With all the vaguely political threads descending in to arguments about how bad the UK is to live in where would people rather live - you have the choice anywhere on earth.
I have thought about this on and off and genuinely I cannot think of any place I would rather live.
Standards of living are reasonably good compared to the rest of the developed world and off the chart compared to many other countries. I have wide freedom of expression, religion, sexual orientation etc and like or loathe our political system it generally works reasonably well and again is comparatively transparent (honestly it is).
So, where would you rather live in the UK and think its going (or gone) down the pan where would you rather live and why?
Cheers
Danny B
Spain... for the climate and the race tracks 🙂
nowhere outside the UK although I would like to retire to the lakes... bit of a dream that
Southern France, probably, near the Pyrenees.
Not that France is much better financially, but at least the lifestyle would be cool.
Nelson, Victoria, Squamish, anywhere apart from Vancouver in BC really.
Couldn't care less about the politics of the place, it seems pretty liberal (compared with america) but living with that much forest, mountains, lakes and cool people would make me happy.
Tasmania, not because the UK was going down the pan but since I got here life is on the up, better cost of living, better standard of living just a shame we elected a PM who makes DC look like a leftie
In the uk either Yorkshire coastline or North Cornwall. Other than that we have a hankering for Australia..
@weeksy - Spain?! 20%+ unemployment and effectively bankrupt!!
Canada is a good shout.
Is Taz cheaper than the UK? I thought the cost of living in Australia had gone through the roof?
+1 for BC
Glasgow.
jobs, mountains, land of my [s]fathers[/s] mothers, links to the wider world.
Is Taz cheaper than the UK? I thought the cost of living in Australia had gone through the roof?
No the cost of living is fairly stable the £ took a nose dive though.
We have a the same standard of living that we did in the UK but both work part time now.
Vancouver or Squamish for me, maybe Victoria at a push 😉
It's all going to be driven by the likelihood of getting well-paid employment.
Personally, I've no reason to think it would be better anywhere else and I'm very happy to live in Scotland where we are partially sheltered from the effects of successive right-wing UK governments.
Best mate lives in Sydney. He's paying London prices for accomodation and yes the bubble has most definitely burst re cost of living etc. beer for one is eye wateringly expensive.
Always fancied British Columbia... wrecker and alwillis, have you spent much time there? Is it as beautiful as it seems? Any jobs? Also, what's winter like there?
We sometimes think of heading back to NZ either before daughter turns seven (or after she in her twenties!). Prob won't though because of the build up of life around us here - friends, family, places with meaning...
I also think that by raising her here we're giving her the best chance of succeeding in a globalised world.
I'd quite happily move to Lyon in France. Proper weather (hot in summer, cold in winter etc), close to the mountains, a bit grimy, great food/bar culture. Granted, I don't live in the UK currently anyway so for me it's not a huge move but an interesting one nevertheless.
Spent a year living in Vancouver in the middle of my degree. I worked for a small, niche sports physiology business. The region is definitely as good as it looks, the outdoor opportunities are incredible and the people are super helpful and friendly.
Winter in the city is very much like winter in the UK- wet and cold with a little bit of snow. Winter in the mountains is more like winter in the alps as all the rain turns to snow.
France maybe as I'm half French and haven't actually lived there yet but really I'm pretty happy here.
I reckon I could live in Oz or some parts of the US for a few years while the kids are young for the quality of life but I couldn't see myself doing that long term.
Always fancied British Columbia... wrecker and alwillis, have you spent much time there?
Only a month. Did a tour in a RV with the (now) wife.
Is it as beautiful as it seems?
And then some. With the exception of the Jungle, I've never seen so much green. The horzon is soooo high all of the time. Eagles just floating around. Chipmonks sat next to you. Massive lakes it would take a day or two to drive around. The pacific rim beaches with Orca and rainforests.
I could never have imagined just how beautiful it is.
The pacific rim beaches with Orca and rainforests.
My brother swam with dolphins off Vancouver.
I asked him how it was and he said 'alright'. 😯
It's one of my dream destinations.
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West Coast of Vancouver Island - coldest surf lesson ever. I'll take Oz 🙂
New Zealand is absolutely stunning. Could someone tow it a bit closer to it's easier to get to?
Germany, decent employment opportunities and much better employment laws and relations than the UK. Much better sporting facilities, ie swimmiing pools, sports clubs, cycling paths and forest trails. And sport and/or activity is just a much bigger part of many peoples lifestyles. Much much better public transport. In fact I already made the decision and do live in Germany.
If I was to go somewhere else, then I would expect to take a hit on employment, but perhaps improve lifestyle, first choices would be somewhere in the maritime Alps or French side of the Pyranees.
New Zealand is absolutely stunning. Could someone tow it a bit closer to it's easier to get to?
You can probably drive to a place that's very very similar, it's called Scotland.
let's play a game, it's called: Scotland? - or New Zealand?
i'll start, is this:
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Scotland? or New Zealand?
is this:
[img] 
/[/img]
Scotland? or New Zealand?
🙂
I'd like to spend more time on Van island. 1.5 times the size of Wales, with less than 1/3 the population with mountains twice as high as Snowdon.
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It's that tiny little bit bottom left 😯
Lived in Munich for a few years and loved it. Would go back tomorrow.
Austria, NZ, Canada would all do fine too.
I'd like to spend more time on Van island. 1.5 times the size of Wales, with less than 1/3 the population with mountains twice as high as Snowdon.
As a Welsh lad that sounds pretty incredible, wrecker!
Baffin Island's a better name, though. 😉
Slitting mill. Just by the start of follow the dog. Lovely peaceful area, commutable into Birmingham with handy train links to everywhere.
Just round the corner from where I am now.
I'd always wanted to move to Cornwall, but its too far from Scotland and vice versa
Uk is a great place to live, apart from all the idiots moaning about how crap it is. Slightly better weather and bigger mountains would be nice but you can't have everything.
BC is ace though, and French Pyrenees is a good shout too. I am a big fan of Austria as well.
Nowhere's perfect though.
You can probably drive to a place that's very very similar, it's called Scotland.
NZ is more than 3 times the size with a smaller population, the mountains are MUCH bigger (Nevis is half the size of NZs thirtieth highest mountain) AND they have a good rugby team 😉
I'm very happy to live in Scotland where we are partially sheltered from the effects of successive right-wing UK governments.
Eh? How does that work?
Last time I looked Scotland was still in the UK (and will remain so); and we've only had one right-wing government in the last 16 years...unless you were being ironic...
In what way were New Labour not a right-wing government? And the Scots have their own parliament - did you not know?
To be born in England is to win 1st prize in the lottery of life!
If not the UK, then northern California will do nicely thank you very much. Great climate, awesome landscape, nice people. Santa Cruz I think 🙂
As a Welsh lad that sounds pretty incredible, wrecker!
Google some images. It is incredible.
I proposed on this beach;
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After watching the Great British Year last night,it reminded me of why I love living on this daft wee island so much.
Over the years I have had the chance to travel a lot ,and live in lots of different places ,but the UK is always where my heart is .
[i]I also have a theory that all the whiningcockfiddlers of the world ,will always be just that.
Put them anywhere in the world and they still would find something to moan about [/i] 😉
Andorra: the people are super cool, its beautiful, the riding is ace, most things are cheap (except housing) and its not far to sunnier climes in the winter.
If you have hippy pretensions like me Portland, Oregon sounds cool.
Or Boulder, Colorado also looks great.
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Andorra? Hmmm - not as cheap as I expected, petrol station/tax free shop every 50 yards. It's not for me. Great riding though.
Andorra? Hmmm - not as cheap as I expected, petrol station/tax free shop every 50 yards. It's not for me. Great riding though.
Pal/Sispony/Ordino or even La Massana are a bit different than Andorra La Viella.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/37621241@N05/10024215915/ ]004[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/37621241@N05/ ]ianvincent[/url], on Flickr[/img]
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and even the fire service is cool in Andorra! 🙂
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Brother emigrated to San Diego, California this January, all year round warm climate, little rain, great surfing and mountain ranges a short drive away for biking, earning a lot more cash than he was in the UK, and a loves the way of life out there.
Where do folk in BC / New Zealand / the Alps dream of living then...
Slough, Coventry, Bracknell...
Always had a hankering for the south of France on the Atlantic side, down near the border.
UK for me please. No desire to live anywhere else. I wish it was warmer for longer but we rightly have much to be proud of and when all's said and done its a great place to live.
A lot of these choices seem biking related. Sure we don't have huge mountains here but I live 4 hours from Scotland, 1 from Wales, 1 from the Peaks, loads of great trail centres and natural riding. We're hardly hard done by here, definitely no rose tinted gigs on here when I look at anywhere else.
>NZ is more than 3 times the size with a smaller population, the mountains are MUCH bigger (Nevis is half the size of NZs thirtieth highest mountain) AND they have a good rugby team <
Yeah you need it - given the absence of right to roam 😉
