Moving to UK-

Do you have a query about moving to Andalucia and buying property in Andalucia. Find out by posting questions and reading about other peoples experiences.
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Wicksey
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Wicksey » Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:20 pm

Miro wrote:
firsttango wrote:...took me a while to understand her question
I'm still having a few embarrassing moments, usually in supermarkets,
:lol: we are like that and trying to find the right change is embarrassing too. We both need reading glasses to see anything clearly and without them to hand, we often end up pouring the contents of purse/wallet onto the counter and sift through it like a couple of old people looking for the right coins. I'm just glad we don't travel by public transport there and have to cope with the ticket machines, or cashless payment which I think bus companies use as well.

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firsttango
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby firsttango » Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:21 pm

Wicksey/Miro I fully feel your pain, my next hurdle is going to be buying a car in Sept to use on our visits.....one daughter lives in West London....I am simply dreading tackling the M4 into London from Reading onwards and when it comes to these charging zones in London I have absolutely no idea....should be fun :crazy:

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:14 pm

Cashless payments - mmm....I've tried that a couple of times; usually get chased across the cafe / bar before I reach my seat, and then remember that you have to pay before you drink your coffee / beer! :wtf: I was pleasantly surprised in my new discovery on Union St. (think they've recently moved from over the road on Eastbank, it's called Hamlett's) when I was told I can pay afterwards, though. Another chap was in there, talking about a recent trip to NYC, and saying this cafe was the nearest thing in Southport to the cafes over there - high praise indeed.

Despite commuting daily from the age of 10 to 21 on the London Underground, since then I've pretty much avoided public transport in the UK altogether so had no idea what to expect. So far I've only taken the bus to Ormskirk once, and the train to Liverpool once, but both trips were very easy. The train journey, in just about all aspects, from buying the ticket to the trip itself, I was pleasantly surprised with, and thought it compared favourably to similar trips I've made regularly in both Spain & Germany in recent years. Probably dearer than in either, but otherwise no problems at all.

Saying that, FT I don't envy you and would not relish a journey down south, either on public transport or by car. Fortunately I have no plans to venture south. Although my Scouse / Lancashire accent is probably no better than my Spanish, I actually feel like I'm integrating pretty well here, and the locals don't even seem to notice!
One thing to consider: my new car here has reversing parking sensors, which have been invaluable in reminding me that "touch" parking, Spanish style, is generally not acceptable over here! :lol:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:13 pm

Devils Advocate wrote:It amazes me that people from Merseyside and indeed Manchester often overlook New Brighton and the Wirral for a day out in favour of other destinations.
Yet to do "over the water", but today had my first taste of Formby beach. O-M-G - wow, absolutely stunning, probably the most beautiful stretch of totally unspoiled coastline I've seen since visiting Tarifa a few years back. Gorgeous sunny day, perfect temperature too. Even got to see some lovely red squirrels - must be the first time in 40 odd years for me.
Torremolinos beach in August v Formby beach in August? Absolutely, unequivocally NO CONTEST :thumbup:

When we lived in Boston, I used to love visiting Walden Pond
When we lived in Torremolinos, I used to love visiting El Chorro
Living here, I am going to love visiting Formby beach. It will forever be right up there on my list of favourite, truly special spots in the world. :D
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Devils Advocate
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Devils Advocate » Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:29 am

Great to read your account and thoughts on Formby beach, all as I can say is I 100% agree with you. Every time we park up and walk over the large dune near the car park and see the Mersey it gets to me. Such a rugged and beautiful place, we walk for miles there and never tire of it, whether it be mid summer, spring or winter. I've been going there since I could walk.
Wait until you see the algae reaction on the tide when it all froths up, amazing sight.

Did you walk left on the beach towards Crosby? All those bricks and masonry you see on that stretch also tell a story.
The North West coastline is special Miro, I'd miss it and it's one small reason we shelved plans to "move across" to another country years ago.

I take it you'll be doing Crosby and the iron men next, then on to the Wirral peninsular, you'll love it all.

As an aside, still looking forward to your thoughts on the coffee and the portion of roast chicken and roast potato's at the "Deli" !!

Nice one!
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:37 pm

I saw the iron men a few years ago, but they're probably due another visit soon. I'm loving it all. We've joined the National Trust, so there'll be plenty more days out to come as we reacquaint ourselves with all that's great about Britain.

Popped into Hamlett's again today for a coffee, and chatted to Pete the owner for a while about Spain - he'd like to move to Sitges but it's so expensive, and he doesn't have the time right now anyway...and then an added bonus, turns out his young assistant Sonja is from Mexico, so we spent a while chatting in Spanish - first proper conversation in Spanish for a couple of months. We'll be making this our regular from now on, not just for the great coffee but for the chance to keep our Spanish up :thumbup:

Until Volare halve their prices for coffee, I'm afraid they're slipping down my list of places to try :( Sorry!
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Wicksey
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Wicksey » Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:06 pm

There was a house programme on TV a few weeks back based in the Wirral and Formby areas. Must say I was very impressed and thought it looked lovely with wonderful beaches. Although my parents lived in the Peak District and I used to fly into Liverpool/Manchester and used to have many of my work training courses in Manchester, it still feels a bit foreign to me, coming as I do from the south. I always found everyone so friendly unlike in London, and people would always chat away to me on the buses and trains.(My first foray north of Watford in my late teens was quite a shock to the system .... I had never been abroad and never travelled north of London before!)

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:32 pm

:lol: I'll never forget the first time I jumped on a local bus in Liverpool, and the person sitting next to me (shock horror) started chatting to me. A real culture shock after "growing up" on the Tube. And I also remember a chap sitting next to me at a bar while Mrs.M had her hair cut next door, buying me a pint simply because I was "not from around 'ere". Never happened in Spain! (Not even in Torremolinos, where good looking chaps like me sitting in bars alone may expect other chaps on their own to strike up a conversation!)

Just come across this (semi-interesting) article about returning expats and how to cope with reverse culture shock: http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/201708 ... at-country
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:09 am

I do hope I'm not boring people with my continuing rants about fresh vegetables here in the UK?
I stopped at one of the local farm shops a few days ago (Rimmer's, opposite Dobbies, for those who know the area). Large shop area with a small fancy display in the middle, nothing to excite me - less than my tiny local fruteria in Torremolinos had crammed into their shop every morning (fresh from the market in Málaga) and nothing that I can't buy in the supermarkets cheaper (albeit with loads of unnecessary packaging). But individually priced tomatoes? :wtf: I fail to see that these places are anything more than a gimmick. I'm not going to waste time and fuel (and pollute the atmosphere) just to buy direct from the farm (if in fact it is anyway).
One good thing (ish) - parsnips! A rare treat in Spain, basically only ever available at Christmas, and according to our local fruteria, only bought by the Brits! Far cheaper here: 59p for a 500gm pack in Asda. But WTF? No complaint about the price, but that's literally FIVE parsnips per pack. I know it's a question of lifestyle and personal choice, but we almost always cook meals to last a few days, so we cooked two packs of parsnips, creating two unnecessary pieces of waste plastic to be disposed of. Who cooks just five parsnips? Amazingly, on the package it says "six portions". It also says that one portion equals one of your five a day. So....less than one parsnip per person for a meal? And less than one parsnip for one of your five a day? I must have had about 17 of my daily five already then, and it's still only 11 o'clock! (I've had at least three in the form of orange juice alone) And unlike most of the people I see around here, I'm not overweight! :crazy:
We're gradually finding where to buy everything we need, but we're still finding the ridiculously small packaging utterly bizarre. I'm actually pining for the US, where everything was supersized!
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

BENIDORM
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby BENIDORM » Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:49 am

Hello Miro,
I for one enjoy reading your exploits whether it be the price of carrots or your journey back to UK and dealing with life's problems and I can see that it has been arduous and sometimes difficult and I hope that you are now gradually settling into your 'new life'.
Often your words and comments have been extremely thought provoking and I have appreciated your efforts to report and chronicle each chapter of your journey..
I look forward to hearing more. :thumbup:

Regards,
Gordon

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Gasman » Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:10 pm

Miro - all very interesting, thank you. However, do keep up the comparisons with Andalucia or Cid might be on your case for going off topic!!!
Cheers

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby elusive » Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:49 pm

Dito. Very much enjoy your thoughts miro. Keep them coming

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby El Cid » Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:48 pm

Gasman wrote:However, do keep up the comparisons with Andalucia or Cid might be on your case for going off topic!!!
Cheers
:thumbup: :thumbup:

Sid

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:35 pm

Fair comment. Come Christmas, I'll ask my former neighbours to pop down the road and check out the price of parsnips in Torremolinos :lol:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Gasman » Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:06 pm

:thumbup: :D
:wave:

Miro
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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Fri Jun 01, 2018 7:06 pm

This time last year.....
...we were packing the car up and getting ready for the journey from Spain to the UK. Hard to believe we've been back almost a year! I've just been re-reading some of my old posts here and on other threads. I could try updating some of my thoughts and comments, but there's so much I could say, it's hard to know where to start really. Maybe I should just leave it for others to ask, if there's anything in particular they're interested to know about?
Suffice to say, for now, we're still very glad we made the move back, and still very much enjoying life in our new surroundings. :thumbup:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby BENIDORM » Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:14 pm

Hello Miro,
I'm really pleased to hear that you have settled back in UK, I know that it must have been difficult, and that you must miss some of your lifestyle in Spain, but it's another chapter in your life ....
I'm sure that many people have been grateful for your good clear descriptions of your progress, most helpful, but for me I would be really loath at this point in time to even contemplate returning to UK, but I fully understand why you returned.

So...what do you miss most about Spain ?..And of course , what do you like about returning .?

At the moment I note that there is great interest in moving from UK to Spain, so Good Luck to everyone who is contemplating the move, Spain has alot to offer, but it's important to be sure that you understand that it is NOT Paradise, but after nearly 30 years since we first moved here I still think we did the 'right thing'.....
Regards,
Gordon :wave:

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby avellana » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:14 pm

How weird that Miro and I decided to update our situations on the same day!

I meant to update before but the time has gone so quickly, even the winter!
There's a lack of Spanish speakers in Kirkham and Wesham which is a big disappointment.
Preston has some Spanish speakers but they're hard to find.
I've joined a Meetup group, Linguistador, for people learning Spanish.
It only meets once a month from 20.00 to 21.30 so not ideal.
Cats love it here but sadly Katy was run over and killed at the end of February.
The magnetic cat flap I had in Spain is fitted and used by all the cats.
Their microchips are now UK registered.

I've made quite a few mistakes with my permanent move to the UK.
All the things I should have done like deregistering I didn't do.
I think this was partly due to my bipolar 11 and anxiety.
Getting to grips now with doing La Renta and checking if I should have been charged Plus Valia.
I would like to go to Trabuco for a few days in September for 'Las Fiestas Patronales' to see friends I don't want to lose touch with.
I continue adding links to my facebook page for English learners because I enjoy doing it.
I'm prepared to Skype with former students and help with listening and speaking.
No exercises and writing to correct and as I don't charge there's no pressure on me.

ANXIETY AND STRESS to be avoided at all cost!

I miss certain things about Spain but I know it was the right time to come home.

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby Miro » Sat Jun 02, 2018 12:26 am

Hi Gordon,
Looking back, it wasn't really particularly difficult - probably the thinking about it was the hardest thing!

We never regret our time in Spain - like you, for us it was the "right thing" when we moved there 20 years ago. Moving on (or back) was the right thing now. The strange thing is, however, I constantly find it difficult to see why so many people still seem so keen to move to Spain. We watch those Place in the Sun programs (although they're mostly several-year old repeats) and wonder what the fascination is; Mrs.M's niece just announced she & her husband are buying a place in Fuertaventura, and I wonder - WHY? And I have to keep reminding myself that whilst we've been there done that, others haven't, yet - so they need to live their own experiences.

What do I miss most about Spain? A few long-time friends, who we may never see again; relationships that took years to develop & cannot be replicated quickly. But that's to do with leaving a place you've lived for several years for another, far away - not really to do with Spain per sé. Specifically Spain, I miss the cafe culture most - the ubiquity of simple, good value cafes where you can get a decent coffee, or a cold beer, & a pitufo or bocadillo at any time, without needing to see the menu to order, and knowing that you don't have to worry about being charged a small fortune, or being expected to keep ordering in order to just enjoy hanging out there. That's a real "lifestyle" thing that I do miss. We've adapted quite well, discovering a couple of local establishments that suit us, and even (groan) frequenting one or other of the local soulless Weatherspoons where we can drink bottomless coffees, sitting outside (some days!) watching the world go by for less than it would cost us in Spain...but it's just not quite the same - in Spain it doesn't matter where you go in the country, the cafes are always there. I know I risk boring people with my repeated gripes about it, but to my dying day I swear I will never understand, not so much what places charge for coffee here, more what people are willing to pay - it's just coffee, for goodness sake!
We still miss the loose fresh fruit & veg picked up daily from our local fruteria - but otherwise, there's not really much else.

What do we like most about returning? We love our new home (we thought we loved our old one, until we bought this one!) but again, that's not really to do with Spain v UK - it just turns out that we really like where we are now. I guess the comparitive ease of just about everything we do on a day to day basis, simply by the fact that it's all in our native language - and not constantly wondering (if not actually worrying) what problem will raise it's ugly head next which will be difficult to deal with, either linguistically or culturally. If we've had any "problems" since returning, I've not really noticed them! We've unfortunately each had a visit to the A&E since returning - plus several less concerning appointments with GPs and other medical staff, and it is unquestionably preferable to be able to speak English in these instances.
Perhaps most surprising, I really enjoy the weather - it's been great seeing the seasons again after so long.

Avellana, it's good to know you're getting on well too. So sorry to hear about Katy; I hope the other cats are all doing fine. Ours has adapted remarkably well, and now ventures out into our garden (she only had a small terrace in Spain). She's utterly unfazed by the climate difference - she was even out in the snow, which she obviously had never seen before, and luckily for her, the next door neighbours have a Chihuahua, so she's still able to have conversations in Spanish - it all sounds like growls & hisses to me, but I'm sure they're getting along wonderfully :lol:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Re: Moving to UK-

Postby katy » Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:01 pm

Hi Avellana, pleased to hear all went well and the cats are settling. Shame about Katy. We came back with 2 cats and 2 dogs, all now sadly gone. Fortunately they all lived to a good age although it doesn't make it easier. My katy was around 22 and the other cat 18.

I don't regret my time in Spain only I wished we had left earlier. I liked it more in the 90s before it changed, although I suppose I have changed too! My views were also coloured by seeing how some elderly people living there were struggling. I wanted to grow old here. Strangely last week I saw the villa we sold back on the market. less than we sold. The house here has increased by over a third in five years due to the London drain out to the country. Only on paper as we aren't moving :D


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