Time to depart...

[JoJoGabor]

I lived in Australia for a couple of years and its amazing how the same bugbears of living in the UK apply over there.

House prices are rediculous compared to income.

Immigration is a problem, the Chinese are overrunning the place and people moan about how they are moving out of the cities into smaller towns to avoid this.

Pollution is a problem in the big cities (Well Sydney anyway)

People moan about a lack of vision by the government (eg Water is on a very tight supply over there even now)

It takes an age to drive anywhere.

If you get out of the cities there are swarms and swarms of small dull towns.

Obviously the flip-side is ltos of sunshine and some top women, but the UK has its upsides as well.

[Torran]

Glasgow is just disgusting now, during the 80s they actually did a great job of cleaning the city up but it has been left to rot again. The areas round Central station are covered with pound shops, junkies, romanian beggers, big issue sellers. I was in the somerfield beside the station last night and a junkie was in buying cat food, when he left the security guard shouted “enjoy your dinner” after a few seconds I realised he was being serious!

Don't go to Glasgow then

[minestrone]

Sadly I live there, or just outside it and my daily commute to the East takes me through it.

[DS23]

this contracting lark lets me try out quite a few different places for more than a vacation period. the last few years have seen stints in netherlands, germany, france, italy. some city and some town. most all are pretty much of a muchness.

i'm happy in the uk. our house is a home and the kids are in a good school. we are staying and building our future here.

heathrow does appear to be in terminal decline and as such gives a very bad image to those arriving and leaving but it is undergoing a massive reconditioning. in a few years time it will present a better statement of intent.

[BlasterBates]

I flew out of Heathrow from Terminal 5, it was very nice.

However the Bus ride from Richmond was pretty depressing. Though Richmond itself was quite nice.

[bren586]

I'm pleased we didn't have people with your attitude on the front line!

I served for 12 years.

I'd hope that my fellow men and women of the North would put others before their own selfish individual needs. They'd certainly put the poors needs NOW before that of their fricken pension ffs!

I have 2 children so I left the North East and put their needs first. Nothing to do with pensions or cash - just quality of life, education, health care.......

My tuppence worth

[Moscow Mule]

I flew out of Heathrow from Terminal 5, it was very nice.

However the Bus ride from Richmond was pretty depressing. Though Richmond itself was quite nice.

You'd have been better off going on the tube from Richmond.

[AlfredJPruffock]

I went Offworld - right now Im on the Planet Gong but at the weekends I commute to Solaris as recommended by my accountant Hari.

[expat]

It's not just about whether Heathrow is "nice". It is that something about it is always faulty, much is dirty and run-down, and nobody seems to care whether it works right or not. No pride in work and no self-respect.

If it were just the airport I could grit my teeth and get through it, but that turns out to be a good indication of what you're going to keep finding everywhere.

[Doggy Styles]

I enjoy my life in the UK so I'm not going.

I lived in Germany for a while and, although it was great to experience a different place, I was glad to come back.

It seems that everywhere in the world will be affected by the recession to varying extents, so if I'm to be scraping about for work I'd rather do it the UK, which I know, rather than somewhere that I don't.

It's true that the UK is worse off than any other developed country, that's a big downer. But within two years the Labour party will be gone, hopefully for a long time, and I'm expecting whoever takes their place to prioritise sorting out the public finances (they have no option) and giving more encouragement to the prudent. They will be hard times, but it should be starting to pay off by the time my kids leave education.

Someone else mentioned the overcrowding and I'm concerned about it, but I'm also hopeful that a new government will put a handle on the excessive and uncontrolled net immigration we've had since the late 1990s.

Finally, about the so-called attraction of Australian crumpet. Hmm. I've changed my mind, I'm off.