UK a great place for Americans to retire.....if you can get in

[Nemo2]

Dohhhh......changed it.

Just teasing you.

 

[Chuckanut]

Retire in the UK?

Soon there will be no need to move for that. IMHO, Reuniting with England and the British Empire the only way to solve this country's problems, and is therefore inevitable.

There would be a few problems. We will have to learn how to spell certain words like - harbour, colour, etc. But we will add many colorful words and phrases to the language. Gobsmacked is my favorite word and One Off is one of my favorite phrases. Then there are also all of those great British cuss words.

Everybody will need driving lessons, so maybe an investment in driving schools is a good idea for our IRA's.

We will have to relearn how to drink beer - warm and in greater quantities. But, we can share the craft brewing industry with them. They need help. And the idea of having a Pub on every corner is just wonderful.

Replacing ObamaCare will be easy! Just use the British National Health system. One big problem immediately solved as proof how well the Reunion will work.

Of course, the President will probably have to spend a night or two in a London dungeon, just to show that we are truly repentant. After a few days the Queen can issue a proclamation of forgiveness for the President and all Americans, and announce a new and glorious future for the Empire, both in Europe and North America. While the President is in the dungeon the American people can do a ceremonial penance by eating mushy peas and blood sausage for a day.

Hopefully, they won't burn down the White House for a second time. Perhaps we will be allowed to make the White House a museum of the abandoned American culture. It will serve as a warning to future generations not to question their leaders.

Any other suggestions?

 

[REWahoo]

Any other suggestions?

Yep. Seek help to get off whatever you've been drinking/smoking/sniffing/shooting up.

 

[Alan]

Looks like a beautiful place to live. I envy you two and if I could just have a few more lives .... Are there any Detectorists around? Love that Netflix series.

In 2013 we were in Ripon and saw Rievaulx Abbey and then Fountains Abbey. But then took a left turn to Hawes. Would love to go back there and sketch some of those ruins plus all that nice stone work in the buildings.

Sometime when you are settled maybe we could have a thread on backdoor ways to visit the UK. It's not just all well known cities like London and Bath.

Funnily enough our current next door neighbour is a detectorist This is the rental house we moved into last May and he's a great guy. We often see his mate picking him up in a van, and see him putting his metal detecting gear in the back. We've talked about his hobby and he really does have the enthusiasm you see on that comedy series.

We are very close to Ripon, Rievaulx Abbey and Fountains Abbey. We also love Hawes and when our son was visiting last year we actually spent a couple of nights in Hawes with him. He loves cheese and is a big fan of Wallace and Gromit so one of the things we did was visit the Wensleydale cheese factory and museum in Hawes.

I'd love to see such a thread! I've been to London many, many times, lived in Bournemouth for 4 months, and I travelled the countryside SOME, but I feel that I haven't even scratched the surface as far as really traveling the UK. Always looking for places to explore - especially if they are reachable as day trips from London by train (we have done day trips as far as Edinburgh, so a lot of territory is in play....)

I'm certainly open to starting such a thread when we are settled. We love having our American friends visit and taking them to out of the way places that are just delightful to see. We already have 2 sets of friends coming over this year

Please do remind me if I haven't started such a thread over the next few weeks...

 

[F4mandolin]

Awesome!!!

 

[Major Tom]

the American people can do a ceremonial penance by eating mushy peas and blood sausage for a day.

I used to dread the days when mushy peas were on the menu with school dinner! *shudders at the memory*

 

[MRG]

Retire in the UK?

Soon there will be no need to move for that. IMHO, Reuniting with England and the British Empire the only way to solve this country's problems, and is therefore inevitable.

There would be a few problems. We will have to learn how to spell certain words like - harbour, colour, etc. But we will add many colorful words and phrases to the language. Gobsmacked is my favorite word and One Off is one of my favorite phrases. Then there are also all of those great British cuss words.


Any other suggestions?

Yes. The "z" zed called and it would like to be recognised as a ok letter to be allowed back in the language.

 

[F4mandolin]

I used to dread the days when mushy peas were on the menu with school dinner! *shudders at the memory*

No.....just no. Mushy peas will be on my agenda when all of my teeth fall out. Well......maybe not then either. Just give me some good greasy food.... fish+chips.... a good vindaloo....

 

[F4mandolin]

Retire in the UK?

Soon there will be no need to move for that. IMHO, Reuniting with England and the British Empire the only way to solve this country's problems, and is therefore inevitable.

There would be a few problems. We will have to learn how to spell certain words like - harbour, colour, etc. But we will add many colorful words and phrases to the language. Gobsmacked is my favorite word and One Off is one of my favorite phrases. Then there are also all of those great British cuss words.

Everybody will need driving lessons, so maybe an investment in driving schools is a good idea for our IRA's.

We will have to relearn how to drink beer - warm and in greater quantities. But, we can share the craft brewing industry with them. They need help. And the idea of having a Pub on every corner is just wonderful.

Replacing ObamaCare will be easy! Just use the British National Health system. One big problem immediately solved as proof how well the Reunion will work.

Of course, the President will probably have to spend a night or two in a London dungeon, just to show that we are truly repentant. After a few days the Queen can issue a proclamation of forgiveness for the President and all Americans, and announce a new and glorious future for the Empire, both in Europe and North America. While the President is in the dungeon the American people can do a ceremonial penance by eating mushy peas and blood sausage for a day.

Hopefully, they won't burn down the White House for a second time. Perhaps we will be allowed to make the White House a museum of the abandoned American culture. It will serve as a warning to future generations not to question their leaders.

Any other suggestions?

Oh man....so many errors. Warm beer? while I do actually think there is more "taste" in room temperature beer.....the UK now has cooling units (called refrigerators) in most homes.....and my wife does not think I need to drink more beer. And....the price in most pubs for a pint is enough to cause a heart attack.

 

[nun]

Why?

Well both homophones (well not quite) might be an accurate description of the average Harrogate resident....I meant genteel.

 

[Texas Proud]

Any other suggestions?

I think you have it the wrong way....

When I was working there, a good number of people said they had more in common with the USA then the rest of Europe (maybe why Brexit won).... and a percent of them said they would rather be the 51st state!!!!

 

[F4mandolin]

Well both homophones (well not quite) might be an accurate description of the average Harrogate resident....I meant genteel.

Either way....I kind of ruin the "average". I would rather have moved to the coast.....but my wife wouldn't go for that.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Does not make sense to me, considering, the majority of Brits do not intend to retire in their own country.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Does not make sense to me, considering, the majority of Brits do not intend to retire in their own country.

I would sure live there part of the year if I could do so.

California doesn't have the history that I'm interested in, but it's a good place to live most of the year.

 

[nun]

Either way....I kind of ruin the "average". I would rather have moved to the coast.....but my wife wouldn't go for that.

Not even Scarborough....that's like Harrogate-by-the-sea

 

[F4mandolin]

Not even Scarborough....that's like Harrogate-by-the-sea

I was looking pretty hard at the Scarborough area....just to the north side of Peasholm park. Some people like Scarborough.....some don't....seems like nobody is in the middle about it. I think my wife's daughter hates the place....calls it Scarbados. I jokingly was trying to get my wife to move to Fort William (well....kind of joking) as well.....she shot that one down along with the others. If it's got water and hills and views I'm usually for it.

 

[PaddyMac]

Being Irish originally, I'm curious how Brexit will unfold. Before the EU, Ireland-England had a "special relationship" (open borders for work) but I'm not sure if that would be able to continue post-Brexit.

I was just back in Ireland & England last fall and the exchange rate made it feel like we were in the US. Not cheaper though, but not expensive like it used to be. Long may it last! Maybe I'll visit more often now.

 

[Alan]

I was just back in Ireland & England last fall and the exchange rate made it feel like we were in the US. Not cheaper though, but not expensive like it used to be. Long may it last! Maybe I'll visit more often now.

3 years ago we spent a month in Ireland, 2 weeks in a cottage in Donegal and 2 weeks in a big house in Connemara with 3 other family members. Absolutely marvelous time.

 

[nun]

Being Irish originally, I'm curious how Brexit will unfold. Before the EU, Ireland-England had a "special relationship" (open borders for work) but I'm not sure if that would be able to continue post-Brexit.

I was just back in Ireland & England last fall and the exchange rate made it feel like we were in the US. Not cheaper though, but not expensive like it used to be. Long may it last! Maybe I'll visit more often now.

Both governments seem to want to keep the border open. The ability for UK and Irish citizens to move between the two countries and work in either without visas was superseded by the free movement of people within the EU, but it still exists and I assume would do so after BREXIT.

FYI large numbers of UK citizens with Irish grandparents etc are now applying for Irish passports.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

If we live in UK for 7 months out of the year and have NHS for healthcare (getting in not an issue) and live in California or somewhere else sunny for 5 months with travel insurance, would that work out? Any gotchas with that plan? Our relatives from outside the U.S. come to visit California sometimes for months at a time with travel health insurance, though no one ever had a car accident or anything big to test out the policies. Or sometimes they go to places like Spain or Portugal for vacations during the winter.

It is rainy here today so I've gotten some major decluttering done. If we don't end up moving, worst case we'll have a clutter free house.

 

[Alan]

If we live in UK for 7 months out of the year and have NHS for healthcare (getting in not an issue) and live in California or somewhere else sunny for 5 months with travel insurance, would that work out? Any gotchas with that plan? Our relatives from outside the U.S. come to visit California sometimes for months at a time with travel health insurance, though no one ever had a car accident or anything big to test out the policies. Or sometimes they go to places like Spain or Portugal for vacations during the winter.

It is rainy here today so I've gotten some major decluttering done. If we don't end up moving, worst case we'll have a clutter free house.

This was initially our plan, apart from travel insurance, which we didn't think about for such long periods. Apart from regular day to day illnesses which travel insurance may not cover, what if you have a serious incident that requires ongoing care? Are you ready to be transported back to the UK for ongoing treatment? For our last few weeks in the USA we had dropped HI and took out a World Nomads travellers' insurance plan for ~$350/month which covered us for emergency healthcare.

I also looked at private HI here in the UK and some companies offer HI that cover you for healthcare in the UK, with options (extra premiums) to also cover all countries in the world, except the USA.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Apart from regular day to day illnesses which travel insurance may not cover, what if you have a serious incident that requires ongoing care? Are you ready to be transported back to the UK for ongoing treatment?

Yes, that is what we are considering - we'd be residents there and rent or sell the house here in the U.S.

 

[Alan]

Yes, that what we are considering - we'd be residents there and rent or sell the house here in the U.S.

Apart from travel insurance this is essentially what we have done. Our US insurance covered us on our travels including the UK. Visits to the doctor were covered and where we were staying in the UK there was a private hospital for elective surgery covered by our BCBS policy.

Our retirement travel history, we had HI with BSBC.

2010 - 5 months away from home (Texas) in Colorado (4 weeks), England (12 weeks and Canada (4 weeks).

2011 - 7 months living in the UK

2012 - 5 months in various States of the USA

2013 - 5 months in the UK, Ireland, Spain and France

2014 - 5 months in Australia

2015 - 3 months Canada + 2 months in other US States

2016 - 6 months in UK, retaining US HI but also become resident for UK taxes and signing up with the NHS

2017 - Moved out of US apartment & dropped US HI 1/1/17, travel insurance for first 3 weeks of January, and will use travel insurance for visiting son and daughter later in the year.

 

[nun]

Many US insurance policies won't cover you overseas for anything other than emergencies and obviously Medicare only works inside the US.

So you either need travel insurance that will get you back to where you are insured or insurance in both countries. If you are over medicare age and retiring to the UK it's a good idea to keep paying Medicare if there's any possibility of you ever needing care in the US.

 

[jim584672]

Both governments seem to want to keep the border open. The ability for UK and Irish citizens to move between the two countries and work in either without visas was superseded by the free movement of people within the EU, but it still exists and I assume would do so after BREXIT.

FYI large numbers of UK citizens with Irish grandparents etc are now applying for Irish passports.

The common travel area pre-dates the EU and should remain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Travel_Area

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland currently have no hard border, you can literally walk from one country to another, hopefully this can continue.