Expats in the UK, or those who have gone home...what do you love/miss about the UK?

[catASTROPHE]

I'm pining for home (Australia) at the moment, but I know I see it through rose coloured glasses. I really want to enjoy the good things about being here while I can.

So, what do you like best
or, if you are now home, what do you miss?

Also, what was not as good as you imagined when you went home?

I miss Boots. You don't realise what a great place it is until it's gone, as with most things I suppose.

Pubs

I would have said Percy Pigs if I hadn't had 3 packets delivered today.

I'm a Brit in Sydney. I really miss:

M&S
Gap
Boots
High-tech stuff like TV on demand
Being able to get wine with lunch easily in LARGE glasses. To get the equivalent here you would have to get 4 of their teeny tiny glasses and then you look like an alcoholic.
Being able to get a £29 flight to other European capitals.
West End shows
Bags of pre-batoned carrot batons
Trashy pop culture for light relief
French wines

I'm flying back in a month and I'm very excited

I think haar is a sea fog in the NE of the UK, Bchox (but might be wrong!)

Yes, haar is a sea fog.

I'm originally from Einburgh and on certain days the whole city goes all kind of muffled, as a cloud full of droplets hangs over it.

Odd thing to miss, but it's really atmospheric, just right for a Rebus-style murder...

P.S. Expat:
I'm bringing DS to Edinburgh in April to see my parents.

I'm going to take him to the places I loved when I was a kid (Chambers St. Museum, Arthur's Seat, Hermitage of Braid/Blackford Pond, Commonwealth Pool - can you tell I'm a Southsider? - Botanics, etc.)

Do you have any recommendations for other good places I can take him? He's 2.

Einburgh? Sorry about typo.

Gosh I thought I was the only expat Percy Pig addict. They have wider appeal than I thought

Boots, YES! And Shreddies. And free public libraries, nice greetings cards, staff in supermarkets that don't huff like they are doing you a favour by checking out your shopping, whilst ignoring your struggle with grizzly baby, unruly trolley, bags, money and a ton of groceries.

I've lived in GB for over 20 yrs now and the things I love about it are;

sense of humour
friendliness
temperate weather
gardens
close proximity to beautiful countryside
fabulous shopping
pubs and pub gardens
seaside
great televison
amazing choice of food in supermarkets
close proximity to europe

Miss so many of those things already mentioned plus:

Small Bite Mixer for my dog
British GPs and
being able to browse for as little or as long as I like in shops without having well-meaning shop assistants hanging off my shoulder and/or having them take umpteen items out from behind the counter of which none of them I like.

I miss my aga. Sunday papers. Films on tv. London. Fresh cream. Biltong. Guinness ads; Waitrose. That's it really.

Oh and huge bookshops. And dvd loan.

Boots here too
Great choice of food in supermarkets (without most of the crap though)
Decent telly
Decent potatoes (or at least more than just 2 varieties)
Parsnips
Decent sliced bread (here it's stale to start with as for toasting only, or else they add dextrose to make it taste sweet and "Amercian style" Wtf?)
Malt vinegar on soggy chips off a seaside pier on a freezing day
Leafy parks
Please and thank yous and common courtesy in general.
Um, think that's it for now.

Huggies can only get pampers - don't lke pampers!

I found chocolate hob nobs today, and nearly cried.

I have seen Percy Pigs for sale in Oz (in Safeways I think?). They are not called PP, they are called Fred Ferkels (sp?). They are EXACTLY the same. I checked the ingredients and did a blindfolded taste test! I'm not sure if they are selling them anymore?

Brangelina & ggirl, having read your lists, I feel very homesick.

And what is it with American bread?

Califrau - Trader Joes does decent bread - do you have one near you?

went to Marks and bought some percy pigs today. 2nd ingredient was pork gelatine, and i found it hard to shake the feeliing i was eating the face of a little pig. don't think I will miss them!

Boots I will miss,
daffodils in abundance i will miss

The usuals really....
M&S
Debenhams (any department store actually)
Shopping centres
London
Proximity to Europe
Density of people
Decent cities
Central heating and really cold nights (as opposed to no heating, mildly cold nights by comparison but freezing your socks off in your house, sleeping in thermals is not an attractive look!)
Public transport

No food strangely - have now got used to everything being seasonal and that English recipe books are useless here as they rely on you being able to buy everything all year round

wit

manners

the whole 'coolness' of the uk. people can take things very seriously here (like their jobs)

mince pies

buying my beer and whisky in a grocery store as opposed to a government run monopoly.

Food - everything here is full of chemicals

double decker buses

I'm a brit living in britain and I really miss Australia! I loved the idea of the place when I was growing up and my two visits there did not disappoint. Spiritually Sydney is home to me because I plan on emigrating as soon as I can. I love that Australia is bright, sunny, people are cheerful and laidback, I love the accents and the diversity.

I have also lived in London (am currently in Southampton) and am really missing that place. I love the tube; the atmosphere on it - everyone on a journey with the same goal in mind, reading the news or looking half asleep, the stations deep underground where I should feel claustrophobic but dont. I love the whole london vibe actually. I love its so big a place but it feels small. I cant wait to move back there in the summer!

But not more than Aus. I absolutely adore Australia as much as life itself. If you are a brit living there then please do consider yourself extremely privileged because I would do anything to swop places with you.

Ha! At the market this morning, one man called me "ma charmante", and I didn't think it was nice at all. Curious to see if I find it any nicer when people call me love/darling/sweetheart in the Edinburgh shops/taxis when I'm next back there.
A touch of the grass always being greener, maybe...