Immigrants that now are settled in the UK, what do you love about this country and what do you wish was highlighted more?
Posted by Fragilezim@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 112 comments
With all the doom and gloom about the UK and what seems to be a really concerted nefarious push to make everyone miserable, let me know the above answers.
As someone who moved here just after the financial crisis, I adore this country. The history and culture is a huge highlight. There is so much variety with regards to the arts and sports (I'll never forget how amazing we were doing the Olympics) The majority of people you meet are welcoming and good, regardless of background and religion. The NHS and education system when it works is amazing. It's still an incredibly safe country. The job market has been strong for a long time. Let me just acknowledge that London is a bubble but a lot of my earlier notes still apply to the whole county.
Yes the housing crisis is real and lots of our services are under strain. It 100% needs to be highlighted that cost of living is shocking and there is a real sense of despair. But I have to push back against the narrative that this is an awful place to be.
Richard__Papen@reddit
Well said. Still one of the best countries, just not as good as it used to be.
Gildor12@reddit
Depends on your point of view, less racism, sexism, less class restrictions and greater tolerance. I don’t believe in the good old days. I was there for a lot of them and there was no golden age
Richard__Papen@reddit
Sure, depends on what you value. The 90s and the early 00s seemed the best overall for me but that might have just been partly the age i was at. I don't believe in 'the good old days' as a blanket 'everything was better' but i certainly believe music, film, clubbing were better in the 90s than now. Getting a doctor's appointment was easier, doctors would come out to visit at all hours, waiting lists were better. But obviously there will be better drugs now and more advanced scanning and procedures. There was less worry over the nation's finances and the state retirement age getting ever older. Homes were more affordable. And while the internet and social media are amazing, I wouldn't mind going back to a period where they didn't exist, especially the latter.
Some things are probably better these days like, as you suggest, greater tolerance, however even that seems to be taking a hit at the moment as the country moves rightwards. Having a phone that can do all sorts of stuff is incredible, however the downside is how addictive it is.
Younger people as a whole seem more restrained in terms of going out and getting drunk etc these days probably partly because they're concerned about being filmed and plastered over social media. Some also seem obsessed with looking for red flags in people. Guys the world is no more dangerous than our day, in fact it's probably safer. Just because someone has a different opinion that might not be fashionable right now doesn't mean they're dangerous or generally a bad person. It seems less carefree for them than when i was growing up. On the other hand, I think overall confidence has improved. Confidence to speak in public, confidence to challenge others who might cross the line.
Tech is much better now, obviously. Prices are crazy in many areas, though eg football matches, gig & festival tickets. Libraries are better now as most offer, for free, access to ebooks and e-audiobooks and newspapers and magazines online as well as an the stuff within the actual physical buildings.
I could go on and on. Today has its advantages but lots of things are worse than at various times in the past.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
I don't know if this is the case at all tbh but I see this assumption being thrown around a lot. I'm right in the edge of Gen Z/Millenial, but out of the people who I know who don't drink, none of them have this as a reason. It's far more about healthiness, and more widely I think people are trying to keep up with the IG aesthetics/gym bodies more than worrying about doing something stupid when drunk.
Richard__Papen@reddit
I might ask them next time I'm at work.
Is it about healthiness or the appearance of healthiness as in by having a fit body?
I'm in two minds about it. On the one hand it reeks of self obsession, on the other it's good to be healthy.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
The TikTok generation are absolutely obsessed with trying to keep up appearances. There's the self obsessed, but then there's the incredibly anxious. Sometimes both.
Definitely worth asking I think.
A large part of it comes down to cost as well I think. Drinking has become an incredibly expensive habit.
Richard__Papen@reddit
Really interesting points. Pubs are expensive but there must be cheapish booze available from off licences/supermarkets.
Not drinking is a boring choice but it might be the right choice in a way, health-wise. I got so ill so many times. However, nearly all my favourite memories are when i was drunk or high. It sounds sad but it was about escaping the mundane, losing inhibitions, slightly losing control, much more likely to see where the night takes you and that's exciting.
obliviousfoxy@reddit
the reason young people don’t drink nowadays isn’t because of any of the reasons you mentioned, it’s just mostly unaffordable.
Richard__Papen@reddit
I'm sure you can still buy cheap enough booze from shops.
Yes most pubs are expensive nowadays but do like I used to: 90% cheap pre-drinks. You only need 1, max 2 while you're out then. Or smuggle booze in your bag, of course. Or just have a house party then it's all cheap.
There is obviously much more to it than just cost.
obliviousfoxy@reddit
i don’t drink, i have health issues. but it’s not as simple as that.
first of all, booze from the shops isn’t cheap anymore
second, student accommodation and just general accommodation for anyone is extremely expensive now
third, people are working too much to afford to live, are burnt out and don’t have the ability in their schedule or the energy to go out. life is a lot busier nowadays for young people.
i am saying this as a young person myself.
Richard__Papen@reddit
It just depends on circumstances. I know a few young people who have inherited a home from their parents. I know another who lives with parents and has two basic jobs, a main one and a side one and he goes travelling regularly and is saving up 10s of thousands. He obviously can afford to drink but I dunno if it's a fitness thing with him. He's very into the gym. He doesn't need to have 2 jobs, but he wants to save for the future.
Of all the young people at work they all go out socialising, usually separately, apart from one geeky guy. They mostly live at home with parents. All have time to do stuff outside work. I'd say a third are known to get drunk here and there but not usually excessively. I don't know your situation but maybe if you're working and studying time is going to be more limited. It's got to be a rare student who doesn't still find time to go out, though, or at least socialise indoors. Maybe with the price of education, students take everything more seriously now. In my day for the average student uni was as much about socialising as studying and there were plenty of stoners. Working alongside your degree wasn't as common as it probably is now.
Take your point about student accommodation. When I was a student it was only about £35 per week to rent a small room in halls. Basin in room. Shared toilets and showers down the corridor. But there was the emergence of posher rooms for the rich kids with their own bathroom for, I dunno, maybe around £70-80 a week. That's probably more normal now as they know they can extract more money that way. Were students more prepared to slum it in those days? My bed was 2.5ft wide, not even a normal single size!! Don't think the windows were even double-glazed. Hardly anyone had a mobile phone and typically a corridor of 12-14 people would share a landline on a massive extension lead that would be stretchable to all rooms. Imagine if someone was trying to get in touch with you urgently! I don't know if anyone had their own PCs to use. I assume so as there were only so many computers in the PC suite. Whether you could get the internet in your room I don't know. Occasionally I found myself in the public library in town and they charged £3.60 an hour for internet access!!! WTF?!?? As far as I know PC use in all public libraries is free now.
£12.50 these days for 70CL bottle of Tesco vodka. That's enough for 4 people to get merry but probably not drunk. That's just over £3 each. There's bound to be cheaper vodka elsewhere too. That's surely affordable at least once a week.
I skimped on food when at uni. 7p cans of beans. The cheapest sliced white bread not much more. Loads of potatoes. Very very basic diet with not many luxuries. Was possibly a little malnourished but cheap food allowed for money for booze. 70CL vodka was just over £6. That would make for 2 very drunken nights or 3 moderately drunk ones.
I hear about people spending £3 on a takeaway coffee and I think WTF?! You could make that for pennies at home. Maybe some would rather spend £3 on a coffee than £3 on getting a bit drunk. Or rather spend on nicer food. Maybe some of it is about different priorities. Prioritising what money and time are spent on rather than that there is zero money and zero time.
obliviousfoxy@reddit
You are doing the thing older people do where they still have a mind in the past and haven’t really came to modern day which is that life has changed, some things much more than others. The price of everyday things has went up, luxuries, it depends what. New games are not really much different, consoles etc, going out however is massively more expensive as independent venues have lifted prices massively to afford running costs. you can’t really make coffee for a few pence at home. Even at home it’s expensive.
You by acknowledgement have a circle of affluent people, I’m glad but most people don’t live like that really.
You mention £30 a week, I don’t know when you went to uni, I go to a poly uni in the North East and the cheapest accommodations are £120-130 a week, student finance hasn’t risen much and most people have to work to afford to live much at all, and then when they end up working tons they lose all time to do other stuff. I mean university is very busy in itself too. People do go out still but just not very often. People genuinely cannot afford to, and no it’s not because of avocado toast, coffee or whatever other slosh the telegraph and daily mail raises. It’s a recognised societal issue.
Richard__Papen@reddit
I'm not talking about starving, I'm just saying with limited money you can direct it in different ways. I spent minimal on food which meant I could drink some alcohol - if I could cook I'd have been able to make healthier meals on a similar budget. i would never buy a takeaway sandwich or a takeaway coffee in those days. Why would I? It's just unnecessary expense. I handwashed all my clothes for three years. Yes there was a launderette on site but that was more unnecessary expense. Most people can free up money by doing things differently. If you can genuinely tell me that students cannot do things cheaper in order to free up money for going out then fair enough but I very much doubt it in most cases. Going out does not have to be expensive. Share a cab with mates or get the bus or walk, drink cheap booze before you go out. You don't have to drink much when you're in the venue, if anything. Just chat, dance, flirt, whatever - all free - then go home.
25 years ago. Those accommodation prices you quote are disgusting. I lived in halls 1st and 3rd year and in a shared house in the 2nd. It was a bit shabby, well used furniture and slug trails with a knackered back door, which was effectively the main door as the actual front door led straight into a housemate's bedroom. The fridge was half size with one of those tiny freezer compartments on top. It was mostly ice and I just about managed to squeeze in a packet of vegetable fingers! I can't remember the rent, I'm afraid. I didn't really mind the shabbiness too much although it was a bit depressing..
In terms of time it really depends what course you're doing, how much you have to work. Some courses are intense with loads of lectures, seminars and essays to do. Others you can get away with much less. I had like 6-8 hours of lectures and seminars and the rest was up to me. Outside of the weeks when essays were due there was quite a lot of free time.
People can afford to go out in society. Not everyone obviously, but most, even if it's just to the pub for 2 or 3 hours once a week. Like I say going out need not be expensive. You can do it on the cheap. I work in a basic job only just above minimum wage. None of my colleagues cannot afford to go out. None have got wealth behind them. I'm not in a circle of affluent people. Some young ones from various areas of my life - only one from work - have been lucky enough to inherit a home (although obvs unlucky to have lost a parent to make that happen) but they otherwise draw a basic wage like the rest of us. Yes the ones that still live with parents have lots of disposable income as parents almost always massively subsidise their live-in kids up to a point, but 90% of my colleagues have their own flat or house, either rented or mortgaged. Many have kids. They cope. Yes, certain things are expensive - Council Tax, utility bills, rent - especially in your position - but equally lots of other things can be done relatively cheaply to stretch that money better, whether it's doing your own cooking, sharing big packets of rice, etc, travelling by walking or cycling or sharing a cab, you can buy clothes cheaply from charity shops or supermarkets or Primark, you can get much cheaper food at certain times of day or when there are offers on or by buying own brand stuff, you can lower heating costs by using a heated throw, you can wash at least some of your clothes by hand and dry outside on the line for free or in a room that gets the sun or on a heated airer. You can buy a second hand phone or just a cheap new one. You can get very cheap SIM deals, don't need an expensive contract. You can get 2nd hand text books or borrow them from the library and photograph them with your phone or even find a freebie site. You can get free alternatives to expensive software. There are cheap or free ways to do most things. If someone is wanting to go out but claiming they don't have the money and they're not prepared to try similar cost-cutting measures then they're choosing to be poorer than they could be. On the other hand, if they are trying to save money in every area and still can't afford the few pounds to go out then fair enough.
Coffee is cheap. You can get a jar of fairly decent stuff for a few quid and it'll last ages. It will be literally pennies each teaspoonful. If you're talking the really posh coffee then it's going to cost more but still massively cheaper than buying it in a coffee shop. Getting takeaway coffee is really just partly fashion. Look at me with my takeaway coffee!!
Us old people, not that I'm that old thanks, still know the price of stuff. We shop too. We go out too.
Games are extortionate unless they can be played 'indefinitely' like many sports games for instance. Games that cost £50 where you've completed it all in a few weeks are a rip off IMO.
Anyway WTF am I doing here, waffling on, when I've got to be up at 9. FFS I never learn.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
I think there's a lot more racism and sexism going around than there was 10 years ago tbh.
dreadlockholmes@reddit
As some one of mixed black British heritage. I'd say it's kinda of contradictory, compared to even ten years ago the line for what's acceptable has gotten better. However there's now a more vocal contingent on the other side of things. So it's kinda of both simultaneously.
Low_Map4314@reddit
London is a living forest. Greenery everywhere - bloody amazing
VastInfluence290@reddit
Not sure if you could people from New Zealand but it’s a lot more interesting here and public services are better
I have lived here 10 years, it’s my home now
EvenMathematician874@reddit
Why wouldn't u be included?
VastInfluence290@reddit
It’s more the expat / immigrant devision your typical reform voter would make was my basis for that
Flat_News_2000@reddit
You mean you'd call yourself an expat because you're white? Lol
VastInfluence290@reddit
I wouldn’t
EvenMathematician874@reddit
I mean I am an international student but ocnsider myself immigrant bc I moved from one country to another.
The_39th_Step@reddit
My grandmother is from New Zealand. She doesn’t consider herself an immigrant but I do. You definitely count
kotare78@reddit
More a returnee
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
Any fellow Antipodeans count.
TestAwkward9422@reddit
Definitely - you are our closest cousins. If only we could tow ANZ up to the North Atlantic !
Dazz316@reddit
Is it nice to be included on world maps now?
VastInfluence290@reddit
UK is the centre of world maps, big departure
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
Oh one thing I failed to mention. You have some of the greatest sounding planes of all time.
Vulkan howl, Hunter Hawk Blue note and both versions for the Spitfire engine.MAGIC!
delskioffskinov@reddit
I heard a vulcan take off and I still hear the ringing as it went by! Never heard anything so loud in my life!
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
Very jealous.
Brizzledude65@reddit
A man (or woman!) who appreciates engine noise! Respect! (The Merlin engine in the Spitfire - absolutely awesome!!).
n0m0reg0dz@reddit
Most people are very friendly and can hold all kinds of conversations. It's very rate to go to a pub alone and NOT have someone talking to you
Pavements - laugh as much as you want but UK (London) pavements are A-class, you can literally walk to anywhere
GOV.GR - Enough said
Job market - Very little anxiety when it comes to finding a job, whatever that job might be, as long as you are willing to work
Free museums (to cite a comment below)
Food - I still can't believe the options I have for food
Groceries - same as above, but for groceries
Architecture - London is a capital that has been developing continuously for thousands of years and that is visible in every corner. You can be looking at a 1400 church and turn your head and see a metal behemoth housing law firms (yes - I am talking about Liverpool Street)
Green - the country (and the capital) is GREEN. You can moan as much as you like about the weather or the capital, but it's literally the greenest - big - city I've ever been to. It's crazy to think that London is No 1-2 city in the world for various reasons (if you ask someone about 5 cities of the world they'll most probably say New York, London, etc etc) and yet it has parks / trees EVERYWHERE
Welcoming culture - you see all kinds of people walking on the streets and no-one cares, in a good way. You can dress as you wish, be heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual/whateversexual and be accepted everywhere, it's literally a free place without the toxic wokeness or the opposite.
SnooBooks1701@reddit
Fun fact about London greenery, if you removed all the people then London would qualify as a forest
n0m0reg0dz@reddit
Is that a true fact? Crazy!
SnooBooks1701@reddit
The requirement is 10% canopy cover without the main use being agriculture or habitation. London is 21% canopy cover. So, if you remove the people, it is a city
n0m0reg0dz@reddit
After your comment I spent some time online on the subject and you are absolutely right. There are so many articles about it, fascinating!
-qqqwwweeerrrtttyyy-@reddit
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
Really fun and random list!
KefferLekker02@reddit
Jesus Christ the rose tinted glasses in this thread are nauseating. Some people seem to be happy with the slow, managed decline in living standards just so long as we're not at the very bottom of the bucket.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
There are a million threads on Reddit you can go moan in. Feel free to do so.
SnoopyMcDogged@reddit
r/britishproblems is the place!
Kopparberg643@reddit
Cheese. I like Cheddar
bigredsweatpants@reddit
I’ve been in the UK for maybe 7ish years total. I will be going to citizenship soon when I have nothing better to spend £2k on.
The consideration for others is something that is completely lacking in the rest of Europe. I mean like, the patience, in public spaces. They wait for people to alight before they get on the bus or train, they are patient when you don’t know which ticket to buy, or take a little longer at the till, they are accommodating to children!!! They treat them like part of society, which is great. They are patient drivers for the most part. It’s honestly so refreshing. On the continent they huff and puff and tut at you for taking even a second longer.
Also, the countryside and the vibes at a country pub or festival is amazing. Like nothing else. We have seasonal agricultural festivals where I live and it is just so wholesome and wonderful; those are our favourite days of the year.
There are way worse places to live than the UK. I am lucky to be able to raise my kid here.
thefirstofhisname11@reddit
Second this. Brits are significantly more tolerant and polite than any other Europeans nation
AccomplishedRange671@reddit
The brickies took our Kazakh colleague to spend a weekend on the coast with them, as he never spent a day by the sea before. I say we’re quite tolerant as a nation compared to a lot of European countries, but we’re not perfect.
Capitao_Caralhudo@reddit
Gov.uk, in my country,to do any government admin process or something that includes any burocracy it takes a long time and it's almost exclusively presential. I can really appreciate how nearly everything is so much simpler and streamlined in the UK.
the_thinker@reddit
People love to complain about the weather. But the weather is actually usually great. Never too cold, rarely too hot. Sometimes it rains too much but that makes the country green. Spring+ summer+ autumn are usually great which means 7-8 months of pretty awesome weather overall.
turtlebeqch@reddit
What a dumb question, they’re gonna love everything when they’re getting free accommodation and credit cards with preloaded cash on it lmao
bietchetlien@reddit
Well done for bringing in that doom and gloom OP is trying to avoid. How about answering the question without being a tosser?
turtlebeqch@reddit
I’m just saying that all answers are gonna be skewed due to selection bias
bietchetlien@reddit
No, you’re not
web3monk@reddit
My sons school friends mother (French -married to British father) is currently stuck there due to a visa issue, but if she got on a boat she'd be welcomed and put up in a hotel. Go figure...
CableZealousideal811@reddit
I love that we can fart so openly on the bus or train and nobody cares. In fact every body loves it usually
Sirius_sensei64@reddit
A lot of things really
ImScaredSoIMadeThis@reddit
Free museums!
Pleasant customer service overall. I remember being shocked when a Tesco cashier made small talk with me and was smiley. Where I come from they're always very grumpy and barely look at you.
And all of the benefits of being a high trust and generally not too victim blame-y society.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
You are the first person who has mentioned charity shops and you are 100% correct. Its now remined me how amazing the freecycle culture can be here and how eBay actually can get you decent deals.
plingplongpla@reddit
Charity shops are not specific to the UK, think that needs to be said..
VastInfluence290@reddit
I am moving next week and planing to basically donate everything I own and purchase a house load of ikea to save me moving
Wouldn’t consider myself charitable for it, but it’s better than selling it all for not much to a reseller
DrearyDoll666@reddit
I buy things from charity shops quite often, something I didn't really do much at all before living here, buying second hand in general is something I've always preferred
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
So much of my clothing and kids uniforms are second hand. My entire home gym is ebay deals.
DrearyDoll666@reddit
I'm someone who really enjoys physical media for watching things, listening to music, so trying my luck at charity shop or browsing somewhere like eBay is great for me
JarJarBinksSucks@reddit
Where do you come from, Lancashire? 😂😂
crgoodw@reddit
My friend's mum is from somewhere rural in Eastern Europe, where they don't have any (or not many, mainly second hand clothing stores in cities I assume). She spent HOURS in our local British Heart Foundation and Oxfam, said it felt like Christmas, bless her.
throwawayjustbc826@reddit
There are loads of things I love about the UK as an American. Some might be specific to where I live.
I could go on. I’ve been here for nearly 5 years now (and 3.5 to go till I can have the weight of visas off my back for good 🤞), but I felt more at home in the first year than I ever did in my 23 years in the US.
Brizzledude65@reddit
Bristol or Brighton possibly?
throwawayjustbc826@reddit
Brighton, you got it !
FishUK_Harp@reddit
You've highlighted nicely one of the things I really like about living here: a lot of things can be done with minimal faff that are a hassle I other countries. Problems are often easily solved and places are often easy to get to (in two hours drives I could be in multiple major cities or national parks, and in the same flight time I could be in Venice).
throwawayjustbc826@reddit
Absolutely! Everything feels easier.
Bunkerlala@reddit
It's nice to read positive experiences. As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, sometimes it's sad to reflect back and see the decline from the "peak" years (early 2000's). Infrastructure has declined, cost of living is higher, quality of life is lower, public services are severely reduced.
Despite all that, there is still so so much wonderful stuff in the UK and this thread is a pleasant reminder.
As a society we need to work together to make sure it remains pleasant and we can improve our society. We have huge potential beyond anything we can imagine.
dick_piana@reddit
I will add to what I think (for me, at least) is the most important thing;
I got a great education and a well paying job, all by myself, based on my own merits and achievements.
No nepotism, no bribery, no favours from a friend, no backdoor dealings. I'm not claiming these never happen in the UK, but I am claiming you can get into any industry and build a career without them.
Murky-Ice-5227@reddit
Welcoming and funny people.
Most don't take themselves too seriously.
Grannys that call me love or son
The rush in making me a cup of tea as if I was dying of dehydration
Always ready to help
Random lads that just chat shit with me without even knowing my name
Irony and insults to show how much they like me
The opportunities in creating a career (in 5 years I went from working at a fast food place to be a self employed.. in my country id probably be unemployed)
thedrape@reddit
I think you'll need to treat yourself to a cup of tea after writing all that down
Murky-Ice-5227@reddit
I managed to actually do a proper cup of tea after years. 😅
coffeewalnut08@reddit
I love:
the historic architecture
lush green countryside. It’s SO green!
wildflowers like bluebells, honeysuckle and wild garlic
the rich cultural life (movies, theatre, music),
native ecosystems and natural phenomena found here, like temperate rainforest and cloud inversions
the diversity of the coastline— there are so many cliffs, crags, coves and beaches as well as variety in towns/villages
the free NHS
the quality of education, both at school and at uni
safe driving standards (relative to most of the world)
the museums
lack of natural disasters, mild temperatures
how compact this country is. Lots of infrastructure in a small landmass means it’s easy to get around different environments easily. Somewhere like the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Iran, even France… It’s so big and inconvenient to travel
Vauccis@reddit
Never gets old flying back from holiday and seeing that shade of green, unlike any other, in fields forests and hedgerows.
kotare78@reddit
NZ is extremely green. The light makes it look almost cartoonish.
Brizzledude65@reddit
Born and bred here, and I can absolutely relate to all your points. I'm very glad you feel the way you do - I love this country (in a non-Nationalistic way).
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
On the topic of natural disasters, I've experienced one evenings worth of power cuts. And got an apology by the power company.
I would love a bit more warm and sunny weather, but summer is incredible here. Driving down country lanes that are overgrown by roots and tree's continually makes me think I'm in a Ghibli film.
InappropriateMofo@reddit
There is stuff to do all the time, for example, musicians all tour the UK. Europe is on the doorstep which makes travelling a dream. Clothes and groceries are comparatively cheap. The pub as a cultural meeting point is a great thing. I have a London bias of course but the rest of the UK is mostly very pretty (the towns etc). I'm from New Zealand btw.
spammmmmmmmy@reddit
I really love the strawberries, morris dancing, and the cheap flights from London's airports.
I think we have really good fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and dairy products.
I also like roundabouts, and that everybody minds their own business.
laksamad@reddit
The way that accessibility for the disabled is just so normalised and ingrained in every day life and society. I come from a country where having a disability would severely limit your life in every way and there wouldn't be much available in government aid/benefits. Along those lines, pavements! Towns and cities with pavements for pedestrians and cycling paths as well.
The preservation of history is so cool here. I love that in a big city like London you'd be able to see a Roman wall preserved and displayed in a carpark.
That there are organisations like English Heritage and the National Trust and so much art and culture that's either free to view or relatively affordable to access.
How much British people love animals.
How much British people love gardening and plants.
The British sense of humour is the best.
I love the plethora of regional accents. Especially when the country is really so small.
Illustrious-Berry375@reddit
Ah difficult question to answer, my parents moved here when I was 13, I’m now 41 so all my most formative years were here, my whole working life has been here so honestly I relate more to being British than I do being Dutch, but so many things I love, the diversity of scenery, from concrete jungles like Milton Keynes to open countryside like the Lake & Peak districts, Devon & Cornwall, the mountains and valleys in Wales & Scotland and you’re never too far away for a day trip to the beach.
I love hiking through the countryside and stumbling across a quiet village pub, I love little local coffee shops/cafes.
There is some amazing architecture, from castles to churches, stately homes etc.
Might sound “daft” but the vast range of accents shocked me when I was new here but I love that now too.
Everyone, me included complains about transport services specially the price of trains (including you busses that identify as trains) but the options for transport are pretty cool compared to many other countries, from local & national bus/coaches, to trains and planes! Even small local taxis etc, it makes me happy we don’t have to rely on the likes of Uber.
Zealousideal-Tax-496@reddit
I enjoy the free healthcare and prescriptions, workplace unions and other such benefits. I enjoy being able to take a train to Edinburgh and womble around the museums or stare at a man's kilt.
thecoop_@reddit
I didn’t realise we had it so good. It’s easy to forget when you only see other countries when you’re on holiday that the grass isn’t always greener (and judging from the responses the grass is very green!) because you only see the fun side and not what life is really like. This brought a smile to my face.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
I always remind myself that living in a country is so very different than going on holiday there.
_1489555458biguy@reddit
Fundamentally, there is a core of decency amongst the British public. Whilst sadly they tuck their forlocks to the Upper Classes who are nepotistic clowns, the average Brit has a real sense of fair play, will donate to the needy etc. The NHS and welfare state is incredible. Literally saved my life and my daughters life without bankrupting me. I continue to pay into it via my taxes.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
Yeah as someone not from here it's very apparent classism is a big problem here. I am seeing more and more of this section of society being a bit more aware though.
zjazzydrummer@reddit
I love how the classism is still very present compared to the rest of the developed world, how poor the food is and also very much love how easy it is for the NHS to mess thins up.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
I think you've missed the point of this thread mate.
puthre@reddit
Low bureaucracy Very nice culture and good music Green nature throughout the year Charity shops Kind people in traffic (mostly)
Pogeos@reddit
People are very good. Always polite, always delicate, helpful. You go into the London tube with the kids - and everyone tries to give you a place. Most native drivers are really nice and polite. I totally agree that people here are very welcoming and open. The volunteering culture ... everyone volunteers somewhere, everyone donate to charity - that is something that truly amazed me when I came to the UK. I lived in 6 countries before the UK (including some which are considered exemplar developed countries) and never saw anything like that.
I think I need to highlight banking/ financial services. People don't realise, but many, many other developed countries have archaic financial services: mobile banking barely working, money transfers taking days, no protection against fraud, etc.
The state of digital services in the UK is very very good. Practically every business has more/less functioning website, a lot of things available online. Good, tried and trusted portals. Gov digital services are done to a decent standard.
West-end ... does anything like that exist anywhere in the world (not counting the Broadway and LA). For me, it is an eternal (though costly) source of entertainment.
Museums & galleries... and the fact that things like British Museum are totally free. I don't think there's any single country in the world with such generosity. National Trust - is another treasure that brings so much enjoyment for a very very cheap price.
While school education is not that great, universities are great.
Connectivity with the world - there's probably about 10-15 other countries in the world which are comparable in terms of connectivity.
Democracy, closeness of the government and MP to the people. It's kinda great that you can write to the MP and they will properly respond, you can go to their surgery and they would actually talk to you, you can see that politicians are not just in their bubble in the Westminster but actually actively involved in the local affairs.
Sports - I'm not into sports, but I kinda admire that everyone around me are doing sports, lots of clubs for all ages, lots of healthy competition. Lots of opportunities for the kids (one of mine is very much into sports).
SnooBooks1701@reddit
On your point about the west end, something that's not mentioned is that the UK has a huge number of small town theatres. You often don't see that in other countries, we have very good access to the arts (but we mustn't get complacent about it)
Pogeos@reddit
True. I've been several times to the Stratford-upon-Avon and always found the theatres therena delight. Actually the first show I've seen in the UK was the "A Christmas Carol" there, and it real lo y impressed me!
Suspicious-You6700@reddit
The history! Everywhere you look there's a piece of history.
FDinenageSoulEater@reddit
I must say, it's lovely reading the things about the UK that perhaps us natives take for granted. Not everyone here thinks that immigrants are just here to take, take, take as some others are insinuating.
Thanks for the lovely question, OP.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
I recently went back to visit family in South Africa. While I loved seeing them and my happy place is the national parks, it really cemented how much I missed my home here and how lucky I am that I'm a British citizen now.
FDinenageSoulEater@reddit
And I hope you feel like that for a long long time.
thedrape@reddit
Reading these has made me feel quite proud to live in the UK. Thanks folks.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
You should be. There is a reason why so many people from completely different parts of the world want to move here.
lavayuki@reddit
I have to say, I actually love the UK despite what many British people complain about. To foreigners maybe it is different. I was born in Ireland but am Asian by origin, have family in US, Canada, and dubai, I lived in Japan, and also travelled most of Europe and Asia, and parts of US and canada in terms of context as to what I would be comparing to. I did uni in Dublin and came to the UK straight after graduation, and have been here since (8 years), and decided to settle here and recently bought a house.
The big thing I like, is how much more open and accepting people are here of other cultures and religions and the multicultural nature of many cities. In other countries you don't really see that. Like in Japan I got the gaijin treatment, in Ireland was pretty much blatant racism on an almost daily basis. I never experienced any racism here in my 8 years, while when I lived in Dublin i would be lucky to go one week without something passive at least. I dealt with racism and asian hate for my whole life, not saying it is non existent here but it is to a much less extent, I don't stick out and it's easy to fit in. No one asks me where Im from every 5 minutes.... So I decided to stay here.
I also like the way the UK is a relatively free country in that you aren't bound by all these super strict rules. Like when I lived in Japan, the sheer amount of societal rules was constricting include all these unwritten cultural rules.
Convenience- everything is online here it's great. When I lived in Ireland everything is paper, and there isn't even an amazon, it was literally like living in the sticks.
I actually like UK weather because I hate extreme heat or snow, and also dislike the sun. So the cloudy cool weather is great.
As for housing, although it is a pain I personally never had much issues. The housing issue is way worse in Ireland, in Japan it is fine but houses and flats are absolutely tiny and freezing in winter because they are made of wood, you can also hear everything.
NHS- I work in the NHS and am also a patient and used the hospital specialities and my GP many times over the years, and despite the mega long waits I am satisfied with my treatments. I used to fork out an arm and a leg for healthcare before, and my health insurance only covered certain things so even GP was expensive. free contraception is also nice, because in Japan and Ireland it was really expensive, I remember the coil was like 500 euro and monthly pills were 30 euro for a box when I was in uni in Dublin.
Despite the negatives and everyone going to Australia, I like the UK. Not related but I have also been a harry potter and sherlock holmes fan since childhood, which contributed to my initial interest in British culture.
replicantblade77@reddit
Having been settled for close to 15 years, most of the things I love about the UK has been already mentioned but one thing I’d like to mention is how there is absolutely no judgement or unnecessary awkward questions when we tell people here that my wife and I are child free…by choice. That concept somehow just doesn’t register without South Asian culture!
Apprehensive-Ear5722@reddit
If they came on a boat they will be loving it.
However if they came the legal way on a spouse visa for example I doubt they like paying thousands of pounds to just use the NHS when the illegal free loading thieves from the boats get it all for free.
throwawayjustbc826@reddit
I don’t love paying thousands for my spouse visa but I also can acknowledge that living in a decrepit hotel and getting £40 a week to survive on while my fate is indefinitely in the hands of a caseworker is not at all comparable to being allowed the right to work and live freely.
The rhetoric that people just rock up here and have it easy needs to be quashed, it’s disingenuous at best and actively harmful to the most vulnerable at worst.
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
I want to avoid this talking point, but I will note I accepted paying as part of a fair deal. I'm not going to give grief to people trying to escape warzones.
8-B4LL@reddit
"Warzones"
vbrbrbr2@reddit
people being polite in general (you really appreciate this if you’re from a country where the default is for people to be miserable and mean to strangers)
people being generally accepting of people who are different
big diverse international cities with people from all over the world
all the lovely parks in London
convenient banking and free bank accounts
reasonable government bureaucracy, being able to conveniently deal with tax, documents etc.
FishUK_Harp@reddit
I always find it funny when people claim UK government bureaucracy is awful. There's always room for improvement, sure, but they clearly have never lived abroad.
SubjectBrick@reddit
I think it's a good balance in the UK of respecting individuality while also taking care of the collective. I'm from the USA (too individual) and have lived in Japan (too conformist) and I appreciate how you have good public services here, but also have respect for multiculturism and individual rights. I'm aware that public services are under strain but coming from the US I have no room to criticize!
Also I like the weather better than where I'm from, where summers are above 35 degrees C for four months of the year. Yes winter can be bleak here in the UK, but you don't get buried in snow like other places this far north, so I'll take it for these beautiful mild summers.
theoneandonlyvesper@reddit
Love: free museums,arts and fashion are highlighted more, various foods from various countries. Was highlighted more: so much hate and division it’s always against people vs people it should be against the person who are in power, homelessness that needs to be dealt with,more toilets that are clean and more third spaces so people can access it and the youths can channel their energy there instead of channeling their negativity in public
Fragilezim@reddit (OP)
I think its a good thing people are more aware of the issues.
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