what's the best thing about living in the UK ?

[hez011]

I have made the momentous decision to return to UK after 20+ years overseas,bringing my twin ds with me who have only once visited UK.Some helpful friends/family have been quick to pour cold water on the idea so please can I have some personal good reasons for life in UK ? Thanks

Tea
Supermarkets are easy to use and well stocked, and do deliveries
Tolerance and respect for others
Appreciation and support of women in the workplace most of the time - not perfect, but getting there
Standard of driving is quite safe overall
People laugh and smile frequently
British telly is probably the best in the world
Banks and businesses more customer focused than many other places - again, not perfect but pretty good really
Disabled access is pretty good and people try hard to be accommodating
NHS is amazing - never have to worry about health insurance/excesses/get out clauses, and overall it does a great job considering complexity of the organisation
MPs less corrupt and cliquey than some other countriesI could go on ...

ernest - usually you can contact them until evenings now. Not that you neccessarily get any joy when you do

Ernest, half my family is German, so I spend time most summers over there, and customer service does my head in. Totally. Especially the thing in the (tiny, relatively poorly stocked) supermarkets when you fill the trolley, and they need paying in hard cash (because Germany is the only country who still has EC cards and nowhere you want to go seems to accept Maestro or credit cards). Also loads of shops close for the whole of August and/or on Saturdays. It baffles me, all this.

ah yes, I remember the huge embarrassment of doing big supermarket shop, proferring my visa card and getting a 'look', and having to leave, shame faced and empty handed. Great, as it was 3.30 on Saturday and didn't have time to get home & back, so had to eat emergency crap till Monday when (some) shops reopened.

Orm, those are the times on the letter we've been sent from DT - our 1st letter was ignored, 2nd one given the option of calling (during office hours).

teeny shopping trolleys (no joke when you've got 4 kids) UK recipe books with all sorts of 'exotic' ingredients, probably standard now in UK that you've got no hope of getting hold of here.

CHEDDAR CHEESE

Yeah Earnest, and all the Alte Schachtels standing there with their one solitary canvas carrier bag, tutting and rolling their eyes becase you're buying more than a pint of milk and two Semmel and a packet of ham.

I could go on!

chuch bells chiming the hour and bell ringing practice.
chocolate
proper sliced bread
no giant poisonous beasties
cycling through the countryside on a summer day
P.Y.Oing in the summer
the W.I bake sale
country fairs
Whitby
Stately homes and country parks

DH keeps trying to convince me to move to the States but i'll never leave, i love blighty and i'd miss my family.

days of the week - your comment 15 Feb 23:39 - ?? as far I'm aware nothing was being directed at you specifically. My point was that no matter where you live there will be good points and bad points, things that piss you off and things that make you happy.

I was agreeing with you shelling peas!

When I first read the OP I wasn't sure what I could come up with to be honest but then after reading all the posts I am feeling rather glad to live here now!! Must put crumpets on my shopping list for tomorrow, too!!

Malt loaf!!
Fish & Chips
Customer service (I too live in Germany - you guys really don't know how good you've got it)
twiglets
Supermarkets: Home delivery, lots of tills and everything you want/one stop shop (had to go to 5 supermarkets just for Xmasdinner last year).

So glad I am repatriating in 3 weeks now! Was feeling dead wobbly until I read this thread.

dayoftheweeks - oops, sorry, got it wrong! Not much good at this stuff and will stick to lurking in the future.

(slinks off to corner and slugs more Blackthorn)

Radio 4
Front gardens
Green grass
Nothing much worse in the undergrowth than
stinging nettles.
Good curry
Sensible road signs and cats eyes. Roundabouts not 4-way stops.
Weather which is not mostly either too bloody cold or too bloody hot to do anything outside.
Not having to have mosquito screens.

[there's nothing like living in the US for a couple of years to make you appreciate the UK]

i live in cornwall and i am very lucky

oooh,and forgot - shopping on a Sunday.

And being able to wash my car/mow the lawn on a Sunday.

Actually, being able to wash my car in the driveway any day of the week in fact!!