What do you like about living in Britain?

I wonder what do you like about living in Britain. At first I thought of asking this question to Poles living in Britain but actually it would be nice to hear from anyone who lives in the UK what they like best. I personally love the trains - one can't even compare them with trains in Poland and the staff is ever so nice and helpful. And I quite like the weather :) - it's not too hot, not too cold. I didn't like it at first but I got used to it and think it makes life easier. And I love the New Scientist - they write about science in such way that one doesn't have to be a scientist to understand what they're on about. I also enjoy the fact that there are so many people of different nationalities here - it's the whole world in a capsule. I love Peak District - anyone has been there? A wonderful, wonderful place

Real ale and ready meals in supermarkets, i.e. not even close to enough to make up for the bad things about living in the UK.

My former students who have moved to the UK like the fact how easy they can find a decent job there quite quickly. 2, 3 days of looking/waiting for a call and they get a post.

oh yes, I forgot that, I love Guinness. I thought ready meals are everywhere nowadays.


... yeah, sure :)

Not in Poland.

some of the cultural stuff that i suspect Poles ignore: gardening/flower shows, agricultural shows/horse trials, the fact that there are crazy, yet serious, competitions like the world conker championships. there are loads of things really.

the choice of quality food products, which includes stuff i can throw in the microwave.

but i don't live in britain now.

That is a lie.

OK then, tell us where to find ready meals in the supermarket.

Right, a lot easier than in Poland for sure - but I don't think it's THAT easy especially when someone wants a decent job - although it probably depends largely on the sort of qualifications one has.


True, true, true.

they can be found. biedronka sells a few lines.

the problem is that Poland doesn't even seem to understand the concept of ready meals.

ready meals in Poland are limited, whereas in the uk there are hundreds of choices.

absence of winter of course :)

Will be easier for you if you browse in H & M stores

Yes, H&M are noted for their food selection....

This forum is famous for being full of anti-everyone sentiment and sometimes I think that this is what many of these people enjoy most (even if they don't admit to that ;)


:)) I miss winter sometimes though, but in Poland it's way too long

If you like peak district, visit Snowdonia near me.. very pretty place and varied.. mountains, beaches, castles, villages

I've heard of Snowdonia and plan to go there someday. I've been to North Wales and liked it there - I loved the sea especially - it was so wild and beautiful. I think my main problem in Britain is the fact that I live in England. I come form the Masurian Lake District in Poland and miss a lot the forests and lakes and the fact that one can go for a trip anytime and it's free or almost free - it gives me the sense of freedom. In England there are very, very few places like that left and it makes me feel like I'm suffocating - I know it's quite different in Scotland or Wales. I hate the sight of fenced forests and the thought people have to pay a fare to go there - we're humans, isn't that the Earth belongs to all of us

Have u tried the Lake District in england ? it can be a bit hilly. it's not flat like the Masurian Lake District.

Theres **** loads of places you can drive to if your into lakes and scenery.. snowdonia, lake district, scottish highlands, thers a few lakes in the yorkshire dales

Really? I actually prefer the trains in Poland - especially the Wars wagon. Sure, the staff aren't especially polite, but there's something about Polish trains that British ones spoilt 30 years ago. The Poles haven't spoilt it yet,

it is a beautiful country,although weather is always totally unpredictable, hence why us brits are always talking about it! i love the fact that 90 % of the time, people are really friendly and will always strike up a conversation with you on practically anything! pub lunches on a sunday are a must...ready meals..ugh. 24 hour supermarkets always a bonus. britain has spectacular scenery and places to visit. devon and cornwall are particularly scenic, and although i hate to actually agree with him, hudsonhicks is right in respect about snowdonia and wales generally...beautiful! fish and chips eaten out of newspaper..a must. if i ever emigrated, i would probably miss british food the most, although i rarely cook it...lol! you cant beat a roast dinner! probably what i like the most, is just conversing with people, am sure english people have perverse sense of humour...

I bet you've never travelled on a train from Lublin to Suwałki - over 20 hrs - after a journey like that every single muscle in your body would appreciate the trains in Britain.. :))


I've been there but only for a short stay. The hillier the better. But you can't swim in the lakes, can you?


They are all in some distance from where I live, so I can't go there "anytime". But there is at least the Sherwood Forest in my neighbourhood and it keeps me alive :)

totally agree. new scientist is amazing..

yeah, although many people say that British food is no good, I fell in love with Shepard's pie and a proper baked potato with cheese and beans :) As for the fish and chips thing - it's ok but I got traumatised by what they sell in the chip shop on my street and since then I'm always a bit suspicious and rarely have the courage to try it somewhere else.


This used to make me feel a bit awkward cause we Poles are well known for our don't smile/don't talk to strangers rule, but now I enjoy it


It is, isn't it? :) I got quite addicted to it. I often tell my sister what I read there and she tried to find something similar in Poland and she couldn't - maybe some publisher should start a Polish edition of it

recently was published a list of the 50 best breakfasts and the english one earned the top spot. why? dont know? english breakfast is a direct attack on liver and pancreas. horror.

english food for me is nothing special. although several cooking shows try to promote it. ;) pie, pie, pie....langweilig...

as long as fish, meat and pasta is in the game, i'm in. for me its the 'international cuisine'.

fish and chips vary so much depending on where you buy them from! i would only buy them from a couple of places in my home town.

im not a massive fan of british cuisine. i think its bland and boring. prefer the more exotic stuff. Indian food is my favorite by far!

Roast Dinner on a Sunday is a must though. English breakfast once in a while as a treat, fish and chips.. bah only sometimes, but it's usually chinese people in some ****** run down chip shop doing the cooking and it aint great!

ok hudsonhicks, we are in agreement on something else.. yeah indian or thai or anything spicy would be right down my street. but still have to have the sunday roast..

lol. I'm not a great fan of the English breakfast -at least not for breakfast, but it's not bad for lunch or something


My English teacher said that during the WW2 (or some other crisis - can't remember now) there was a shortage of spices in Britain and they got used to eating food without them - and everyone knows that when the English get used to something, that's it. So he said, that's the reason why people think the food is nothing special - but I've learnt that when you make it very salty it can be very tasty (or is it that the Poles use just salt and pepper with everything so it's easy to please us?)


oh yes. And Italian. And actually this is another good thing about living in Britain - because food in Britain is not necessarily the British food, you can find here almost anything.

I've spent a fair bit of time in Thailand this year, after a late night drinking theres nothing more i crave than fried breakfast in the morning.. Thais eat rice and fish.. errrr NO haha

i agree,i do like british food, but english breakfast..ugh far too greasy for me. scrambled eggs on toast, maybe if i am being adventurous a couple rashers bacon. sausages, fried bread etc yuk!