Any Gransnetter living abroad?

it would be interesting to know what people miss being away from UK, also what they find so different when they have returned for visits.

I miss Waitrose, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. Shopping in general really. In normal times I visit four of five times a year. The things I notice most that have changed are increased obesity and more aggressive driving.

I'll have to think about that - what do I miss in the UK?

The general friendliness and informality, the humour and fish and chips. The jostling at the bar in pubs and the nice gardens.

I also miss the shopping! Next, M&S in particular and also food shopping. Every time I come I stock up on favourites that I can't get here.
I also long for a proper English cream tea with scones, jam and clotted cream!
What I don't miss at all is the weather!

Like Mamie and Philippa I missed shopping. I used to cheat and cross to Jersey every couple of months for an M &S fix! French clothes didn't suit my shape and shoes were so expensive in France.

I buy all my clothes in the UK, but also get my daughter's cast-offs. Obviously I haven't bought any this year, but then I have only worn about a quarter of my wardrobe!
I would also add pubs and gardens to my list.

Very little really, other than family. I bring Yorkshire Tea with me. Have Rich Tea biscuits, which are my preferred dry biscuit if I have a dicky stomach, and brought Marmite with me but have hardly touched it.

I miss being able to pop to the coast in the car, because I don't drive here and live in a landlocked country.

But mainly, just miss family. Everything else is just stuff.

When I lived in Spain the things I missed most were the wide variety of tall, deciduous trees in the UK, Spanish trees were mostly pine or olive. Marks & Spencer food hall of course and gentle english rain.

Gagajo I miss being able to pop to the coast in the car, because I don't drive here and live in a landlocked country.

The sea - of course! I ache for the sea. I live 1000 km from the North Sea, the Baltic, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Soooo far! Coming from Suffolk, I was used to being at the seaside most weekends.

The Baltic and the Med I don't really consider proper seas though, because they don't even have tides!

The things I appreciate now that we are back in England are firstly the lovely Geordie accent and friendliness of my youth.
Then the sea.
I was trying to explain to our Romanian cleaning lady why I liked England. She's experiencing some negatives at the moment. I said because it's my home.
How do you explain what "home" means?

I miss shopping and takeaways but not the volume of traffic. I prefer my quiet life in the countryside on balance.