Relocating back to UK

evianeds. First if all I wish you luck in whatever decision you take.

We returned to Britain, after 15 years in France, just over a year ago. Of course, all personal circumstances are different, but it has been a good move for us. We loved our time there, but we always knew it wasn’t for ever. It was a very rural home.
With a view to the future, we downsized dramatically, moved to an urban area in a county we knew well, and bought a new build (with a view to ageing). Not long after moving in, my husband became seriously ill, and spent many weeks in hospital. He had quite a rare illness which took time to identify. The NHS was magnificent. My husband is very fluent in French, me not so bad, but even he said how difficult it would have been to understand the complexities of it all in French. When he was at his worst, I had many a long chat about the intricacies of what was going on, which would have been difficult for me in French.

All is now well, and I am delighted to be finally settled here in a community that is diverse and friendly.
I miss the garden and the weather. Friendships made are lasting.
I don’t regret our wonderful adventure there, nor do I regret returning.

mumofmadboys At the moment UK citizens returning to the UK after living in another EU country are automatically entitled to use the NHS. Whether that will change with Brexit remains to be seen. UK citizens returning from outside the EU generally are not entitled to NHS treatment for the first year, even if they have been paying tax in the UK throughout their absence. Certain countries may be excepted from this ruling, but it definitely applies to Brits currently living in New Zealand. As I have no intention of returning, it doesn't worry me.

I'm one of the Gransnetters who has moved back in the last year.
We were paying tax in both UK and France during the 18 years we were away, and still qualify for free health care from the NHS.
I didn't realise you had been away so long, evianers. I've come across you on other forums (francophile).
We moved back mainly because of our age, (late 70s early 80s) and also uncertainty about our status after Brexit. Financial, healthwise etc. And pleas by family.
On the whole I think it was the right decision.

We moved back from Spain just over a year ago. We had been in Spain for 15 years. I loved it and felt it was my home. My husband had itchy feet (again) and eventually, after much heartache, we came home.

He now hates it here and is desperate to get back to Spain. I made it clear that if we came back to the UK I was not prepared to move again. It has caused many problems in our marriage.

I understand what you say about being ill in your own language and that certainly is a consideration. However, you also need to consider the social life and friends you will be leaving behind.

I have never felt so lonely as I have this last year and I also feel full of resentment towards my husband for putting me in this position. We have acquaintances where we live but no real friends and our social life is non existent.

I would think very carefully.

As an aside, I don't know about the cost of living in France but we are better off here overall than we were in Spain.

My question too Mumof is that the reason for returning ?
I can’t see Uk as being very attractive at the moment I think I’d rather be in France

Yes they will. You are entitled to NHS care as soon as you move back permanently.

Will you be entitled to NHS care if you haven't been paying tax in the UK?

evianers I think there are two Gransnetters who have moved back to the UK from France within the last year. Hopefully they will be along shortly. I wouldn't want to move back for the foreseeable future, but would never say never. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

I could not settle in the UK now as it has changed out of all recognition, and Brexit has done its bit. I can imagine that I would not understand a carer in the Uk better than a German one after such a long time.
You'll have to go back for a while before you make that final decision. Don't sell the house until you are certain.
I went back for 5 years 20 years ago (to do with DH's job) and got homesick for Germany.

I think you're wise. Slightly off-topic but I knew an elderly gentleman from Poland who had been in UK since the War. His English was wonderful with only a trace of a different accent but, when he got to his eighties and beyond, he could only speak his native tongue.

After 44 years, I guess it will be hard to settle at first but you've probably visited many times so you know what it's like in UK.

I hope things turn out well for you.

The medical care you get over here will not be as good as you get in France. We have had a holiday home in France for 30 years, during which we have made a couple of visits to A&E and watched as elderly (French) neighbours went through the French system.

Winter 17/18 when hospitals in the UK were overwhelmed, we made a planned trip to France, even though DH had bad bronchitis because we felt he would be better off there if a visit to A&E were necessary. Thankfully he didn't.

My BIL recently returned after over 30 years in Singapore when he retired. He had visited every summer but has nevertheless found it hard to “recognise” the country he left and is taking a while to settle in.
Friends have mostly moved on and the double whammy of retiring and the loss of “status” and making a new start are proving a challenge!
I am sure you will cope better as your AC and DGC are here and I wish you well.

44 years is a heck of a long time, evianers! I would have thought you'd feel more at home in France(?) now than in the UK, but of course you are the only ones who can decide where your future lies. Is there more to it than the medical terms? As you say they can be just as difficult to understand in the UK as they are over there, so it doesn't seem like a huge motivator. The tug of family I can well understand....

I have lived abroad, but only for a couple of years. At that juncture homesickness set in and we started to see the negatives where we'd once only seen positives. We missed family, friends, the way of life, the sense of humour. We came home then, and have never regretted it. But your situation is totally different. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.