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Anyone Left Britain to Live Abroad, but Then Returned Home?

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This topic came about because of a chat with another member on another topic.

As a teen my family emigrated to Australia when they were encouraging families to go there to live and work. I was distraught at leaving but equally distraught when we came home.

On arrival we were put on a sort of army base living in nissen huts, with communal shower and laundry blocks. There were people who then helped you get started with homes, jobs and school.

Looking back it seems awful but at the time perfectly acceptable. My parents tried to settle but we ended up coming back home to even worse circumstances!

Was anyone else a £10 Pom or tried living abroad but came back.

Lynibis
over a year ago
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emmabeckz
LD Team

Not quite a £10 pom but my Mum and her husband moved us over to Australia under the work sponsorship scheme when I was 12, I didn't really take to it but they settled there bought house with pool in Cairns great jobs etc then her husbands brother died aged 42 unexpectedly and it really knocked him so they sold up and came back to the UK and moaned about the weather and jobs etc so stayed 2 months and then went back to Cairns were they couldn't get jobs so moved us to Perth (Aus) which was awful so they came back to the UK again and again, moaned about weather and couldn't get jobs. Then my Grandmother died and left them a bit of money so they wanted to go back again but I was fed up and had just turned 16 so ran away the night before they were due to go back. They went back and I stayed here and they came back and forth a few more times before finally settling here then my mum got cancer and died when I was 21 so I am glad I "Got off" when I did and got myself settled. I think its different now with the internet and video calling etc but to me it felt so isolated and you could only send an airogram cheap letter and phone call at birthday and Christmas. I would love to go again and take my kids and show them round where I lived etc but would not want to live there again.

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Lynibis

Wow, back and forth so many times! I think homesickness and worry about the folk you have left behind are the worst things about emigrating.

Yes all very different now in this modern age. For me the hot weather was a negative not a positive, I really cannot function when it is too hot.

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emmabeckz
LD Team

Lynibis Yep I missed my Dad and my Nana very much and its a very different culture out there too. The heat is also different depending on where you live - Cairns was a really humid heat and Perth was a really dry heat which I found worse than the humid. Christmas didn't feel like Christmas in 42 degree temperature!

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PhilipMarc

A lot of Europeans who immigrated to Brazil/Mexico/Colombia/Argentina/South Africa/etc have returned back to their own European continent. Now, the natives (who also are Europeans) of European countries aren't too happy with them, it's like they've got a stigma against them (mainly because of their language/accent).

I remember watching this years ago:

God knows what has happened to them, but the guy really creeped me out.

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lilyflower

Lynibis Dad initially said yes to go the the Falkland Islands when I was 12, I think because a farmer was going out and wanted to take reliable men with him, Dad being one. We never went and I can't remember if it was Dad or the farmer who decided not to go.

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lynneh

lilyflower ooh I lived on an island near the Falklands for four and a half years called St Helena due to the nature of my parents job. We were very young and quickly adapted. If it was now it would be a culture shock and I need to go back! Napoléon Bonaparte was took exile to the island. Good chat topic Lynibis

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Lynibis

Maybe just as well you didn't go as you may have eventually been caught up in the Falklands war. I don't expect it would have been very safe on a nearby island either lynneh

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lynneh

Lynibis yeah it was in the 90s about 12 years later that we went there anyhoo 😊

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Lynibis

lynneh I was trying to work out yours and lilyflowers age but thought you may be the younger. I only recently read how that war started, so, so stupid.

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lynneh

Lynibis yeah. It’s still a British colony as is St Helena. 10 weeks hassle for nowt.

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gerrykelly25

A very interesting chat thread! Some of you have led very interesting lives.

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