Moving to the UK!

"THShorn92 - Left his car in America" (thshorn92) 08/08/2016 at 08:45 • Filed to: UK, Brighton, Oppositelock, Moving

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Well, after two months of corporate feet dragging, it’s finally official. I’m moving to Brighton, UK! Some UK oppos had some awesome input for me whenever the opportunity first presented itself, so now time for some serious advice on how to do life in the UK.

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I will be traveling over next week to assist in moving offices, again in the end of September, and then officially moving in November. It is a crazy and exciting time as I’m getting married in October then we are uprooting our lives to move. I’d love some suggestions from our European Oppo members on how to do life and anything else you deem important. I’m hoping to be able to have two cars while we are there, a practical one and an unreliable British car that I can tinker on, after my wife finds a job that is.

Have two Jaguars

AndyG_UK > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 08:57

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Congrats! Brighton is lovely, not too car friendly though in and around the centre (sod all parking etc) but fine in the outskirts. Got a few friends that live there (cos us gays like to retire there) and always enjoy visiting.

Shane MacGowan's Teeth > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 09:03

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I understand cigarettes are called something different there...

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 09:11

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Excellent, your job is to become the unofficial Oppo exporter of forbidden British and Euro fruit to us North Americans. Your first job is to gain their trust...muhahahaha!

Seriously though, good luck mate, looking forward to hearing your adventures, there will be plenty of awesome Euro/British metal out there, so I’d suggest not just limiting your unreliable second ride options to just British wheels unless that’s what you’re into! :P

djmt1 > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 09:21

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Congrats and welcome to the (currently pending) United Kingdom.

As for life here:

Our national newspaper still has softcore porn in the opening page. As does the budget rip off of that newspaper.

We still hate tipping but if you do tip feel happy knowing that it goes to the person who was tipped now.

Get used to checking the weather forecast. It doesn’t actually rain that much but 90% of the time the sky is overcast so you’re constantly on edge. Invest in strong umbrellas as soon as you land.

Don’t speak in English, just speak in Amercanese. We find it unsettling, like you’re trying to sell us insurance and we really hate having insurance sold to us. Also most of your phonecalls will be people trying to sell insurance to you.

Feel free to get as sick and injured as you want. You have free healthcare now except for when it isn’t. Like the dentist (apply your own jokes here) which is bollocks since you can get free breast enhancements.

We suck at restaurants experiences for the most part. Eating out here is usually reserved for cheap first dates and children’s parties. Get used to cooking your own food if you already don’t and if you do, enjoy a remnant of the Empire and take advantage of having access to every ingredient on Earth.

Also we swear a lot. Like seriously a lot. With words which often sound made up (because they mostly are). However we are also very big on manners. Many “pleases”, “thank yous” and “get out the way, you dozy lobotomised shitlarking cunt”. The last only applies to people who commute by foot (ask me how I know).

And lastly. If you see a house with a flag on it, then the occupant is most likely very racist.

Now cars!

Space will be the limiting factor not money. Our small island with it’s 2000 year old road network has a bit of a premium when it comes to space.

Our used market is kind of broken. I’m talking M3s for £5000 kind of broken but the reason why is because cars are a pain to pay for. There are a lot costs and they ain’t cheap especially insurance (boy do I know it).

The British definition of a garage (there are too many ways to pronounce this word) is quite simply a piss take.

Leon711 > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 09:57

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As I said on the original post, I’m just outside Brighton. It’ll be windy most of the time but everything is nice. It’s a lovely place with lots of history. You’ll love it.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 10:41

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Let us know what sort of thing you’re looking for tinkering-wise and I’ll look some things up :) most car buying and selling happens on eBay over here (no craigslist). There are other sources, but if you don’t want to overpay it’s either that or gumtree.

Do you know which part of Brighton you’ll be in?

THShorn92 - Left his car in America > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/08/2016 at 10:58

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Awesome, good to know. Not sure yet. We will be staying in an AirBnb for at least the first month while we try to find a place. Where the wife finds a job depends on where we will live. She has some connections in London so we may end up in the middle.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/08/2016 at 11:11

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Gotcha. Options for living inbetween the two (if you’re looking for a place in a sizeable town) would be Haywards Heath or Burgess Hill nearer Brighton, or Crawley/Horsham nearer London.

Or East Grinstead 15 mins from me :)

That or there’s tons of other smaller villages inbetween London and Brighton. I’d recommend train travel for both of you if you’re in the middle. Driving into either at rush hour will not be fun.

MarqCars > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/08/2016 at 12:50

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I can second this as I've recently moved to Haywards Heath from America and its a very nice place to be!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > THShorn92 - Left his car in America 08/09/2016 at 16:44

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Very cool - congrats!