Uk "is Worst Place To Live In Europe"

[scottbeard]

There are plenty of problems with the UK but I can't say I'm in a hurry to go anywhere else.

+1

[BuyInOxford]

Really, why is that? Genuinely interested...

I used to live and own a company there selling (cough cough) offplan property, and saw the people rich and poor for exactly what they are, basically almost all i met will rip the next man off without a seconds thought as if its expected of them, no one can be trusted, they dont have such a thing as a stand up guy .... my business partner (Bulgarian) was away from the place for 10 years before the property boom and he couldnt believe people were investing money and trusting the locals to finish developments (hes been proved right), his exact words were if there is one nation on the planet whose people he didnt trust it was Bulgarians

They entire place is corrupt to an extent that it makes Thailand where i currently am look almost civilised, the EU money theyre getting will be going on Ferraris and homes in Monaco for the govt/mafia, with a sprinkling for its intended purpose.

The food is worse then dreadful its absolutely appalling, the women whilst slim are 6 footers who are plastered in makeup and look like ladyboys ... (if you want beautiful go to Romania) ....about 50% of the population smoke and the cigarettes are extremely strong, so no matter what bar /restaurant youre in means youre risking cancer. ( i dont support the smoking ban in UK but they take the pee)

It does have some beautiful mountain resorts (not Bansko) but in between it looks like a nuclear bombs gone off and left the place desolate, the beach resorts have got to be seen to be believed overbuilding on a scale that ive never seen they look like communist resorts designed by someone on acid, but the wine and beer are good and cheap.

But to finish off with a negative the men once theyve made a bit of money automatically go out buy a leather jacket and a fancy car with tinted windows and like to think theyre part of the Mafia ..... i do believe there are only 12 males under the age of 50 in Bulgaria who dont think theyre Mafia and i met 4 of them.

Edited September 22, 2010 by BuyInOxford

[ExecutiveSlaveBox]

If the UK was to cut of that expansive bit of land surrounding the pennines, it would be a lovely place

Funny, I always thought chopping the S.E off and using it as some sort of floating prison, like in Escape from New York, would be a pretty good idea.

Edited September 22, 2010 by ExecutiveSlaveBox

[workingnomad]

England is a fine place to love if you earn big bucks - only mugs stay here who are on a low salary.

[West Hampstead]

Mostly got better toilets here though...

Hear hear

[Riedquat]

England is a fine place to love if you earn big bucks - only mugs stay here who are on a low salary.

Why's that? Sure, when you sit back and think about it there's a load of depressing rubbish coming from the government, but in reality it rarely has any effect on my day to day life, and, house aside, despite being nowhere near big bucks I've got enough to not be particularly worried about money. I couldn't abandon the British countryside and beer without going into depression. For me they're far more important than the petty material considerations.

[noodle doodle]

I think the weather makes people miserable honestly. June's been the only decent month of weather in the last 3 years, then I could sit outside on the decking in the sun, light small fires to annoy the neighbours and have a beer into the double figure hours. Now, it's gone dark at 7, it's just pissed down an inch of rain overnight and I feel like sh*t. booooooooooooooooooooooo

[cardiffone]

Its all so subjective, quality of life means different things to different people.

Uk has to be one of the best places you can live in the world, if you love art, good education, free health care, music, TV, pubs ( yeh ),eating out, shopping and most of the activities I enjoy.

Falls behind to only a few countries on food, and most defiantly falls behind on weather, but travel is still cheap and the rest of the best of europe is only a few hours away.

I could easily afford to move to must places in the world, but none has the balance of UKs assets.

Edited September 23, 2010 by cardiffone

[kzb]

These surveys are crap. So Ireland has the highest average income in Europe ? How were these figures arrived at please? Also some people on here think people were asked how happy they are. In fact they have picked on various parameters like hours of sunshine and days of holiday and then calculated how happy the people are.

It's also worth noting that in the UK 1 in 5 households has no-one in work at all. They get a permanent holiday, and a pretty good standard of living

[thecrashingisles]

Just to be clear - the article refers to the 'British Isles'. As a matter of fact, you only need to look across the Irish Sea to find the true winner.

One day my dream of living in the Federal Republic of the British Isles, with the capital in Milton Keynes, will come true.

[Tired of Waiting]

England is a fine place to love if you earn big bucks - only mugs stay here who are on a low salary.

+ 1

[hpc-craig]

Just having clean water on demand put's the UK above many countries and about a third of the worlds population.

I don't think it's that bad here, although everything is becoming far too American for my liking. Just how many Coffee Shops does 1 high street need, and why do they serve 63 different types of Coffee and just 1 Tea. Is it too much to ask for Earl Grey?

[Johnny Cash]

Its all so subjective, quality of life means different things to different people.

Uk has to be one of the best places you can live in the world, if you love art, (from other countries or indigeneous crap) good education (you are joking, aren't you?), free health care (of a third world standard), music (in years gone by yes, these days, not so sure), TV (rapidly dumbing down), pubs (where they are happy to sell you a drink at 11pm and then aggresive "security staff" demand the galss back 20 minutes later, where looking at someone might just get you a glass in the face, where you can pick your way through pools of vomit on the way home)( yeh ),eating out (overpriced plastic food), shopping (overpriced plastic tat) and most of the activities I enjoy.

Falls behind to only a few countries on food (Bulgaria, Romania and the like, but try going to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain or even France and eating good food and you'll see that the UK cant compete, can only throw up pretentious 'celeb' chefs like Heston Blumenthal as an answer), and most defiantly falls behind on weather, but travel is still cheap (if you call several hundred quid for a train ticket cheap then yes) and the rest of the best of europe is only a few hours away.

I could easily afford to move to must places in the world, but none has the balance of UKs assets.

[Realistbear]

Having lived in the US for about half my life I find that I prefer living here. I finally realised why I could not feel "at home" in the US. It was when I realised that, contrary to my previous belief, the US is not essentially English in culture but GERMAN! The Jerries are the single largest ethnic group (European) and it manifests itself in a friendly sort of culture but lacks something which I can't quite put my finger on. Its not humour as the Americans and ourselves both love toilet jokes and I can laugh at most of their comedies. Its something that doesn't seem quite right and gives you the sense of not belonging or wanting to assimilate. Perhaps its my unwillingness to "conform" but what does that mean?

The only thing I find permanently miserable here is the change over in the clocks and the darkness that enshrouds us like a forboding cloak of gloom from October until we get a breakout in April. Every year since 1876 Parliament has discussed maintaining BST all year round and every year we cave into the Scottish schoolkids.

I would like to buy an apartmento in Portugal to live in from Guy Fawkes until mid April. Went to the Algarve this year and loved it but property prices do not seem to have collapsed as they have in Spain. Portugal has destroyed the allure of Spain for me now which is annoying as you can get a nice holiday apartmento in Spain for 50k Euros.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Realistbear

[swissy_fit]

Food is much better value for money in the UK than in France or Switzerland, if you're buying it yourself and cooking it.

(I'm talking supermarkets here, not the French open-air markets which of course are excellent esp in the south)

France is no longer as good as people imagine, I shop in France every weekend, the supermarkets are selling more and more tasteless veg/fruit, and it's expensive.

You can still get good food eating out, their restaurants are still a bit more skilled than most of ours, but buying good food is getting a lot trickier. Tesco has many times more variety, especially anything spicy, and is about 60% of the French price overall, at a guess.

[ccc]

Its all so subjective, quality of life means different things to different people.

Uk has to be one of the best places you can live in the world, if you love art, good education, free health care, music, TV, pubs ( yeh ),eating out, shopping and most of the activities I enjoy.

Falls behind to only a few countries on food, and most defiantly falls behind on weather, but travel is still cheap and the rest of the best of europe is only a few hours away.

I could easily afford to move to must places in the world, but none has the balance of UKs assets.

When did this happen ?

[cybernoid]

4 seasons, life is not cheap here as it is in so many other countries, a secular society, winters are not too harsh and summers not too hot, supermarkets offer a variety and quality not found in many other places, culture of fair play, understatement, humour, country pubs, you're never far from the sea or a decent city, the variation offered by continental Europe only a few hours travel away.

If you pick your location well and find a way to make enough to live here comfortably without breaking your back it is a great little island.

It's not perfect, but where is better?

[Johnny Storm]

Its all so subjective, quality of life means different things to different people.

Uk has to be one of the best places you can live in the world, if you love art, good education, free health care, music, TV, pubs ( yeh ),eating out, shopping and most of the activities I enjoy.

Falls behind to only a few countries on food, and most defiantly falls behind on weather, but travel is still cheap and the rest of the best of europe is only a few hours away.

I could easily afford to move to must places in the world, but none has the balance of UKs assets.

I cant believe the ridiculousness of this post. I could go through every thing you like and explain why it is crap here, but I just cant be bothered, having suffered a 90 min journey home that should have taken 30 mins. That's what England is, an expensive place filled with scum where nothing works.

[Johnny Cash]

I cant believe the ridiculousness of this post. I could go through every thing you like and explain why it is crap here, but I just cant be bothered, having suffered a 90 min journey home that should have taken 30 mins. That's what England is, an expensive place filled with scum where nothing works.

Yes I agree. Fortunatly, you dont have to, Ive just corrected it all already (see 4 posts, or so previously)

[Johnny Cash]

Food is much better value for money in the UK than in France or Switzerland, if you're buying it yourself and cooking it.

(I'm talking supermarkets here, not the French open-air markets which of course are excellent esp in the south)

Maybe thats becaust the supermarket chains have screwed the providers down so much in price that they can barely afford to exist?

Still, so long as Essex man and his chavvy wife can go and get a 12 pack of loss leader Boddingtons or Stella and something for the barbie with their 2,2 brats, its a great country eh? Ingerland! (wheres that puking icon that some other websites have when you need it?)

Edited September 23, 2010 by Johnny Cash

[Bubble&Squeak]

Wow, you really have had a bad time haven't you. Half my family are Bulgarian, they live a long way from either Sofia or the sea side both of which are areas I stay well away from. I have always had a great time there, the people I have met professionally and personally are always friendly and interested in who you are, where you are from etc... true they have a certain penchant for track suits and leather jackets but hey, they are Eastern Europeans what can they do.

Can't believe what you say about the food... basically they eat a Greek, Turkish and Med food mix which is fantastic IMHO especially good in BG are pork, tomatoes, peaches, watermelons and any sour milk products and of course the original "feta" cheese ... Maybe you ate out in a lot in crap places? Our local eatery serves a meshena skara (mixed grill) big enough for four for 15leva (c. 2.3/£ at the mo) and you can go and see most of the animals you'll be eating in the future just up the road, no steriods or antibiotics required in their rearing.

The property boom in Bulgaria was clearly the most rediculous aspect of the global credit boom. As would be expected, considering the lack of any form of government control, it attracted the worst possible characters in search of a quick buck from all over the baltics, the quantity of crap or unfinished property in the (cough) "resorts" is mind boggling. I can see many being pulled down in the next few years.

Yes it is a very poor country with a woefully corrupt government but it is certainly not the place or the people you describe in my experience.

I used to live and own a company there selling (cough cough) offplan property, and saw the people rich and poor for exactly what they are, basically almost all i met will rip the next man off without a seconds thought as if its expected of them, no one can be trusted, they dont have such a thing as a stand up guy .... my business partner (Bulgarian) was away from the place for 10 years before the property boom and he couldnt believe people were investing money and trusting the locals to finish developments (hes been proved right), his exact words were if there is one nation on the planet whose people he didnt trust it was Bulgarians

They entire place is corrupt to an extent that it makes Thailand where i currently am look almost civilised, the EU money theyre getting will be going on Ferraris and homes in Monaco for the govt/mafia, with a sprinkling for its intended purpose.

The food is worse then dreadful its absolutely appalling, the women whilst slim are 6 footers who are plastered in makeup and look like ladyboys ... (if you want beautiful go to Romania) ....about 50% of the population smoke and the cigarettes are extremely strong, so no matter what bar /restaurant youre in means youre risking cancer. ( i dont support the smoking ban in UK but they take the pee)

It does have some beautiful mountain resorts (not Bansko) but in between it looks like a nuclear bombs gone off and left the place desolate, the beach resorts have got to be seen to be believed overbuilding on a scale that ive never seen they look like communist resorts designed by someone on acid, but the wine and beer are good and cheap.

But to finish off with a negative the men once theyve made a bit of money automatically go out buy a leather jacket and a fancy car with tinted windows and like to think theyre part of the Mafia ..... i do believe there are only 12 males under the age of 50 in Bulgaria who dont think theyre Mafia and i met 4 of them.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Bubble&Squeak

[indirectapproach]

"That's what England is, an expensive place filled with scum where nothing works."

Oh do cheer up.

[cardiffone]

Its all so subjective, quality of life means different things to different people.

Uk has to be one of the best places you can live in the world, if you love art, (from other countries or indigeneous crap, wrong the uk is a world leader in art and design, it has one of the biggest design industries in the world) good education (you are joking, aren't you?, obviously you don't know much about other countries education systems ,), free health care (of a third world standard, plain worng), music (in years gone by yes, these days, not so sure again the UK still accounts for around 1/4 of contemporary music in the world ), TV (rapidly dumbing down but still better than everywhere else, have you actually wachted telly in France or the US for example?), pubs (where they are happy to sell you a drink at 11pm and then aggresive "security staff" demand the galss back 20 minutes later, where looking at someone might just get you a glass in the face, where you can pick your way through pools of vomit on the way home)( yeh ),eating out (overpriced plastic food), shopping (overpriced plastic tat silly generalisation) and most of the activities I enjoy.

Falls behind to only a few countries on food (Bulgaria, Romania and the like, but try going to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain or even France and eating good food and you'll see that the UK cant compete, can only throw up pretentious 'celeb' chefs like Heston Blumenthal as an answer do you actually eat out what a silly comment?), and most defiantly falls behind on weather, but travel is still cheap (if you call several hundred quid for a train ticket cheap then yes der not many people take the train to the south of france or spain they fly, which is still cheap, ever driven to the south of france, yes yummy tolls,) and the rest of the best of europe is only a few hours away.

I could easily afford to move to must places in the world, but none has the balance of UKs assets.

Edited September 24, 2010 by cardiffone

[Riedquat]

I've said before that ultimately most of the UK's problems stem from there being too many people in it, so if everyone who wanted to leave actually left then everyone would be happy.

[Bubble&Squeak]

I've said before that ultimately most of the UK's problems stem from there being too many people in it, so if everyone who wanted to leave actually left then everyone would be happy.

I think it is more that we are pretty much all concentrated into the bottom right hand corner of the island. The country is mainly uninhabited, someone posted the figures here once and it was amazing how much unused space there is, especially from the perspective of where I live and work.

IMPO it is the inequality in the distribution of a country's wealth that places it on the scale of "shyte place to live" for the average Joe. I think it is no coincidence that as the inequality in the UK has grown over the last three decades it has become an increasingly unpleasant and stressful place to live .Unaffordable houses are just one aspect of that...

Edited September 24, 2010 by Bubble&Squeak