Ex Pats deserting Spain

That is why we moved now..to have time to get to know our 'new' town and get involved locally whilst we are lively and able!! Important I think..daughters just down the road too!

That's the reason we are retiring 1.5 miles away, still people in the town that we went to school with, worked with for many years and we are friends, so when the inevitable happens and one of us is on their own we will have all the contacts built up over many years.

FlicketyB I hadn't thought about it that way, but you are so right. Did anyone see a Play for Today called "A sunset Touch" with Thora Hird? It is about exactly that situation, and it is still with me, ove 30 years on.

Twenty or thirty years ago I can remember many of these same stories about people who had retired to all the British south coast resorts from their original homes possible hundreds of miles away and then when one died the lone survivor was suffering all sorts of problems being on their own, miles from family and friends, probably not able to drive etc etc.

The problem then, and now is people remember the place where they went on holiday every year, and how much they enjoyed it, and think how lovely it would be to live there all the time. Our parent's generation retired to Eastbourne, our generation retires to Spain and no doubt our children's generation will retire to Thailand, The Seychelles and Maldives - and have exactly the same problem previous generations have had with long distance moves that have not been thought through properly and while the south coast retirees did not have the problems with languages and legal systems that modern retirees to holiday destinations have, the problems are the same.

I heard that the Germans in Spain are returning home as well. Even though their Euro is the same. They didn't contemplate being old or didn't want to think about it. They miss any kind of care and have now decided that in Germany the state might look after them.

When I look at pictures of them sitting on the beach and reading the Daily Mail or Bild Zeitung I feel so relieved that I am not one of them.

I have to smile when I hear how the good folk of Anglesey find William and Kate a lovely couple and chat to Kate (in English, I assume) when she shops in the local supermarket. Many years ago I got engaged to a Welsh lad. We were both living/working in Hampshire at the time and he took me to Anglesey to meet his family. They spoke Welsh the entire weekend - especially at mealtimes. His two sniggering sisters seem to take great delight in my discomfort. Needless to say I broke off the engagement as soon as my feet touched English soil!
Years later my eventual DH and I were offered the use of a cottage in Pembrokeshire when our children were small. I had to be dragged kicking and screaming across the Severn Bridge but apart from a few cottages going up in flames and road signs being turned around so you hadn't a clue where you were going we had a really nice time. People in south Wales are much friendlier it seems.

We are lucky than most, and bought a place where prices are actually a lot cheaper than even the Midlands in the UK. For Switzerland, it is rare I can tell you. The renovation project has been put aside, but we just do not care - we love it here just as is, in our old rumbling farm out in the sticks.
Some who moved abroad scraped every little bit together to make it happen- and the downturn in the economy and the falling exchange rate just wiped them out. Some just put the key under the mat and left, leaving dogs, cats, horses... behind. Dreadfully sad.

Of course you will cope - you always do!

Well of course not. I'm sure you got the meaning

If a relative went to live abroad and things turned against them for no fault of their own, bar the slightly pink glasses, and always remained friendly and loving, relatives are more likely to be willing to help if things go wrong. But if people have boasted and looked down at their friends and relatives, showing off and being plain obnoxious- then a hasty return may not see the relies rallying round quite so willingly.

One of the men of that Forum does not have a single good word to say for the England, and his hatred of his own country is hard to understand. For us, we have two countries, that complement each other- and we love both. Lived in one for 38 years, now come to live in the other. Might go back to UK one day - who knows. We would however be entitled to the NHS and other help as we have both worked very hard all our lives and contributed fully to the system.
Losing half your pension due to fluctuating exchange rates is tough though - nobody could have expected it to happen to such an extent- and no wonder our budget has gone berserk. But we will cope, no worries.

When my daughter decided to emigrate to New Zealand, there were plenty of people telling her she was making a big mistake (including her sister-in-law and sister), She felt some of them would have been very happy if the move had not been successful. Some were undoubtedly motivated by jealousy. Well, sucks to them! She, her husband and children have never been happier and love their new country. No, they do not hate England, but they could see very little chance of promotion for her husband and they wanted a different lifestyle. They were able to afford a lovely home with enough land to keep chickens and pigs and grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Of course, they did lots and lots of research, her husband had a very good job offer in writing and there is no language problem. The three children who went with them were just at the optimum stage of their education to make the change.
Like granjura, I was amazed at the people who were planning to move to France in May and wanted to know how to find a school for their children in September - the children never having had a French lesson in their life. They came without knowing how to source health care or benefits, how to register their car, how to let the tax offices of both countries aware of their change of residence, how heavy social charges are in France, the rules that govern letting, or running a business, employment law.........they seemed to think that becoming permanent residents was no different from spending two weeks on holiday. We heard some very sad tales of people for whom it had all gone wrong - failed businesses, unexpected accidents or illness, divorce, bereavement.... I always felt very sorry for them, even those who appeared to have failed to do the necessary research.

granjura Surely no one is entitled to sponge on their relatives – or on anyone else for that matter – whether they have boasted with disdain or not.

Some people are lured to France or Spain by programmes like 'a place int he sun' with huge rosy coloured glasses and without much proper research. The plan to open a B&B, but haven't really done the sums and accepted that they will be full only 2 months per year at best. They skim all the costs, then the exchange rate takes a huge tumble, and they have no choice but to give up. And yes, although I'd say they 'should' have been more careful and objective in their planning, I'd have quite a bit of sympathy for them.

Greatnan and I met on a French Forum- where quite a few members had 'run away from a UK they'd come to hate' - constantly talking about the 'dreaded Blighty' or 'rat-filled sinking ship'. The disdain and the hatred they'd come to feel for their own country was hard to understand - and I'd imagine they would have been really 'smug' and showing off to their relatives back home- and I'd fully understand if they were not welcomed back with open arms.

One of the members on that Forum is now elderly, with all sorts of health problems, and he would like to return to the UK so that his wife won't be alone 'when the time comes', as she has found it difficult to make friends there and learn the language.

There are 100s of reasons why people wanted the chance to travel and do something different -and 100s of reasons why they might feel that a return home is wise. At the end of the day they have paid their contributions all their lives, and are entitled to the benefits too. But not, NOT entitled to come ad sponge on relatives after boasting with disdain!

Greatnan. I can't see anything ambiguous in your posts. Attributing folly on the one hand and sympathy for the outcome on the other makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

I thought my post was showing compassion and was not harsh towards anybody - in fact, I was trying to counteract the lack of sympathy shown by some other posters. Oh well........

Oh dear, here we go again. It seems that every word I write is going to be parsed and analysed. It is really quite flattering.
Some people no doubt did not leave themselves sufficient leeway in case things went wrong which was a bit naive of them. Things went wrong for some people because of the financial crash which was caused by greedy bankers. I really don't know how much more clearly I can put it.

Is that a bit of a mixed message? One minute you say that it is the fault of the bankers, the next you are saying some ex-pats have been naive and gormless! Possibly some did have a rather idealistic view of what their new lives would be, and they are now paying the price, but I could certainly not take such a harsh point of view. Given the current situation in Greece, where I have my little bolt hole, I can only think "There, but for the grace of God....." if I had decided to sell up here and live there permanently.

I can spare a bit of compassion for people who have just been naive and thoughtless as well. It is not a crime to be a bit gormless and they are paying a very heavy price.

Greatnan I think that your sympathies are fair when many of these expats find themselves in a situation not of their own making.

I am happy to report that I have no intention of returning to Britain as my family are now mostly in New Zealand, but there are very many areas where I could live very happily. I hope I will never need to rely on benefits in any country as I am fortunate enough to have been in two contributory final salary pension schemes and live a very frugal life. Just in case anybody thought I might be complaining or planning to become a burden on the British tax payer!
However, I feel sympathetic towards anybody, wherever they have chosen to live, who finds themselves in worsened circumstances through no fault of their own. Who could have predicted that greedy bankers would ruin the world's economy - the 'experts' certainly didn't.

I don't romanticise either Britain or France - they both have their pluses and minuses. Does that lay that particular remark to rest?

'By all means move on socially and geographically, but don't romanticise the place you have left - it if were that bloody good you would have stayed!'

Greatnan I know you made this statement in another context about celebs & I got your meaning wrong then...but it seems to contradict your thoughts here or have I got it wrong again.

I can see why POGS feels as she does due to her particular experience with SiL being smug about her 'better' life in Spain and now expecting a bail out!

Greatnan, Bitter is a harsh word and I was responding to the question with honesty, nothing more.

As for family not being too keen to help, maybe that has been self inflicted by the years of listening to how wonderful life is not living in Britain by the person wanting to return. If you call Britain crappy why would you want to come back here?

I had no preconceptions when we went to live in Mold. In fact, we had holidayed in North Wales for many years. (Mind you, I was once charged a shilling (5p) many years ago for a glass of tap water so my daughter could take a tablet, even though we had paid for a meal for four. I am merely reporting the facts as they happened to us, so I don't see how anybody can pooh-pooh them. Why would I make them up?
I am a very out-going person and have had no problems in settling in with my neighbours in other countries.

It is odd that the Scots are traditionally regarded as penny-pinching - in fact, I have had some wonderful holidays in that beautiful country and found the people warm and welcoming

The Snowdonia National Park is undoubtedly very scenic and there are many very good beaches, but I think I have to echo Dylan Thomas - 'Land of my Fathers - and my fathers are welcome to it'.

Feel I need to explore Nth Wales to do some research! Are there no Nth Welsh GNers to explain/disprove /defend /pooh pooh the comments?

Perhaps because the language is such a minority one (though I believe growing again) the communities are keen to protect it and they see English speakers as a threat, though that is not an excuse to be rude and unpleasant to individuals

POGS - you sound very bitter. What a shame. Incidentally, I pay tax in the UK on my two government pensions (Civil Service and Teachers).
People move abroad for all kinds of reasons - health, work, family, adventure, a challenge - I don't know why you assume this means we have no love of Britain.