spook Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Am I miserable as in a moaning old sod? Not really, It's bordering on the impossible to know how people see one but I will admit to being critical and judgemental. Not great character traits I'll admit but I hope as objective as I am capable of being. The reason that I opened this thread was in response to the accusation that I was concentrating on the down side of the Island and not comparing and contrasting the down side of living on this side of the water. Equally I haven't commented on the positive aspects of living over here precisely because I didn't want to appear to be sneering or patronising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stinking enigma Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 i fully accept your apology sir Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stinking enigma Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 and, leaving religion aside as a matter of opinion ,you may well be quite right about most things, just a bit scary to read some of your posts if you are..... hence the piss taking reaction , is either do that or throw myself under non working steam train ... i mean no offence absolutely sure the cat will be more than well looked after Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 So --- back to ex-pat living, but this time, and without crowing, some of the up side. Later today we're off to Norwich to have a look round the shops - as you do. Norwich is, as it claims to be, a fine city. There's two big shopping malls and a number of Big Name stores, a rather good market, and a host of little shops from specialist jewellers, art shops, oh come on, most everybody knows the variety of shops forum in cities, but also a very great many very old buildings and fascinating street names such as 'Rampant Horse Street', 'Goat Lane', and many more with a surprising amount of medieval buildings, and some lanes similar to The Shambles in York. OK, with a population of around 215,000 in the Norwich area alone and a capture area spreading around 15 miles radius its captive market is n times bigger bigger than the population of the Island and so can justify the commercial investments but it is great to be able to have the choice and the advantage of competition keeping prices down. We find the trip to Norwich worthwhile because the nearest big town to us is Cromer which is one of those places that as you enter you get the distinct impression you're leaving somewhere. So with the expectation of coming home with big smoked crevettes and a selection of cheeses and fresh dates from the market along with some local air dried ham, like Parma but more salty, and fruit far better than can be bought in any supermarket. We can sometimes even buy Manx kippers from the same stall that sells the crevettes. Some things just can't be bettered on anywhere in the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I was in North Norfolk for a few days a couple off weeks ago.... How depressing.... It was almost deserted, might be better in the summer though. Did have a very nice meal in the Rose and Crown at Snettisham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Smelly Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Is it Bootaful down there then lol How come you decided to move down there ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 It was one of a small number of properties that I bought over the years rather than investing in a private pension, and it is what we consider the best for us. The rents that we get for the others provides us with an income that we would have had to have a very big pension pot to equal. The house is old, single story, and only three bedrooms with various odd shaped rooms, goodness knows what they were used for in the past, but we've got a nice big garden. I THINK it was originally a farm house because there's a couple of what might have been stables that right now are full of junk. It's handy for Cromer for most shopping needs, and not too far from Norwich for shopping wants - and days out. Great Yarmouth is also within easy reach and for all the criticism that GY gets it's actually quite fun even if only sitting on the 'prom with an ice cream and people watching! I accept that in the winter 'bleak' doesn't adequately describe the area but even that has its attractions, especially watching the birds that overwinter here and in any case even the hard Winter weather has a beauty of its own and when Spring arrives it does so in a rush. Summer is wonderful, the Coastal region being part of the relatively untouched bit of the country means that there are areas where the flora and fauna are simply spectacular. We have a couple of badgers that are regular visitors - maybe the cat food we put out has something to do with it - in short it's exceptionally nice - but it'll never replace the Island for us both. We'd owned this place for over four years before we moved permanently and it had previously been paying for itself as a holiday let. All in all we together considered that our move here was the best after realising that while we would have been financially secure if we had stayed on the Island the changes that are now taking place on the island as the screw turns are going to result in a place where diminishing infrastructure would directly and indirectly result in a place that was going to become increasingly uncomfortable, especially as members of the professions saw their own futures becoming unattractive especially because of the pension black hole. And then there's Black Shuck to contend with ---- http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/myths/ml_blackshuck.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody2 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Norwich is nothing like york, york is nice. Norfolk is a run down shithole, wait till the "norfolk raves" start in the summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 I do agree that the city of York is very nice indeed but so is the city of Norwich - at least during the day but that applies now to most British cities. At night even in the city centre of Norwich that for us we choose to be no go areas, especially the Prince of Wales road and to a lesser extent, Tombland. There are some really lovely restaurants in Tombland, and a lot of medieval buildings in daily use not to mention a very fine old inn. What I will say for Norwich is that as UK cities go it's a very long way from being the worst and very close to the top five if not actually up there in the list. Cromer on the other hand , that's where people undecided about travelling to Dignitas go in order to become convinced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 It seems that early April I'm off to Calais. Mrs Spook has decided that there's some things that she wants from the Leroy Merlin store in Calais and naturally we'll stock up on some goodies from a couple of Hypermarkets while we're there. Being able to take a trip like that is another benefit of living ex pat from the Island, we'll leave the house at around 06:00 and be in Calais by around 1.00 pm, non trivial but no big deal. The present exchange rate is also an added bonus for us but knowing 'er indoors all that will mean is that the car will be even more loaded down than otherwise. Since neither of us smoke or drink it'll be --- oh goodness knows. When Mrs Spook is let loose in a hypermarket with her AMEX card we suddenly need all sorts of things that I've never even heard of but now we couldn't possibly live without. So 5 hours to get to Calais, overnight (probably at the Campanile), trip up to Ostend (visit old friends), then the 9 ish 'Gozunder' and a blast home to arrive in the early hours. The cost? About 50 quid for Eurotunnel return, probably about 60 quid for the overnight accommodation, and about 60 odd quid in fuel. Plus a smoldering AMEX card - ANOTHER downside to ex pat living! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yin & Yang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 @ spook - do you really think anyone cares what you get up to? You left here when things got tough! I've nothing but contempt for people like you, who came during the good times then leave when facing difficulties! There's a name for people like that... Cowards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Fair 'Nuff, that's your opinion. Personally I would say 'survivors' would be more appropriate but there you go. However if I have encouraged even one person that the future on the Island is really grim and that moving away though not easy is very worthwhile for their future I will be well pleased. After all, what do you call someone in a hole that is rapidly filling with excreta and doesn't use the ladder by his side to get out? I would say very foolish. Just to add - I was born on the Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 @ spook - do you really think anyone cares what you get up to? You left here when things got tough! I've nothing but contempt for people like you, who came during the good times then leave when facing difficulties! There's a name for people like that... Cowards! The thread is titled 'Expat Living', so what else do you expect? If you don't like the contents of this thread then just naff off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yin & Yang Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Ha ha! That's even worse, you wouldn't come back here because you seen some difficulties and took the easy option! As for spook my comments are just that - some of us don't want to leave just because there are some difficult times here and ahead! Taking the easy way out isn't my style - shame some people seem to be proud to be ex-pat living because of not wanting to make a change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Not proud, just some experiences both good and not so good as a result of leaving home. I honestly doubt if you realise that what's coming down the pile is orders of magnitude worse than 'some difficult times'. If I am proved to be wrong then believe me or believe me not I will be delighted. But I honestly believe that I'm correct. As I wrote I started this thread for no other reason than rabbit on about how I'm finding things having moved. Maybe a bit of conceit on my part but it might interest some who are facing the horrible choice of stay or move out. It is a horrible decision to have to make, a decision that people must make for themselves, but should do so with as much knowledge of what is involved as they can get. Nothing more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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