Jackie, I think you misinterpreted my post. I stand by what I wrote. If people are 100% content where they live they are not going to move elsewhere............why would they?
I was not implying that people who move have problems in their personal relationships ( although I'm sure some do).
I did say "problems /dissatisfactions" and from your comments you do sound dissatisfied with the state of the country and concerned for your childrens' future and have given that as your reason for moving. There was absolutely no criticism implied and I appreciate your feedback!

Toastedmallow,

Thanks for replying. I read it that you felt people who moved abroad must have problems in their current life and then Mike went on to put people who move abroad into one of his three groups, of which I belong to none so I could not work out where you were both coming from, especially Mike because he has moved abroad and that is why I asked him which of his groups does he belong.I felt I was being judged by people who do not even know me.

Anyway all sorted now and I apologise if I got on my high horse.

Regards Jackie

Jackie ... been reading with great interest but just have to point out its...

Sold down the river

Meaning

Cheated or deceived.

Origin

The phrase originated in the Mississippi region of the USA during slave trading days. Domestic slaves were sold to plantation owners lower down the river where they usually suffered harsh treatment.

Good luck in Tenerife

To follow on from Jackie's comments; In my own case, I have decided to emigrate because life in the UK had become too comfortable.

IMO life becomes somewhat meaningless when there are few challenges, and your environment is 'sorted'. That is the route to boredom and apathy.

Moving to a new culture, language and location is a terrific challenge, and that is what some people welcome. Each to their own.

That sounds as good a reason as any, Torrenter. I'm thinking that when early retirement comes my way I don't want to slip into a 'wind-down' until the inevitable! Instead I'd like to think that life had more in store & the excitement & novelty of living somewhere new just sounds perfect. As you say it would be a project to embark upon: a beginning of something new instead of drifting along doing the same old, same old! But who knows if we'll get our act together & take the bull by the horns and just do it!

That's why I started this thread as I was curious to find out how people arrived at their choice of destination. I love France, Greece, Spain and anywhere else too! How to find the right place is the question!!

(Jackie, I'm glad all is well again!)

We chose Tenerife for the all year round diving as this is what we are going to do there. We could have chosen other islands in the Canaries but for us Tenerife was right as we and our children know the island and have friends there as well. For others/you it is a matter of choice based on what you want to do and what is there for you etc..
Thersa & Richard

-- Edited by MarkJ to remove unauthorised signature --

Hotelstayer

You hit the nail on the head. The Government that runs this country are constantly deceiving and cheating us; always promising us what they are going to do when they get in but unfortunately never delivering. Our reason for moving abroad. Ok I got a word wrong but you all knew what I meant. Anyway I want my slaves sold up the river - they will be better cared for

Regards
Jackie

The Government that runs this country are constantly deceiving and cheating us.........Our reason for moving abroad

Are you really saying it's any better in Spain, Jackie?

Much worse here IMO.

Yes, I think we've all been shocked to hear about the poor people who bought their idyllic fincas near Valencia and are now suffering under the "land grab" laws.

Bawbee

I am not saying it is any better in Spain - but it can't be any worse that what we are personally experiencing where I live. I know this is slightly off topic but at the end of the day it is to do with how I chose my destination.My local council feel that it is OK to house immigrants in three/four bed council houses who have not been in the country that long before people who are on their waiting list because they are crammed in a one bed council flat with two children.I am not saying that immigrants don't deserve housing but certainly not as a priority. If my eldest son who is 20 decides not to move with us he will have to find somewhere to live. We spoke to the council regarding this and they told us they would put him in a hostel for quite a long time before housing him because he is young and single. I have since found out that these hostels are full of drug addicts and the like. Over my dead body would I see any of my kids living like that. Although the area where I live is private housing other local Boroughs have decided that were we live we do not have enough ethnic minorities and are therefore paying them £45,000 towards buying a private property in this area. No chance of getting it if you want to move out though. This is something that our local council deny with passion, yet one of my black neighbours who has become a good friend has told me first hand, along with other people,also a local councillor himself whom is a family friend, but when they knock on your door canvassing for votes and this is mentioned they say we are misinformed. Is that fair. MY husband and I and all three of our children have black or asian friends but the racism around here is getting out of control. My childrens school (which last year was one of the top performing schools in our area) has now been put on special measures after a recent OFSTED report and there have been police permanently placed in the school over the last few weeks due to riots between black and white children. They were even given seperate playgrounds to go to at break so there was no communication between them. My daughter was talking to one of her black friends when another crowd came up to her and basically told her where to go and that she shouldn't be associating with them. Tell me Bawbee would you want your kids growing up in this because I certainly don't and feel the only way is to move abroad. I have chosen Tenerife because apart from the fact we love it there and feel more at home and relaxed than when in the UK, there seems to be more tollerance of a multi racial society there than there is here. Children are a big part of family life there and surprisingly enough my kids are a big part of my life and if I can give them a better future for a while then I will fight hell and high water to do that. All I want is a better life for my kids.

Regards Jackie

Continuing off topic, remember that when you move you will be the immigrant and as such will sometimes experience what it is like to live and work in a country where you were not born and the language is different. Not all spanish here welcome foreigners and it can be hard to integrate.

I find that here it is the people who say everything about the UK is bad and all good about their chosen place are the ones who become disillusioned with their new life after the initial euphoria has worn off. Even if their are no problems in your present life, people still carry the same baggage.

Whichever destination chosen to me the essential things were, good air communications, not more than about 45 mins from an airport. Close to good medical facilities and be aware that you may grow old there and not always want to drive. If you have young children, look at schools in the area, what are their job prospects going to be etc.

I agree with Mike, there are a lot of people here not "normal" and you have to be careful who you befriend.

Jacky

I fully understand what you are saying. We have done our research of were we are moving to believe me, for the last twenty odd years in fact, more seriously for the last five, from medical facilities to schools and job prospects to the local bus routes and nearest supermarkets. We feel as a family we will be happier away from the problems that are continuously growing in the UK and more particular in my local area. I am not looking at this move through rose coloured glasses. I know that there are problems everywhere, and if I was not moving to Tenerife I would still move away from this country. 120,000 Brits leave every year surely they all can't be wrong. We will also be legal immigrants which is a far cry from the influx of people descending on the UK. and in particular my area as I am not far from both the channell tunnel and a dock. I notice from your profiles that you live in Malaga and Bawbee lives in Lanzarote, so at some time in the past you both decided to be part of the 120,000 who emigrate every year. Why did you leave the UK and why are you living where you are if from the way you both speak it is not all you thought it was going to be. These are real questions that I ask out of interest and do not mean them to sound like I am being facetious in any way. I would truly be interested in your answers.

Regards Jackie

I think it's also worth remembering that a large percentage of those people who choose to leave the UK, do so after retirement when they have an independant income.

I also wonder how many return at some point?

I have a house in Spain and though I love my holidays out there i wouldn't think of making a permanent move out there whilst we needed to make a living. From what I can see most Spanish work very long hours for low wages and most ex-pats have to work in the ex-pat community.

I have teenage children and I don't see that there are better prospects for them in Spain than the UK, but then I don't recognise my UK from Jackie's description. I like it and the very good life it affords me.

Interestingly enough there is quite a Spanish community in my area who say that their standard of living etc is better here than at home!

Jan400

You are very lucky if your UK is not like mine. Do your teenage children walk in the area you live in the evening with the fear that they are going to be mugged for their mobile phone or set upon by a group of kids because they decide they want a fight and are not really bothered with whom. Are there racist riots in your childrens school where children are coming to school with baseball bats and knives in order to attack others, do your children have one playground for black children and one for white, are they unable to speak to their black friends because of the fear they will be attacked,have you had a friend whose 16 year old daughter has been raped virtually on her doorstep on her way home after an evening out, do you have an increase in crime in your area, wether it's house breaking, breaking into garages, stealing cars or ripping the steros out after smashing the window. If you can answer no to all of these then you are very lucky. We have put up with this sort of thing getting worse were we live over the last five years. The police started a curfew in our area a couple of years ago. If they caught any groups of children under 16 out after 9p.m. they had the authority to take/send them home, That lasted all of six months.Five years ago I would have been happy to stay put for the rest of my life, not now.
With regards to your comment 'that a large percentage of those people who choose to leave the UK do so after retirement'. I disagree, you only have to read different topics on this forum to realise that there are many many people of working age that have moved abroad who have children. Also it depends what you do for a living as to wether or not you have to work in 'the ex-pat community'. If you had read any of my previous post you will know that my husband and I are self employed. My husband is an electrician and although he will still be working in the UK for a while to fullfil contracts that we have already taken on, we have made many contacts in Tenerife during previous visits, who have put us in touch with people in this line of business. We have been told there will be no problem finding work for my husband either self employed or employed as just like the UK people will always need electricians and other skilled labour, even those native to Tenerife not just the ex-pats.

Regards Jackie

Regards Jackie

Jackie:

Though I realise that you have already set your course towards Tenerife, the Britain you describe is not the norm. There are many areas in the UK where it is safe to raise teenagers, free of the issues you so eloquently describe. My two kids never had the problems you have faced.

Recently, I spoke with a mother in Tenerife who dispaired of the attitude of her son's Spanish schoolmates. Her son came home in tears because he would not join in with the local kid's sport of stamping on the lizards for fun. She plans on returning to the UK.

I really hope you find the grass is greener in your new home.

If only stamping on lizards (not that I condone it) was the only problems my kids had to face.. I think if you spoke to people from the Inner/Outer London and Home Counties you will find that most areas are now as I describe. Some not so bad and some a lot worse.

Regards Jackie

Moving abroad to live is not a new thing of course. When I was a child some 35 years ago, I well remember family friends moving to Australia and neighbours to Canada. That of course was in our 'good old days'.

I live in the suburbs of a small city, my kids attend the local comprehensive school and I maybe I'm very lucky. I'm sure I would be moving if I lived as you describe, probably to where I live now!

I guess it's horses for courses but I think this debate proves the point that was expressed earlier, that to consider moving abroad there has to be some disillusionment with some area of your life - be that the weather, the area you live or anything else!

Don't take this as a negative view or a judgement in any way, afterall we're all wanting the same thing in the end, a happy life so I wish you the Best of Luck for the future - and having no ice to scrape off the car on winter mornings will be nice.........

Jan400

Thanks for that.

I can't wait

Regards Jackie