Do you love the UK?

[Annabella92]

Or Britain? Or England, or Wales, or Scotland, or NI, or Spain, or the US, or Canada, or Ghana, or Greece or wherever you hail from. Do you love it? What do you love about it? AIBU to wonder if any of it is real?

Are you being unreasonable to think what is real?
Yes, there are lots of things I love about England. Its countryside, lots of its pretty villages and towns (the big cities not quite so much). Its language and cultural heritage (literature, history,traditions). Its sense of humour. Obviously there are quite a lot of not-so-good things about it too.

I speak and teach 3 other European languages and encourage my students to discover and enjoy those aspects of the other countries too (and enjoy them myself). So it's not that I think British culture or landscape is superior. But it's mine and I am very fond of it.

Yes.

I see deer and hares and kestrels on the school run. The leaf colours were stunning this year. My drive to work takes 12 minutes and there is very little traffic. I'm enjoy my job with good people.

My DS is happy and flourishing at a good school. I have a small circle of friends and we live in a comfortable house. I am financially secure

The last few years have been a struggle but right now, everything is going well.

If I'd answered the same question three years ago, I was coping with all sorts of hassle but my surroundings and the wildlife were what kept me calm. I've lived in Paris and Canada for short periods but always happy to come home.

Like my family, I love it unconditionally. I'm cross when people are rude about it and would defend it against attack without question. My roots are entwined within it and its history.

It's not perfect and there are lots trying to tear it down, but having traveled extensively, I'm so glad Britain is my home. I hope the British people keep their sense of humour, weird traditions and sense of community.

Shouldn't that be 'she/her', rather than 'it'? Like a ship?!

I don't believe anywhere is perfect but every single day I am so grateful I was born in the UK.

Journos aren't?

What do you mean by is it real? I'm imagining a matrix type scenario here.

Also in Scotland there are worse places to live obviously.The only thing that I don't like are the political fuck ups which are numerous.

No, I come from a better run country with lovely weather. Here because of DH only. We are organising his visa to move there next year all going well, cannot wait to leave. When I arrived 11 years ago this country was okay, now the NHS, public transport, etc etc are all completely fucked thanks to 14 years of conservatives privatising and underfunding.

Not after yesterday’s disgraceful vote I don’t.

Yes

I love the mild weather with few extremes. The greenery, the culture. Our freedom. The NHS and how important we think it is to keep it free at point of use.

We have so much history & beautiful buildings. My children are safe here.

No.

i still have respect and affection for Britain - mainly for all the things others have mentioned. It’s a good country that contributes a lot to the world.

but since the Brexit vote and Johnson it seems to have taken a path of being insular, backwards looking and arrogant. And more selfish as a society. And the unequal wealth distribution is so wrong.

we moved elsewhere. I so appreciate the visits back, but leavung was the right thing for us.

I now want to move to Dorset.

This sounds amazing. I'm starting to get twitchy to move somewhere I'll see more wildlife. I'm in the centre of a market town and life means I don't get out into the countryside as much as I would like.

I completely agree with what you have said here. The UK has changed so much since Brexit and I just don’t recognise it anymore.

Yes!

I spent a considerable amount of time in Canada this year and coming back to the UK was like landing in heaven. Well ok that’s a stretch but there was immediate relief to be back in the UK.

The fact I don’t have to worry about carjacking and guns. Streets are so clean here. Healthcare is accessible (in comparison to Canada!)

And nobody asks me if I want cream in my tea here 😂

So yeah, feel safe and happy in 🇬🇧

I do not love the U.K.. Life here is harder than in other civilised comparable countries like some of the ones you mentioned. I appreciate the beauty and architecture of some places unique to the U.K. Used to love London but it is now become another city with safety for women in decline and overpopulated. Perhaps the madness of having someone as incompetent as SK as Mayor. The consequences are very real and there to see.

I love the women of the UK

I love the British Isles and those of its inhabitants who also love them.

I don't love, like or respect the political construct that is the UK, or its broken and corrupt institutions.

*their inhabitants

Love the UK for these reasons:
. History
. Geography
. A good size country to be able to travel about
. British TV

What I don't like about the UK:
. Soft on crime and immigration
. Ignorant people
. Welfare system. Nobody should be be paid more by govt, than what they could earn if they work a NMW job.
. Selfishness and rudeness increasing since covid. There is no need for it and there is no benefit from acting like this.

I love it because it's home and it's where I'm familiar and comfortable.
I don't know, but I suspect, that I would love a lot of other places if they were my home.

The UK is a great place to live and I feel lucky to have been born here, Especially as a woman. We really take it for granted. Bless this little wind blown rain soaked rock!

I love Manchester, it's where I was born and grew up.I love going back, I love the people and the vibe. I'm fully aware it has its problems like any other city. I live in a small town on Scotland now and I'm happy enough. My kids love it but I don't consider it belongs to me. Dh loves Scotland as do the kids, they consider themselves Scottish( we are British asian). When we visit Manchester they cheer when they see the welcome to Scotland sign on the way back home.What I do love about Scotland is that the people are friendly overall and the country is beautiful, coming from Manchester I'm not bothered by rain or cold weather. There are so many places up here that I am still yet to explore, it has a natural beauty that is unparalleled.

The UK gets a lot of stick but we have the NHS, free schooling, a stable government and rights for women. There is still a lot that makes it a special place to live, however the riots in the Summer made me fear for my family and I will be encouraging our kids into jobs where they can be employed anywhere so they can emigrate.

But they all have to pay insurance - and then well off people, people with good jobs etc. end up with better insurance, and some people end up with no insurance at all.

"Meanwhile, in 2023 around 25 million Americans lacked health insurance coverage. Should uninsured individuals require health care, they are likely to face significant financial consequences and need to pay large medical bills out of pocket. Costs can quickly add up leaving them susceptible to medical debt"

but since the Brexit vote and Johnson it seems to have taken a path of being insular, backwards looking and arrogant. And more selfish as a society. And the unequal wealth distribution is so wrong.

This is a global problem happening in many countries. Many people who moved here 10/15 years ago and remember their home country nostalgically, may get a shock if they return now and find public services are not what they were and wealth distribution is increasingly unequal. Its not unique to britain

No, not any more. The uk is now too crowded and living in a run down region is not good. I have no desire to move to London and will instead be moving abroad. Son is also planning to move to Australia or Canada when he’s qualified as he doesn’t want to live here either, several of his graduate friends at the same firm are planning similar. Decades of decay and no sign of anyone who knows how to resolve the problems we face. It’s only going to get worse.