I need to hear good things about the UK

I sent a long list of things I loved about the UK by snail mail, when he worried about me and culture shock, but there are two hands down favorites (besides him )

1.  cream cakes
2.  MSG is clearly labelled on food products

#1 is all about pleasure and #2 is about avoiding pain.  Both very good things.

Where do I begin??  There are so many good things about living over here!  I love the people, they are so friendly and welcoming.  I love the relaxed attitude all around, in work and in home life.  People seem to watch out for each other.  After living here 3 years, I couldn't go back to the US as I don't think I would fit in! lol

I dont live in the UK....yet (moving to Glasgow in July), but from what I have seen in my visits over there is that the Brits have there priorities in a different order then us Americans do. (A much better order BTW).  In the US it seems as though our list goes
1. MONEY, 2. Having a good job and making alot of money, 3.school, 4. family, 5. friends/social life, 6. fun
while in the UK it is more like 1. Family, 2. friends/social life, 3. fun, 4. school, 5. job, 6.money.

The whole system makes for a much more fufilling and laid back lifestyle.......

Yeah there is a slight put down sense of humour but they are quite quick to put themselves down (british culture that is)

I also like that it's okay to question or look at things objectively without it being deemed unpatriotic 

I also like that it's okay to question or look at things objectively without it being deemed unpatriotic 

I agree, Alicia. I also like the fact that religion and politics aren't all tied up together over here.

Just remembered I love EASYJET.....You can basically fly anywhere for really reasonable rates!!!!!!

Hello all, found this site looking for inspiration. As a Scot who has lived in Texas and Louisiana for the last twelve years but is about to move home with my Texan wife and two boys (7 and 10 this year) I wanted to find some perspective and maybe something to help my wife, who loves the UK but is having "butterflies"

Memories for me from my youth:

The basic down to earth "gritty normality" of the people. the genuine, non-profit, interest in your situation. The history and majesty of this strange little island (something I ignored as a child). Thinking a 20 mile car journey is "a long trip". Long summer days when "be home before it gets dark" really worked to your advantage!! Making money "tattie-pickin" or stacking hay bales.
If its warm in the house or car, you open the window.....
Lifelong friends who love you if you have 10p in your pocket or 500 pounds.
The local organizations that hang flower baskets in the summer around small towns for no other reason than to make friends and strangers smile. The understanding that old things should be cherished and protected.


Can I ask a question?
Has anyone come across a cost of living type calculator that would give me an idea of how my UK salary will compare with my US one. Not looking to be rich, just want to have an idea of what I need to earn..

Thanks!

Things I miss about the UK of a decade ago:

* Provision for pedestrians
* Winters damp enough for my skin not to become unbearably dry and summers dry enough to be outside for more than 10 minutes and not risk serious consequences (I'm in NJ)
* Less materialistic culture (it still seems that way, though it may be catching up)
* Branston pickle (though I recently located it in Wegman's!)
* Reading the Guardian and Independent in hard copy format
* Charity shops
* The local May Day parade
* Cotton clothing that doesn't shrink the first 3-5 times you wash it
* Clothes lines
* Public transport (I know it gets complained about, but it's there, damnit!)
* The NHS (see public transport)
* Leisure centres (cheaper than the YMCA and you don't need to be a member to use it)
* Being able to go from town to country in a short bus ride
* Recognised and researchable historical sites
* The idea that you can wander round areas that are in Y Mabinogi and Saxon mythology
* Fairy rings
* Magpies
* Big teapots that cost less than 10 quid
* The accents
* The coast
* The Pennines and the moors
* Narrow boats on canals

* Magpies

I was with you until you said magpies, kaz! Damned nuisances, if you ask me! Greedy things trying to take all the birdfood away from the other birds! Hrmph!

Something else I like about the UK:

I don't know if this is just the area I live in or if others have noticed it as well, but people over here seem to give much more money to charity than people in the US do. Every week in my village, there's some fundraising event or another, and the whole village turns out and supports it. Yes, it does get expensive, but people are more than happy to do it -- whether it's the cancer society, church restoration fund, NSPCC, lifeboat fund, etc.

It's odd the stuff you miss - things you take for granted or find annoying until they're no longer around

People are generally nice. I remember in the card shop, in Hull, someone heard me talk and was like, OMG she's American. It always strikes up conversation, and helps break the ice. Nobody has ever been rude to me.

I'll desperately miss:

English TV.
Little old men in tweed coats riding their bikes along the street.
Narrow boats on the canal.
London.
Lush cosmetics shop.
Watching little kids in cute English school uniforms file along the sidewalk to school.
The cathedrals.
The museums.
Market Day.
The slower pace of life.
Being so unique in my neighborhood.
Proper english breakfasts.
Political flexibility.
The Guardian!!!
Being surrounded by gorgeous, varied accents.
Sunday roasts.
Pubs.
Strong, local beers.
Women in hats at weddings.
Non old-lady Bingo.
The countryside.
Sunsets over the Fens.
Little pheasants running all around the fields.
Ancient houses all over the place.
Preserved historical buildings.
Pub quizzes.
Christmas carol services in a church older than my country.
Gargoyles.
Flowers blooming in winter.
Charity shops.
English Maternity care.
Documentaries galor on TV.
BBC Radio 4.
Good public transportation.
Closeness to Europe.
The cool antique shops.
Having a different perspective on US goings-on.
Greener greens than I've ever seen before.
Green in the winter, too.
Ghost walks & stories in local pubs, houses, etc.
The friendly relationship between mainstream medicine and non-traditional medicine.
The dressier type of clothing available.

There's millions more, but that's just off the top of my head...

I think it is SO cute when I see a little old man in his little cap walking down the street. I love Lush! Ghost walks are really fun, I went to one in Edinburgh. My favorite city is York, though. AND ALTON TOWERS!

I think it is SO cute when I see a little old man in his little cap walking down the street.

I especially enjoy the little old man in a cap and braces (suspenders) with a moth-eaten tweed jacket, sitting in the corner of a pub with a pint in front of him and a toothless smile for everyone.

Ghost walks are a blast!  There's actually one in New Hope, PA, which is pretty good,and I'm sure there must be more around the US.  The best I ever went on was The Original Ghost Walk of York - Mark Graham obviously loves what he does and is happy to go out of his way to make it special; he also collects ghost stories, so if you have any, he likes to hear them. 

I was looking to start a thread about WHY did you move, and was it worth it?  Then I came across this one.  My DF and I had a bit of a tiff tonight.  I was feeling miserable about money, and how are we ever going to do this (getting me to England).  Will it all be worth it in the long run.

Then I found this thread.

I've read all five pages, every single post.  Half the time I was sobbing.  I spent 15 days in England, and I want to be back there so badly I can't stand it.  When I came back to the US it just seems to me to be so - blah.  Michigan is a beautiful state, and it's my home, but still the place just didn't live for me the same as England.

My heart has finally found a place to match the beauty it always knew was out there.  My heart belongs in England.

Thank you for this thread.  I know I will come back and read it from time to time just to be reminded that it WILL all be worth it in the long run.

Now I'll go and send him an apology.   :\\\'(

~Liza