Is UK weather as bad as many people say?

I am hoping that I can convince my husband to move to warmer climes, if possible, when we get older.  I think that arthritis is going to be a problem for me - well cos it already is.  This week with the colder-than-the-just-chilly-we-normally-get, my body has been hurting.  The pain is bearable right now, but I can't imagine it's going to get any better the more I age.  

I am hoping for southern Europe - maybe Spain.  We could legally do it because I'm a British citizen now too - with an EU passport.  Finances (the how) would be another stickier issue though.

Still the weather here in the UK is normally pretty temperate - you don't get the hot and cold extremes (for the most part) that you get in the US, because we are an island & there's the Gulf Stream...so it's not a continental weather pattern here.  Also, there are pockets here & there with their own microclimates - generally fairer weather than the rest of the UK, so you might want to research on those.

From where I am, a London winter is MUCH better than a New York winter (although how the city handles the weather is another situation entirely).  But just temperature-wise, it does not get as bitter, bitter cold that it can back in NY.  So, I'm grateful for that.

Would love more sunshine in the summer, but compared to what I heard NYC had this summer, I think we were just about even!

 & there's the Gulf Stream...

everytime I say Gulf Stream, someone corrects me and says it's actually the North Atlantic Drift.

everytime I say Gulf Stream, someone corrects me and says it's actually the North Atlantic Drift.

Heh - I almost said the Jet Stream!  And I knew that was wrong. 

Heh - I almost said the Jet Stream!  And I knew that was wrong. 

 

What I really really miss are the humid summer nights - the feel, smell and sound of them, particularly the crickets and tree frogs.  There are hardly any song birds where I live in Bristol.  The silence is a big problem for me.  I can't imagine going through the rest of my life without ambient nature sounds. 

Where I was in Cambridgeshire this summer you could hear loads of birds (peacocks, emus, etc. from crazy bird man across the path) and LIONS from the zoo up the road.  Yes, lions.

Kind of related...have a gander at this:

Yeah, they had that image on the Beeb last night, and it is really amazing.

Thank you all for taking the time to post your advice it has made a big difference. My girlfriend and I manage to come to an agreement that should work for the both of us.We were speaking tonight about the move(I could tell she was a little nervous) and I asked her how long had she been thinking of not returning to the States and why did she not communicate those feelings to me before now. She told me that there was no good way to confess to me how she felt and she was looking for the right time.She was afraid that the news might change my mind about moving to the UK with her.(why do women keep such big secrets? )

I asked her if we went to the Uk and I agreed to stay for two years then if things did not work out, would she be willing to move back to the States. She admited moving back to the east coast would not work for her but she is open to giving northern  California a try.So as of tonight it seem like we have come to terms and everything is back on track.We plan to get married before moving to the UK and she doesn't know this yet but I allready have the ring and will be surprising her soon.She really is a good woman and I hope the move to Essex turns out to be far better than I could have ever imagined.

I want to thank everyone for all the help you've given and hope you don't mind if I  in the near future ask for information about logistics for the move. To be honest I'm starting to think this move is going to be amazing.

Awww, I'm so happy for you! That sounds great. To be honest, though, as I mentioned before, I think you should stay at least for 3 years to get your citizenship, this way you can have the freedom of being able to move away from the UK and then move back years later. You never know what you might want to do 20 years from now, you know? So if you stayed at least long enough to get the dual citizenship, then you would have the freedom of moving back to the states, and if something were to come up with her family and you both needed to move back to UK to take care of them or something, then you wouldn't have to go through all those visas again. Just a thought!
Good luck to you... I'm glad you are looking forward to giving the UK a try! It will be a challenge sometimes, but you might find you really love it here. I know I do! 

I don't know why this is bothering me, but MyDogsWalker, how is your girl in the US right now (immigration wise)?  You say she was born in the UK and the tone of your other posts implies she has been in the US for quite some time now.

Is she here in the US on some sort of visa?  Did she come over some time ago with family?

I don't mean to be nosy or to imply anything could be amiss.  But the immigrant status of an alien in the US at the time of their departure from here can very much impact a potential return to the US.

Awww, I'm so happy for you! That sounds great. To be honest, though, as I mentioned before, I think you should stay at least for 3 years to get your citizenship, this way you can have the freedom of being able to move away from the UK and then move back years later. You never know what you might want to do 20 years from now, you know? So if you stayed at least long enough to get the dual citizenship, then you would have the freedom of moving back to the states, and if something were to come up with her family and you both needed to move back to UK to take care of them or something, then you wouldn't have to go through all those visas again. Just a thought!
Good luck to you... I'm glad you are looking forward to giving the UK a try! It will be a challenge sometimes, but you might find you really love it here. I know I do! 

Thanks Jewlz for the well wishes.Very nice of you.Today I feel more at peace and mostly because I have a better understanding with the Mrs. I have not closed the door on making the UK my home long term.My biggest concern stim from the difference in climates and how that will effect my Bronchitis. Not sure if you've ever experienced respiratory issues but let me say it can become quite a problem when conditions(weather,pollution,dust, ect ect) are in involved.Karen did inpart pick Essex for our relocation because of the weather.Originally she had planned to move back up north where her family lives but she tells me it does infact rain more in that region of the country.

I know she is doing everything possible to make my settlement there easy & successful.So if we progress from a two year plan to spending our lifes in the UK,I'm open to it as long as we both are healthy and happy.

I don't know why this is bothering me, but MyDogsWalker, how is your girl in the US right now (immigration wise)?  You say she was born in the UK and the tone of your other posts implies she has been in the US for quite some time now.

Is she here in the US on some sort of visa?  Did she come over some time ago with family?

I don't mean to be nosy or to imply anything could be amiss.  But the immigrant status of an alien in the US at the time of their departure from here can very much impact a potential return to the US.

Hi rebeccajo

No you are not being too nosy at all. The Mrs could have allready gone for her citizenship she has been here long enough working as a nurse.I allways thought she was procrastinating but it turns out she just doesn't want to be an American. Do you want to hear something funny? She does want me to become a British citizen. The inconsistencies of my woman.

I know if she had her way we would live the rest of our lifes in the UK.I believe once we leave she would never want to live again in america and is only willing to come back in two years in order to guard my health and to make me happy.Truth is I'm happy as long as we are together and healthy.So I guess we are soon off to the UK.End of 2010 will be about right and we will travel this summer to visit her family and to set up her new job.

Truth is I don't know anything about the country of the UK and only a small amount about it's traditions and culture.My friends tell me I'm crazy for doing this.My family who love Karen are telling me to go for it. This is going to be a hoot.

You sound like the opposite of me and my hubby.  I'm trying to convince him to move back to the States.  And as he says he can generally be happy anywhere but I so badly miss home.  It would be a complete culture shock for him having only ever visted to come home with me and be with my family.   I'll tell him your story though.  About how a man so loved his wife (well soon to be) that he moved oceans for her.  Thanks! hehe

Oh great, another where shall I live my partner wants to be in X place question. Check out the UK and see how you get on, as they say. And really think about whether that is where you want to live and whether it is worth being with your girlfriend to live in the UK. It may not be. The weather is pretty awful- some people like it, for me the only pleasant time is the fall, which can be absolutely gorgeous. Keep in mind it doesn't actually rain all that much and it isn't even very cold. But there is no summer and spring is just a lot of rain. And it is very damp. As I'm from New York I find the winter pretty mild- the bad side of it is there is no summer to make up for the slight cold.