I left Britain in 2003, I have made 3 short visits since to my old home city. Each time I noticed the change mainly for the worse. I too felt like a foreigner.
I left in 2009 and go back every summer .. mainly hang out in London. I only go in August and I love in miss it! The long summer evenings, the people drinking outside in the pubs, the food, the history. BUT as soon as it rains and starts to get cold, I’m glad to leave. And OMG! It’s SO expensive! But.. if I ever one the lottery, I’d live back there in a heartbeat (..and have a house in Thailand too! 😂)
China owns 130 billion of Britain too. All the time we were told the Brexit would give us back our autonomy was yet another Johnson lie, they sold us years ago.
As far as I know the French own the toll bridge over the Thames at Dartford crossing, China owns lot's of stuff over here, in housing and hotels, office blocks, so I'm sorry to say Britain is not so Great anylonger, as the owners keep selling to the highest bidders, greed rules here unfortunately.
@@mikethebloodthirsty what? Everything was sold off while we were in the Eu? We’ve only been out for a little while. People selling off British brands will happen regardless of being in a political union or not.
When you were last in England there were no £1 stores, no tens of thousands of food banks, no people living on the street, no zero hours contracts, no homeless holding down full time jobs and then living in the YMCA, no streets full of litter, there was almost adequate council housing for those that needed it, I'm afraid to say they were the good old days. We didn't know it then. It's very interesting for me that you were surprised. I suppose if you get the British press in Canada, you also have to take account of the fact that it doesn't print the news any more. You would have received what the government wants you to know. We lost our free press quite some time ago. Mind you, I know that is a world wide corporate press problem. The only place to get the real news is to trawl the internet and do your own cross referencing. You sound as if you made the right choice for you both moving out to Canada. Must say I feel a pang of envy. Very best wishes to you both.
We were last in the UK in 2018, this was inspired by our 2011 trip, we didn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of negativity, we thought a little bit of observation and then some entertainment. We feel fortunate to call Canada home, we still value our British heritage.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Sorry to spoil the tone with my last comments, I really do enjoy your videos. Guess today's reality of Britain got the better of me. I know every country has its problems. Are the young in Canada hopeful for their futures?
The press is the same here. No news. Just left wing opinions. At least they have some good shows on the BBC. We haven’t watched CBC for years. It wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t given billions by the government.
@@mrbraithwaite5330 Most people in the US aren't lunatics with guns, sure there is some. I live in a part of the country that is rural, mountainous, and is scattered with small towns and we don't have a problem with gun violence like the major US cities. Although, I don't have a gun of my own I know many people that do and they have hunting lodges for when they go hunting during deer, bear, or turkey season. Also, some people may not be aware of this but sometimes its the government's fault that a tragedy happened. Back in 2017 a former Airman that was dishonorably discharged because of domestic abuse toward his wife and step-son shot up a small church in Texas. The Air Force failed to register his name with the FBI, and because of that he was able to walk into a gun shop and pass a background check and everything they wanted. In that instance the Air Force
I have been away from the UK for over 42 years always paid my tax and National Insurance I came back now and again for short visits now I am 66 years old. I had been lucky I purchased a house 20 years ago and I was hoping to retire soon to the UK but now I have doubts. I have lousy neighbors, crime is rampant, drug taking, no respect from children to their elders and not safe at night and to cap it off Bonkers Boris is running the country.
@@stevieframe I have been working overseas. I paid though my first company which was a UK company when I worked in Egypt and later when my mail was posted to my mothers home she would collet it and throw away the advertising stuff and pass it onto me. I had a Tax Consultant later who kept my affair up to date and later I was able to pay online.
Well, my daughter (from Canada) went to the UK (Isle of Wight) as a teacher back in 2011, intent on being an international teacher. Fast forward to now, she has married and has two kids there with a very happy life. Amidst many negatives, there are also positives. Your videos are a joy. Thank you for them. 😃🇨🇦🇬🇧👍
Well that is wonderful and we are very happy for your daughter and family, it is great for good news and for Grandpa 👴 hope you get to visit them . We appreciate your support Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
The Isle of Wight is in no way representative of the majority of the UK. It is like going back to the 1950s there. The contrast between there and the cities elsewhere is like night and day. I love the Isle of Wight.
I left the UK for the US in 78! I go back frequently and have noticed so many changes. I fell every time I go back it is more Americanized! there are several cars in a household instead of one, they are holding baby showers, proms and wedding showers which were unheard of whenI lived there and there are lots of home food deliveries which is new. People drive everywhere like in the US and Canada and there is no way I would drive over there. The people though are just as lovely as ever ! 💕
I love your videos. I'm Irish and recall when my uncle and his wife returned home from Canada after 20 years to live back here in Ireland, they also felt like foreigners as the country had changed so much. So much so that that they eventually went back to Canada to live. They found that the country they remembered was, in many respects, gone and that they felt much more at home in Ontario.
I have known three couples who went back to the UK after living in Canada. The first couple arrived in Manchester, walked out into the rain he looked around at what he saw and said to his wife... "I made a mistake, if you want to stay... it's going to be on your own!" a few days in their home town and even their kids were asking when can we go home?. They lasted 6 weeks! Another couple similar but they travelled back on a wisely booked cautionary return ticket and they were back in Canada within 2 weeks. The third couple had their return planned as soon as the wives mother passed. I spent a period of time stranded there during the no fly lock out because my father was ill. I have never wanted to kiss the ground more than when I walked of the plane in back home in Kelowna.
After being away for about 15 years, I visited the street I grew up on (here in Whitby, Ontario). That was a shock, I'll tell you. It went from being the type of street kids played on until dark, to almost a highway. I guess it doesn't matter, really, where you come from, any change is going to be shocking.
I emigrated to Canada from England in 1967 (yes, I'm that old!) and have lived in Australia, Hong Kong and now the US. Instead of feeling like a "foreigner" when I return for a visit, I instead feel completely at home, despite changes which have occurred (which have occurred in Canada and the US too), and have never been shocked at any of them. I do keep up with what is happening in England, and try to get back every 2 years. The moment I touch down, I feel a calmness come over me, and I'm home! My husband is Canadian, and up until the pandemic, we managed a trip up once a year. Prices in Canada are so much higher than in the US - that always catches me!
Thanks for your comment Fiona, the higher prices are in part due to social safety nets and healthcare, whereas in the U.S. during your working life you had to have health insurance. Probably in retirement you also pay for a Medicade part ABCD. We don’t go back to the UK any more as all our family are gone.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement No question - and the same is true of the UK, but it doesn't account for it all. Which part of Canada? I lived in Winnipeg and Ottawa.
Although you lost many things by leaving for so long your country of origin, one thing is sure you didn't lose your English humor. I greatly appreciate and have fun watching your videos. You are both doing a great job! Keep safe and wish you all the best for the future!
7-24-21 When I visited England and Ireland I was shocked at how high the taxes were/are. At that time the exchange rate was not in the dollar's favor, making it even more expensive. 😞
@@patriciat7769 The taxes are high here with much of it going into supporting the N.H.S which has become a bottomless pit. VAT at 20% on everything but, it pays to shop around even if it for one product. Not every shop charges the same for the same product. The price you see on the shelves though is the price you pay at the tills, unlike in the U.S. where you need a degree in math to work out the tax that`s added on. Petrol prices vary again from place to place even if its the same company, shop around.
As a Brit, I'd say the supermarket situation you found is surprising. In most small towns in East Yorkshire there is now a massive glut of ever growing numbers of supermarkets. Everyone is excited when you get an initial Tesco (a proper one, not a petrol station one), then you get a Morison's, then a Lidl, then an Aldi, then a second Lidl and so on. I would say your supermarket findings are most unusual!
@@lorraine7960 This must depend where you love our 3 main supermarkets asda, tesco and morrisons are all in our town centre only shops on retails parks are the likes of B&M home bargains, lidl, the range etc...
UK is turning into the Britain in “V for Vendetta”, in that dystopian future Britain story (written in the 70s I think) there were CCTV cameras everywhere watching everyone. It’s a strangely prescient story.
Graphic novel. Published during Thatcherism. It was a response to tory gov't. I read it every year. To quote the foreword "this is a novel for people who don't switch off the news"
George Orwells 1984 is even closer.The British Secret Police are ubiquitous including working in the media!.So is it any wonder the Guardian betrayed Assange to the Secret Police MI5!.
So I can put some insight into bakeries. My father was a master baker. The start of the fall was when mass production bakeries forced the colleges to reduce the training from 3 years to one. The last of the "3 year" bakers were retiring about 2000 - when there was no real perceived value in artisan goods as there is now. This meant a massive deskilling combined with an aging workforce and worn out equipment made it simply financial suicide to carry on. I would have needed to find 1/4 million to reinvest to stand still. Now on to the cake - a Mille Feuille is a much more labour intesive product than a vanilla slice, so it cost significantly more.
This was very informative thank you for taking the time to explain. It now makes sense and is a bit sad, most people who have replied say they get their traditional British cakes from Marks & Spencer’s which will be large scale automated factory’s.
I have had the same experience as you visiting the UK - having lived in Australia for many years I was shocked when I was over there !!! - I found it over priced - over taxed and over crowded - I have dual nationality Aussie and British passports but indeed I felt like a foreigner, their mindset I can't relate to - I was born in Wolverhampton West Midlands and found it a dirty old place I emigrated way back in the early 70s - thank God I did !!!!!!
My family live in Sydney, my aunt left England to Oz in 1974/5 on a £10.00 boat. Both her and her daughters families are desperate to move to England, my cousin is due to move here next year, she finds the cost of living far to high in Oz and the rest of the family will follow soon after. Good job we are all different and that's what makes the world go round...
On the rare occasions when I visit the UK one of the first things that strikes me is that with very few exceptions, people on the street, in shops and cafes don't smile at, or exchange random pleasantries with strangers any more.
@Ydfu Tutu : Brits have been made to be miserable, an unfortunate response to the maladministration that's allowed so many aspects of a formerly stable society to be undermined.
That's multiculturalism for you..when your transitory neighbour's don't speak the same language and don't expect to be living there long...community spirit dies...find it everywhere and not just the UK.
Hi guys, I am an expat living in Saskatchewan, the dollar stores here are rarely a dollar, nearly all stock is just cheap Chinese junk that falls apart the first time you use it.
That seems to be the business model, having said that North American brands are increasingly making smaller product packaging to hit their dollarish levels Thanks for watching we appreciate it.
I returned to my home town of Woolwich In S.E.London and could not recognize it, The shops at night had shutters on the windows and the atmosphere was very hostile, there is now a large immigrant population and I felt like I was in a foreign land, it's such a shame, but I won't return there again.
The Britain you once knew is long dead. The Britain i grew up in bares no resemblance of the one we have today. As for going anywhere near cities, forget it. They are as far from the Britain pre 1990s as you'll ever get. Even in the south west where i live is fast becoming a different place. Soon Great Britain will be lost forever. Our History, heritage our pubs , shops and village greens will be buried under affordable housing for those that cant really afford them. Our culture will be so watered down, you wouldn't be able to recognise an Englishman if he had the cross of Saint George tattooed on his forehead. This is the same across the other countries of Britain.
Thanks for your comment it is sad that it has changed so much, guess it all changed not for the better after we left in 1992 Hope you have a great week Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
When I go to France and Spain, where I used to live, I say exactly the same. It is so different. It is called history. Just accept it and make the best of things. Despite right wing Tory ambition, we are not going back to an Agatha Christie Miss Marple world.
A lot of our neighborhoods in my city have lost their grocery stores, too. They say that they could not make enough money to stay open. This has been a hardship on retirees who don't own cars or have to travel much farther to buy food. Small, popup farmers markets help with this, but many have to buy their food at dollar stores and gas stations that don't carry fresh produce.
That’s very interesting 🤔 it’s happening in a lot of places where out of town stores are taking over everywhere thanks for watching enjoy your weekend 🌺🍷
@@metalicminer6231 Homelessness among Scottish citizens has skyrocketed over the last decade, but that didn't stop the SNP from rushing to find the council housing and funds to allow thousands of Syrians to relocate from camps in Turkey/ Lebanon. I don't think we'll see them rushing to repatriate these people now the war is over (unlike the Danish).
Hilarious! It's the same in Ireland. Betting shops, Zara, H&M etc everywhere, chains ⛓️ of coffee shops in every town. Traffic is mad at all times of the day. Even Wetherspoons, the English Pub chain are gaining a foothold. Really enjoy your vids guys. Keep em coming!
I live in the UK and I still moan about all the shops we've lost from the high street, our choice for for buying domestic electrical products is now very limited and controlled by a few large companies. Most of the time we are squeezed like lemons to extract as much money as possible from every service provider. On the plus side our internet speeds are generally very fast and our trains have been upgraded but sad to say many good things we once enjoyed have vanished.
I have lived in Australia since 1996. Went home to UK some years back. Had to fly to London then pick up a hire car (no GPS) to travel north. Had problems finding the way to the M1. Knew it wasn’t far away. Stopped 3 times to try and ask directions but couldn’t find a single person who could speak English. Thought I’d landed in Somalia.
Also been away since 1997 in Germany and visited my sister in London and was excited for my kids to meet English people and speak English but we only met one single person who was English in four days, from taxi drivers to shop workers and museum workers and cafes and bed and breakfast owners. My sister called me racist because I complained.
We last went back five years ago to the suburbs surrounding London and we were both shocked and a little scared if I'm honest. My daughter went to a McDonald's restroom and there were school girls of around 12 years old kicking at the door for her to come out...she was terrified! The funniest was when we took our son to Harrods and he wanted a vanilla ice cream on a penguin plate....two mouthfuls in and he didn't want the $40 (exchange rate) ice cream! We definitely felt like foreigners which was sad as it didn't feel like home anymore.
Yes we felt the same way and there were some areas close to where we grew up that we didn’t feel safe either. Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences.
Lol. On the Dart, I met a woman coming back to Ireland after a long time in the States and remarked she's'd find it a very different country to the one she left. She just nodded, a little sadly, it seemed to me
@@noodleppoodle Enormously. Mostly for the better. We've come a long way but we still have a ways to go and we'll probably never be the promised land but we'll keep trying.
@@paulohagan3309 I visited Ireland (Dublin) for a human rights youth conference in 2014. This was an anniversary meeting and we were joined by people who were part of the same event 25 years prior, incidentally then also in Dublin. We heard quite a few stories of how things changed. Remarkable. I also met Panti Bliss at the time. All the best to Ireland :)
Hi, great to watch your video! I'm also an expat although not retired yet but I've been away from the UK for 15 years. When you say the UK has "moved on" I would say moved backwards unfortunately . The biggest shock to me was seeing foodbanks in supermarkets on a return several years ago. I didn't even know what they were at first! Poverty is everywhere in the UK sadly and only getting worse along with the associated crime/drugs etc that come with deprivation. Fine place to live if you're affluent but then, that was always the situation...?
Nothing shocks me about the UK these days! It was the very best decision of my life to leave that cesspit of incompetence and over inflated egos more than 30 years ago. Essentially, nothing has changed, but the decline has continued. The Great Britain of the 1980s that I left has simply continued its slow and progressive descent into oblivion. None of the social issues has been addressed, and none of the failing infrastructure has been repaired or rebuilt. The politics is as confrontational and juvenile as it always was, and celebrities rule everyone's life! The Brits have moved on from hero worshipping Diana the Drama Queen to voting for Boris the Clown and his flying circus of charlatans. What a sad reflection of a country!
@@ThisIsOurRetirement "Napoleon One" commented that "The Brits have moved on .........to voting for Boris the Clown....." At the last general election, the Welsh electorate voted in a majority of Labour MPs, in Northern Ireland they voted away from unionist parties and in Scotland the conservatives lost more than half their seats. Only in England did the electorate vote for "Boris the Clown and his flying circus of charlatans".
It's interesting to hear the reaction of fresh eyes on how the country has changed over 30 years. I am not in any way disagreeing with you that all changes seem to have been for the worse
The thing about these videos we do are tongue in cheek and not a full dive into the real issues which we would feel uncomfortable doing. We are trying to be entertaining and kind. We appreciate your comment and thank you for watching.
People have been saying exactly that about every culture since the days of Ancient Greece and probably before that. Part of it is because 30 years ago we were young and now we aren't.
My dad emigrated to South Africa in 1947 after having being stationed here for a few months during the war. He met and married my mother here ( in SA) and they didn't return to England for a visit till 1981. My dad still had this 2 brothers there and wanted to see them after such a long time. He was shocked at the changes and every time he saw a plane with an orange tail ( the South African Airways brand still back then) he said he wished he was on that plane going home!! But was very glad he saw his brothers and other family for the last time.
You two are great! It seems like every problem you have mentioned is essentially everywhere in the western world. I'm American but have lived half of each year in Germany since 2003. I love going back to the US, but not anywhere near a metro area.
I went back to the Netherlands for a visit after 37 years. The rural area where I am from had stood still in time. I was 12 when I left and felt like I was coming home.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement There still were no stores in the villages I grew up in. Lol. Tidy peaceful places just as I remember, where kids were safe and free to play. the people I met were content in their lives and had generally positive outlooks and took pride in their surroundings.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I believe humans weren’t meant to live in large urban centres. It is a faceless existence. I’ve lived in very small towns all my life or on farms near them. The people face all the same pressures really but the communities are stronger and therefore people are more resilient and open.
I recognise the town you grew up in from your photo of traffic. This is also where I grew up although I still live not far away in the UK. You will no doubt remember Ainsworths bakers and Swindells grocers on the high street, both long gone. Did you notice how many cafes and bars there are now? And the house prices! My Dad was a lecturer and my Mum a housewife, we had a 5-bedroom house which would require two barristers' salaries to buy today. That is a BIG change.
Beard the butchers, the delicatessen, Roy Morley Barber and Hoyels ice cream etc Yes lots of changes. 2013 was my last visit there. Ainsworths was a good bakery, yellow top buns and meringues. Thanks for watching.
An expat for 15 years working in Asia I too saw many changes in the UK on my return. Living there you just don't see the effects as it is a slow process where you just get used to a "new normal". Politicians count on that. (The only thing that hadn't changed was the weather.) I stayed only as long as necessary.
AUSSIE BOB HERE: I left the the UK IN 1970. Went back a couple of times, the last time for two years 1n 1978 and not been back since 1980; I didn't want to work on Maggie's farm no more. I was planning to go back to the UK to retire on the Isle of Wight but Britain pulling out of the EU put the kybosh on than plan as I wanted easy access to Europe (no more I'm afraid). However, from what friends have told me The UK is finished; so good bye forever!
Hi Aussie Bob, we were glad we weren’t “Blair” witched in the UK having already left. We would come to Australia apart from the fact that you drive on the wrong side of the road 😂😂 And the ice cream melts too fast 🍦Thanks for watching we appreciate it.
*I lived in Edinburgh in 2003 for 5 years, I love that place. I have really good memories of my time there. I visit the UK every year, I have family there and each time I visit I always have an amazingly good time.*
I go to Edinburgh every month now the buses are only £1.80 the Architecture is magnificent Scottish people are generally very friendly at the airport is great
Thanks for an interesting clip. I must say it made me think of how things has changed since I was young and I am not even retired yet. Being out of the country makes it easier to spot i guess. I now have and find vanilla slices somewhere here in Sweden. I also got happy with your interaction. It made my heart warm to see you have that kind of interaction after (I guess) many years. Keep up the good work!
Not sure how long it is since you were over here, Most of the large Department stores have now closed down due to the Pandemic - It's certainly not Great Britain anymore, more like rip off Britain
This was inspired by a trip in 2011, the last time we were in the UK was 2018. We wanted to have a video that wasn’t too critical but still be entertaining. We could have said way more but that wasn’t what we wanted to publish. Thanks for watching Andrew and we do appreciate your comment.
@@psalm1197 The larger department stores that did not open were in trouble before the Pandemic, Yes all non essential shops had to close due to the pandemic as instructed by the government, the big high Street department stores that were in trouble prior to the pandemic did not re-open or sold out to online stores leaving lots or shop workers without a job,
@@andrew-karens-adventures wrong again. It seems you don’t understand. All shops are essential to those who own, run, and are employed by them. There’s no such thing as a non-essential employee/employer. All lives matter, therefore all livelihoods matter. And No, they were not closed due to illness, they were closed because they were ordered closed by government in an unheard of, untested, non- risk assessed, non-scientific and catastrophic series of policies called “lockdown”.
You guys are HILARIOUS!! And utterly accurate 😂 traffic. Don’t get me started. Prices of vanilla slices. Well, people focus on Brexit. But the true crime is the rising cost of vanilla slices. THANK YOU for highlighting this issue. It takes courage. 😂 weird about the grocery store! I complain because we don’t have a Waitrose - but at least I have a Tesco and a Morrison’s and an Aldi and Lidl’s and Asda!! Mind you - nothing on the shelves. But that’s another video. Always lovely to see you guys 🥰🌹👍🥂
Hey Karen the traffic was insane 🚗 but the cost of Vanilla slices we were amazed at , we are amazed at this “PINGDEMIC “😱 going on over with you guess that’s what you mean by empty shelves sounds absolute Chaos !!! ( good idea there for YTube😂 )TFW it’s happy hour here so cheers 🍷🍺🌺
I've lived in Thailand since 1975, but make regular visits to the UK so the changes expressed here aren't a shock to me. In terms of buildings and infrastructure, the UK hasn't changed IMO a great deal over time. But here in Thailand, the capital Bangkok has changed immensely over the past 45 years - completely unrecognizable and foreign to someone who returned after four decades. The city has expanded massively and the skyline is a forest of high-rises. The same can be said of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and even Hong Kong.
It was Somerfield who started the Mini Supermarket in the fuel station thing. I was one of the very first truck drivers to deliver into them. It was not fun. Imagine trying to get a 40ft reefer reversed onto the forecourt back side of the pumps. And then get out when cars are fuelling up all around you. It was nuts. Somerfield quickly changed to shorty trailers which are much more manoeuvrable than rigids. Then Somerfield got bought out by the Co-Op and then every other brand got on the bandwagon.
I left England in 79 and visited in 97 and I was shocked how Americanized it had become! I was very disappointed and saddened how my home country had adopted American fast food.
It is not just US eating habits and food quality, political discourse too. The BBC refers to President Biden not the US President Biden as if he is running our country. It was even more so with President Trump and that because the PM Johnson was, not inappropriately, given the moniker ‘Britain Trump’.
You can never go back. We left the UK in 87 and my wife and I are now retired. The plan was always to go back but it only took a one week reconnoiter to realize that the UK is not for us. Even with the insanity that can manifest itself here in the USA I much prefer here in Seattle to the 'old' country.
When I visited London. I was shocked how depressing, grey and drab it is. Narrow roads, tiny poor quality homes, Litter in the streets, homeless people everywhere. UK is a dump.
UK is England ,Wales , Scotland ,Northern Ireland not just London , lots of beautiful places in the UK , next time you make a comment try doing some research , it's like me saying Africa's a dump ?
When I went to London, the toilets wanted a small payment. Problem with international visitors is that now that everything is on credit and debit cards, we did not always have that small change. I think charging small fee to every one flying into London will more than pay for upkeep of these toilets and make lives of tourists very convenient.
This lovely episode gives credence to the old adage, "You can't go home anymore." Changes which have occurred in the UK over the decades for tourists like me must be even more devastating to an expat. (P.S. There is rarely ANYTHING priced at just one pound in the Pound Store!)
@@ThisIsOurRetirement It will be scorching hot here in Northern Northern California, but all good. You have no idea how you two enrich people's lives with your informative, charming videos. I'm 69, still working because I enjoy it, but you're giving me impetus to retire sooner than later. Thanks!😀
You are great English teachers. Also I am a teacher. I have been in Canadian London now. I used to live in England before. Canada is a great, safe and wonderful country.
As Thomas Wolfe wrote - You Can't Go Home Again. Your memories are frozen on the day you left but of course life, and change, goes on. What you remembered no longer exists and I think that's true for all expats no matter where they are from.
That is true but the rate of change has been enormous in comparison to our childhood (15 years), when the status quo rarely changed. Nice reference thanks for watching.
I think you made an unfortunate choice of bakery - we have two independent bakeries in our town (and no Greggs!) and can get vanilla slices for £1.49 and yellow-topped buns for 99p.
When you were driving in Manchester did you happen to pass "Mat from Techmoan" testing out another dash camera? For some reason what really hasn't changed too much after all these years is ST. Joseph Island in Ontario near SS Marie, 2 tiny villages on an island stuck in time in the North channel. I guess they are more or less cut off by distance from the rest of the area. Their little hospital (now just an ER) is like something out of an English village in the 40's.
As somebody who has emigrated and returned to the uk and also met others who have done the same. You no longer quite fit into your home country, but you never feel 100% in your new country. You are somewhere in the middle. And your home and people have moved on. It's not an easy path to take and I wouldnt go as far as Australia if I had the chance again. I lived in other countries in Europe and didn't feel the same disconnect. I'm not really sure if recommend it.
I'm not a Brit, but when I visited over several years I could see for myself that the country was certainly changing & not for the better. It seems like Brits, with their good manners, fear of being accused of Racism, and everything PC, have given away their country to foreigners. You'd better hope they in turn will be generous to you. Somehow I don't think so.
@@andyhughes5885 Glasgow is lovely Norms mum was from there , Norm was born in Edinburgh we had a great vacation at both places a few years back 🇨🇦☕️🏴
You mentioned your home town and showed a picture. I was shocked to see Bramhall Village, my own hometown! It has changed a lot! I used to ride my bike up to the coop to cash a cheque on payday, hardly any traffic and relatively quiet. Now it is jammed with traffic all day and the coop long gone😧
To be fair, Canada didn’t really have “Dollar” stores prior to 1993 either. And most items sell now for $1.25 due to inflation, so not so far off the UK price.
Only dollar store with $1.25 prices really is the American owned Dollar Tree. Dollarama does still have a few items at a buck and a quarter, most items now are 2 bucks and up. But they do have a better variety than Dollar Tree. Now Dollar Tree in the States is a bit better.
This Is Our Retirement yes true, and as long as you buy name brand chocolate bars there is no better or cheaper place to buy them. Just stay away from those ones with the funny names and from some mid eastern country.
Don’t you worry about getting hacked using free wifi? I have had a few friends get hacked after using free airport wifi. Now I try to avoid public wifi unless I have vpn on, so that means using cellular unless at home
well i was in Yorkshire and Lancashire in 2018 from NZ with my english wife, beautiful landscape fantastic people and a fantastic time, wifes family salt of the earth it was brilliant
and to capture cell phone I'd data to "put a name to a face" of your activity log of what you have done. intrusive and fully backed up by flaky terrorism laws.
This video spoke to me. I visited London many times in the 80s and 90’s and finally again in 2004. Haven’t been back since then and I am afraid I wouldn’t care for the changes/progress. I am afraid it would feel like NYC or any big American city. Places I remember fondly are gone. Kensington market being one. Not that a million things haven’t changed in Philadelphia and NYC in all this time but I might want to keep my happy memories intact by not visiting the new UK. Really enjoy all your retirement tips! Keep up the good work! All the best from Philly.
Hi Carole, We are sure you would find something to enjoy on a trip to the UK, there are many wonderful places to visit such as Scotland, the Cotswolds, Cambridge or Oxford. It affected us more because of the cultural aspect, we were born and raised there. We emigrated at age 38 so have lots of memories and favourite foods etc. It was those changes that were profound. If we were regular tourist visitors we wouldn’t have been as affected. We have never been to Philadelphia but it is on our list of cities to visit one day. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Carole I remember the wonderful Kensington Mary when I was a student. U.K. It's not as nice as nice as it was. Too busy, too much traffic and too many people
The TX4 (Black Taxis) are actually larger and heavier than the older style Austin FX4's you might remember, but the additional space inside and out is devoted to safety equipment. Both models where built in Coventry, the FX4 being replaced by the TX series in 1997. Production at the Holyhead Road plant in the west of the city ceased in the summer of 2017, when I had the honour of photographing the last three to come off the line with the retiring workforce and the remaining staff who then moved to the new factory at Anstey. The new electric versions are built at that new factory on the east side of Coventry. The Nissan and Mercedes cabs (with sliding doors) you may have seen on your trip are also converted into cabs in the north of the city making Coventry the centre of cab production in the UK.
@@christineblackaby3531 High taxation (VAT & council charges especially); uncontrolled immigration; horrific traffic; the inclement weather; rampant violent crime; incredible house prices; long wait times for elective surgery; TV license charges; the ongoing confusion over Brexit; mental health (11% of women suffer from depression); dental health & hygiene; class system; no written constitution guaranteeing the rights of its citizens; high unemployment; low salaries, lack of educational opportunities; rampant fly tipping; widespread racism; high cost of train travel - well, I could go on and on - but hopefully I’ve answered your question!
Revisiting childhood areas is always a bit of a shock things change 4 an old penny sweets become unavailable Everybody seems to be rushing around Yes traffic is horrendous 24/7 these days
I have just come across your channel and am finding it really interesting. My hubby and I moved to Michigan from England in January 1992 and have been here ever since. I can totally relate to feeling like a foreigner when going back to the UK and we don’t like all the changes either. The biggest gripe we have is trying to stay within the speed limit and all the cameras tracking you on the freeways. We once received a notification from the rental car company that we’d been captured driving 5 miles over the posted speed limit. They charged us £30 for having to give the police our information. Fortunately, we never did receive the fine from the West Yorkshire police, probably too much hassle. Anyway, love the channel and keep the videos coming.
Welcome Sue looks like we have all the same thoughts left the same time 1992 and all the things that have changed when you go back. Hope you are enjoying Michigan we are loving Southern Ontario Cheers 🍷🇺🇸🇨🇦🍺
Sorry but you clearly avoided the most dramatic change in the UK being ethnicity on Immigration. Its so overwhelming that current residents are watching it change before their eyes. When I returned to UK it was shocking. Leaving it off was a bit lame if your pojnt was to highlight changes
Funny, I’m shocked by sales tax when I visit Canada from the UK. I’m now so used to never seeing it in Britain, it feels like gouging when an additional amount suddenly appears on the bill back in Canada. I definitely prefer it baked into the prices. Makes life so much simpler.
Visiting London I see wine bars are exclusive of ‘discretionary’ gratuity and sales tax which add a third to the price and yes they are cumulative as the gratuity is first added and then also taxed.
Another very interesting video. I love those "reverse-culture shock" pieces...kind of a harsh reminder sometimes that everything is moving on. I also have a cell phone that I use almost completely for photography and Internet access. I practically forget that the device has telephone features as well ! I have to admit that almost half the time I get an incoming call, I screw things up and lose the connection.
Thanks for watching and yes things move on we are the same with our cell phone 📱 as most of the time we use it connected to Wifi . Have a great weekend enjoy 🍷🌺🍺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I carry a small data plan on my phone exactly for those times when there is no wifi. And for emergencies; both my partner and I have health issues. The phone makes me feel more secure and willing to venture out.
1.5 Canadian is an uncommon bargain. A function of a modest independent owner. Never will see pricing like that at a chain. The price you saw was a function of location and the squeezing out of independents .
The $1.50 is a family bakery made on the premises, but you are right he is in a small village, the Edinburgh shop was in prime real estate. Thanks for watching
I don’t know which applies in this case (though they do describe themselves as “emigrating”) but there is a difference between “expat” and “immigrant”. I have been an expat in three countries but never an immigrant in any of them. Immigration almost always involves a desire to move permanently, to create a new life in another country. Expatriation means a short term (just a few years) move to another country, with no intention of immigrating but of moving back to the first country or moving on to another - usually work-related. The distinction is blurred in eg the EU where there is a third category because citizens of one country also have the right to live/work in others and many millions have done so (I was once one of them, though sadly this option is no longer available to British people). It is also even possible to live in one and work in another - it certainly happens in eg the border areas of France, Belgium, Germany and NL.
I totally agree. I am an immigrant to Norway from Canada. Unfortunately, many English people try to use expat with me, but I refuse to allow them to use it. My maternal grandmother and two of my aunts from County Durham always referred to themselves as immigrants, as did my Irish father-in-law. I would also like to say that immigration is and was normal behaviour. My daughter immigrated to Canada, then immigrated to Sweden to study, then immigrated to USA to work. My son immigrated to Germany to study, then immigrated to Poland before returning to Norway to live and work.
Yes I have to agree CCTV is omnipresent ( although it never seems to cut down on crime )..and there is an increasing fear of large cities ...and the best supermarket is Aldi ..a good German company..
Britain is a magnet for cultural ,historical tourism that is why also food is higher priced there.Ive lived with my family of five for 5 yrs in Gloucestershire and we d left 15 yrs ago.
been many years since we visited England but heard its camera capital of the world now guess we would be shocked if we went back there too *full watch👍Au👍left a big like*
The trouble is, you've "seen the light" as it were, by escaping? The only way you could possibly return to the Britain of old that we once knew, is by having enough money to move to the fringes, away from the cities and suburbs, where the villages still have all of the familiar things you/we miss, village pubs, post offices, small sized classrooms, reasonably normal traffic flow, attentive local policing, accessible health centers, no hooded lurking figures on BMX's at night etc, etc. It can all be yours if you wish, but you have to have plenty of money to be able buy into it, by paying a premium property price. The way things are going, I think gated communities will become very popular soon, but again, it will be at a premium. Unfortunately, those decent folk amongst us who have'nt got the money to escape are stuck.
Thanks for watching we were so glad we left in 1992 , our life in Canada 🇨🇦 has been wonderful and we now have no family left in the UK 🇬🇧 have a lovely weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🇨🇦🍺
Whilst I sympathise with your experience of the changes in the UK, they are matched by changes elsewhere. Nothing stays the same. Despite the best efforts of, usually, conservative governments, we still have an excellent health service and there is (a much reduced) safety net of social services. I live in Devon but travel and stay in London regularly. It is a really safe city to visit and most areas, certainly in the centre, are well policed, clean and great to wander around in. Whether it will stay this way, who knows. Interestingly the conservatives having made massive cuts to police numbers, with the concomitant increase in crime, are building numbers back to levels last seen under the socialists. Hopefully, they will reduce youth crime by funding youth work properly.
That might be the case but when you don’t have a phone you can’t get internet on your IPads , and people are all saying they are just trying to sell you stuff anyway , thanks for your comment Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
Not sure its got anything to do with security. They like to harvest people's information in the UK, and also like sell phone numbers to sales companies . Nothing is ever free in the UK, there's always a catch !
I did live my country at 15 , yet going back after 50 years I do feel like visiting a new place . The only things I do recognize are the buildings and their Grand architecture !
I've been to London four times as a starting point on my favorite trip. Tulsa to Chicago to Bangkok to Maui, Hawaii, to San Francisco then home. I will say I wasn't "Shocked" but the LHR airport tax is higher than what I recall elsewhere.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Just to let you know, Heathrow Management were the first to moan about losing money during Covid, even though they have billions in the bank. Says it all really.
The funniest thing I ever saw in Scotland , a few years ago was …walking to Waverly Station , I could hear “ a piper “ playing away, with his back to me . As I walked down the hill and approached him from his back, got to his front and low and behold, he was oriental ‼️‼️‼️🏴🇨🇦
Maybe he was second generation and half mixed race? Second generation born and grew up here has Scottish accent you cannot tell until you see their faces!
Imagine! You both went through a culture shock when returning home. I can relate-I went through one moving from Scarborough ONT to Mississauga. I think it's a given you don't live downtown Toronto, so you both are very much adjusted to the extended elbow room the outer limits offer. Happy to see that you both had the chance to visit home and are doing well. Also, very glad to see the red telephone booth in the pic. Hope they don't disappear any time soon. All the best.
Please subscribe to our channel it's free! 👍
I left Britain in 2003, I have made 3 short visits since to my old home city. Each time I noticed the change mainly for the worse. I too felt like a foreigner.
Thanks for getting the point of our video.
I left in 2009 and go back every summer .. mainly hang out in London. I only go in August and I love in miss it! The long summer evenings, the people drinking outside in the pubs, the food, the history. BUT as soon as it rains and starts to get cold, I’m glad to leave. And OMG! It’s SO expensive!
But.. if I ever one the lottery, I’d live back there in a heartbeat (..and have a house in Thailand too! 😂)
Don't come back then
@@richardblack3534 I won't.
You felt like a foreigner while being a foreigner living abroad. What a hypocrite!
The national lottery is owned by a Canadian pension company,like everything else in the uk sold of to the highest bidder.
That’s very interesting thanks for sharing 🇨🇦🍷🍺🇬🇧
What town was that Norman,I do agree with you and the wife about to many cameras why do you think this is.
China owns 130 billion of Britain too. All the time we were told the Brexit would give us back our autonomy was yet another Johnson lie, they sold us years ago.
As far as I know the French own the toll bridge over the Thames at Dartford crossing, China owns lot's of stuff over here, in housing and hotels, office blocks, so I'm sorry to say Britain is not so Great anylonger, as the owners keep selling to the highest bidders, greed rules here unfortunately.
@@mikethebloodthirsty what? Everything was sold off while we were in the Eu? We’ve only been out for a little while. People selling off British brands will happen regardless of being in a political union or not.
When you were last in England there were no £1 stores, no tens of thousands of food banks, no people living on the street, no zero hours contracts, no homeless holding down full time jobs and then living in the YMCA, no streets full of litter, there was almost adequate council housing for those that needed it, I'm afraid to say they were the good old days. We didn't know it then. It's very interesting for me that you were surprised. I suppose if you get the British press in Canada, you also have to take account of the fact that it doesn't print the news any more. You would have received what the government wants you to know. We lost our free press quite some time ago. Mind you, I know that is a world wide corporate press problem. The only place to get the real news is to trawl the internet and do your own cross referencing. You sound as if you made the right choice for you both moving out to Canada. Must say I feel a pang of envy. Very best wishes to you both.
We were last in the UK in 2018, this was inspired by our 2011 trip, we didn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of negativity, we thought a little bit of observation and then some entertainment. We feel fortunate to call Canada home, we still value our British heritage.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Sorry to spoil the tone with my last comments, I really do enjoy your videos. Guess today's reality of Britain got the better of me. I know every country has its problems. Are the young in Canada hopeful for their futures?
@@OptimisticHominid Yes the shows do portray a false sense of reality TFW have a great week 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
The press is the same here. No news. Just left wing opinions. At least they have some good shows on the BBC. We haven’t watched CBC for years. It wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t given billions by the government.
I wouls say this: it is good to be from Britain 🇬🇧, but not in Britain!
I have only ever lived in the UK and I feel like a foreigner in the small town where I live.
We think that’s really sad 😢 hope you have a wonderful weekend 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
What's happened? I've never been to the UK, but I'd like to go one day.
Are there a lot of expats in your area?
@@grahamthomson6969 No
@@mrbraithwaite5330 Most people in the US aren't lunatics with guns, sure there is some. I live in a part of the country that is rural, mountainous, and is scattered with small towns and we don't have a problem with gun violence like the major US cities. Although, I don't have a gun of my own I know many people that do and they have hunting lodges for when they go hunting during deer, bear, or turkey season. Also, some people may not be aware of this but sometimes its the government's fault that a tragedy happened. Back in 2017 a former Airman that was dishonorably discharged because of domestic abuse toward his wife and step-son shot up a small church in Texas. The Air Force failed to register his name with the FBI, and because of that he was able to walk into a gun shop and pass a background check and everything they wanted. In that instance the Air Force
I have been away from the UK for over 42 years always paid my tax and National Insurance I came back now and again for short visits now I am 66 years old.
I had been lucky I purchased a house 20 years ago and I was hoping to retire soon to the UK but now I have doubts. I have lousy neighbors, crime is rampant, drug taking, no respect from children to their elders and not safe at night and to cap it off Bonkers Boris is running the country.
You have summed it up nicely, such a shame. We are happy to be retired in Canada. We wish you well for your retirement, thanks for watching.
Your 66 been away for 44 years.
How have you paid national insurance and Tax?
BB is a temporary phenomena. I would not let that influence long term decisions too much.
@@richardcope8102 Very funny 😂😂🌺
@@stevieframe I have been working overseas. I paid though my first company which was a UK company when I worked in Egypt and later when my mail was posted to my mothers home she would collet it and throw away the advertising stuff and pass it onto me.
I had a Tax Consultant later who kept my affair up to date and later I was able to pay online.
They don’t call it rip of Britain for nothing.The 20% vat was supposed to be temporary measure.
Guess it’s full time now 😱have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍺🇬🇧🍷🇨🇦
Income tax was a “temporary” measure after the war. The word temporary is rather vague and is wide open to interpretation.
Value added tax came about on us joining the ‘common market’, I thought it would disappear when we left, nice little earner though.
@@Laura55sere the U.K. had VAT by a different names before we joined as the sick old man of Europe
@@junkorbust9498 Boris 3 weeks eh...
Well, my daughter (from Canada) went to the UK (Isle of Wight) as a teacher back in 2011, intent on being an international teacher. Fast forward to now, she has married and has two kids there with a very happy life. Amidst many negatives, there are also positives. Your videos are a joy. Thank you for them. 😃🇨🇦🇬🇧👍
Well that is wonderful and we are very happy for your daughter and family, it is great for good news and for Grandpa 👴 hope you get to visit them . We appreciate your support Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
The Isle of Wight is in no way representative of the majority of the UK. It is like going back to the 1950s there. The contrast between there and the cities elsewhere is like night and day. I love the Isle of Wight.
@@jh2419 Sounds really nice enjoy your weekend Cheers 🍷🇨🇦🍺🇬🇧
I'm a Londoner my holidays on the IOW is like a different world.
Try the mainland 😃
I left the UK for the US in 78! I go back frequently and have noticed so many changes. I fell every time I go back it is more Americanized! there are several cars in a household instead of one, they are holding baby showers, proms and wedding showers which were unheard of whenI lived there and there are lots of home food deliveries which is new. People drive everywhere like in the US and Canada and there is no way I would drive over there. The people though are just as lovely as ever ! 💕
Yes you are right, Christmas lights outside houses Halloween etc. Yes we don’t drive there anymore. Good observations by you, thank you.
Most of that is true apart from people driving everywhere, you could walk forever in the US without seeing a pedestrian here they're still everywhere.
People lovely, you must be joking
The people I met were very nice ! 😊
Hello
I love your videos. I'm Irish and recall when my uncle and his wife returned home from Canada after 20 years to live back here in Ireland, they also felt like foreigners as the country had changed so much. So much so that that they eventually went back to Canada to live. They found that the country they remembered was, in many respects, gone and that they felt much more at home in Ontario.
That is very much our feeling too, Canada is home for us. Thanks for your comment.
Oh my goodness! I'm not alone. Thank you x
I have known three couples who went back to the UK after living in Canada. The first couple arrived in Manchester, walked out into the rain he looked around at what he saw and said to his wife... "I made a mistake, if you want to stay... it's going to be on your own!" a few days in their home town and even their kids were asking when can we go home?. They lasted 6 weeks! Another couple similar but they travelled back on a wisely booked cautionary return ticket and they were back in Canada within 2 weeks. The third couple had their return planned as soon as the wives mother passed. I spent a period of time stranded there during the no fly lock out because my father was ill. I have never wanted to kiss the ground more than when I walked of the plane in back home in Kelowna.
After being away for about 15 years, I visited the street I grew up on (here in Whitby, Ontario). That was a shock, I'll tell you. It went from being the type of street kids played on until dark, to almost a highway. I guess it doesn't matter, really, where you come from, any change is going to be shocking.
That’s very true thanks for joining the conversation enjoy your weekend 🍷🌺🍺
V true.
I emigrated to Canada from England in 1967 (yes, I'm that old!) and have lived in Australia, Hong Kong and now the US. Instead of feeling like a "foreigner" when I return for a visit, I instead feel completely at home, despite changes which have occurred (which have occurred in Canada and the US too), and have never been shocked at any of them. I do keep up with what is happening in England, and try to get back every 2 years. The moment I touch down, I feel a calmness come over me, and I'm home! My husband is Canadian, and up until the pandemic, we managed a trip up once a year. Prices in Canada are so much higher than in the US - that always catches me!
Thanks for your comment Fiona, the higher prices are in part due to social safety nets and healthcare, whereas in the U.S. during your working life you had to have health insurance. Probably in retirement you also pay for a Medicade part ABCD. We don’t go back to the UK any more as all our family are gone.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement No question - and the same is true of the UK, but it doesn't account for it all. Which part of Canada? I lived in Winnipeg and Ottawa.
We live in Southern Ontario we used to live in Ottawa have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺
Although you lost many things by leaving for so long your country of origin, one thing is sure you didn't lose your English humor. I greatly appreciate and have fun watching your videos. You are both doing a great job! Keep safe and wish you all the best for the future!
Thanks so much we are glad you enjoyed it hope you have a nice weekend 🌺🍷
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When I visited England and Ireland I was shocked at how high the taxes were/are. At that time the exchange rate was not in the dollar's favor, making it even more expensive. 😞
@@patriciat7769 When you live there you don’t notice it much. Also having the tax hidden in the retail price you tend to forget the tax rate.
@@patriciat7769 The taxes are high here with much of it going into supporting the N.H.S which has become a bottomless pit. VAT at 20% on everything but, it pays to shop around even if it for one product. Not every shop charges the same for the same product. The price you see on the shelves though is the price you pay at the tills, unlike in the U.S. where you need a degree in math to work out the tax that`s added on. Petrol prices vary again from place to place even if its the same company, shop around.
Humour*
As a Brit, I'd say the supermarket situation you found is surprising. In most small towns in East Yorkshire there is now a massive glut of ever growing numbers of supermarkets. Everyone is excited when you get an initial Tesco (a proper one, not a petrol station one), then you get a Morison's, then a Lidl, then an Aldi, then a second Lidl and so on. I would say your supermarket findings are most unusual!
Thanks for your comment we appreciate your insights.
My family are scattered around the u.k. in small towns, No shortages of supermarkets.
Yes. There are generally too many and they put small local shops out of business.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement The supermarkets are there, but now they are in out of town industrial estates, great for non drivers (like me).
@@lorraine7960 This must depend where you love our 3 main supermarkets asda, tesco and morrisons are all in our town centre only shops on retails parks are the likes of B&M home bargains, lidl, the range etc...
UK is turning into the Britain in “V for Vendetta”, in that dystopian future Britain story (written in the 70s I think) there were CCTV cameras everywhere watching everyone. It’s a strangely prescient story.
Graphic novel. Published during Thatcherism. It was a response to tory gov't.
I read it every year.
To quote the foreword "this is a novel for people who don't switch off the news"
George Orwells 1984 is even closer.The British Secret Police are ubiquitous including working in the media!.So is it any wonder the Guardian betrayed Assange to the Secret Police MI5!.
@@bertplank8011 Conspiracy theory loon...
Maybe but many actually work??? my hubby worked on CCTV and said around half were always not working but acted as a good deterrent...
@@exessex3522 you not noticing what's happening all around the world? Mr Orwell wrote that book as a warning, not an instruction manual.
So I can put some insight into bakeries. My father was a master baker. The start of the fall was when mass production bakeries forced the colleges to reduce the training from 3 years to one. The last of the "3 year" bakers were retiring about 2000 - when there was no real perceived value in artisan goods as there is now. This meant a massive deskilling combined with an aging workforce and worn out equipment made it simply financial suicide to carry on. I would have needed to find 1/4 million to reinvest to stand still. Now on to the cake - a Mille Feuille is a much more labour intesive product than a vanilla slice, so it cost significantly more.
This was very informative thank you for taking the time to explain. It now makes sense and is a bit sad, most people who have replied say they get their traditional British cakes from Marks & Spencer’s which will be large scale automated factory’s.
I have had the same experience as you visiting the UK - having lived in Australia for many years I was shocked when I was over there !!! - I found it over priced - over taxed and over crowded - I have dual nationality Aussie and British passports but indeed I felt like a foreigner, their mindset I can't relate to - I was born in Wolverhampton West Midlands and found it a dirty old place I emigrated way back in the early 70s - thank God I did !!!!!!
Hi you feel like a foreigner because you are one.
@@ef7480 They never invented the wheel, let alone ships/planes to leave. Nope, they are happy on the dole.
I'm hoping to emigrate. The government have ruined this once great country.
@@ferdinandvonbraun9450 you'd feel like one in any German city.
My family live in Sydney, my aunt left England to Oz in 1974/5 on a £10.00 boat. Both her and her daughters families are desperate to move to England, my cousin is due to move here next year, she finds the cost of living far to high in Oz and the rest of the family will follow soon after. Good job we are all different and that's what makes the world go round...
On the rare occasions when I visit the UK one of the first things that strikes me is that with very few exceptions, people on the street, in shops and cafes don't smile at, or exchange random pleasantries with strangers any more.
@Ydfu Tutu : Brits have been made to be miserable, an unfortunate response to the maladministration that's allowed so many aspects of a formerly stable society to be undermined.
maybe you need to visit more northern places like Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire very friendly and happy people..
@@mynameisGail no you're not.
That's multiculturalism for you..when your transitory neighbour's don't speak the same language and don't expect to be living there long...community spirit dies...find it everywhere and not just the UK.
“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” L.P. Hartley
Nice quote thank you
Expacts or immigrants???
Hi guys, I am an expat living in Saskatchewan, the dollar stores here are rarely a dollar, nearly all stock is just cheap Chinese junk that falls apart the first time you use it.
That seems to be the business model, having said that North American brands are increasingly making smaller product packaging to hit their dollarish levels Thanks for watching we appreciate it.
I returned to my home town of Woolwich In S.E.London and could not recognize it, The shops at night had shutters on the windows and the atmosphere was very hostile, there is now a large immigrant population and I felt like I was in a foreign land, it's such a shame, but I won't return there again.
The Britain you once knew is long dead. The Britain i grew up in bares no resemblance of the one we have today. As for going anywhere near cities, forget it. They are as far from the Britain pre 1990s as you'll ever get. Even in the south west where i live is fast becoming a different place. Soon Great Britain will be lost forever. Our History, heritage our pubs , shops and village greens will be buried under affordable housing for those that cant really afford them. Our culture will be so watered down, you wouldn't be able to recognise an Englishman if he had the cross of Saint George tattooed on his forehead. This is the same across the other countries of Britain.
Thanks for your comment it is sad that it has changed so much, guess it all changed not for the better after we left in 1992 Hope you have a great week Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
When I go to France and Spain, where I used to live, I say exactly the same. It is so different. It is called history. Just accept it and make the best of things. Despite right wing Tory ambition, we are not going back to an Agatha Christie Miss Marple world.
@@slightlyconfused876 No you are right...and all we can say is unfortunately!
Inference for too many foreigners. Keep the xenophobic rubbish to yourself. Harping back to a time in the past which didn't exist.
Deal with it. Maybe don’t colonise, rape and pillage the world and this wouldn’t happen. Boring old xenophobia 🥱
A lot of our neighborhoods in my city have lost their grocery stores, too. They say that they could not make enough money to stay open. This has been a hardship on retirees who don't own cars or have to travel much farther to buy food. Small, popup farmers markets help with this, but many have to buy their food at dollar stores and gas stations that don't carry fresh produce.
That’s very interesting 🤔 it’s happening in a lot of places where out of town stores are taking over everywhere thanks for watching enjoy your weekend 🌺🍷
My South American ex lived there for many years.She said there were too many foreigners there for her! Not sure if she appreciated the irony of that.
That’s very funny LOL 😂😂🍷🍺
😂
"You can't go home again." I feel the same whenever I visit the little town I grew up in.
Yes it’s a strange feeling TFW enjoy your week 🍷🌺
That’s true, but it is nice to get a memory fix
They always say never go back. Who they are i'm not sure. But it's true, nothing stays the same.
Been away for more than 20 years. At times I miss the UK, but the UK I miss doesn't exist anymore.
@@hejla4524 there is one corner of England that hasn't changed too much, but i'm not telling you where it is. X
What shocked me on returning to my hometown after two decades away was the number of non-British people living there...
By design, UK councils were told to save housing for millions of foreigners.
@@metalicminer6231 Homelessness among Scottish citizens has skyrocketed over the last decade, but that didn't stop the SNP from rushing to find the council housing and funds to allow thousands of Syrians to relocate from camps in Turkey/ Lebanon. I don't think we'll see them rushing to repatriate these people now the war is over (unlike the Danish).
@@douglasherron7534 yes it's absolutely done on purpose, our government dont give two shits about the native populations anymore.
Yes we too noticed that Thanks for watching have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
Kind of ironic 🧐 thanks for watching Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
Hilarious! It's the same in Ireland. Betting shops, Zara, H&M etc everywhere, chains ⛓️ of coffee shops in every town. Traffic is mad at all times of the day. Even Wetherspoons, the English Pub chain are gaining a foothold. Really enjoy your vids guys. Keep em coming!
Oh wow! very interesting thanks for sharing glad you enjoy them Cheers 🍷🍺🌺
Weatherspoons? The arch Brexiters want a foothold in the EU? Talk about hypocrisy.
There are many areas of towns and cities that resemble Islamabad more than the UK.
Yes Levenshulme in Manchester was a huge shock for us driving through it.
Evolution mate....we are all Jock Thamson's bairns!! Love and live in peace
They are not allowed to mention that obvious shock ? Maybe they never noticed 🤔 😅😅
I live in the UK and I still moan about all the shops we've lost from the high street, our choice for for buying domestic electrical products is now very limited and controlled by a few large companies. Most of the time we are squeezed like lemons to extract as much money as possible from every service provider. On the plus side our internet speeds are generally very fast and our trains have been upgraded but sad to say many good things we once enjoyed have vanished.
I have lived in Australia since 1996. Went home to UK some years back. Had to fly to London then pick up a hire car (no GPS) to travel north. Had problems finding the way to the M1. Knew it wasn’t far away. Stopped 3 times to try and ask directions but couldn’t find a single person who could speak English. Thought I’d landed in Somalia.
Also been away since 1997 in Germany and visited my sister in London and was excited for my kids to meet English people and speak English but we only met one single person who was English in four days, from taxi drivers to shop workers and museum workers and cafes and bed and breakfast owners. My sister called me racist because I complained.
We last went back five years ago to the suburbs surrounding London and we were both shocked and a little scared if I'm honest. My daughter went to a McDonald's restroom and there were school girls of around 12 years old kicking at the door for her to come out...she was terrified! The funniest was when we took our son to Harrods and he wanted a vanilla ice cream on a penguin plate....two mouthfuls in and he didn't want the $40 (exchange rate) ice cream! We definitely felt like foreigners which was sad as it didn't feel like home anymore.
Yes we felt the same way and there were some areas close to where we grew up that we didn’t feel safe either. Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences.
Immigrants complaining about immigrants.
@Butterscotch Bob Recent immigration? Thought Brexit took care of that ... ?
Hello
I feel the same when I go back to Ireland! It’s a completely different country than the one I left in ‘88.
We are sure it is have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺🙂
Lol. On the Dart, I met a woman coming back to Ireland after a long time in the States and remarked she's'd find it a very different country to the one she left. She just nodded, a little sadly, it seemed to me
Ireland has changed for the better, no?
@@noodleppoodle Enormously. Mostly for the better. We've come a long way but we still have a ways to go and we'll probably never be the promised land but we'll keep trying.
@@paulohagan3309 I visited Ireland (Dublin) for a human rights youth conference in 2014. This was an anniversary meeting and we were joined by people who were part of the same event 25 years prior, incidentally then also in Dublin. We heard quite a few stories of how things changed. Remarkable. I also met Panti Bliss at the time. All the best to Ireland :)
Hi, great to watch your video! I'm also an expat although not retired yet but I've been away from the UK for 15 years. When you say the UK has "moved on" I would say moved backwards unfortunately . The biggest shock to me was seeing foodbanks in supermarkets on a return several years ago. I didn't even know what they were at first! Poverty is everywhere in the UK sadly and only getting worse along with the associated crime/drugs etc that come with deprivation. Fine place to live if you're affluent but then, that was always the situation...?
It is true. We were trying to keep the video factual but positively entertaining as well. Thanks for watching.
Nothing shocks me about the UK these days! It was the very best decision of my life to leave that cesspit of incompetence and over inflated egos more than 30 years ago. Essentially, nothing has changed, but the decline has continued. The Great Britain of the 1980s that I left has simply continued its slow and progressive descent into oblivion. None of the social issues has been addressed, and none of the failing infrastructure has been repaired or rebuilt. The politics is as confrontational and juvenile as it always was, and celebrities rule everyone's life! The Brits have moved on from hero worshipping Diana the Drama Queen to voting for Boris the Clown and his flying circus of charlatans. What a sad reflection of a country!
What a great comment you sum up our thoughts very well we just couldn’t do that video LOL 😂😂 hope you enjoy your weekend Cheers 🍷🇨🇦🇬🇧🍺
For "Brits", read "English".
@@saddoncarrs6963 No Norm isScottish
@@ThisIsOurRetirement "Napoleon One" commented that "The Brits have moved on .........to voting for Boris the Clown....." At the last general election, the Welsh electorate voted in a majority of Labour MPs, in Northern Ireland they voted away from unionist parties and in Scotland the conservatives lost more than half their seats. Only in England did the electorate vote for "Boris the Clown and his flying circus of charlatans".
@@saddoncarrs6963 Interesting comment thanks for sharing 🌺
It's interesting to hear the reaction of fresh eyes on how the country has changed over 30 years. I am not in any way disagreeing with you that all changes seem to have been for the worse
The thing about these videos we do are tongue in cheek and not a full dive into the real issues which we would feel uncomfortable doing. We are trying to be entertaining and kind. We appreciate your comment and thank you for watching.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Just one thing wrong with your videos, not enough of them!
@@williamjsmith9877 Thanks so much we appreciate your support 🌺
People have been saying exactly that about every culture since the days of Ancient Greece and probably before that. Part of it is because 30 years ago we were young and now we aren't.
@Marie Definitely for the worse, UK is awful.
My dad emigrated to South Africa in 1947 after having being stationed here for a few months during the war. He met and married my mother here ( in SA) and they didn't return to England for a visit till 1981. My dad still had this 2 brothers there and wanted to see them after such a long time. He was shocked at the changes and every time he saw a plane with an orange tail ( the South African Airways brand still back then) he said he wished he was on that plane going home!! But was very glad he saw his brothers and other family for the last time.
You two are great! It seems like every problem you have mentioned is essentially everywhere in the western world. I'm American but have lived half of each year in Germany since 2003. I love going back to the US, but not anywhere near a metro area.
I went back to the Netherlands for a visit after 37 years. The rural area where I am from had stood still in time. I was 12 when I left and felt like I was coming home.
That’s great glad you had a nice visit 🇳🇱 🍷🇨🇦🍺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement There still were no stores in the villages I grew up in. Lol. Tidy peaceful places just as I remember, where kids were safe and free to play. the people I met were content in their lives and had generally positive outlooks and took pride in their surroundings.
@@junkorbust9498 What you said is key “took pride in their surroundings” this is lacking in so many places.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I believe humans weren’t meant to live in large urban centres. It is a faceless existence. I’ve lived in very small towns all my life or on farms near them. The people face all the same pressures really but the communities are stronger and therefore people are more resilient and open.
@@junkorbust9498 We think that’s probably true we live in a small town and love it 🙂
I recognise the town you grew up in from your photo of traffic. This is also where I grew up although I still live not far away in the UK. You will no doubt remember Ainsworths bakers and Swindells grocers on the high street, both long gone. Did you notice how many cafes and bars there are now? And the house prices! My Dad was a lecturer and my Mum a housewife, we had a 5-bedroom house which would require two barristers' salaries to buy today. That is a BIG change.
Beard the butchers, the delicatessen, Roy Morley Barber and Hoyels ice cream etc Yes lots of changes. 2013 was my last visit there. Ainsworths was a good bakery, yellow top buns and meringues. Thanks for watching.
The UK has changed immeasurably since 1992, and especially London. Traditional butchers and bakers are as rare as hen's teeth.
An expat for 15 years working in Asia I too saw many changes in the UK on my return. Living there you just don't see the effects as it is a slow process where you just get used to a "new normal". Politicians count on that. (The only thing that hadn't changed was the weather.) I stayed only as long as necessary.
AUSSIE BOB HERE: I left the the UK IN 1970. Went back a couple of times, the last time for two years 1n 1978 and not been back since 1980; I didn't want to work on Maggie's farm no more. I was planning to go back to the UK to retire on the Isle of Wight but Britain pulling out of the EU put the kybosh on than plan as I wanted easy access to Europe (no more I'm afraid). However, from what friends have told me The UK is finished; so good bye forever!
Hi Aussie Bob, we were glad we weren’t “Blair” witched in the UK having already left. We would come to Australia apart from the fact that you drive on the wrong side of the road 😂😂 And the ice cream melts too fast 🍦Thanks for watching we appreciate it.
@@datrenarakiel8202 Petty.
*I lived in Edinburgh in 2003 for 5 years, I love that place. I have really good memories of my time there. I visit the UK every year, I have family there and each time I visit I always have an amazingly good time.*
Sounds great! we love Edinburgh too Norm was born there have a great weekend Cheers 🌺🍷🍺
I go to Edinburgh every month now the buses are only £1.80 the Architecture is magnificent Scottish people are generally very friendly at the airport is great
Thanks for an interesting clip. I must say it made me think of how things has changed since I was young and I am not even retired yet. Being out of the country makes it easier to spot i guess. I now have and find vanilla slices somewhere here in Sweden. I also got happy with your interaction. It made my heart warm to see you have that kind of interaction after (I guess) many years. Keep up the good work!
Glad you enjoyed it happy you found Vanilla slices in Sweden 🇸🇪, we are enjoying a great retirement have a nice weekend 🍷🇸🇪🍺🇨🇦🌺
Not sure how long it is since you were over here, Most of the large Department stores have now closed down due to the Pandemic - It's certainly not Great Britain anymore, more like rip off Britain
This was inspired by a trip in 2011, the last time we were in the UK was 2018. We wanted to have a video that wasn’t too critical but still be entertaining. We could have said way more but that wasn’t what we wanted to publish. Thanks for watching Andrew and we do appreciate your comment.
They did not close down due to the pandemic. That’s a false statement. They closed down because they were ordered to close down by the government.
@@psalm1197 Thanks for watching 🇬🇧☕️🇨🇦
@@psalm1197 The larger department stores that did not open were in trouble before the Pandemic, Yes all non essential shops had to close due to the pandemic as instructed by the government, the big high Street department stores that were in trouble prior to the pandemic did not re-open or sold out to online stores leaving lots or shop workers without a job,
@@andrew-karens-adventures wrong again. It seems you don’t understand. All shops are essential to those who own, run, and are employed by them. There’s no such thing as a non-essential employee/employer. All lives matter, therefore all livelihoods matter.
And No, they were not closed due to illness, they were closed because they were ordered closed by government in an unheard of, untested, non- risk assessed, non-scientific and catastrophic series of policies called “lockdown”.
Bet you were shocked at house prices in estate agents window
Not really we had family there so we’re aware of house prices, but yes they are increasing hugely
You guys are HILARIOUS!! And utterly accurate 😂 traffic. Don’t get me started. Prices of vanilla slices. Well, people focus on Brexit. But the true crime is the rising cost of vanilla slices. THANK YOU for highlighting this issue. It takes courage. 😂 weird about the grocery store! I complain because we don’t have a Waitrose - but at least I have a Tesco and a Morrison’s and an Aldi and Lidl’s and Asda!! Mind you - nothing on the shelves. But that’s another video. Always lovely to see you guys 🥰🌹👍🥂
Hey Karen the traffic was insane 🚗 but the cost of Vanilla slices we were amazed at , we are amazed at this “PINGDEMIC “😱 going on over with you guess that’s what you mean by empty shelves sounds absolute Chaos !!! ( good idea there for YTube😂 )TFW it’s happy hour here so cheers 🍷🍺🌺
@@chucks6781 Great very interesting point thanks for sharing Cheers 🧁🇬🇧🇨🇦
How are you doing
I've lived in Thailand since 1975, but make regular visits to the UK so the changes expressed here aren't a shock to me. In terms of buildings and infrastructure, the UK hasn't changed IMO a great deal over time. But here in Thailand, the capital Bangkok has changed immensely over the past 45 years - completely unrecognizable and foreign to someone who returned after four decades. The city has expanded massively and the skyline is a forest of high-rises. The same can be said of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and even Hong Kong.
It was Somerfield who started the Mini Supermarket in the fuel station thing.
I was one of the very first truck drivers to deliver into them.
It was not fun. Imagine trying to get a 40ft reefer reversed onto the forecourt back side of the pumps.
And then get out when cars are fuelling up all around you.
It was nuts.
Somerfield quickly changed to shorty trailers which are much more manoeuvrable than rigids.
Then Somerfield got bought out by the Co-Op and then every other brand got on the bandwagon.
First time I came across your videos, and I have to say, you two are a lovely couple.
Thanks so much! 😊
I left England in 79 and visited in 97 and I was shocked how Americanized it had become! I was very disappointed and saddened how my home country had adopted American fast food.
That’s really a global issue as well, thanks for watching.
It is not just US eating habits and food quality, political discourse too. The BBC refers to President Biden not the US President Biden as if he is running our country. It was even more so with President Trump and that because the PM Johnson was, not inappropriately, given the moniker ‘Britain Trump’.
George Orwell's 1984 became reality - it COMPLETELY materialised in the UK, in the 21st Century ...
Absolutely
Thanks for a fun video! Interesting to hear about.👍🇨🇦
Our pleasure! enjoy your weekend Cheers 🍷🌺
You can never go back. We left the UK in 87 and my wife and I are now retired. The plan was always to go back but it only took a one week reconnoiter to realize that the UK is not for us. Even with the insanity that can manifest itself here in the USA I much prefer here in Seattle to the 'old' country.
You are 100% right even here in Florida
Thanks for watching 🍷🇺🇸🍺🇨🇦
When I visited London. I was shocked how depressing, grey and drab it is.
Narrow roads, tiny poor quality homes, Litter in the streets, homeless people everywhere.
UK is a dump.
Yes the infrastructure doesn’t seem to be maintained, there are too many vehicles on the road to.
UK is England ,Wales , Scotland ,Northern Ireland not just London , lots of beautiful places in the UK , next time you make a comment try doing some research , it's like me saying Africa's a dump ?
@@ThisIsOurRetirement How would you reduce the amount of vehicles on the roads? Introduce means testing?
@@bobbyboko6317 We didn’t go to London, the photos we show in this video are from Edinburgh and Cheshire.
@@jillhobson6128 Not our problem to cure
When I went to London, the toilets wanted a small payment. Problem with international visitors is that now that everything is on credit and debit cards, we did not always have that small change. I think charging small fee to every one flying into London will more than pay for upkeep of these toilets and make lives of tourists very convenient.
This lovely episode gives credence to the old adage, "You can't go home anymore." Changes which have occurred in the UK over the decades for tourists like me must be even more devastating to an expat. (P.S. There is rarely ANYTHING priced at just one pound in the Pound Store!)
Thanks for a great comment we hope you have an awesome weekend Cheers 🍷🌺🍺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement It will be scorching hot here in Northern Northern California, but all good. You have no idea how you two enrich people's lives with your informative, charming videos. I'm 69, still working because I enjoy it, but you're giving me impetus to retire sooner than later. Thanks!😀
@@richardpodnar5039 Thank you so much we hope you decide to retire we are loving it 🥰
1:00 in North America the cameras are in People's front doors. Millions of people have freely made themselves part of the surveillance state.
More likely for security and “porch bandits”
You are great English teachers. Also I am a teacher. I have been in Canadian London now. I used to live in England before. Canada is a great, safe and wonderful country.
TFW Canada 🇨🇦 is a wonderful place to live we love ❤️ it Cheers 🍺🇨🇦🌺
Sales Tax= "Taxation without representation" Happening in the United States, too.
That’s a good point enjoy your weekend 🌺
@@JosephNoussair Yes enough with the taxes!!
I hope you are fine
As Thomas Wolfe wrote - You Can't Go Home Again. Your memories are frozen on the day you left but of course life, and change, goes on. What you remembered no longer exists and I think that's true for all expats no matter where they are from.
That is true but the rate of change has been enormous in comparison to our childhood (15 years), when the status quo rarely changed. Nice reference thanks for watching.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement or maybe you're just going slower while the years are going faster. I know that's how I feel.
I think you made an unfortunate choice of bakery - we have two independent bakeries in our town (and no Greggs!) and can get vanilla slices for £1.49 and yellow-topped buns for 99p.
When you were driving in Manchester did you happen to pass "Mat from Techmoan" testing out another dash camera? For some reason what really hasn't changed too much after all these years is ST. Joseph Island in Ontario near SS Marie, 2 tiny villages on an island stuck in time in the North channel. I guess they are more or less cut off by distance from the rest of the area. Their little hospital (now just an ER) is like something out of an English village in the 40's.
We don’t drive in the UK just don’t fancy it anymore. St Joseph island sounds interesting, maybe a future road trip for us. Thanks for watching.
As somebody who has emigrated and returned to the uk and also met others who have done the same. You no longer quite fit into your home country, but you never feel 100% in your new country. You are somewhere in the middle. And your home and people have moved on. It's not an easy path to take and I wouldnt go as far as Australia if I had the chance again. I lived in other countries in Europe and didn't feel the same disconnect. I'm not really sure if recommend it.
You feel a foreigner!.......I'm born and bred British and I feel a foreigner in my own country. Wish I could qualify to live in Canada!
Let's face it, the UK has gone downhill thanks to mass immigration from 3rd world countries and greedy politicians.
I'm not a Brit, but when I visited over several years I could see for myself that the country was certainly changing & not for the better. It seems like Brits, with their good manners, fear of being accused of Racism, and everything PC, have given away their country to foreigners. You'd better hope they in turn will be generous to you. Somehow I don't think so.
Thanks for your comment.
On your next visit, come to Glasgow, Scotland. We are friendly up here, more so than London.
@@andyhughes5885 Glasgow is lovely Norms mum was from there , Norm was born in Edinburgh we had a great vacation at both places a few years back 🇨🇦☕️🏴
@@andyhughes5885 I want to.
Bill Blinky Well, that's a nice racist/xenophobic comment.
You mentioned your home town and showed a picture. I was shocked to see Bramhall Village, my own hometown! It has changed a lot! I used to ride my bike up to the coop to cash a cheque on payday, hardly any traffic and relatively quiet. Now it is jammed with traffic all day and the coop long gone😧
What a small world 🌍 actually Norm and I met at Bramhall Photographic Society thanks for watching and have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
…and we appreciate you as well!🍻🥂👍❤️- Mike from Ottawa
Awesome! Thank you Mike have a great weekend Cheers ☕️🙂🍻
To be fair, Canada didn’t really have “Dollar” stores prior to 1993 either. And most items sell now for $1.25 due to inflation, so not so far off the UK price.
You are right, we arrived in 1992 no dollar stores and the big chain now goes up to $4………this is RUclips and we need the drama lol
Only dollar store with $1.25 prices really is the American owned Dollar Tree. Dollarama does still have a few items at a buck and a quarter, most items now are 2 bucks and up. But they do have a better variety than Dollar Tree. Now Dollar Tree in the States is a bit better.
@@TripReviews That's true but there are still items we get at Dollarama for $1 or 2 for $1 but at least the upper price is $4.
This Is Our Retirement yes true, and as long as you buy name brand chocolate bars there is no better or cheaper place to buy them. Just stay away from those ones with the funny names and from some mid eastern country.
@@TripReviews We always stay with known brands , TFW hope you are keeping well have a great week 🍷🍺🌺
Don’t you worry about getting hacked using free wifi? I have had a few friends get hacked after using free airport wifi. Now I try to avoid public wifi unless I have vpn on, so that means using cellular unless at home
Interesting point thanks for sharing have a great weekend 🌺
So what are you doing over there right now I hope everything was nice
well i was in Yorkshire and Lancashire in 2018 from NZ with my english wife, beautiful landscape fantastic people and a fantastic time, wifes family salt of the earth it was brilliant
Very nice video! Don't you think that this only happens in the UK! I have the same problem when i go to my child city i feel lost and a foreigner too!
The airport wanted your cell phone number so they can sell it to advertisers and send you ads.
Great point thanks for sharing we didn’t think of that hope you enjoy your weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
and to capture cell phone I'd data to "put a name to a face" of your activity log of what you have done. intrusive and fully backed up by flaky terrorism laws.
This video spoke to me. I visited London many times in the 80s and 90’s and finally again in 2004. Haven’t been back since then and I am afraid I wouldn’t care for the changes/progress. I am afraid it would feel like NYC or any big American city. Places I remember fondly are gone. Kensington market being one. Not that a million things haven’t changed in Philadelphia and NYC in all this time but I might want to keep my happy memories intact by not visiting the new UK. Really enjoy all your retirement tips! Keep up the good work! All the best from Philly.
Hi Carole, We are sure you would find something to enjoy on a trip to the UK, there are many wonderful places to visit such as Scotland, the Cotswolds, Cambridge or Oxford. It affected us more because of the cultural aspect, we were born and raised there. We emigrated at age 38 so have lots of memories and favourite foods etc. It was those changes that were profound. If we were regular tourist visitors we wouldn’t have been as affected. We have never been to Philadelphia but it is on our list of cities to visit one day. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Carole I remember the wonderful Kensington Mary when I was a student. U.K. It's not as nice as nice as it was. Too busy, too much traffic and too many people
The TX4 (Black Taxis) are actually larger and heavier than the older style Austin FX4's you might remember, but the additional space inside and out is devoted to safety equipment. Both models where built in Coventry, the FX4 being replaced by the TX series in 1997. Production at the Holyhead Road plant in the west of the city ceased in the summer of 2017, when I had the honour of photographing the last three to come off the line with the retiring workforce and the remaining staff who then moved to the new factory at Anstey. The new electric versions are built at that new factory on the east side of Coventry. The Nissan and Mercedes cabs (with sliding doors) you may have seen on your trip are also converted into cabs in the north of the city making Coventry the centre of cab production in the UK.
I love how you guys interact so well with each other on screen.... wow!! It's just so incredible!!
Thank you 🌺have a great week 🇬🇧☕️🇨🇦
The best way to see England is from 30,000 feet up on the way to Phuket!!
😂😂
lol
@@christineblackaby3531 High taxation (VAT & council charges especially); uncontrolled immigration; horrific traffic; the inclement weather; rampant violent crime; incredible house prices; long wait times for elective surgery; TV license charges; the ongoing confusion over Brexit; mental health (11% of women suffer from depression); dental health & hygiene; class system; no written constitution guaranteeing the rights of its citizens; high unemployment; low salaries, lack of educational opportunities; rampant fly tipping; widespread racism; high cost of train travel - well, I could go on and on - but hopefully I’ve answered your question!
Revisiting childhood areas is always a bit of a shock things change 4 an old penny sweets become unavailable Everybody seems to be rushing around Yes traffic is horrendous 24/7 these days
Thanks for visiting have a wonderful weekend 🍷🌺
Lovely vid.. I am a dual British - South African citizen. I've noticed England in particular is now Big Brother everywhere. Still love the UK
I`m surprised they did not mention not having a pub on every corner.......NOW WE HAVE A MOSQUE ON EVERY CORNER.
I have just come across your channel and am finding it really interesting. My hubby and I moved to Michigan from England in January 1992 and have been here ever since. I can totally relate to feeling like a foreigner when going back to the UK and we don’t like all the changes either. The biggest gripe we have is trying to stay within the speed limit and all the cameras tracking you on the freeways. We once received a notification from the rental car company that we’d been captured driving 5 miles over the posted speed limit. They charged us £30 for having to give the police our information. Fortunately, we never did receive the fine from the West Yorkshire police, probably too much hassle. Anyway, love the channel and keep the videos coming.
Welcome Sue looks like we have all the same thoughts left the same time 1992 and all the things that have changed when you go back. Hope you are enjoying Michigan we are loving Southern Ontario Cheers 🍷🇺🇸🇨🇦🍺
Now that you're in MI you must have quite a gun collection! I grew up in East Detroit before everyone needed a gun.
@@garryferrington811 No Garry, we do not have any guns. It's just not something that us Brits feel the need to have.
"No, we were shocked!!- this is RUclips" 🤣 you're funny :) poor Dolly the sheep...
Glad you like the humour 😂😂
Sorry but you clearly avoided the most dramatic change in the UK being ethnicity on Immigration. Its so overwhelming that current residents are watching it change before their eyes. When I returned to UK it was shocking.
Leaving it off was a bit lame if your pojnt was to highlight changes
Funny, I’m shocked by sales tax when I visit Canada from the UK. I’m now so used to never seeing it in Britain, it feels like gouging when an additional amount suddenly appears on the bill back in Canada. I definitely prefer it baked into the prices. Makes life so much simpler.
It is definitely easier to bear when you don’t see it, thanks for your comment. 🇬🇧🇨🇦
@michael griffiths Absolutely it is 🇬🇧☕️🇨🇦
Visiting London I see wine bars are exclusive of ‘discretionary’ gratuity and sales tax which add a third to the price and yes they are cumulative as the gratuity is first added and then also taxed.
Beautiful video my dear couple, big like from edu😁👍
Thanks Edu have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺🍺
Another very interesting video. I love those "reverse-culture shock" pieces...kind of a harsh reminder sometimes that everything is moving on. I also have a cell phone that I use almost completely for photography and Internet access. I practically forget that the device has telephone features as well ! I have to admit that almost half the time I get an incoming call, I screw things up and lose the connection.
Thanks for watching and yes things move on we are the same with our cell phone 📱 as most of the time we use it connected to Wifi . Have a great weekend enjoy 🍷🌺🍺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I carry a small data plan on my phone exactly for those times when there is no wifi. And for emergencies; both my partner and I have health issues. The phone makes me feel more secure and willing to venture out.
@@mozu517 Sounds like a good idea we have just got a $35 pre paid card for emergencies too have a great week 🍷🌺
1.5 Canadian is an uncommon bargain. A function of a modest independent owner. Never will see pricing like that at a chain. The price you saw was a function of location and the squeezing out of independents .
The $1.50 is a family bakery made on the premises, but you are right he is in a small village, the Edinburgh shop was in prime real estate. Thanks for watching
The two of you have an endearing quality that reminds me of the two main characters on As Times Go By. Thank you.
They are not *expats* they're immigrants. Expat is a term they prefer to use, because the word immigrant now carries stigma.
What ever you want to call us we hope you enjoyed our video 🇬🇧🇨🇦
We have expats arriving in the UK in small boats every week.
I don’t know which applies in this case (though they do describe themselves as “emigrating”) but there is a difference between “expat” and “immigrant”. I have been an expat in three countries but never an immigrant in any of them. Immigration almost always involves a desire to move permanently, to create a new life in another country. Expatriation means a short term (just a few years) move to another country, with no intention of immigrating but of moving back to the first country or moving on to another - usually work-related. The distinction is blurred in eg the EU where there is a third category because citizens of one country also have the right to live/work in others and many millions have done so (I was once one of them, though sadly this option is no longer available to British people). It is also even possible to live in one and work in another - it certainly happens in eg the border areas of France, Belgium, Germany and NL.
I totally agree. I am an immigrant to Norway from Canada. Unfortunately, many English people try to use expat with me, but I refuse to allow them to use it. My maternal grandmother and two of my aunts from County Durham always referred to themselves as immigrants, as did my Irish father-in-law. I would also like to say that immigration is and was normal behaviour. My daughter immigrated to Canada, then immigrated to Sweden to study, then immigrated to USA to work. My son immigrated to Germany to study, then immigrated to Poland before returning to Norway to live and work.
@@cliffhughes6010 Not strictly true, because dinghy divers were not British in the first instance.....
Yes I have to agree CCTV is omnipresent ( although it never seems to cut down on crime )..and there is an increasing fear of large cities ...and the best supermarket is Aldi ..a good German company..
We love Aldi we shop there when we are in Portugal 🇵🇹 have a great weekend Terry Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Do you have Aldi in Canada? It is near me in Beckley, WV in the US. Personally, I'm not a fan. I like shopping at Kroger.
Britain is a magnet for cultural ,historical tourism that is why also food is higher priced there.Ive lived with my family of five for 5 yrs in Gloucestershire and we d left 15 yrs ago.
been many years since we visited England but heard its camera capital of the world now guess we would be shocked if we went back there too
*full watch👍Au👍left a big like*
Yes we think you would be very shocked have a wonderful week Cheers 🍷🇦🇺🍺🇨🇦🇬🇧
Enjoyed and shared sledgehammered that like button stay safe awesome and blessed
Thanks for watching hope the family is well have an awesome weekend Cheers 🍷🇺🇸🍺🇨🇦
The trouble is, you've "seen the light" as it were, by escaping?
The only way you could possibly return to the Britain of old that we once knew, is by having enough money to move to the fringes, away from the cities and suburbs, where the villages still have all of the familiar things you/we miss, village pubs, post offices, small sized classrooms, reasonably normal traffic flow, attentive local policing, accessible health centers, no hooded lurking figures on BMX's at night etc, etc. It can all be yours if you wish, but you have to have plenty of money to be able buy into it, by paying a premium property price. The way things are going, I think gated communities will become very popular soon, but again, it will be at a premium. Unfortunately, those decent folk amongst us who have'nt got the money to escape are stuck.
Thanks for watching we were so glad we left in 1992 , our life in Canada 🇨🇦 has been wonderful and we now have no family left in the UK 🇬🇧 have a lovely weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🇨🇦🍺
Whilst I sympathise with your experience of the changes in the UK, they are matched by changes elsewhere. Nothing stays the same. Despite the best efforts of, usually, conservative governments, we still have an excellent health service and there is (a much reduced) safety net of social services. I live in Devon but travel and stay in London regularly. It is a really safe city to visit and most areas, certainly in the centre, are well policed, clean and great to wander around in. Whether it will stay this way, who knows. Interestingly the conservatives having made massive cuts to police numbers, with the concomitant increase in crime, are building numbers back to levels last seen under the socialists. Hopefully, they will reduce youth crime by funding youth work properly.
@@NigelWest1950 This was a lighthearted tongue in cheek piece
blame the authoritarian state for it all! Its going to get a whole lot worse!
The code is sent to your phone as part of security - it helps to prevent other people accessing your laptop
That might be the case but when you don’t have a phone you can’t get internet on your IPads , and people are all saying they are just trying to sell you stuff anyway , thanks for your comment Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
Not sure its got anything to do with security. They like to harvest people's information in the UK, and also like sell phone numbers to sales companies . Nothing is ever free in the UK, there's always a catch !
They say “You can never really go home again”. Things change everywhere all the time. Enjoyed the video.
So true! glad you enjoyed it enjoy your weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
But ALWAYS for the worst there!!!!!
@@terencefield3204 Thanks for watching Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🍺🇨🇦
I did live my country at 15 , yet going back after 50 years I do feel like visiting a new place . The only things I do recognize are the buildings and their Grand architecture !
Pretty much the same for us the buildings are still there. Have a lovely weekend.
How are you doing?
I've been to London four times as a starting point on my favorite trip. Tulsa to Chicago to Bangkok to Maui, Hawaii, to San Francisco then home. I will say I wasn't "Shocked" but the LHR airport tax is higher than what I recall elsewhere.
Heathrow airport is very expensive and busy 🇬🇧😱
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Just to let you know, Heathrow Management were the first to moan about losing money during Covid, even though they have billions in the bank. Says it all really.
The funniest thing I ever saw in Scotland , a few years ago was …walking to Waverly Station , I could hear “ a piper “ playing away, with his back to me . As I walked down the hill and approached him from his back, got to his front and low and behold, he was oriental ‼️‼️‼️🏴🇨🇦
Hilarious 🏴
Was he wearing a kilt? 😉
@@mozu517 yes he was ! Ha ha lol
Maybe he was second generation and half mixed race?
Second generation born and grew up here has Scottish accent you cannot tell until you see their faces!
@@nikkion2140 that may explain it ‼️🇨🇦😂
Imagine! You both went through a culture shock when returning home. I can relate-I went through one moving from Scarborough ONT to Mississauga. I think it's a given you don't live downtown Toronto, so you both are very much adjusted to the extended elbow room the outer limits offer. Happy to see that you both had the chance to visit home and are doing well.
Also, very glad to see the red telephone booth in the pic. Hope they don't disappear any time soon. All the best.
Thanks for watching
Hi Cathy, how are you doing?