PantagruelFebruary 27, 2024 at 19:254650 views77 comments
We are looking seriously at emigrating to England (from Canada). Mainly for the warmer winters, also the community feel of village life. I feel it has a stronger socialist sentiment also.
Comments (77)
javi2541997February 27, 2024 at 19:45#8840540 likes
Warm winters, village life... And a strong socialist sentiment? Mate, I guess Baños de la Encina is your place!
Reply to Pantagruel Jokes aside. Which English city are you thinking of? Because London is obviously discarded.
PantagruelFebruary 27, 2024 at 20:46#8840700 likes
Reply to javi2541997 Thanks for replying Javi! We are mainly going by climate, a little drier and sunnier, so the southwest, or northeast, like Suffolk. We are pretty flexible and hoping to find something nice since we are free to resettle where we want!
javi2541997February 27, 2024 at 21:12#8840750 likes
Reply to Pantagruel I like your attitude! I wish you the best. Suffolk seems to be a good place to begin a new chapter in your life. Good luck!
PantagruelFebruary 27, 2024 at 22:15#8840880 likes
We are looking seriously at emigrating to England (from Canada). Mainly for the warmer winters, also the community feel of village life. I feel it has a stronger socialist sentiment also.
Have you checked out the news from around England recently?
I left England permanently back in "75, and there is no way in hell I am going back.
I live near what is supposed to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but I have not seen guys fighting in the street with machetes for a very long time. It appears to be happening on an almost daily basis in several cities in England.
And I don't get discriminated against for being English here either whereas it appears from the news that the illegal immigrants have more rights than the citizens in England nowadays.
It also appears that the price of a house has reached the point where it is almost impossible for a single salary family to buy.
PantagruelFebruary 28, 2024 at 00:05#8841130 likes
It also appears that the price of a house has reached the point where it is almost impossible for a single salary family to buy.
It's absolutely impossible in Canada. Home prices here are sky-high. Home prices in England are at least 10-15% lower. Plus we would be moving to a more rural location, definitely not a city.
Im from the UK. Many years ago I lived in four places there that had the community feel youre looking for: Fairlie in Ayrshire, Wigan, Stockbridge in Edinburgh (the village in the city), and Leith. Only one of those is in England and its the wetter part of England. Down where the weather is nice Ive spent a lot of time around Hastings and Bexhill and like those places very much.
Now I want to move back to the UK too, after an absence of twelve years, but these days Im less hopeful about finding the community feel and a nice place to live that I can afford. And all you hear from Britain now is how bad everything isIm hoping this is because of the way the news is now.
But having been back to visit a few times I do get the impression that Stockbridge, for example, has lost the community feel it once had. Its locally owned shops and cafes are now Tesco, Sainsbury, Starbucks, etc. But thats in the city and probably to be expected. Ive also been back to Fairlie, and even though its still just a village, it might have lost the community feel as well. There is now nobody in the streets, the houses and gardens are now divided by high hedgeswhen I lived there they were all openand there are no shops left. On the other hand, I have associations of community from childhood that just don't apply any more (local shops), and communities may be thriving today but just look different.
In my experience, in the middle and south of England there is a tweely conservative monarchy-loving ultra-parochial cake-baking mindset which might be compatible with community feel but which I find quite horrible (but I guess thats because Im a rootless cosmopolitan, mostly Scottish and a bit prejudiced against the English). They're certainly not socialist, but I guess they do like the NHS (which I imagine counts as socialist to a North American).
Oddly enough, although Im in a country thats as cold as Canada (Russia), I find the weather here much better than British weather, since winter is proper winter and summers are consistently warm and dry.
Since youve chosen England for the weather, of all things, Im assuming its because of the language and culture. In which case, why not Australia or New Zealand?
BTW Id be very sceptical of what @Sir2u has to say.
[quote] We are mainly going by climate, a little drier and sunnier, so the southwest, or northeast, like Suffolk. We are pretty flexible and hoping to find something nice since we are free to resettle where we want! Reply to Pantagruel
I live in Norfolk near the boundary with Suffolk and lived in Suffolk for ten years before that. I would highly recommend it. We enjoy the peace and tranquility here, one of the quieter parts of the country in terms of traffic congestion, or population density. I rarely lock my car at night and dont expect anyone to come snooping around. There is a strong sense of community around here and social justice, although we dont get involved in village life.
We value nature and have many nature reserves and good habitat within a few miles and the diversity of species in our garden is really high compared to the rest of the country.
Regarding the weather though, it is relatively warm, we have only had maybe ten nights of frost this winter, which would rise above zero by mid morning. The issue with the weather here is the number of cloudy and wet days. It can get you down when more than half the time it is raining, or overcast and you dont know if you can go out without getting wet. Our garden is currently very muddy, its even reached the point this year where we have to wear wellies to go around the garden to feed our chickens and sheep. We have to take our shoes off at the door, always, the mud is clayey. But once you get to spring the weather is much better and the summers are glorious and rarely to hot.
There is an issue with the economic decline and lots of infrastructure is neglected and falling apart. Poverty is spreading and public services are in crisis most of the time. Many councils are going bankrupt at the moment, resulting in increases in council tax. However if you have money, or a secure income these things are not a problem. If I werent watching the news, I probably wouldnt notice the decline. Except when I want to see a doctor, or want socially funded dental care. Both are very difficult to access. However if you are happy to go private, there is plenty of provision.
Though I have found most philosophers have a tinge of morbidity, if not full on appreciation for dark humor and, horror, basically. In which case, go for it.
IMO, socialism only works with physical borders (walls or geographic boundary that makes it difficult or impossible for someone to "wonder" toward or "casually" go to in efforts to seek nonreciprocal benefit at the expense of those who labor to provide it). Hand in hand with some sort of religious authority that instills the non-mandatory value of a hard day's work and eternal reward as well as social value. "The land of milk and honey" sounds nice. So long as someone provides it for you. Eventually, it never works due to the fact it's logistically unsustainable.
The Kingdom has seen better days, to put it lightly. I personally believe it's Biblical and the darkest before the dawn before... something happens. As to the implicit nature of this "something" I can't seem to muster. Like most things, time will tell, eh?
In my experience, in the middle and south of England there is a tweely conservative monarchy-loving ultra-parochial cake-baking mindset which might be compatible with community feel but which I find quite horrible (but I guess thats because Im a rootless cosmopolitan, mostly Scottish and a bit prejudiced against the English). They're certainly not socialist, but I guess they do like the NHS (which I imagine counts as socialist to a North American).
Ditto.
I lived in Suffolk. Very conservative. Ignorant, insular. Of course you can find your tribe anywhere with a large population, but you'll have to look, and probably drive. I hate England even though I'm English. There are pretty villages in Suffolk if you can stomach the culture. It is probably drier and sunnier on average in east Anglia generally, rain gets dropped on the Western hills. The fens (Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire) are flat and also conservative, but somehow a bit more relatable for me. Anyway. I live in Scotland now. Somehow i managed to end up in one of the only two conservative counties in Scotland. Still like it better than England, class is a bit less of a thing in Scotland in general. Still there of course and wealth matters obviously. Edinburgh has a marked class divide though it seemed to me, less so than the Highlands.
Oddly enough I've always wanted to move to Canada, less population density. Lots of wilderness. Tough winters though i guess. But no country needs a philosopher or social care lawyer.
Wow. Thanks for all the information guys. This is why we ask.
I'm not sure that the critical reviews aren't just a symptom of global decline though. I would have thought Canada was the place to be, but we are reeling under crippling inflation and we lack the deep cultural foundation to combat the malaise that is modern man. At least the UK (and Europe) has that. Moreover, we are just too close to the US for comfort. We don't want to go there, we don't want to hear about the awful shit that's going down there.
Lots of food for thought though. I'm concerned about the availability of healthcare for sure. Mind you, this is a serious problem in Canada also. The only upside for me is I just retired from the healthcare industry, so I know all of the family doctors in our region, and their staff, which can help.
javi2541997February 28, 2024 at 12:31#8842350 likes
No. I am from Madrid, but that's the municipality with the most sense of socialism in Spain.
Well, I don't want to speak about my country because this thread is about England. I think Liverpool or Manchester could be good options. It will be interesting to know what our Manc mate, @Sir2u, thinks about Manchester (or what he reminds about this city).
Interesting views and opinions, mates. I wonder now if it is a matter of the county or the neighborhood you live in. I searched for more info on Norfolk and the internet says that the largest city is Norwich. I guess there are different neighborhoods inside Norwich, and they differ on the concept of 'class'. For example, Here in Madrid, the middle-class doesn't live in the center, we all live do the outskirts. I don't really know if you are referring to this and whether @Pantagruel is looking for it.
By the way, the constituencies of Norfolk are Conservative. The Labour Party no longer held the urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's. Norfolk
I don't know if this is a paradox or a contradiction. :chin:
Alan Partridge, from Norfolk, suggested amalgamating Norfolk and Suffolk to form a new county. Its name would combine the Nor- from Norfolk with the -folk from Suffolk: Norfolk.
Any thoughts about living in Northern Europe? Like those socialist-leaning countries such as Norway and Finland? Unfortunately, being northern equals being colder lol. :grimace:
PantagruelFebruary 28, 2024 at 13:13#8842400 likes
Reply to 0 thru 9 My wife has German citizenship so we have talked about Germany also. Cold is something we are trying to avoid though!
Which is high on our requirements list. It seems like everywhere has its major flaws. I suspect that happiness is mostly about the motivation and energy you bring with you.
What about New Zealand instead? That's my second choice (if I were to leave the US for good); British Columbia, Canada is my first choice (I currently live between Portland and Seattle so I'm slowly becoming more familiar with the province than I had been from visits in the 90s) and Costa Rica is my third choice.
PantagruelFebruary 28, 2024 at 20:19#8843340 likes
Reply to 180 Proof Hadn't considered New Zealand. Quite a hike! BC is so expensive and seems like climate change might be more of a problem there. My wife lived and taught english in Puerto Vallarta for years and we also considered that, but the summer heat is already crazy and then you have to factor climate change in again....
We will look into New Zealand though. As long as it isn't as burning hot as Australia!
Ive been to Vancouver Island a couple of times, would love to live there. I knew someone there who lived off the grid in the forest in a small geodesic dome.
I consider BC to have far too many trees but I could get used to it.
I'd gladly trade this 'glitchy' 60 year old husk for my peak healthy-fittest 25 year old body :strong: but only if my 60 years of memories, learning, understanding (i.e. maturity) remained. Granted that "wish", I'd relocate to a much more remote, physically challenging environment in a country in the global south where the hazards of climate change are, and will be for the foreseeable future, minimal. Such places, however, are no countries for old bourgeois men or women ... :fear:
[quote] By the way, the constituencies of Norfolk are Conservative. The Labour Party no longer held the urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's. Norfolk
I don't know if this is a paradox or a contradiction. :chin: Reply to javi2541997
Norfolk is Conservative due to the farming community and the middle and upper middle class communities. I would think a lot of them are changing their minds about now. The Green Party is doing well in Norfolk and Suffolk. Norwich is a really nice city, not to big, about 250,000, or there about with a rich history and cultural life. Definitely worth a visit.
PantagruelFebruary 28, 2024 at 22:33#8843830 likes
where the hazards of climate change are, and will be for the foreseeable future, minimal.
I'm not so sure about that.
Normally it's about -5 here this time of year. Last couple of days it got up around 15 and all the snow melted. Now, the temperature is plummeting, going down to -10 and we are getting up to 35 cm of snow in the next 24 hours. Then it is going back up to 8 on Friday.
Reply to Outlander I did not even bother to mention the immigration problems there because there is just too much to say. But I think it is pretty shitty when they won't let you speak about how you think your country should be without being called a racist.
It will be interesting to know what our Manc mate, Sir2u, thinks about Manchester (or what he reminds about this city).
Even though I was born there I lived there for less than 15% of my life. Looking at the places that appear on the news and roaming the streets in Street View does not really bring back many memories. Probably because the first time I left England I was too young and the second time I was too poor to have been able to spend time doing much except work and study. I certainly don't miss any of the places I used to hang out at.
The last time I was in Manchester was back in 1980. I was there for 8 days, 3 of which I spent at the airport trying to get an early flight out of there.
I still check on the news from England almost every day, and I do the news from the States and Canada a couple of times a week.
Reply to Sir2u The racism issue has become politically weaponised in the U.K. However the reality on the ground is not so bad. Although there are workforce issues and residential status issues due to Brexit.
Reply to Pantagruel South Germany near the French border is the way to go then or even France itself. Great summers (I studied there in Strassbourg, French side). Think Karslruhe, Frankfurt am Main, maybe as far as Stuttgart. Houses are affordable, if you're Quebecois your French is useful as it's relatively common in that area. There's plenty of nice villages around. French part is pretty conservative though.
Baden-Wurttemburg (Karlsruhe and Stuttgart) is more socialist (green party biggest, center CDU + socialist SPD make up 67%). Hessen, where Frankfurt am Main is, is even more left-leaning.
The surrounding country side is great. Hilly. And much better weather than the UK. Benefits of being in the EU is you get to travel everywhere without any hassle.
PantagruelFebruary 29, 2024 at 10:26#8844680 likes
South Germany near the French border is the way to go then or even France itself. Great summers (I studied there in Strassbourg, French side). Think Karslruhe, Frankfurt am Main, maybe as far as Stuttgart. Houses are affordable,
Reply to Pantagruel I mean the region; not necessarily those cities. :wink: For instance, baden-baden would fit more of your criteria. But plenty of villages in the region. some Baden-baden photos
We are looking seriously at emigrating to England (from Canada). Mainly for the warmer winters, also the community feel of village life. I feel it has a stronger socialist sentiment also.
Interesting, possibly a romantic view. From an Australian perspective, everyone I know who wants to emigrate, wants to go to Canada - England being regarded as dysfunctional and a broken ruin, thanks to years of Tory and New Labour neo-liberalism and 'free'-market cock sucking.
PantagruelFebruary 29, 2024 at 12:02#8844820 likes
Interesting, possibly a romantic view. From an Australian perspective, everyone I know who wants to emigrate, wants to go to Canada - England being regarded as dysfunctional and a broken ruin,
Yes, and I had a feeling that some of that was coming, and a few different degrees of it already have. But here's a suggestion in return. Do you think you can know too much and become jaded about something? Because, likewise, Canada has equally dire problems and drawbacks, as I see them, and live them. And maybe bringing a romantic optimism to a new context will succeed in injecting some positive energy into that context and changing it for the better?
ChristofferFebruary 29, 2024 at 12:07#8844840 likes
Reply to Pantagruel Why not a Scandinavian country instead? If you want a better and working socialistic environment, then England doesn't seem like the best choice?
Yes, I often say if you want to know about a place, dont ask a local. Or at least, be very careful who you ask. A few times Ive seen tourists in Edinburgh being given the most awful advice and information, laden with prejudices, cynicism, and basic ignorance.
PantagruelFebruary 29, 2024 at 12:24#8844880 likes
?Pantagruel Why not a Scandinavian country instead? If you want a better and working socialistic environment, then England doesn't seem like the best choice?
As a member of the Commonwealth my pensions and benefits are more straightforward than some other places, for one. My grandfather was born in England. I speak the language.
Do you think you can know too much and become jaded about something?
If you are asking is it possible to know a place well and thereby understand its flaws? Then yes. There's a reason they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. :wink:
I think most western countries are victims of neoliberalism and the collapse of communities and public confidence which this has wrought. Australia is no different. But I would have no advice to anyone wanting to migrate to Australia. All I can really say is it's often unbearably hot and housing is unaffordable. Personally, I'd rather blazing sun than snow.
PantagruelFebruary 29, 2024 at 12:36#8844920 likes
Yes, I often say if you want to know about a place, dont ask a local. Or at least, be very careful who you ask. A few times Ive seen tourists in Edinburgh being given the most awful advice and information, laden with prejudices, cynicism, and basic ignorance.
:100:
No one is more cynical than the believer who failed to find what they wanted. I stopped clinging to jobs like that was all that there was and started proactively redirecting the energy from legitimate dissatisfaction. But I only learned to do that because my boss dropped dead one day and my job of 11 years disappeared without a trace, since his programming was the company. If I started to feel unappreciated at a job, I didn't complain, I just started looking. My dad kept telling me to just stick with it, but after four jobs in five years I ended up in a real keeper, and because of the location I was able to visit him frequently during the last year of his life and to be with him at his bedside when he passed, because I worked right next to the hospital.
So I feel the same about where you are. If it isn't working don't complain, either make it work or try something else.
javi2541997February 29, 2024 at 12:41#8844930 likes
I thought about Sweden when I read the OP (and Baños de la Encina, of course) because of the socialist sentiment or the idea of removing class-like societies and having both public services and education accessible for everyone. Sweden has always been a role model in this area, but I don't know if they are on the same path. The current government is Conservative, and (correct me someone if I am wrong here) they are facing a big issue regarding illegal immigration.
As well as The Netherlands...
Hello, @Pantagruel. I was just reminded of you because I saw a documentary about Spaniards living abroad. One of them lives in Brighton. He seemed to be very happy, and he had a great experience living in England because he had previously tried to live in London and Bristol.
Yet, he claims that Brighton is probably one of the best places to live in England. His life experience is very interesting, and I searched for more information on Brighton.
By the way, this Spaniard works as a waitress.
Brighton is in South Essex. I am not an expert about English sociology but according to most Britons, Brighton is the hippest city of UK. It is funny because the paper where I read this claim, says: So are the residents of the south coast resort just a bunch of hopeless hippies - or do they know something the rest of us don't? Is Brighton Britain's hippest city?
I thought you would be interested in knowing about this city. It seems a cool place to try to live, indeed. :smile:
Reply to javi2541997 Brighton is known as London on Sea. Nice place and cool with an alternative slant and a Green MP. Personally I find it to big and busy, I would prefer Lewes just a short train ride away.
Reply to Punshhh Interesting perspective. I didn't think that it was a big city. But you are the English man here, and I must not object to anything but agree with your point.
I thought you would be interested in knowing about this city. It seems a cool place to try to live, indeed
Thanks javi! However it turns out that England's stance on cannabis reform is somewhat archaic and, until that changes, moving there poses us a serious problem. There are worse places to be stuck than Canada I guess....
Thanks javi! However it turns out that England's stance on cannabis reform is somewhat archaic and, until that changes, moving there pose us a serious problem. There are worse places to be stuck than Canada I guess....
If that's the main point, yes, Canada is more lax than Europe regarding the planting, consumption, selling, etc. of Cannabis. :sweat:
Reply to AmadeusD Sorry, but I don't get your phrase due to how it is written. It seems that you refer to Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, when it is clearly not. If I said 'I would never move back to the UK, unless...' And the territories included in this kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales and NI. If I wanted to say I would never move back to Ireland, I guess I should have mentioned Ireland itself as a separate nation.
Reply to javi2541997 "Ireland", typically, includes both the Republic and Northern Ireland in everyday conversation, outside of those two geographical areas, in my experience. "Ireland" alone refers to the physical Island which is merely geopolitically divided.
I refer to places like Ballycastle and Armagh and Antrim here. That said, I would prefer to move somewhere like Wicklow or Cork.
Reply to AmadeusD Yes, I know. When I was in both Dublin and Belfast, my mates and I always referred to Ireland as the whole physical island, including Ulster. But your comment surprised me precisely for this reason. I searched for 'Ballycastle' and it is part of the UK, and now I understand your comment now. But it is the first time I read a comment where it was not specified that it was a reference to the UK because the city is in North Ireland, not in the Republic of Ireland. If I were you, I would have posted: I would never move back to the UK, unless it was Northern Ireland, because it is obvious that you are referring to the UK, and not all the island.
I don't to look like I am fussy, and this is just too interesting for me :grin: .
In the end, you are the Irish, not me. If you think it is fine to say just Ireland, I have to accept it indeed!
Reply to javi2541997 No, totally a fair comment. I should be aware of what those i'm speaking to interpret me to be saying. I should have said Northern Ireland.
I'd encourage you to consider Australia (although the price of housing is astronomical). The burning hot zones in Australia are actually pretty remote, the climate on the East Coast cities is generally temperate, outside the occasional heatwave where it will hit 40 degrees or more. But it doesn't happen often. I've lived briefly in the UK and also have immediate family in Wisconsin so am pretty familiar with those areas - Wisconsin is nice but the winters are not too different from your own. Socially and politically, Australia has a lot going for it, currently centrist Labor governments at Federal and most State levels, reasonable standard of living, and lots of space. I couldn't consider living in the UK (was last there in 2022, was actually standing in the Tower of London at the moment the Queen passed away.) My perception of the UK at the moment is that it's pretty frayed around the edges, and has a lot of dreary towns.
Reply to Wayfarer Apparently we are going to have to wait until the rest of civilization catches up with Canada's progressive cannabis laws before we can think about going anywhere. My outlaw days are past.
Reply to Pantagruel I believe it's been de-criminalised in the Australian Capital Territory, the area around the national capital. You're not allowed to trade in it, but having it is not illegal. That said I wouldn't expect anyone would want to live in Canberra without a reason :-)
[quote] Apparently we are going to have to wait until the rest of civilization catches up with Canada's progressive cannabis laws before we can think about going anywhere. My outlaw days are past. Reply to Pantagruel
You can smoke it legally in the Netherlands and I recently heard it was to be decriminalised in Germany. But in reality in the U.K. if you have small amount for personal use at home its ok. The difficult part is buying it. But even then the police would only be interested in the dealers. I used to have a couple of skunk plants in pots on my windowsill which provided enough for what I was smoking. I gave it up a long time ago, though, anyway.
That said I wouldn't expect anyone would want to live in Canberra without a reason :-)
Funny you should mention this. I love Canberra and am there now. Just for 3 days while on a road trip. I love the manageable scale of the city, it's quirky regions, the modernist architecture, it's amazing free galleries. I think I could easily live there.
[quote] I couldn't consider living in the UK (was last there in 2022, was actually standing in the Tower of London at the moment the Queen passed away.) My perception of the UK at the moment is that it's pretty frayed around the edges, and has a lot of dreary towns. Reply to Wayfarer
I was in one of my favourite restaurants in the south of France (near Bordeaux). Anyone who was British knew within a few minutes of the announcement. While all the French people around us had no idea.
Yes the U.K. has lots of dreary towns and more recently sink towns. The class divide has increased with enclaves of affluence hidden away here and there. There are some interesting, progressive towns and cities though such as Bristol, Norwich, Brighton, Edinburgh. Even Manchester is having its renaissance.
Reply to Punshhh We had this uncanny experience at the Tower. Of course it was well known that Her Majesty was at Balmoral and the end nigh, but we couldnt help feeling that the Yoemen in the tower were agitated about something - hushed conversations in the cloister, so to speak. My dear one took a striking photograph of a misted sun perched above the White Tower pretty well at the exact moment. We didnt actually know until we went to dinner a couple of hours later near our hotel, but the maitred telling us only confirmed our feelings.
If I am not wrong, I think Leeds was mentioned in the thread. Clerkenwell, Folkestone, Sherborne, Stirchley and Wivenhoe are also good options, according to that poll and data. I have never heard of these English cities but Leeds, which is in Yorkshire. What do you think about Yorkshire? @Punshhh
By the way, I was in one of the cities on the list: West End, Dundee (Scotland). I was there in 2018. I remember the weather was cloudy and rainy most of the time, but the city and the people were cool and chill. I can't remember why the hell I was there because I used to live in Edinburgh, but when I read about this Scottish city, some memories - which were kept in the memory - flourished again.
I am not interested in moving to England, but it is always interesting to read the opinion of others on what a city should be to live in, and why some are better than others. Is this subjective or objective? :chin:
Could I be happy in both Madrid and Leeds if I tried to? Does it depend on the city or the neighbors? Hmm...
Comments (77)
Jokes aside. Which English city are you thinking of? Because London is obviously discarded.
Have you checked out the news from around England recently?
I left England permanently back in "75, and there is no way in hell I am going back.
I live near what is supposed to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but I have not seen guys fighting in the street with machetes for a very long time. It appears to be happening on an almost daily basis in several cities in England.
And I don't get discriminated against for being English here either whereas it appears from the news that the illegal immigrants have more rights than the citizens in England nowadays.
It also appears that the price of a house has reached the point where it is almost impossible for a single salary family to buy.
It's absolutely impossible in Canada. Home prices here are sky-high. Home prices in England are at least 10-15% lower. Plus we would be moving to a more rural location, definitely not a city.
Im from the UK. Many years ago I lived in four places there that had the community feel youre looking for: Fairlie in Ayrshire, Wigan, Stockbridge in Edinburgh (the village in the city), and Leith. Only one of those is in England and its the wetter part of England. Down where the weather is nice Ive spent a lot of time around Hastings and Bexhill and like those places very much.
Now I want to move back to the UK too, after an absence of twelve years, but these days Im less hopeful about finding the community feel and a nice place to live that I can afford. And all you hear from Britain now is how bad everything isIm hoping this is because of the way the news is now.
But having been back to visit a few times I do get the impression that Stockbridge, for example, has lost the community feel it once had. Its locally owned shops and cafes are now Tesco, Sainsbury, Starbucks, etc. But thats in the city and probably to be expected. Ive also been back to Fairlie, and even though its still just a village, it might have lost the community feel as well. There is now nobody in the streets, the houses and gardens are now divided by high hedgeswhen I lived there they were all openand there are no shops left. On the other hand, I have associations of community from childhood that just don't apply any more (local shops), and communities may be thriving today but just look different.
In my experience, in the middle and south of England there is a tweely conservative monarchy-loving ultra-parochial cake-baking mindset which might be compatible with community feel but which I find quite horrible (but I guess thats because Im a rootless cosmopolitan, mostly Scottish and a bit prejudiced against the English). They're certainly not socialist, but I guess they do like the NHS (which I imagine counts as socialist to a North American).
Oddly enough, although Im in a country thats as cold as Canada (Russia), I find the weather here much better than British weather, since winter is proper winter and summers are consistently warm and dry.
Since youve chosen England for the weather, of all things, Im assuming its because of the language and culture. In which case, why not Australia or New Zealand?
BTW Id be very sceptical of what @Sir2u has to say.
I live in Norfolk near the boundary with Suffolk and lived in Suffolk for ten years before that. I would highly recommend it. We enjoy the peace and tranquility here, one of the quieter parts of the country in terms of traffic congestion, or population density. I rarely lock my car at night and dont expect anyone to come snooping around. There is a strong sense of community around here and social justice, although we dont get involved in village life.
We value nature and have many nature reserves and good habitat within a few miles and the diversity of species in our garden is really high compared to the rest of the country.
Regarding the weather though, it is relatively warm, we have only had maybe ten nights of frost this winter, which would rise above zero by mid morning. The issue with the weather here is the number of cloudy and wet days. It can get you down when more than half the time it is raining, or overcast and you dont know if you can go out without getting wet. Our garden is currently very muddy, its even reached the point this year where we have to wear wellies to go around the garden to feed our chickens and sheep. We have to take our shoes off at the door, always, the mud is clayey. But once you get to spring the weather is much better and the summers are glorious and rarely to hot.
There is an issue with the economic decline and lots of infrastructure is neglected and falling apart. Poverty is spreading and public services are in crisis most of the time. Many councils are going bankrupt at the moment, resulting in increases in council tax. However if you have money, or a secure income these things are not a problem. If I werent watching the news, I probably wouldnt notice the decline. Except when I want to see a doctor, or want socially funded dental care. Both are very difficult to access. However if you are happy to go private, there is plenty of provision.
You would be wise to listen to this poster, OP.
Though I have found most philosophers have a tinge of morbidity, if not full on appreciation for dark humor and, horror, basically. In which case, go for it.
IMO, socialism only works with physical borders (walls or geographic boundary that makes it difficult or impossible for someone to "wonder" toward or "casually" go to in efforts to seek nonreciprocal benefit at the expense of those who labor to provide it). Hand in hand with some sort of religious authority that instills the non-mandatory value of a hard day's work and eternal reward as well as social value. "The land of milk and honey" sounds nice. So long as someone provides it for you. Eventually, it never works due to the fact it's logistically unsustainable.
The Kingdom has seen better days, to put it lightly. I personally believe it's Biblical and the darkest before the dawn before... something happens. As to the implicit nature of this "something" I can't seem to muster. Like most things, time will tell, eh?
This is encouraging. East Anglia here I come.
Ditto.
I lived in Suffolk. Very conservative. Ignorant, insular. Of course you can find your tribe anywhere with a large population, but you'll have to look, and probably drive. I hate England even though I'm English. There are pretty villages in Suffolk if you can stomach the culture. It is probably drier and sunnier on average in east Anglia generally, rain gets dropped on the Western hills. The fens (Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire) are flat and also conservative, but somehow a bit more relatable for me. Anyway. I live in Scotland now. Somehow i managed to end up in one of the only two conservative counties in Scotland. Still like it better than England, class is a bit less of a thing in Scotland in general. Still there of course and wealth matters obviously. Edinburgh has a marked class divide though it seemed to me, less so than the Highlands.
Oddly enough I've always wanted to move to Canada, less population density. Lots of wilderness. Tough winters though i guess. But no country needs a philosopher or social care lawyer.
Wow. Thanks for all the information guys. This is why we ask.
I'm not sure that the critical reviews aren't just a symptom of global decline though. I would have thought Canada was the place to be, but we are reeling under crippling inflation and we lack the deep cultural foundation to combat the malaise that is modern man. At least the UK (and Europe) has that. Moreover, we are just too close to the US for comfort. We don't want to go there, we don't want to hear about the awful shit that's going down there.
Lots of food for thought though. I'm concerned about the availability of healthcare for sure. Mind you, this is a serious problem in Canada also. The only upside for me is I just retired from the healthcare industry, so I know all of the family doctors in our region, and their staff, which can help.
No. I am from Madrid, but that's the municipality with the most sense of socialism in Spain.
Well, I don't want to speak about my country because this thread is about England. I think Liverpool or Manchester could be good options. It will be interesting to know what our Manc mate, @Sir2u, thinks about Manchester (or what he reminds about this city).
Interesting views and opinions, mates. I wonder now if it is a matter of the county or the neighborhood you live in. I searched for more info on Norfolk and the internet says that the largest city is Norwich. I guess there are different neighborhoods inside Norwich, and they differ on the concept of 'class'. For example, Here in Madrid, the middle-class doesn't live in the center, we all live do the outskirts. I don't really know if you are referring to this and whether @Pantagruel is looking for it.
By the way, the constituencies of Norfolk are Conservative. The Labour Party no longer held the urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's. Norfolk
I don't know if this is a paradox or a contradiction. :chin:
Any thoughts about living in Northern Europe? Like those socialist-leaning countries such as Norway and Finland? Unfortunately, being northern equals being colder lol. :grimace:
Sure thing. Freezing body parts are very uncomfortable.
But ya know global warming. But rising seas make anywhere by an ocean into a SUBprime location. (If not SUBmarine).
Good luck! :flower:
A very beautiful area.
Which is high on our requirements list. It seems like everywhere has its major flaws. I suspect that happiness is mostly about the motivation and energy you bring with you.
In my experience, largely yes.
If you do make your way to Norfolk you would be very welcome to visit.
We are going to take some short trips to England soon, possibly one later this year, to get a feel for things and check out different regions.
Thanks!
What about New Zealand instead? That's my second choice (if I were to leave the US for good); British Columbia, Canada is my first choice (I currently live between Portland and Seattle so I'm slowly becoming more familiar with the province than I had been from visits in the 90s) and Costa Rica is my third choice.
We will look into New Zealand though. As long as it isn't as burning hot as Australia!
Thanks for the suggestion :)
:up:
Ive been to Vancouver Island a couple of times, would love to live there. I knew someone there who lived off the grid in the forest in a small geodesic dome.
I consider BC to have far too many trees but I could get used to it.
:cool: Yw. Good luck with your search!
AMOC collapse would make Britain a far less balmy place.
I'd gladly trade this 'glitchy' 60 year old husk for my peak healthy-fittest 25 year old body :strong: but only if my 60 years of memories, learning, understanding (i.e. maturity) remained. Granted that "wish", I'd relocate to a much more remote, physically challenging environment in a country in the global south where the hazards of climate change are, and will be for the foreseeable future, minimal. Such places, however, are no countries for old bourgeois men or women ... :fear:
I don't know if this is a paradox or a contradiction. :chin:
Norfolk is Conservative due to the farming community and the middle and upper middle class communities. I would think a lot of them are changing their minds about now. The Green Party is doing well in Norfolk and Suffolk. Norwich is a really nice city, not to big, about 250,000, or there about with a rich history and cultural life. Definitely worth a visit.
I'm not so sure about that.
Normally it's about -5 here this time of year. Last couple of days it got up around 15 and all the snow melted. Now, the temperature is plummeting, going down to -10 and we are getting up to 35 cm of snow in the next 24 hours. Then it is going back up to 8 on Friday.
edit: forgot to mention the 80 kph winds....
And why would that be? Don't you watch the news and read the papers?
Quoting javi2541997
Even though I was born there I lived there for less than 15% of my life. Looking at the places that appear on the news and roaming the streets in Street View does not really bring back many memories. Probably because the first time I left England I was too young and the second time I was too poor to have been able to spend time doing much except work and study. I certainly don't miss any of the places I used to hang out at.
The last time I was in Manchester was back in 1980. I was there for 8 days, 3 of which I spent at the airport trying to get an early flight out of there.
I still check on the news from England almost every day, and I do the news from the States and Canada a couple of times a week.
Baden-Wurttemburg (Karlsruhe and Stuttgart) is more socialist (green party biggest, center CDU + socialist SPD make up 67%). Hessen, where Frankfurt am Main is, is even more left-leaning.
The surrounding country side is great. Hilly. And much better weather than the UK. Benefits of being in the EU is you get to travel everywhere without any hassle.
:chin:
I approve this message. :up:
Interesting, possibly a romantic view. From an Australian perspective, everyone I know who wants to emigrate, wants to go to Canada - England being regarded as dysfunctional and a broken ruin, thanks to years of Tory and New Labour neo-liberalism and 'free'-market cock sucking.
Yes, and I had a feeling that some of that was coming, and a few different degrees of it already have. But here's a suggestion in return. Do you think you can know too much and become jaded about something? Because, likewise, Canada has equally dire problems and drawbacks, as I see them, and live them. And maybe bringing a romantic optimism to a new context will succeed in injecting some positive energy into that context and changing it for the better?
Yes, I often say if you want to know about a place, dont ask a local. Or at least, be very careful who you ask. A few times Ive seen tourists in Edinburgh being given the most awful advice and information, laden with prejudices, cynicism, and basic ignorance.
As a member of the Commonwealth my pensions and benefits are more straightforward than some other places, for one. My grandfather was born in England. I speak the language.
If you are asking is it possible to know a place well and thereby understand its flaws? Then yes. There's a reason they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. :wink:
I think most western countries are victims of neoliberalism and the collapse of communities and public confidence which this has wrought. Australia is no different. But I would have no advice to anyone wanting to migrate to Australia. All I can really say is it's often unbearably hot and housing is unaffordable. Personally, I'd rather blazing sun than snow.
:100:
No one is more cynical than the believer who failed to find what they wanted. I stopped clinging to jobs like that was all that there was and started proactively redirecting the energy from legitimate dissatisfaction. But I only learned to do that because my boss dropped dead one day and my job of 11 years disappeared without a trace, since his programming was the company. If I started to feel unappreciated at a job, I didn't complain, I just started looking. My dad kept telling me to just stick with it, but after four jobs in five years I ended up in a real keeper, and because of the location I was able to visit him frequently during the last year of his life and to be with him at his bedside when he passed, because I worked right next to the hospital.
So I feel the same about where you are. If it isn't working don't complain, either make it work or try something else.
I thought about Sweden when I read the OP (and Baños de la Encina, of course) because of the socialist sentiment or the idea of removing class-like societies and having both public services and education accessible for everyone. Sweden has always been a role model in this area, but I don't know if they are on the same path. The current government is Conservative, and (correct me someone if I am wrong here) they are facing a big issue regarding illegal immigration.
As well as The Netherlands...
:up: :up:
Yet, he claims that Brighton is probably one of the best places to live in England. His life experience is very interesting, and I searched for more information on Brighton.
By the way, this Spaniard works as a waitress.
Brighton is in South Essex. I am not an expert about English sociology but according to most Britons, Brighton is the hippest city of UK. It is funny because the paper where I read this claim, says: So are the residents of the south coast resort just a bunch of hopeless hippies - or do they know something the rest of us don't? Is Brighton Britain's hippest city?
I thought you would be interested in knowing about this city. It seems a cool place to try to live, indeed. :smile:
Quoting Punshhh
I searched for info. It seems a cute city. It has a castle, so it gives a +1 to my taste, and a brewery. A cool town to consider of, indeed. :up:
Thanks javi! However it turns out that England's stance on cannabis reform is somewhat archaic and, until that changes, moving there poses us a serious problem. There are worse places to be stuck than Canada I guess....
Quoting Pantagruel
If that's the main point, yes, Canada is more lax than Europe regarding the planting, consumption, selling, etc. of Cannabis. :sweat:
But if you worry about global warming a lot, you do need to go inland.
:up:
I refer to places like Ballycastle and Armagh and Antrim here. That said, I would prefer to move somewhere like Wicklow or Cork.
I don't to look like I am fussy, and this is just too interesting for me :grin: .
In the end, you are the Irish, not me. If you think it is fine to say just Ireland, I have to accept it indeed!
I'd encourage you to consider Australia (although the price of housing is astronomical). The burning hot zones in Australia are actually pretty remote, the climate on the East Coast cities is generally temperate, outside the occasional heatwave where it will hit 40 degrees or more. But it doesn't happen often. I've lived briefly in the UK and also have immediate family in Wisconsin so am pretty familiar with those areas - Wisconsin is nice but the winters are not too different from your own. Socially and politically, Australia has a lot going for it, currently centrist Labor governments at Federal and most State levels, reasonable standard of living, and lots of space. I couldn't consider living in the UK (was last there in 2022, was actually standing in the Tower of London at the moment the Queen passed away.) My perception of the UK at the moment is that it's pretty frayed around the edges, and has a lot of dreary towns.
You can smoke it legally in the Netherlands and I recently heard it was to be decriminalised in Germany. But in reality in the U.K. if you have small amount for personal use at home its ok. The difficult part is buying it. But even then the police would only be interested in the dealers. I used to have a couple of skunk plants in pots on my windowsill which provided enough for what I was smoking. I gave it up a long time ago, though, anyway.
Funny you should mention this. I love Canberra and am there now. Just for 3 days while on a road trip. I love the manageable scale of the city, it's quirky regions, the modernist architecture, it's amazing free galleries. I think I could easily live there.
I was in one of my favourite restaurants in the south of France (near Bordeaux). Anyone who was British knew within a few minutes of the announcement. While all the French people around us had no idea.
Yes the U.K. has lots of dreary towns and more recently sink towns. The class divide has increased with enclaves of affluence hidden away here and there. There are some interesting, progressive towns and cities though such as Bristol, Norwich, Brighton, Edinburgh. Even Manchester is having its renaissance.
If I am not wrong, I think Leeds was mentioned in the thread. Clerkenwell, Folkestone, Sherborne, Stirchley and Wivenhoe are also good options, according to that poll and data. I have never heard of these English cities but Leeds, which is in Yorkshire. What do you think about Yorkshire? @Punshhh
By the way, I was in one of the cities on the list: West End, Dundee (Scotland). I was there in 2018. I remember the weather was cloudy and rainy most of the time, but the city and the people were cool and chill. I can't remember why the hell I was there because I used to live in Edinburgh, but when I read about this Scottish city, some memories - which were kept in the memory - flourished again.
I am not interested in moving to England, but it is always interesting to read the opinion of others on what a city should be to live in, and why some are better than others. Is this subjective or objective? :chin:
Could I be happy in both Madrid and Leeds if I tried to? Does it depend on the city or the neighbors? Hmm...