).

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The peak district to the south west of Sheffield. Fresh air, no overcrowding, extremely low levels of crime, lovely restaurants, lovely scenery, all the benefits of a decent sized city nearby.

I can't solve the weather problem mind. But I'm reminded of an ex colleague who returned from Tampa because his family missed the change in the seasons. It seems some can have too much sun.

UTB

You are bothered by immigration but you want to migrate. lol.

FXSCALPER 2,

lol yeah i do realise the irony of that, but i intend to go to another another country and work hard earn a lot of money pay my fair share of taxes, embrace their culture and not enforce mine upon them, thats the difference

shadowninja said:

I had the pleasure of spending a week in a Bavarian village between Augsberg and Munich. Nice place, nice people. Shame I couldn't speak a word of German.

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I've been to that region - very nice as well too. I have spent 2 nights in Munich, and the women, THE WOMEN.....I saw more perfect 10's in a 4 square mile area than anywhere else I've been to on planet earth. Simply awesome man. Simply Awesome

tommog said:

FXSCALPER 2,

lol yeah i do realise the irony of that, but i intend to go to another another country and work hard earn a lot of money pay my fair share of taxes, embrace their culture and not enforce mine upon them, thats the difference

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You are making me laugh. So, you are prepared to go and join them and leave outside your culture in order to avoid them impose their culture on you? That certainly is a strange way of thinking. I hate all these foreigners coming here imposing their culture on me so I will go and live there. Hmmm.

Are you saying immigrants don't work hard and pay taxes? You should see my polish cleaner. Don't even get me started on the plumbers.

mmm, must admit I went to spain, nice quiet market town, learnt some spanish, went to the local supermarket, and said to the shopkeeper in spanish... hello how much for that please, (in spanish) he said,

sorry geeze, dont speaka da lingo, buts thats 28.50 mate....

**** off.... I said and with that went back home to england, funny old world, bloke who runs my local cornershop cant speak english......

ehh..... ehhhhhh.. ?

So what I do now is sip Pina Colada'a out front on me doorstep, lovely it is......

Depending whether you want to pick up french, german or italian, then choose your area.

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I assume you are talking women here ?