Positive thread about life in England

[Mamibaer]

My family is about to relocate back to the UK after over a decade on the continent. It’s for work reasons, and to be closer to family. In a lovely part of the UK. I’m fluctuating between excited and despairing - the situation seems so bad over there at the moment from what I see in the news (I.e on MN ). Brexit, Covid cases, NHS crisis. Some days I wonder what the hell we’re thinking and others I can’t wait to come back for gorgeous British walks and pub lunches. Can you share what you find positive about life in the UK right now?

Ps @Pumperthepumper
I did think the North Korea comment was really funny

@BlueFlavour

Ps *@Pumperthepumper* I did think the North Korea comment was really funny

It’s true though! Someone always says it 😂

After a huge car accident a few years ago I have never been so grateful for our NHS. I know I've been lucky to have had good care for my injuries including brain trauma but the equivalent would have financially ruined me in countries without universal healthcare. I am so, so grateful.

It could be worse

Can be out at night and not feel afraid

I definitely wouldn't use this as an example, especially not at the moment. As well as being untrue in many places it's also completely tone deaf all things considered.

I live overseas and have ping ponged back and forth a lot. I have come to appreciate the good and acknowledge the bad. The good:

-British humour

• Open green countryside that you are permitted to walk over (everyone takes this for granted)
• Seasons - halloween, bonfire night, warm light evenings in July in the garden with friends
• Christmas
• Supermarkets are excellent and very cheap
• villages and towns
• History and architecture
• the pub and beer gardens
• trips to London, best city in the world

The bad:

• constant grey skies/lack of sunshine hours even when warm - this is what always drives me away
• class system, materialism, constant snootiness
• the depressing grind of work in the U.K.

I was really enjoying this thread and actually for the first time in ages feeling calmer and focusing on positives. @pumperthepumper believe me I get your anger and sadness, I feel it every day, but you've really spoiled this thread and taken me back to feeling miserable. Thanks so much.

It's beautiful. Honestly, the countryside, you can drive 20 miles and see a totally different landscape. There is some stunning historical architecture to be found in rural and urban areas.

The weather is FULL of variety and the changing seasons (often all in one day) mean you never get bored.

There is SO much to do, I could spend the rest of my life exploring the UK and I'd never be bored.

@ClaireandTed

I was really enjoying this thread and actually for the first time in ages feeling calmer and focusing on positives. *@pumperthepumper* believe me I get your anger and sadness, I feel it every day, but you've really spoiled this thread and taken me back to feeling miserable. Thanks so much.

What’s making you miserable?

Pubs - I love a traditional village pub
Unusual and quirky place names
The mild weather
Lack of bureaucracy
Easier to make friends - places, where the emphasis is on extended family, can be very lonely for people moving there

[quote Pumperthepumper]@Scornedwoman67 yes I did, I said the wildlife.

What are your positives?[/quote]
Many. I wake up thankful for them every day.
However bad life is, there are always many others who are far worse off.

@pumperthepumper Everything you've described. I'm struggling with many of the issues you are talking about. But this thread was started to talk about positives, rather than negatives, why can't you just let it be on this one thread for goodness sake? It was actually making me feel all warm inside.

Anyway - things I like:

The countryside is beautiful
The cities are vibrant, love the museums, libraries, history
People have been kind and really gone out of their way to help my disabled child
Amazing food and restaurants
Brilliant music, TV, diverse culture
Great writers and artists

[quote ClaireandTed]@pumperthepumper Everything you've described. I'm struggling with many of the issues you are talking about. But this thread was started to talk about positives, rather than negatives, why can't you just let it be on this one thread for goodness sake? It was actually making me feel all warm inside.[/quote]
Because it’s nonsense. So long as everyone sits around and pat themselves on the back for the pubs and the banter, nothing ever changes. None of those things making you miserable change.

I love the countryside. So much space to explore and wander about in. We have almost 20,000km of mainland coastline, and another 10,000 km of island coastline. That's amazing for such a small landmass.

I like that I can email my MP and they'll respond to me. I like that I can go to a doctor, then a consultant, then have surgery or tests or xrays and it's all free at the point of use. I like that I can contact my local council about a hole in the road and they'll fix it.

I like that the vast majority of our wildlife is fairly safe to be around. That I live in a geologically quiet part of the world with few earthquakes etc.

There's so much variety here, the south coast of Great Britain is completely unlike the north coast. Kent is completely different to Caithness. There are huge mountains in the Cairngorms, yet Norfolk is almost completely flat.

There's a huge amount of interesting history from repopulation after the Ice Age to the Industrial Revolution. There's a strong national focus on art and creativity.

You can pretty easily start working for yourself. You can homeschool your children with relatively minimal inerference from the state. Almost everyone over 18 can vote.

There's a lot of everyday stress and negativity, and lots that could change for the better, yet at the same time we live in a place where overall quality of life is better than the vast majority of the world.

Our expedites are nonsense

Pumperthepumper have you lived in other countries? I have and have family living in other countries. Of course things could be better but I’m well aware how good things are here

• our experiences….

@OhWhyNot

Our expedites are nonsense

Pumperthepumper have you lived in other countries? I have and have family living in other countries. Of course things could be better but I’m well aware how good things are here

Yes, I have. I’m not denying there are worse places to live. I’m arguing that the UK could, and should, be so much better.

It gets warm sometimes

Thinking about positives from time to time isn't nonsense. It's essential for mental health and to enable us to tackle the negative aspects with fresh energy.

I love all the positive things being brought up on this thread

No you are not you have dismissed what others have said becuase they disagree with you

There are positives to living in the uk (my families experience far less racism here than France, Germany and US and this isn’t just my families experience (and that’s not to claim there isn’t issues here)

We live in a lively seaside city, with a very live and let live attitude. I know we moan about the British weather but actually - it’s not too hot In summer, it’s not too cold in winter - the NHS for all its faults is still amazing and a privilege to have. We’re
Somewhere we’re community is strong, the local pubs are all kid friendly, and there’s so much opportunity children. Lots of green space, and sea space and beach space… we have London not far and access to some of the best, and best known art, science, natural history, theatre etc in the world world.
And it’s safe, really safe compared to many places - particularly somewhere like the US with its gun crime etc. ThenUK really is a safe place to live, work, bring up kids
.

‘ Can be out at night and not feel afraid

I definitely wouldn't use this as an example, especially not at the moment. As well as being untrue in many places it's also completely tone deaf all things considered.’

It’s not tone dead if it’s still true - which it is. Men’s violence against women and children is a huge issue in the U.K., as with many other countries, but as with many other countries the violence is mostly from men who know those women and children. Not from strangers in the street.

@DunderMifflinSalesRep

We are actually a very tolerant nation compared to many other countries. Even though it might not seem it, the UK had persistently been ranked as one of the least racist countries across the world.

We rarely have to worry about animals or the weather killing us.

Our public services are actually incredible. Household bin collections for most houses, even in rural areas. Health care that is free at the point of use. A reliable mail delivery service. A non partisan public broadcaster.

Our officials, at least on a local level, are not generally corrupt. I appreciate that we're currently governed by a bunch of corrupt arseholes, but you're unlikely to be able to get out of a speeding ticket by paying off the police for example.

We have a good community spirit. Look at the mutual aid Facebook groups that popped up during Covid and how many people volunteered for the NHS. Our fundraising efforts are fantastic and we're pretty generous as a nation.

Our country side is spectacular. You don't have to travel far to find yourself in the depths of the green and pleasant land.

I so agree with you about racism (although there is always room for improvement) and the countryside and community spirit, however I am surprised you call the public services in the UK "incredible". I've lived in three European countries and the rubbish collection, to use your example, was much better in each one and minimum twice a week (with proportionate higher taxes of course). Where we live currently we have three different collections a week.

Also agree with Magicalwoodlands about tolerance and the natural beauty of the seasons, but health and education are fairly big ticket items!

Our teens are receiving very high quality free university education where we live abroad and tbh we miss many aspects of the UK, but the fantastic subsidised health care is probably what will be the deciding factor as to why we will remain living abroad.

I do miss British pubs and humour though. The long and short of it is that there is good and bad in every country!

England is like pretty.much everywhere.

Your mileage will depend on who you are and what you earn.

A black single mum on benefits... Not going to have a good time.
A middle age wealthy white man... He'll have it fantastic.

Disparity.in this country is incredibly evident. More so if you're near the bottom.
Surviving on £1000 a month, barely enough food, not enough hear, Christmas is miserable, emergencies can push you to suicidal thoughts. All the while other people judge you and tell you to work harder... Whilst they have 5 cars is garages bigger than your home and generally having far far far more than anyone could ever need and have been handed it all by nepotism not skill.

So dependant on where in the scale you fall, you'll either be fine and dandy, or you'll be fucked.