'Old-fashioned Britain gone': Most Brits unhappy at home, consider emigrating

Sounds remarkably like the problems we have in the United States.

My parents fled Greece in the late 50's, when things here were decent.

Don't wait too long to flee any bad situation. They may close the gates...

is this news...Im 36 now...and I wanted out of the UK from I was 15 year old.
The problem is getting out. they made it near impossible to escape.
When they opened up Europe to free movement...it was not much use, as the schools only paid lip service to teaching us all french or German...and left it until we were too old.
Where as in Europe they are all taught English as a second language from day one.

so the only feasible destinations to move to are the English speaking ones...like the US or Australia...and those places are not easy to get into...not legally anyhow...and living as an illegal alien in the US is about as great as it is to be a legal one in the UK.

England is a dump...I hate it. I have lived in various countries and know nowhere is perfect...but weather makes a big difference and in northern England it does nothing but rain...this does not help the general pissed off attitude of the people...but combine it with rubbish prospects and the so called yob culture of the underclass....its just a dire place.

There is no proper justice system....too may people, by 10x too many...The only place the "real wealth" goes to is London and the rest of the country is left to rot...and it gets worse year by year.

England helped shape the world....but for 30 years its been sliding into the sea...what a pity

Off the topic of immigration

I'm 27 lived just east of London all my life. I'm young but I can easily remember how things have changed in say at least the last 10 years. Aside worked in a supermarket since I was 16. What's annoyed me going on the subject of my job opening hours have extended where pretty much my store is open 24/7 and I know it's out of choice to have this job I work silly house during the week all mixed from early starts to starting late and finishing at midnight Saturday's. I've always had to work Saturdays so I never really have weekend to myself.

My point is just the way my work on its own affects my life I don't get much time with family or friends. Yet I go to a Greek island for a holiday and the main town is closed of all shops everyone is at home doing things enjoying life. I hope you see my point

Sorry to hear that, although I wouldn't think emigrating would really help anything. They would just take their discontented attitudes with them where ever they go and be equally as unhappy. And who is to say that where ever they move to would want them and their rude ways? LOL I have a friend who is a horribly rude, grumpy brit who moved here to the US. It took forever for me to get past her rude and highly distrusting exterior. She is very cynical and thinks the worst of anyone before getting to know them, she said most brits are cynical like that, but I find that hard to believe. I figured it was just her.

Wow, very strange you posted this thread.
A friend of mine from England just left here (no kidding, he literally just left here on Tuesday) after a 4-day stay. It was his first time here and he kept making remarks about how surreal everything felt, even when we were just doing mundane things, like, driving down the road. He said it was weird to see and experience all the things he had only seen in movies throughout his life.

LOL, one of the things was our telephone wires , he said they were "just like in the movies!" So cute.

He already shared a melancholy attitude toward England, but after 4 days here, he was ready to move his entire family. He said that we seemed genuinely nice to each other and people over there are generally just not like that. Like, over there, you don't talk to someone on an elevator.
To me, that is super weird and would make me very uncomfortable to just stand there like a jackass, in total silence, trying not to make eye contact with another human being.

Another thing that blew his mind was how big and spread-apart everything is. I reminded him that Texas was almost 3 times the size of the British Isles.
I also reminded him that he was in the Southern US. And his experience of America would most likely be contingent upon what area he was in. The Northeast is most like the UK (it's still referred to as New England, go figure) and I would say that the West Coast is probably more like, well, I'm not sure. All I know is that there's a lot of strange & neurotic individuals in that area. San Diego is AWESOME though. Especially old town. I don't mind visiting, but you couldn't pay me to live there.
The South would be more generally reflective of rural UK/Europe. And Texas and Louisiana could easily be their own separate countries. Louisiana is still governed under the Napoleonic Code. And Texas actually used to be its own country before it joined the Union.

reply to post by MaMaa


Brits are cynical...in general....I lived in the states a while...and the people i got on best with were New Yorkers...They are a cynical bunch too..and like to argue...which apparently suits my personality.. probably due to NY being overcrowded and a place where people tend to be aprehansive about other people.

The Americans I didn't relate to, were the ones, who never listen to the news...and seem to live in a bubble...You kind of have to have had a few scrapes and battles in life for me to understand where your coming from.

I love how a lot of Americans are not cynics though..its something that always attracts me..but I really think a lot of sunshine and blue skies make a big difference in a persons outlook...and also having a lot more space in a lot of states...and not being attached to your next door neighbor makes a huge difference in a persons mentality. as in the UK almost every house is..what we call..a terraced house...its attached directly to the home next to it..so you get very little privacy..and if you dont like your neighbors you simply cannot ignore them as they are so damn close to you. This proximity has led to untold misery among most neighbors..as most people tend to fall out when they are joined togeather.

I agree, I plan to leave too.

My main reason for wanting out of this sh*t hole is that I'm used as a piggy bank by my elitist scum government. I cannot afford a home of my own, because I'm a single male. I earn enough to be taxed, and to be inconsequential for housing, but I can't earn enough for a mortgage on a 30% share of an overpriced shoebox.

How am I supposed to save for a deposit for a 30% share of a shoebox when I'm expected to pay £600 a month for a one bedroom flat, pay council tax, rising energy costs...?

This isn't because of the financial crisis either, this has been a constant problem for decades. There is not enough housing, and it's done deliberately to force people into paying extortionate rents and to justify increasing housing prices. It's a supply and demand issue - keep the supply of publicly available housing low and people are forced into renting or buying, forcing up the prices and inflating the market beyond its real worth.

I'm saving now, in a year or two I'll be selling one of my internet properties for a modest sum and be looking at buying a property in Spain, cash up front. I can buy a 4 bed house in some beautiful parts of Spain, with the beach within walking distance, for 50% of what I would be paying for a 1 bed flat here in the UK.

It's just a matter of ensuring stability before I move. I don't want to move somewhere and then be caught in the middle of a revolution. And we know that is coming to most European countries in the coming five years.

Originally posted by Ginga
I recently discovered there is a warrant out for my arrest for non payment of TV license. You couldn't make it up.

You could and just did. Non payment of a TV licence is a Civil offence and is therefore not an arrestable offence. If you had got a warrant out for your arrest, that would have been for non-payment of a fine imposed by the Magistrates. What you got was probably a summons.

Originally posted by Ginga
I did have a TV but just used it for Xbox, had no intention of watching the brain dead reality shows and propaganda news, but apparently just owning a TV now you need a license.

Again, not true. You only need a licence to watch or record live broadcast programs. Merely having a TV to play Xbox does not require you to have a licence.

As for the OP, I do disagree with the entire premise really. No sense of community? Really? I thought this summer brought out the best in people. Life isn't actually that bad here when compared to much of the world, including large chunks of Europe. I bet if this survey had been done in 2007, it would have been totally the opposite. People have short memories and even shorter attention spans, plus an over-inflated sense of what is actual "hardship"

The difference the Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis and Somalians want to turn England into what they left.

Originally posted by khimbar

Originally posted by AmberLeaf
When i can afford to im off of this island too, the Polish, Iranians, Afghanies, Iraqi, and somalians can keep it

edit on 3-11-2012 by AmberLeaf because: (no reason given)

So when Polish, Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis and Somalians come to England for a better quality of life it's unacceptable, but it's acceptable for you to go to another country to do the same?

Originally posted by pacific_waters
The difference the Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis and Somalians want to turn England into what they left.

So you think they escaped an oppressive regime, war and struggle to come here, and that they want to create the same thing here?

I hear this a lot, and it's complete BS.

There is a vocal minority of Islamic fundamentalists who would probably be killed in their own country for daring to challenge their own dictators, so they use the freedom they have in the UK to be the big fish they can never be in their own country. This minority does want to create that here, because they want to be the big boss ordering people around when they wouldn't be able to do it in their home nation.

A cleric from Afghanistan you might see on the streets of the UK preaching would be killed in his own country, because he is competition. Here in the UK he can be that big man people look up to without that threat. That is the only reason they do it. If these people were sent home they would be in hiding - and I think that's exactly what should be done with them.

The vast majority of people who flee these countries for a better life elsewhere do not want to make their new country into the same hell hole they fled from. To suggest that is just simplistic idiocy.

reply to post by AmberLeaf


Deny ignorance.

The rest of you? Quit your bellyaching and leave if it bothers you that much.

Originally posted by StrangeWayz
reply to post by hotel1

 

Yeah social media is great for networking but we are more suspicious of our fellow man than ever, you hear of the days when we used to leave our front doors open and our neighbors would just walk on in. but now with the crime rate and everything some are scared of even waving at their neighbors...

I remember my grandfather saying the reason people used to leave their doors unlocked, and let neighbors walk in was because back in the "good old days we had b*#gger all worth stealing

Heck, i figure the weather itself woulld make people want to leave.

I've been there 3 times, have never seen the sun, just dreary overcast and rain.

Reminded me of Washington State 9 months out of the year.

reply to post by StrangeWayz


The article does not state when the survey was conducted. After the Jubilee and The Olympics I would guess, as I felt a great deal of national pride during the summer.

Are you saying that the most offensive people in the UK come from The BNP, EDL and NF? I can think of offensive people from all sides of the political agenda. What about the offensive senior executives who ran our banking sector in the ground and then asked the offensive Labour government of the time for a hand out?
I have heard and seen offensive behaviour from muslims and poles in this country as much I have seen from other nationals.

Many countries are suffering an economic downtown, and yes I am sure many of us are having to tighten our belts. Times like this should make us all our lifestyles and decide what is important. Do we need the latest phone or e-reader? Have access to several hundred channels of TV?

According to 85% of families, they want their children to grow up in a country with a stronger sense of community. What have these families being doing? They have the opportunity to educate their children about community, but I see too many families failing to teaching their children anything about civics and community, and as soon as schools or people in the community want to enforce civics and community, these same parents cry foul. And how many of these parents take steps to stop their children from watching the celebrity rubbish of TV? Seems to me these parents are not prepared to take responsibility. Take for a licence to breed? I need one to drive a car, lorry or own a shotgun.

While many of those of us who work are unhappy with what we see around us, what are they doing about it. It is easy to talk and moan, but harder to act.

Originally posted by TheBlackHat
reply to post by MaMaa

 

Brits are cynical...in general....I lived in the states a while...and the people i got on best with were New Yorkers...They are a cynical bunch too..and like to argue...which apparently suits my personality.. probably due to NY being overcrowded and a place where people tend to be aprehansive about other people.

The Americans I didn't relate to, were the ones, who never listen to the news...and seem to live in a bubble...You kind of have to have had a few scrapes and battles in life for me to understand where your coming from.

I love how a lot of Americans are not cynics though..its something that always attracts me..but I really think a lot of sunshine and blue skies make a big difference in a persons outlook...and also having a lot more space in a lot of states...and not being attached to your next door neighbor makes a huge difference in a persons mentality. as in the UK almost every house is..what we call..a terraced house...its attached directly to the home next to it..so you get very little privacy..and if you dont like your neighbors you simply cannot ignore them as they are so damn close to you. This proximity has led to untold misery among most neighbors..as most people tend to fall out when they are joined togeather.

edit on 3-11-2012 by TheBlackHat because: (no reason given)

That is interesting. Everyone from either New York or Florida have been incredibly rude, no one I could relate to at any rate. I don't 'listen' to the news per say because I do not trust main stream media, I do however read my news from various places online. I couldn't imagine having to live in such close proximity to people like that, hell even the idea of going to New York freaks me out a bit. Too many people all in one place, too close. Then again, I'm in Colorado where we have lots of wide open space to breath. It's easy to like people when you don't have to be around them all the time. LOL Heck, I got up early one morning and went on a hike and literally only saw one other person the entire afternoon. Weather plays a big part of things too I'm sure. It's sunny approximately 300 days out of the year here in Colorado, people seem to be happier when it's sunny. I live in town and I think my neighbor is too close, but looking at some of the houses you are talking about (nod to google)... I think we could probably fit 3 or 4 of them between my house and my neighbors so I shouldn't complain. LOL

Originally posted by stumason

Originally posted by Ginga
I recently discovered there is a warrant out for my arrest for non payment of TV license. You couldn't make it up.

You could and just did. Non payment of a TV licence is a Civil offence and is therefore not an arrestable offence. If you had got a warrant out for your arrest, that would have been for non-payment of a fine imposed by the Magistrates. What you got was probably a summons.

Originally posted by Ginga
I did have a TV but just used it for Xbox, had no intention of watching the brain dead reality shows and propaganda news, but apparently just owning a TV now you need a license.

Again, not true. You only need a licence to watch or record live broadcast programs. Merely having a TV to play Xbox does not require you to have a licence.

You're correct, the warrant was actually for the non-payment of the fine, but as I was out of the country for so long and no longer lived at the property I was unaware of such a fine.

When I explained to the collector who phoned me it was just for Xbox it was he who said it didn't matter - the laws had recently changed and anybody who buys a TV must purchase a license. Probably just scare tactics, as he's probably on a commission.

As for the OP, I do disagree with the entire premise really. No sense of community? Really? I thought this summer brought out the best in people. Life isn't actually that bad here when compared to much of the world, including large chunks of Europe. I bet if this survey had been done in 2007, it would have been totally the opposite. People have short memories and even shorter attention spans, plus an over-inflated sense of what is actual "hardship"

Originally posted by stumason




It depends entirely where you stand in society, your a freemason right? I can imagine your place in society will bring a much bigger feeling of community.
That brings me to the other thing you wrote about poverty hear which does exist especially here where I live (Sunderland) ofcourse nowhere near as bad as places like East Europe or the Mediterranean but it's still bad and getting worse. Sometimes it's the choices people make and other times it's just bad luck with bad economics added in the mix. People at the bottom end of the social and economical ladder are losing a lot at this time again Sunderland is a great example of this over the last 40 years we have lost a lot of our culture and stability

edit on 19-11-2012 by RAY1990 because: (no reason given)

Originally posted by Ginga
When I explained to the collector who phoned me it was just for Xbox it was he who said it didn't matter - the laws had recently changed and anybody who buys a TV must purchase a license. Probably just scare tactics, as he's probably on a commission.

As far as I am aware, the law remains the same. One only needs a license to view live transmissions. Using it for an Xbox requires no license. If they give you stick, then just unplug it from any receiver (assuming it was ever connected). The onus is on them to prove you have used it to watch TV broadcasts, not on you to prove you didn't.

reply to post by RAY1990



Hehe, nope, I'm not a freemason, just a born and bred Mason...Can't say I am very imaginative when it comes to my username...

As for your point, I know some area's have experienced a large amount of upheaval and change in the past and I was trying to diminish that. That said, I always thought the North East had an excellent sense of community, certainly much better than "down south" so I'm told..

Originally posted by MaMaa

That is interesting. Everyone from either New York or Florida have been incredibly rude, no one I could relate to at any rate.

I never understood this... I'm from Boston and have been to NYC countless times. I don't believe we are rude up here, we just have different lifestyles than people from other parts of the country. We talk faster, walk faster, drive faster...we like to just get stuff done NOW, so maybe patience isn't our thing (do not stand on the left side of the escalator! ) lol. People in the northeast might not be bubbly like Californians but I can't tell you how many times I've met people from out of state on the train, street, bar etc and one of the first things they mention is how surprisingly friendly and hospitable we are. Of all the times I've been to NYC, I don't recall ever coming across anyone that was rude to me... not even when my brother was walking around in Redsox/Celtics/Patriots clothes In fact just the opposite, I've met a lot of cool, down to earth, non judgy people from there

I'm ready for a trade, were such a thing possible. I'll come and live and WORK in the UK, and another family of 4 can come and live and WORK in the US.

Nothing against the US, btw. My family has always been very keen on our continental roots in Ireland and Scotland. I'd love a chance to see what all the fuss is about.