ITV 1 are offering homesick expats the chance to come home!

[noplacelikehome]

ARE YOU A BRIT LIVING ABROAD BUT THINKING ABOUT COMING HOME TO THE UK?

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS?

ITV1 are making the second series of ‘No Place Like Home?’ about British Ex-Pats who are considering moving back to the UK.

We’re keen to hear from Brits who are living abroad, but who are now thinking about returning permanently to Britain.

Perhaps you miss your family and friends, maybe schooling is a problem for your kids, or you simply yearn for a bit of British culture.

You’ll be flown back to the UK and given the opportunity to ‘test-drive’ the reality of living in the UK. We’ll give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to remain an expat or come home for good.

If this sounds like you, or anyone you know, please contact Olly. Email: oliver.strous@fevermedia.co.uk
Or call (+44) 20 7428 4630

[Susie]

Hi

Thank you for calling me today, I am sure we must have a member or two that are considering retuning to the UK

Please keep intouch if I can help with other projects

[DEE F]

It will be great coverage for the site Sue,if the "star" of the show turns out to be an expatsvoice member:)


Dee xx

[jay]

Now lets not all get to excited, remember the last time they was filming out here they cut most of it out and then told us how bad the housing market was,

most people out here thinking of returning to the Uk are on extended I-94 extensions....so how would this work for them they wouldnt get back in...and even if the expat could leave to try this who would look after their biz while there away.


ITV1 are making the second series of ‘No Place Like Home?’ about British Ex-Pats who are considering moving back to the UK.......................





You’ll be flown back to the UK and given the opportunity to ‘test-drive’ the reality of living in the UK. We’ll give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to remain an expat or come home for good.

[jay]

Or why not talk to an expat who is returning home and has had no choice in the matter,
jayne

[Susie]

Hi Jayne

I did mention that and could well be a future progect. I feel for many of us we come here full of high hopes and dreams, only to have them shattered by the constant fear that our visa's will no be renewed, that and as we get older can we worry as to whether we can afford the medical insurance premimums and England suddenly seems not so bad after all and in some cases would be a better life than we have here

[Tina]

I was in the UK visiting last year, and this series was running at the time. I watched one of the episodes, about a family who had emigrated to Australia but the wife couldn't settle. So they took part in this programme, and I have to say, I thought it was done very well.

The programme stuck in my mind as I could relate to this lady. She was so homesick :(

She had 2 weeks to decide if she wanted to stay in England or return to Australia. The cameras followed her round for the 2 weeks while she went to visit family and friends and they even arranged for her to go back to the home she'd sold, just to "feel" it again.

The end result was she decided to return to Australia, but you could tell it was with a heavy heart. She sacrificed her own happiness because she knew her family (husband and 2 teenage kids) really wanted to go back.

[DEE F]

I actually dont think this programme will affect anyone who is landlocked,the main reasons you landlock yourself is because you know if you go out of the USA your chances of getting back in are slim,so therefore they dont want to go back,hence why they stay landlocked.But it would be ideal for a family who like Tina says one of them is not settling ,then it could be a good thing,and would definately help them decide if they have made the right decision or not.

Dee x

[Susie]

I was in the UK visiting last year, and this series was running at the time. I watched one of the episodes, about a family who had emigrated to Australia but the wife couldn't settle. So they took part in this programme, and I have to say, I thought it was done very well.

The programme stuck in my mind as I could relate to this lady. She was so homesick :(

She had 2 weeks to decide if she wanted to stay in England or return to Australia. The cameras followed her round for the 2 weeks while she went to visit family and friends and they even arranged for her to go back to the home she'd sold, just to "feel" it again.

The end result was she decided to return to Australia, but you could tell it was with a heavy heart. She sacrificed her own happiness because she knew her family (husband and 2 teenage kids) really wanted to go back.

Think so many of us have felt homesick at some time.

People who move here must give it three years , to make a go of a business and then I would suggest going home for a visit after a year, then every following year.

The longer you are away from the UK the less likely you are to wish to return, for the most of us anyway

[SHEILA 13]

That must have been a "hard call" going back to your old family home.
I know I couldnt do that,it would upset me too much(how sad am I)
Sheila

[Kriz1]

I'd love to do it...but can't say I've ever been homesick...I just miss things...not places...there is just as many things I would miss about the Cape when I leave...

[anniefromessex]

As someone who has "done it", two weeks is not really long enough tbh - having said that I was returning to England every 3 months anyway so it never felt as though I had left England!!! I know I used to get back into the swing of things pretty quickly, although I did miss my home in Florida. The reality comes when it's a definite that you wont be returning to America - not easy and still suffering. Hey ho!!

Love Anniexxx

[Susie]

As someone who has "done it", two weeks is not really long enough tbh - having said that I was returning to England every 3 months anyway so it never felt as though I had left England!!! I know I used to get back into the swing of things pretty quickly, although I did miss my home in Florida. The reality comes when it's a definite that you wont be returning to America - not easy and still suffering. Hey ho!!

Love Anniexxx

Hi Annie,

Good to hear from you :) But will you be coming back to visit us all or are you completely done with the USA?

Maybe a good idea for a program would be to bring , Brits back to the USA who had returned to Britain to see if they want to come back to the USA to live.

If it were not for all the immigration issues you had and all your family were welcome, would you all come back then?

Did you son move to OZ after all ?

[anniefromessex]

Hi Susie,

First of all sorry to hear about Anthony's accident, hope the little fella is on the mend now - give him big kisses from Auntie Annie.

As far as are we done with the US of A, my answer would be not sure, Ted's would be a definite YES! As far as he is concerned America treated our family shabbily - they were not a threat to anybody and their treatment was horrendous - leading as you know to them splitting up eventually. None of us realised until recently just how it has affected Daniel - he is a different boy now, going from a very happy go lucky lad whom everybody loved, to someone we don't really know anymore so in that respect (not America per se) but Immigration have a lot to answer for. All our lives have been turned upside down and even though it was our choice to come back we felt we had no other choice if we wanted to be part of our grandchildrens lives, which we do!! Seeing not only Daniels daughter, but our other son's daughter grow up means more to us than a life (even though it was good) on our own. Yes, we had friends (good friends) but at the end of the day when we are with our grandchildren as we were last weekend and see their funny little ways and when Holly tells Ted that she definitely definitely loves her Nan, then there is no choice is there? I just wish these people in Immigration could see what they do to a family torn apart, our lives have not been easy since coming back; having said that we are getting a lot of help from the powers that be - because of Ted's disability which is now worse than ever and prevents him from doing his given trade, Electrician, and that is something we know we definitely wouldn't have over there so we have to count our blessings even though we are struggling big time until we sell the houses over there!! Daniel and Jan have managed to rent their home for a year, but we are still trying to sell/rent our home - 3/2 with pool on nice development if anybody is interested ha ha!!!

With regard to all the immigration issues and our family were welcome, then my answer would be probably - we did love the life - but having said that I never ever for some reason or other saw myself over there in old age - can't really explain why - one of my biggest issues was Health Care but I suppose if you come over at a relatively young age and work hard (with Green Card) then it might not be such a problem - I didn't fancy working in Wal-Mart in my dotage, ha ha!!!

Brian (my other son and family) have not gone to Australia yet, long drawn out process but one that ultimately gives you the right to stay, unlike some of the Visas issued in America which I find so unfair - after all you work your butt off, pay your taxes and everything else, spend your money there, but they can still kick you out! Okay before I am hauled over the coals, I know people who come over on those particular Visas know the score, but for many they have no other choice if they want to live "the dream", but from a heartfelt viewpoint, not fair really!!

Would love to come over for a visit to catch up with my good friends over there, but not likely until my boat comes in - and the way the tide is flowing it wont be coming in anytime soon, ha ha!!! I think it is stuck on a sandbank!!!

Well, you did ask Susie!!!

Love Anniexxx XXfor Anthony

[Susie]

Anthony is doing better, thank goodness, had such a stumble and shook me up too.

Immigration sucks ! from the emotional point as you and I both can state from experience, the situation must change !

[grumps]

from i business point of view with the down turn of the economy, i would have thought they would have made it as easy as possable for anybody with money to bring it in to the usa. that would help the economy grow. may be that is to simple an idea though.

[anniefromessex]

Grumps, you are 100% right - but we are just mere mortals compared to Governments all over the world who, it seems, have more idea than we do!!! Unfortunately America is scared of its own shadow and see us all as terrorists!

Love Anniexxx