Thinking of coming "home" to UK/Sheffield

[helbco 10]

This thread give some "food for thought": http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=372612

 

thanks for that hillbro - found it very enlightening. As I am not planning to live in 'downtown' Sheffield I can ignore most of the really savage negative comments.

 

Not planning to 'freeload' either on the UK social security system. Been fiercely independent all my life and not looking for handouts now - just wanting to have access to some services.

 

I thought Ulysees comments on the other thread were insightful and really summed up the issues of living in OZ.

 

Don't forget my original comments - would you want to stay in a country on your own, with nearest family 13,000 miles away?

[glen 10]

thank you for your comments. They are all valid - no matter what the opinion. My situation is that I am early 50s, divorced with no children (and I have no brothers or sisters). My only family here is my mother (late 70s).

 

Here we have a severe water crisis and temperatures of up to 45 degrees celsius (about 115 degrees fahrenheit) in summer - and I don't live in the outback, but a major capital city!!

 

Would live to live on the outskirts of Sheffield (ie Peak District), but I have only a small family back in the UK - none of whom now live in Sheffield.

 

I am seriously considering building a house on a family property in North Wales.

 

I am worried about cost of living in UK (huge by my observations last year) and health care - I read an appalling story of neglect of an elderly man in the Manchester hospital system on the BBC site tonight - is this typical?

Hi There You must live in Melbourne.I used to live there also.I now live in Tweed Heads where the weather is almost perfect.There have been floods up north,fires down south and we have good sunny days,quite a bit of rain but still warm.Please think about it as i couldnt think of anything worse.There are plenty of English people living here.Good luck:thumbsup:

[sydneyoss 10]

hi HELBCO i would be trying wollongong. it gods country. you could visit skippy. and have a swim in is big swimming pool . think of the weather in sheffield 6 to minus 4 tommorow.

[buck 11]

When I emigrated to Canada in 1968, I quickly learned about the "thousand dollar cure". Many UK migrants would settle down in Toronto or Montreal, raise their kids, and then the wife would pine for the old country. So they would sell up, fly back home, hate it for a year, then head back to Canada. There they would have to spend money to re-establish .They would do this more than once before finally staying put. I was lucky that my wife never wanted to go back, and we did fiine. We were eight years in Canada before we flew back to Sheffield on vacation, and to be honest I wasn't sorry when the trip was over. Most of our friends had moved on and we were left visiting relatives we didn't care much for.

[Percy Iggo 10]

I have lived in Brasil for the last 35 yrs. Sorry I spent2 years in Mexico, near Acopulco, working for Davt McKee, but I know how you feel , because I´m thing of coming back,

I aways think of it this way.

Brasil is my wife, England my mother, I can change my wife, but never my mother. Or as they say, theres no place like home

[helbco 10]

Hi Percy Iggo - my Dad actually worked for Davy's - first in Sheffield and then in Australia, where it became Davy Mckee.

 

Anyway, as you will see it's a long time since I've been on this post and have done a lot of homework since then.

 

Met a UK financial planner who was actually planning to move to Australia because 'the UK's stuffed' Okay - yes, well, different life stages, but learn't a lot from that conversation.

 

Researched Retirement Villages for my mother - yes - very affordable BUT - monthly service fees would bankrupt!

 

And - finally - private health insurance. Extremely difficult to get if over 65. Quotes from 4,500 - 6,500 pounds per annum (she currently pays 750 pounds pa for top of the range). Plus, pre-existing NEVER accepted (here you pay for 12 months and claim for anything pre-existing or immediately for anything new). Premiums go up every year with age. Got to be joking - always the same no matter what age!

 

Well, looks like this isn't going to happen in the near future Our health care system might have it's problems (Prime Minister currently trying to wave magic wand to fix - hmmn) but if you take some responsibility and pay for private insurance (tax incentives for this) you will usually get good and prompt care instead of being on a waiting list. Emergency care is good in both countries.

 

Ohh I forgot to to mention pensions. So - private pensions are not compulsory in the UK? With an ageing population as bad as Australia, looks like there is a major crisis looming. Okay, so not everyone here has enough private pension but most have something to top up the government pension.

 

Well, looks like I'll gain a few frequent flyer points 'just visiting' for the next few years.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 25, 2010 by helbco

[Binhead2 10]

If you do return I would do what I did after leaving the army and go for one of the outlying residential towns that are free from shootings, ghettos, no go areas etc.

[Binhead2 10]

Ohh I forgot to to mention pensions. So - private pensions are not compulsory in the UK? With an ageing population as bad as Australia, looks like there is a major crisis looming. Okay, so not everyone here has enough private pension but most have something to top up the government pension.Cheers!

Well it is a welfare state an you do pay into into the system all your working life, at least that is what was promised in the late forties. I paid into the system for 49 years.

[couture 10]

Been away for 41 years - disillusioned with life in Australia now and thinking of coming back to live in the UK. Had my first visit in 14 years to UK last year and regularly view property websites.

 

There are lots of posts from people who have moved away, but is there anyone who recently returned after living overseas for many years? Was it a good or bad decision?

 

are you mad???????????????

[S10er 10]

You will be s****d financially. I know he aussie dollar is stronger than ever against the pound and UK property prices have dipped but whichever government get in taxes will rise. Anyone with retirement savings will be hit to fund all our immigrants and those who do not work. The UK hasn't got to grips with what a poor nation it really is in global terms - Australia is so much better off these days in comparison - so the UK continues to spend far more than it can afford...

 

If you turn your Aussie dollars into poundsbro buy a house then it's probably a no turning back position as I can't imagine the UK economy improving faster than the aussie economy in the next 10 years or so. Probably worth keeping your money in aus and renting in the UK until you're sure you'd like to live in the "new UK"... I'm thinking of moving the other way (IF the Aussies would take me!) as are many other people I speak to who are completely disillusioned with the disaster the UK is becoming....

Edited March 25, 2010 by S10er

[Draggletail 58]

helbco, regarding what others have said about relocating to a more 'suitable' part of Australia - have you ever been to Turramurra? Thirty minutes north of Sydney, it has a relatively high rainfall - lots of nice greenery and a good deal cooler (not as cool as the blue mountains, but still cooler)

[zepstox 10]

I'd move to Brisbane tomorrow. Okay they've had a few bad days and 2 years of drought conditions but this year has shown a return to the old summers with storms most nights. Plenty of jobs, for instance forklift truck driving @ $26 an hour. My mate has a business in Brisbane and he says the kids there today just don't want to work. I'm too old now so we are thinking of Italy or Holland.