Hi! I'm a Spanish girl who dreams about moving to England. To be honest, I've never been there, and I don't know many people from England either. What things do you like the most about it? What would you change if you could?
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Best thing - it’s home! I like how there is a system for things, legal parameters, organisation and a general sense of timeliness to getting things.... I know people who struggle with the laid back nature in mainland (particularly Southern) Europe and how getting simple things done can be difficult if you don’t know the right people or have the patience of a saint. Having just planned a wedding in Italy I can definitely testify to this.
On the whole I think people are friendly and I’m from London! We go to Yorkshire a lot and people tend to get friendlier or at least chattier in their day to day lives the further you get from big cities. I like that we have a rich history and a that there is a good amount of multiculturalism and open mindedness (again especially in London - I can’t speak so much for elsewhere). It’s easy to travel internationally from here especially if you’re near a London airport and getting to the rest of Europe is reasonably priced thanks to budget airlines. We have good travel infrastructure although it can be expensive. We also have the NHS which, for all of its faults, I am so grateful for every day.
Worst - the weather and the darkness of winter! I could deal with the cold but detest that we seem to get a short spring, an even shorter summer and then a grey, rainy, dark and dreary autumn/winter for about 8 months of the year. I also think our food can be a little bit bland on the whole but back to my multicultural point above, we are able to import some of the most fantastic recipes, chefs and ingredients. I can’t stand our politicians either but I think that might be the case anywhere!
On the whole I think people are friendly and I’m from London! We go to Yorkshire a lot and people tend to get friendlier or at least chattier in their day to day lives the further you get from big cities. I like that we have a rich history and a that there is a good amount of multiculturalism and open mindedness (again especially in London - I can’t speak so much for elsewhere). It’s easy to travel internationally from here especially if you’re near a London airport and getting to the rest of Europe is reasonably priced thanks to budget airlines. We have good travel infrastructure although it can be expensive. We also have the NHS which, for all of its faults, I am so grateful for every day.
Worst - the weather and the darkness of winter! I could deal with the cold but detest that we seem to get a short spring, an even shorter summer and then a grey, rainy, dark and dreary autumn/winter for about 8 months of the year. I also think our food can be a little bit bland on the whole but back to my multicultural point above, we are able to import some of the most fantastic recipes, chefs and ingredients. I can’t stand our politicians either but I think that might be the case anywhere!
I am not from England, but Scotland so hope you don't mind my reply. We are all very friendly and as alh1905 said, in the cities you will always be welcome and there is loads to do, I don't see finding new friends ect an issue for you.
I would also change the weather, its always cold, dark and wet...its a rare day when its sunny and hot outside. You would need to look into/consider private lets and find a nice area to rent if you did come over, there are some areas that have not so nice people in them but I guess that's the same anywhere in the world, the NHS is great on the whole as you don't have the worry of money when something is very wrong.
You can live a cheaply or as expensive as you want - in order to stay here and live cheap you just need to know where to do your food shop and shop around for what you like, there are loads of shops that sell clothes for less too and if you cant get a furnished house id suggest going to a charity shop and getting furniture there. we have loads of great comedy clubs and places to eat - on both ends of the scale.
Hope this helps x
I would also change the weather, its always cold, dark and wet...its a rare day when its sunny and hot outside. You would need to look into/consider private lets and find a nice area to rent if you did come over, there are some areas that have not so nice people in them but I guess that's the same anywhere in the world, the NHS is great on the whole as you don't have the worry of money when something is very wrong.
You can live a cheaply or as expensive as you want - in order to stay here and live cheap you just need to know where to do your food shop and shop around for what you like, there are loads of shops that sell clothes for less too and if you cant get a furnished house id suggest going to a charity shop and getting furniture there. we have loads of great comedy clubs and places to eat - on both ends of the scale.
Hope this helps x
Ha! Your worst thing is my favourite thing! I LOVE the dark nights - in fact I can’t wait for our clocks to change at the end of the month! I live for grey days and I can’t stand the light days or when it gets warm!
Thanks a lot! Yeah, I believe bad weather will be something very hard to cope with. But in general I think I'll like it more than Spain.
I come from a rather dangerous country - particularly for women. Every evening when I walk home on my own from the station, I am so immensely grateful for the independence that living in England affords me. The freedom of being able to walk around on my own without fear is one of my greatest pleasures.
As most have mentioned, the weather can be challenging and I know quite a few people who struggle with the winter blues.
As most have mentioned, the weather can be challenging and I know quite a few people who struggle with the winter blues.
You may not have thought about this but with Brexit happening, you will likely need a visa to live in the UK. Many friends of mine who already lived in the UK but are from other European countries had to apply for residency.
Yes, I've thought about this. The thing is, I'm not planning on moving right now, so I'm allowing myself to dream a little bit before I actually have to worry
I don’t live in England but I just wanted to say that in England, people respect everyone no matter their origin and their religion.
And for that (among other things), I will always admire this country.
I was amazed about such respect and politeness by people towards me when visiting London.
I’m sad what my country is little by little becoming, focusing of a piece of fabric rather than real problems like feminicides.
And I am now a little bit uncomfortable going out because I am afraid of one day, a sicko would tear my long hijab (it has already happened on other women) because he watched too much news (focusing on laws against hijab) on tv that day.
I hope it wasn’t off topic, if so I apologize in advance.
And for that (among other things), I will always admire this country.
I was amazed about such respect and politeness by people towards me when visiting London.
I’m sad what my country is little by little becoming, focusing of a piece of fabric rather than real problems like feminicides.
And I am now a little bit uncomfortable going out because I am afraid of one day, a sicko would tear my long hijab (it has already happened on other women) because he watched too much news (focusing on laws against hijab) on tv that day.
I hope it wasn’t off topic, if so I apologize in advance.
Genuinely thinking “huh, really?!?”. I like the last week of November until Boxing Day and with the pretty twinkly Christmas lights but from then until the clocks go forward I really struggle. I am lucky enough to live close to work so I can wake up in daylight (just) and even then it kills me. I don’t believe I suffer from SAD but I can very much understand how so many do.
I have lived in the UK my whole life and I would never agree that ‘people respect everyone’ maybe your experience in London was nice but I don’t think it’s wise to big it up so much to this person as he/she may be disappointed when they visit.. From my experiences, London has some of the rudest people I have ever met, they can be so impolite and impatient. Again, this is just what I have experienced and I don’t mean to offend anyone
You should have quoted my entire sentence.
Not only a part of it.
I said “people respect everyone no matter their origin and their religion” as multiculturalism and open mindedness.
They accept differences and are not afraid of it unlike some countries.
And it was not based only on my visit in London.
It was generally speaking.
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Great question. I’ve lived in England for 15 years now, based in London so most of my points are London/city-centric:
Pros
Pros
- there is always something going on, you can go out any night of the week
- The diversity of fashion - where I come from it felt quite one-note. Here in London individual style is celebrated and the street style is inspirational
- Supermarket food is cheap
- So many good restaurants to suit all tastes/cuisines/budgets
- Good coffee (but not cheap sadly)
- So much to explore outside of London - particularly the north and Scotland, I also love Wales
- Spoilt for choice - there’s always events, exhibitions, concerts, sports matches, book signings etc
- General convenience eg shops are open a lot (evenings, Sundays etc)
- People are friendlier than the stereotype suggests, a million times more so in the north
- London has the most beautiful green spaces to explore
- The weather is tough. Jan/Feb is a slog. (And when it is sunny, people go a bit punch drunk crazy - it’s funny)
- Related to the above - everyone lives indoors a lot. It takes some getting used to
- Freedom of the press is becoming worse - nearly the worst in western Europe now - and it’s not enshrined anywhere in law. Worrying.
- People work hard and long hours
- cost of rail travel is generally high - you can get good deals by booking ahead but in the whole it’s expensive which is such a shame as there are amazing places away from London
- Rail system complicated and inefficient compared to what I’ve experienced in Italy, France etc
- Wine costs a lot due to high tax (amongst highest in Europe). In a £5 bottle you only get 20-30p of wine
- Everything can feel dreary and grey.
- Crowds (eg rush hour on the tube, shopping on a Saturday) can be overwhelming if you’re not used to it
(Seems that we posted something similar at the same time ! Yours is much more detailed but I’m glad we both shouted out the parks...)
I know it’s not the same across the UK but I have mainly lived in London so can speak about it best and it is worth pointing out that it really is a particularly tolerant and multicultural city. Things like the way it is built have been significant - council estates (government housing) are dotted through every borough, you can see them next to multi million pound houses, making us far less segregated by class (and to an extent, race) than places like Paris which famously confine their tower blocks to the outskirts of the city and even New York where project buildings dominate certain areas and are completely absent from others. Of course it is no utopia and inequality is still a huge issue (Grenfell tower fire proof enough of that) but it is something.
As a con I would say it can sometimes feel very big and very busy and getting from one side to another can be a nightmare. That’s true of most big cities I’m sure and the public transport system is a bit expensive but pretty good (again compared to New York who , now there are night services here , only up us on having air conditioning. The tube is unbearable in hot weather, honestly).
London also has the best parks in the world, probably.
I know it’s not the same across the UK but I have mainly lived in London so can speak about it best and it is worth pointing out that it really is a particularly tolerant and multicultural city. Things like the way it is built have been significant - council estates (government housing) are dotted through every borough, you can see them next to multi million pound houses, making us far less segregated by class (and to an extent, race) than places like Paris which famously confine their tower blocks to the outskirts of the city and even New York where project buildings dominate certain areas and are completely absent from others. Of course it is no utopia and inequality is still a huge issue (Grenfell tower fire proof enough of that) but it is something.
As a con I would say it can sometimes feel very big and very busy and getting from one side to another can be a nightmare. That’s true of most big cities I’m sure and the public transport system is a bit expensive but pretty good (again compared to New York who , now there are night services here , only up us on having air conditioning. The tube is unbearable in hot weather, honestly).
London also has the best parks in the world, probably.
Sadly tolerance for ‘others’ has gone downhill in the past few years, I’ve found, although certainly it depends where you’re comparing it to.
“Go back where you came from” rhetoric is on the rise, even to people born here. In particular I have witnessed some horrible treatment of women in hijab/abaya since the ‘letterbox’ bullshit - it makes me rage.
Edited to add that I have also seen many people jump in to defend victims of racial abuse which is great. Especially when it’s an older white guy saying “you can’t say that here mate, this is England ffs” - there is hope.
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Right, well I was born in London, an haae lived in Somerset and now in Cornwall.
Best bits - I do like the British weather. We do get some lovely sunny days, not as much as you would do in Spain etc but nice for us, we can't cope with as much heat over here. I live our Autumn, crisp cool days, leaves on the floor and the leadup to Christmas. Jan/Feb are abit crappy but spring comes and it's lovely. We get a lovely mix of seasons over here.
We have a big history over here, plenty of places to see and visit, and if you are looking London way you have a crazy amount of attractions and things to do. London is very expensive to live in however.
If you move more west country, there are lovely beaches, country parks and National Trust properties etc.
We make a huge deal about Christmas over here, well we make a huge deal over everything.
Cons
I think (at the time of typing) you can do a food shop cheap, but having relatives in Spain, it would still be more expensive over here. Alcohol is so cheap in Spain, expect to pay ALOT more.
We have our NHS but that's at brink point so I definitely wouldn't rely on coming over here just for that, in Cornwall you cannot get a NHS dentist without being on a waiting list for 2 years etc. But it's still amazing so I'm not slagging it down.
And I do believe you will maybe find it harder getting accepted. I'm from London, a typical English girl and they rejected me down Cornwall for a good few years from being out of county. Even in London, yes there is a wide spread of multicultural beliefs, you will probably (definitely) still get some people reject you unfortunately.
Finally we are inside people. My relatives in Spain are always outdoors, out and about. Over here we spend alot of time indoors so that could be a culture shock to you.
Hope this helps, I love it here, I would never move out!
Best bits - I do like the British weather. We do get some lovely sunny days, not as much as you would do in Spain etc but nice for us, we can't cope with as much heat over here. I live our Autumn, crisp cool days, leaves on the floor and the leadup to Christmas. Jan/Feb are abit crappy but spring comes and it's lovely. We get a lovely mix of seasons over here.
We have a big history over here, plenty of places to see and visit, and if you are looking London way you have a crazy amount of attractions and things to do. London is very expensive to live in however.
If you move more west country, there are lovely beaches, country parks and National Trust properties etc.
We make a huge deal about Christmas over here, well we make a huge deal over everything.
Cons
I think (at the time of typing) you can do a food shop cheap, but having relatives in Spain, it would still be more expensive over here. Alcohol is so cheap in Spain, expect to pay ALOT more.
We have our NHS but that's at brink point so I definitely wouldn't rely on coming over here just for that, in Cornwall you cannot get a NHS dentist without being on a waiting list for 2 years etc. But it's still amazing so I'm not slagging it down.
And I do believe you will maybe find it harder getting accepted. I'm from London, a typical English girl and they rejected me down Cornwall for a good few years from being out of county. Even in London, yes there is a wide spread of multicultural beliefs, you will probably (definitely) still get some people reject you unfortunately.
Finally we are inside people. My relatives in Spain are always outdoors, out and about. Over here we spend alot of time indoors so that could be a culture shock to you.
Hope this helps, I love it here, I would never move out!
Also we are, probably, maybe about to leave the EU. It’s looking like it might even happen on October 31st after all. Whenever it does it might be harder to get certain things. They will for sure be more expensive. It’s not clear what immigration laws for EU citizens not yet here would be. I know it seems like nothing has happened in the last 3 years but when it does a lot of things will change - probably some no one has thought of yet. That’s the real point - we are embarking into unknown territory. Definitely bear it in mind.
You are my soul spirit. I thought I was the only who was like that.
I LIVE for a rainy day.
In general I'm fine with everything, except the weather. I'm also an in door girl, and, believe it or not, I've never tried alcohol, so I don't care if it's expensive. About the freedom of speech... I reckon that is happening everywhere. Darker times will come, I'm afraid. For those who live in London, I've heard renting a flat is really expensive. I guess living in a town near the city would be easier.
I cannot stand hot summers and I really really hate light nights! I spend every weekend outside in the hills of the Peak District and there is nothing better than pissed off or angry weather!!You are my soul spirit. I thought I was the only who was like that.
I LIVE for a rainy day.