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Indeed.Originally Posted by Jim W
Don't worry about immigration, Muslim extremists, incompetent government, Human Rights silly laws from the EU. More CCTV surveillance than any other country in the world. Massive house building is only needed because so many people want to live alone... So, no problems, everything will be OK as long as able bodied people don't park in disabled spaces!
Gimme a break.
Indeed.
Whilst I love living in the UK, I thoroughly intend to retire in New Zealand...
Can you do that? As in, does it not have the same sort of points system as say, Oz? And how come there? Genuine interest.
I was under the impression that, unless you are planning to work, you need a shed load of money for NZ to let you in if you plan to retire there. I could be miles out, but thought that's along the lines of what I read.
My sister has lived there for 15 years and has residency... Might be wrong, but pretty sure it makes it easier for me to migrate. I also have skills that are in demand so as long as I move before I retire and get residency I can retire there.
As to the reasons... It's a beautiful country with lots of space and the most picturesque landscapes imaginable. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed primarily in NZ.
always fancied retiring to Ireland, no idea why
It is also worth bearing in mind that there may be a number of ways to reside in any particular country.
Citizenship, residency, or simply going there and buying or renting property without seeking anything official (depending on bureaucratic requirements such as visas) may all be feasible. It all depends on where one wants to go and on what one wants to acheive.
Check out the Perpetual Traveller idea and the Five (or Six) Flags theory. It helps to be wealthy and/or to have an income base that is either highly portable or not dependent on your personal presence to continue working (e.g. an online business).
Me too. If I remember correctly it was 26 August 1976 at about 4pm. Mum had made some scones and we had tea in the garden. Lovely. The ants turned up at about 4.45pm attracted by the jam and it's been downhill ever since, frankly.
Was there a specific one you had in mind?
None in the 20th Century had much to shout about (except Campbell-Bannerman's administration, arguably) the rest have been pretty crap. Take comfort in the view that incompetence rather than corruption in politicians is a sign of a properly functioning democracy.
I must declare an interest here as a fairly recent immigrant : my y-DNA places my origins in Schleswig -Holstein, arriving in Britain in the 5th-6th centuries. As a consequence Ive really felt duty-bound to defer to the 'indigenous people of this country'. Just as soon as I find out who they are.
To adopt a Farage-ean standard of sweeping statement : people who make an effort to come to this country as immigrants are generally motivated by self-interest which is usually an indicator of ingenuity combined with initiative and enterprise. If you are worried about genetic quality, do please compare your 'average' immigrant with the 'indigenous' folk hanging around the waiting room of your local magistrate's court / skulking around the more challenging social housing developments that seem to enthuse about the offerings of the BNP / EDL.
Easier still, try cutting down to just the one copy of the Daily Mail per week.
The problems are caused by the quality of legislation (qv incompetent politicians, supra) - almost all regs imposed by statutory instrument are imposed by UK-determined regulation, with very little coming from Europe (I know, I know, but believe me the Mail is wrong on this point, too).
We are far from being a police state, fortunately, the police are subject to the rule of law, even is some of them eating doughnuts in a shed outside 10 Downing Street need to be reminded occasionally. We have one of the most effective systems of judicial review allowing challenge of administrative decisions. It is under attack from politicians of all stripes and may even disappear shortly, but personal freedom plainly isn't a big issue in the UK otherwise folk would be protesting in droves in the streets about it.
My only experience with NZ bureaucracy suggests they have mastered the art of unhelpfulness and obfuscation, operating almost to French standards. I was impressed.
Sone of the comments here are bordering on the Xenophobic IMHO. Immigration has made this country better, not weaker. Very disappointing to read some of the comments portraying things the other way round. If someone comes to the UK and makes a success of themselves despite having no contacts and roots then clearly they have more talent than 'home grown' competition and something I have learned in life and business is 'never settle for second best'.
I've not particularly read the thread, but caught your comment flicking through this morning.
Fair enough someone comes into this country to make a success of themselves, often with the inevitable sacrifice of leaving ones family behind. However, when this country has allowed you to make said success, don't send all your money back to your country of origin, or drag over those with less skill to benefit from your new found wealth. Have enough respect to repay into the society which encouraged the success in the first place.
Agreed but it works both ways - plenty of people coming to the UK with wealth generated overseas who bolster the UK economy too
I just wish I could tear myself away from all the negatives we hear about in the news, word of mouth and magazines and be able to absorb more positives.
Maybe then I would see this country in a better light. I do try but its difficult.
I think its a great idea to upsticks and move somewhere completely different when you retire
think about it you've been working most of your live getting a lot of stimulation to the brain then retirement hits and its great to continue that stimulation with your hobbies vacations etc...
but i've seen so many friends grow old quickly that way
new place, new town, new home, starting all over again seems daunting but it will keep you young
I pop back home once in a while (1 or two years).
Frankly the main thing I notice about the UK is that it has lost its identity. I feel like I'm in a foreign country to be honest, I do feel in 20 years time the place is going to be a scary place with regards to its people, culture and values which have already adapted to immigrants requirements instead of the other way around.
I guess people may see this as Xenophobic or what forth but its just an observation from the outside. Im all for Immigration to benefit the country but obviously the floodgates were left open.
I agree but we're so fixated on being PC you'd be chased down the street if you said that in public.
If I had the means and could find a job I'd skip off tp Berlin tomorrow. Terminally dull it may appear but I like the people and most of what the country stands for. There are few places I'd rather live.
I totally agree..
It's largely down to the last Labour government, but all governments can take the blame... and it's irreversible.
For me the plan was always to move to France.
After spending Feb in NZ this year - it'll be there instead.
It's a 3-5yr plan. But it will be happening, oh yes.
Fair point Ryan.
I think if I won big on the Lottery, I'd up sticks and move to Breckenridge in Colorado.
Not because I love the American way of life (frankly, the place drives me nuts on visits, so I dread to think what it'd be like to live there as a 'normally wealthy' person), but because they have great skiing on their doorstep and easy access to Denver to get out of the country easily and they speak English (after a fashion).
I despair of Britain sometimes (I'm one who sees UKIP as a problem, not the solution), but I've seen enough of many other places to know there are few 'silver bullets'.
I've met many who've moved to Australia, and come back, and many Australians living here who can't AFFORD to go home (As someone who grew up in Bournemouth, I can sympathise). I've seen American friends with good jobs, thrown onto the scrapheap with little chance of finding work and no state support (including health). I know people who find the Swiss and Germans over officious and controlling - I know a few Germans who feel that way!
I'm not a Multi-Millionaire (and wouldn't live in London if I were!!!!), but I like much about living here (Seasons, the humour, the landscape, being close enough to reach the sea in an hour (OK 2), pretty much wherever you are), even if the values I grew up with (Tolerance, community, a pride in the things we make) seem to be being eroded day by day...
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I don't recognise some of the adverse things that are being mentioned as bringing the UK down as being applicable to where I stay (South Ayrshire).
Overcrowding? Nope, plenty of space, despite being commuter belt territory for Glasgow. Countryside & beaches easily accessible.
Crime? Some, but as Paul Daniels said, "Not a lot!"
CCTV? It's there for crime prevention & detection, isn't it? Low crime = low CCTV intrusion.
Immigrants? Some Eastern Europeans, who work in a large meat processing plant a few miles away & some Filipinos, who work on fishing boats. Both groups work in jobs that locals don't want. The few Asians are business owners or work in the family business. Afro-Caribbeans are rare in this area.
Yes, there's problems locally; unemployment (both youth & adult), some drug problems, lack of affordable social housing.
I've no doubt that London & the south east & large conurbations are different. The UK is much more than the big cities though. It's unfortunate that successive Governments have chosen to concentrate on them.
BTW, the Lincolnshire thread shows that apparently there are nice places to live in the UK.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...dwelling-there
For what it's worth, if I had to move abroad, I'd choose the Eastern Algarve in Portugal & stay a few miles inland.
______
Jim.
Chaps
The UK is actually a very good place to make money, especially if you are prepared to commute in and out of London as the place is full of opportunities.
I am now retired and spends 50% of my time in Spain.
Spain is a fantastic place to retire because of the weather etc, but for someone who wants to work hard and succeed, it is a nightmare due to over taxation and petty bureaucracy.
So stay in the UK and make your pile and spend the proceeds somewhere else.
Regards
Mick - just had a nice fish lunch with a bottle of wine in a beach restaurant and it was full of British retirees and a fair amount of them were wearing Rolexes.
Last edited by Mick P; 8th April 2014 at 15:24.
Personally, I am an optimist about the economy, I think that the period of time is just like that and then everything will be normal.
Last edited by bobocat; 6th December 2022 at 22:31.
And hasn’t that just been a roaring success, well done you.
Must be delighted?
An 8-year old thread resurrected……………..
Originally Posted by mrwozza70 View Post
The UK would be one of the best places in the world if we could just break away from the EU and all it's numpty legislation. That, and regain control over the borders, immigration and migration issues that went horribly wrong some time ago.
Apologies to anybody who has migrated legally to UK here but I'm not saying some migration isn't a good thing for the country but we seem to have got it very wrong.
But if I were to go anywhere it would be Italy - beauty, food, culture, weather, skiing and cycling like you wouldn't believe...
You wouldn't have much time for -beauty, food, culture, weather, skiing and cycling. First, due to Brexit, you'd have to take the Italian driving test..good luck with that. Next, off to the local police station and, due to Brexit, get lots of extra paperwork done..good luck with that. Oh, by the way, you'd also meet more immigrants than you would in UK.
Of which he would be one, taking full advantage of the immigration system that went horribly wrong.
Good that an ancient thread has been resurrected and will purely only serve to be yet another thread that is people bickering with each other.
If I didn’t have my daughter I would have gone to Australia or Canada a long time ago.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Lived overseas and travelled extensively, but for me the UK is still the best. Just planning a more rural location for the future, be it Suffolk, Somerset, Norfolk, Shropshire, Scottish Borders or Wales.
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
+1 and at the current trajectory it will be hard to remember this is primarily intended to be a watch forum..
Spain is favoured by the elderly because it's familiar, but the Spanish don't like you, crime is rife and there's nowt to do but sit around having lunch.
It's a reasonable holiday destination or warm graveyard.
Good luck to you. The UK is a great place with opportunities all over the place. The problem today is the internet. It is full of people coming in when they should be working moaning their socks off about anything they can think of. Moaning on the internet is a disease and unfortunately contagious.
That is so wrong.
The Spanish like the elderly Brits because they bring money into Spain and create jobs and don't take them. They are nicknamed the Ser único's (stand alones) because they don't sponge off the system. They are well behaved and respect the Spanish way of life. Crime is generally much lower. The only thing that bugs them is that the Brits expect the world to speak English and make no attempt to learn the language.
They were surprised that we voted to leave the UK, they genuinely thought we were mad for that and the one area where they have lost respect for us is the televised shananagans of Brexiteers and Remainers standing outside of Parliament with placards still continuing the debate. They cannot understand why the debate is still rambling on. Also the man in the street doesn't want us back in because we would change our mind again and demand another Brexit almost immediately.
If it was not for the ties of family, my Wife and I would stay there permanently like a shot.
You are so correct, it´s dangerous, boring and inhospitable here, be for the best if the Brits stay away. And 95 per cent of Spaniards would give their right arm to be in Blighty, so stay put, you're the envy of the world, livin' the utopian dream.
Last edited by Passenger; 6th December 2022 at 11:57.
Moved to Portugal last year. No regrets. Have a small holding so grow own produce, excellent climate, people are friendly (many different languages spoken).
May not be relevant to OP. Up north or Lisbon is where you want to be if you want job opportunities.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
I’m very curious about moving to Portugal. Is there a reference source you’d recommend for the process?
I see lots of websites but I guess the usual scam sites and fees to wrap a free resource etc.
Yes, I can certainly see their point on both counts.
Personally I don't think the UK is going down the pan quite yet, but even if Labour get in for a few years I'm sure I'll stay put. I like it here in NW Leics.
I can indeed. The .gov site is actually very good resource. If you want specific FB groups etc drop me a PM. Sadly the process post brexit is more complicated. I’m just stating facts not being political btw. We fortunately got residency in 2020 before Jan 1 2021.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-portugal
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
Slimness of the margin though isn't it, 52/48's practically nothing in an advisory referendum, that and the notable absence of the land of milk and honey/ 350 million more per week for the Nhs, which the vote Leave team, sold it on...People variously feel conned, missold, or robbed depending on pov/ self respect and spine. It's no good some old giffers with mebbee a decade of life left hectoring young folks with 40, 50, 60, years to go that they should just make the best of it, noses to the grind stone, get over it...Unfinished business Mick.
Which bit of 'no politics' is still confusing you (and others)?.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Gets my vote too. Hvar is a fabulous place but expensive I can imagine. The big cruise ships dock there. Makarska is 50k south of Split and a very nice place indeed.
A member of this parish is Croatian; perhaps he can chip in his first hand, live-long knowledge?
NZ was always high on my list, but after partly hearing (I walked out on her) a speech by Jacinda Ardern, I'm not so sure that NZ is the place to be for me. That was later emphasized by a mate, who's brother is a psychiatrist in NZ and his number of clients went up 300% due to Covid and the rigid restrictions in NZ.
Perhaps an area like Oregon is something for me. Space, not too hot, although I don't have problems with heat, interesting scenery and not as -let's call it- 'rigid' like some other parts of the US. According to sources it's also an area of the US where you can buy predominately healthy and fresh food instead of junk and fabricated artificial stuff with corn sirup all over it.
More close to home: Denmark. Reasonable climate, not too difficult language for us Dutch, rolling hills and nice houses. In fact, the area between Copenhagen and Helsingør is my favorite.
My answer now is probably different than the 2014 version higher up in this thread. Then I lived in a town house in a very good neighborhood. A conservation area with parks and nice stately homes, close to the Royal Palace. Only 5 mins from the city center. Nowadays, I live more to the north, on the north side of the Royal Grounds, in a <200 people hamlet. With my own forest, my animals and acres of space for my cars, my machines. And it's absolutely quiet at night. And absolutely dark. As we're the only persons on this planet! What's more to want?
I fancy the Azores.
One of the few places I've been that I genuinely felt I'd like to live, rather than could tolerate.
Apparently, though it gets pretty rough weather-wize at times, but the scenery is lovely and I think the pace of life would be good too.
No idea what Portuguese politics is like though, probably as bad as ours and getting stuff delivered there is harder than buying from the EU in the UK these days.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Southern Spain, but not the touristy bits, between Estopona and Cadiz is fine, I had a place there for years, regret selling it and will probably buy another very soon, I have family in that area and work wise they are doing very well. It’s counter intuitive but I would avoid the British enclaves(all day breakfast and Sunday lunches)
Sorry.
Apologies out of line. But the whole episodes been hard to watch from here, sorry, again. shhhh.
MOROCCO OMG.
Last edited by Passenger; 6th December 2022 at 18:49.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
And repeat...
Wasn't there some bloke, fat chap, sloppy dresser, unruly hair, going around the country vowing, to spend 350 million more per week
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Been working abroad for over 30 years, lived for a bit in quite a few countries, the only ones I would consider moving to are Australia or Northern Spain, Cantabria or Galicia. Maybe Maine in the northeast of the US at a push.
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