To think England isn't such a great place to live

[Cloudminnow]

Not just the weather, but so much more ...

parking fees everywhere and having to have change at hand (or very expensive pay as you leave - £8.80 to park for an afternoon shopping today!!)

hopeless and expensive public transport system

traffic jams all over the place

terrible customer service

obsession with celebrity culture and all it stands for

union flag and all it stands for

embarrassing monarchy (even having to have one at all)

desperate government

Olympics sponsored by Coke

Education system overly concerned with literacy, numeracy and data at the expense of a love of learning and creativity...

Can anyone sell England to me?!

Are you 'well travelled' op??

But, honestly

No major weather catastrophes like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis etc

No drought or famine

Stunning countryside and coastlines, cities, towns and villages

Education and health for all (not to be taken lightly)

Tolerant and on the whole fair minded people

A fairly non corrupt police and justice system

We recognise human rights and look after our poor, sick and disadvantaged

oh and another thing about customer service, I waited THREE DAYS for a late train in Cuba - no info or updates..

Trains routinely run 7 hours late in another country I've travelled through - no announcements, no info from guards (if you can find one)

In another country the train station ticket seller denied all knowledge of the train I was trying to buy a ticket for because she just couldn't be arsed to sell tickets and I interrupted her chat, EVEN WHEN IT PULLED IN! at the time I'ld been saying it was due - this apparently is quite typical and the locals said that they don't use the trains as the service is so bad

I love how easy an relatively safe public transport is here compaired to other places I've lived and visited

Things in general are so much more TRANSPARENT and easier here

I don't understand why people always get pissy over threads like this. It's an opinion. There is stuff wrong with this country - it's too crowded in particualr. that doesn't mean I don;t know I'm not better off than the average person in, say, Sierra Leone. In some respects however I probably am worse off than the average person in, say, France.

OP, what countries do you think are a great place to live?

Sure, it's an opinion. People are commenting on her opinion. Not sure what the problem is.

I love this place. I moved here from Holland in 1998, having spent a year here in 1978/9 and fallen in love (at the ripe old age of 11 ).

Yes, I agree with many of the things the OP has mentioned - but those things exist in other European countries as well. England has:

• Queueing
• Real ale and outrageously good cider
• The amazing variety of landscapes
• The light - it's unique
• The British sense of humour and tolerance for eccentricity
• Archery clubs everywhere
• Sausages
• Pimms
• The NHS

I could go on. Yes, there are things that are done better in other places, but the Brits could easily steal the things other people do well without compromising themselves.

I don't live in the UK.

Today I spent an hour emailing my health insurance provider to attempt to arrange a reimbursement of the £483 I paid up front to have my 6 year olds head stitched.

Just sayin

Do you mean ENgland, the UK?

Wales is quite nice.

Or, that is.

OH YES QUEUEING, English queues are amazing! even been in an Italian "queue" OP?

Oh and the British queue is marvelous until you have experienced the non-uk free for all for everything you have no idea...

eveR not even

Perhaps if we have a whip round the OP will piss off? I'm sure we can find somewhere without a soul but lots and lots of colouring pencils. Suggestions anyone?

I'd love to bugger off & live in New Zealand but sadly it's not an option for us. It's not always as simple to say 'go & live somewhere else then'.

The Spanish regularly make me laugh because they accuse the Brits of queue-jumping.

I mean, please. At least we HAVE a queue!

I work with a lot of Spanish people by the way. I don't just randomly talk to Spaniards.

come to cornwall! Apart from 6weeks in the school hols when it is packed,the quality of life down here is wonderful, great and healthy place to bring up the children. Ok it can rain but we have a micro climate when it can be warm enough to sit in the january sunshine!Fantastic coastline,mainly empty roads, beautiful countryside,loads of excellent restaurants,good schools.
I have lived abroad but missed our4seasons and the unique british sense of humour

I don't wish to expend the energy 'selling' it to you.

If you don't like it, do something about it, or leave. Simple.

I know you want people to sell it to you but i really can't be arsed with people who can't see the good things we do have in this country.

It just makes me think "well feck off then!"

I've lived abroad and like everyone has said, the grass always appears greener.

Just off the top pf my head, the stuff I missed most when living abroad included:
-NHS
-BBC
-quality education and some of the best universities in the world.
-women's rights and equal opportunities are light years ahead of many other countries, including most EU countries
-customer service - you may be incredulous but the bureaucracy here is very simple and transparent and incorrupt compared with many other countries.
-very green, parks everywhere.

Today we went for a walk in our local park, saw deer, people horse riding/cycling/walking their dogs. Then parked (for free) down by the river, had a late breakfast on a boat on the river - it was lovely and open to all and free (except the lunch).

Name somewhere better OP -and then explain why you don't go.

SoleSource i like your post and i agree with everything but... stylish??

Yeah I think we are :) Lots of nice European designers and Boden of course :)

So you fancy David too eh?

yes, I raised an eyebrow at the 'stylish' comment too...!

London is quite stylies (if you can block out the, what are they called? "batty riders" )

other parts I've lived, not so much! but I like how anything goes style wise at the same time! you'ld get a reputation as a fallen women if you were slightly less casual then the crowd where I'm from!