Living standards and prices in england. Life of England or what are the British in everyday life

England - bottom view (notes of a migrant from Latvia)

I would like to start my story about my understanding of life in England with a couple of words about the capital - London, a kind of tribute to the country in which I am.

London Is a city and capital of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Administratively it forms the Greater London region of England, divided into 32 self-governing regions and City... Population - 8.2 million people (2011), the second largest city in Europe and the largest in the European Union. Located in the southeast of the island of Great Britain, on the plain of the London Basin, at the mouth of the Thames near the North Sea ... (Wikipedia).

This is a city where traffic jams, where everything is on the run, where time is money (for 1 hour of work - from a minimum £ 6.19(2013), before £ 250 and more), where the areas of the poor and the rich, as well as are divided according to ethnicity, where the crowds of tourists, where the British themselves from other cities do not want to go, do not like the hustle and bustle, and many have never even been there, although there are no problems ( neither financial nor transport) to visit the capital does not amount. Also in London there are many Russian-speaking residents who have communities, shops and schools, but since I do not live in the capital, then with that life big city I know only superficially, and a whole article can be written about London alone, and my task is to show as objectively as possible my understanding and difference from its colonies.

I want to explain to the readers right away that everything written here is my personal conclusions and my vision of the life of an average migrant of a poor level, and this is my understanding for those 9 years that I live and work here. My main goal and the task is to show real life in England and try to bring the reader closer to this reality.

I would like to start with the fact that life in Great Britain is divided into classes:

1. Low class(the poor class) are people who work in low-paid jobs (from cleaning to working in warehouses, where there are conveyors almost everywhere, on which people work and the speed of the conveyor increased with the arrival of migrants). The migrants gave the heat and drove the aborigines, and the heat was given mainly by Lithuania and Latvia (nothing personal - the law of survival). Earnings are from the minimum £ 6.19 before £ 10 an hour or more. To the class of the poor, I also include people who are on benefits and the unemployed. And if the entire poor class is defined by the amount of money, then this up to £ 40 thousand per year for a family- you can live.

2. Middle class- these are bosses in companies (managers) or people who have their own, and who earn a year up to £ 500 thousand.

3. Rich class- before £ 10m... in year.

4. Very rich- more £ 10m... in year

I'll end up with the class difference and start talking about food in local stores. There are many and different grocery stores: from small Indian to large supermarkets, and food outlets can be found even in some museums in London, but I can only judge the quality of the products by my observations, and this is what I see: the low-calorie content of many products and their chemical the basis makes people eat more, and therefore spend more money, not to mention that the stomach expands, and the body (I suspect) lacks the necessary elements (the shortage will be replaced by dead pills).

Food that the poor can afford, I will characterize as follows - this is a set chemical elements approved for sale (cheap does not mean quality).

I remembered a joke: Restaurant of the future. A man enters a restaurant, sits down at a table, a waiter comes up to him and presents a folder with a menu: "What will you order, sir?" A man takes the menu, looks at it and says: "I would, please, E201, E202 and a glass of E500 for appetite"

All this would be fun if it were not so sad - health is undermined (secretly: I use the academician's health sessions N.V. Levashova separately for food and water from stores).

There are stores where the same product as in supermarkets, plus something different or original, but the prices are already there. 2-3 times higher than standard Thus, the high price of the product displaces the poor class from such stores, and then rich people can appear there, although many supermarkets have switched to online ordering and delivery. Supermarkets are designed for all classes of society, where it seems to me that it is not recommended to eat cheap food - more expensive for yourself(without taste, color and smell), and even after such products it seems the height of taste and quality. By the way, you probably know that discount cards offered by supermarkets are an opportunity control your purchases, but if you didn’t know, I’ll be glad to help.

The same is true for clothing.: what is on sale in stores (no style, taste or shade of gray), I can’t name anything other than junk (I’m not talking about expensive stores). You look at these clothes and you begin to understand those who are watching the fashion show and possibly buying those clothes. With such a gray life, you begin to understand the local youth, and their attempts to look original, and original - it's like on "TV": red sneakers, trousers of the color of "child's surprise", tapering down, a white shirt and a blue suit jacket ... Up to the waist - female style and the top is male(style "It"), or maybe it’s me behind the times ...

One gets the impression of the possibility of manipulation in many areas of human life: food is tasteless; clothes - no style, no bright, joyful tones; the weather is monotonous, gray, rainy. In such conditions, you better understand the saying: "Advertising is the engine of trade."

You have to be careful in your statements, discrimination on any occasion can lead to legal proceedings, in other words - do not offend, behave tolerantly. The society here is brought up to be tolerant, but what is tolerance? My understanding is a transitional state from dislike to indifference or the murder of the world outlook in oneself. And since most people have a correct understanding of the world, this means the murder of the correct one, and the open entrance of any other understanding of the world, even the wrong one.

Tolerance, plus, it forces you to have a smile on your face, so if you see an aboriginal smiling at you, then know that in most cases it is a state of tolerance brought up from childhood in schools.

Also in schools, children are taught to talk about what is happening in your home, and therefore the norm of behavior in any future work is tell bosses that someone at work has made a mistake, even if the mistake has been corrected. A good employee is a sociable, smiling and reporting robot. The state of tolerance allows you to "hand over" you to your boss at any time. But what changes await migrants (poor classes) who have integrated into English society: gradual degradation and amorphous state (state biorobot) with a smile on his face, worked out over the years.

Work for beginners and poorly knowledgeable English- these are mainly warehouses and various work in the service sector, this is what the employment agencies offer, if only they register you.

About real estate... The houses here are expensive, and the poor class, in order not to fall into bondage for 25-30 years, live in rented houses or apartments. This has its advantages, such as the ability to change your place of residence when looking for a job or if you don't like the area or neighbors, but everyone is trying to find consistency and tranquility.

House rental price varies from £ 550 before £ 1000 and more per month. Most of the houses are 2 and 3 storey buildings connected to each other. Most of the houses have their own piece of land (meadow) where people relax, make barbecues ...

Apartments a little cheaper and without a clearing, but used by low-income or lonely people on benefits.

A working family or people on benefits can afford a modest house for rent, a car, a TV package and food (they will scrape together for bread and sausage). A single mother has the same opportunities, she also belongs to the group of people sitting on benefits - the state helps. Here is a small example of the salary and basic payments of an average person in a poor class (migrant below average):

The family receives a month £ 2000;

• house rental - £ 700;
• car (insurance and fuel.) - £ 100;
• light / gas - up to £ 100;
• utilities (Concil Tax) - £ 120;
• TV package - £ 50;
• food - £ 400;
• car loan - £ 300- £ 400;
• different insurance - £ 50;
• weekends in pubs and miscellaneous small things - £ 40.

With some savings, you can live in peace and even postpone. But without work or without benefits, money quickly runs out, as you understand, and there was a case when the police broke up a tent camp of the Baltic states in the forest.

• Theft will decrease somewhat - they mostly steal for home or home.
• Housing falls into disrepair faster - the tenants don't care ...
• Children do not see concern about housing - they do not take care of themselves in the future ...
• There is no opportunity for children to learn how to work in the house ...
• If you are not the master, then subordination is formed, etc.

On Sundays, during the warmer months, you can go to the very cheap market (carboot), which is located in nature in different places: near farms, in fields or in stadiums. There people bring for sale everything that is not needed in their homes: electronics, clothes, tools, toys and many different, necessary and unnecessary things. Used things can be purchased here literally for local pennies, but new children's things can also be found (a paradise for very poor families and not only). Such places of sale can appear only in the consumer society, because houses are overwhelmed with things and you either have to rent a mini-warehouse or get rid of it, but you have to buy something new again ...

By the way, if you purchased the goods and do not have a receipt, and the goods turned out to be of poor quality, then neither the police nor the court will be able to help you - this applies to shopping on the street, but to carboot this also applies. Therefore, it is better to check any product that is offered to you on the street - they can be deceived.

I’ll tell you an incident that happened to me: I’m sitting in a car in the parking lot of a supermarket, an Englishman comes up and offers a TV plasma, which is in his car and is packed, says a new one ... home, unpacked, and there is a broken, non-working TV ("lit a sucker"). In general, remember: any transaction with cash: without a check, without a contract and without documents - this is an opportunity to deceive you, make you a "sucker".

On a par with carboot(carbut), auctions with various goods are also popular: from junk to antiques and cars. People are more active in making little money by buying and selling things and cars.

Almost every family has one car and more, it is not a luxury here. Every worker can afford a car here and the prices are ridiculous: £ 250 for 15-20 year old cars and above.

Insurance mandatory, from £ 30- £ 100 and more per month, and are constantly increasing, because insurance companies are one of the main taxpayers, which means a great hope of the government in any. Insurances are different and for different life situations, mandatory and not so, their they are trying to "shove" you everywhere, starting with banks and ending with a purchased vacuum cleaner. And if you need to open a bank account and your English is at the level of a 2-year-old child, you will definitely be "presented" with insurance, which after the contract expires, you will want to turn it off (it took me a little, sorry).

Insurance for a car, dear, until a person turns 25 years old (I heard that before £ 5000 per year for young people), then the average insurance per month decreases £ 30- £ 100... Without insurance - a court, a fine and the removal of points from your rights (6 points after passing on the right and 12 points each, after 2 years of driving). The police have equipment on the car and the ability to find out about the owner of the car everything that is necessary. The main thing is insurance, on the road it is impossible without it, but the roads here are good, of high quality, even the village roads are asphalted. Roundabouts have been built at the intersection - very convenient: you look in one direction and you join the stream

Steering wheel with right side, right hand hold the steering wheel when changing gears (safety first). The behavior on the roads is cultural, and those who managed to pick up fines and points understood that the law is inevitable and the same for everyone. There are video cameras on almost all roads, and I have no idea how car thefts take place.

Accidents do happen, but it's more likely due to someone's stupidity.

For visiting medical institutions you must have compulsory health insurance (National insurance number), and the money for this insurance is taken from the salary (this is not a fixed amount, but interest). Under the age of 18, medical services are free.

In case of injury (if this is not an extreme case), you get to the hospital, register and wait 1 hour or more in line (patient: patient- awaiting English). Old English acquaintances told me that it is better to use medical services in cities where universities are located (Cambridge, or London), where the staff is more competent in matters of treatment.

The level of some doctors(it seemed to me) at the nurse level Soviet training, the symptoms of the disease are searched for in the computer. The treatment for many diseases is paracetamol. The family doctor will explain to you how to use it (5 days and 3 times a day), if it doesn’t work, then: “Come again!” Medicines and the equipment is at a high level, thanks to the financial resources of the state.

But better take care of yourself, and a lot of people here go to gyms, jog in the morning or go cycling, and only swim in the pools or at the sea. it is not recommended to swim in canals and lakes (they are polluted, for the same reason the fish are caught and released). But in my opinion, the ecological situation and poor-quality nutrition will slow down any movement up the sports ladder, and only the rich and healthy have the opportunity to rise to a high level. This can be seen from the local favorite sport - football and by analyzing the lineups of the best teams in the Premier League ( best league), we can notice a large percentage of foreigners (perhaps, soon the whole teams will buy).

People with money can give their children a better education, and the rest - the main thing is that they know English and mathematics (they would be able to read and count - future slaves). But Universities (Higher Educational Institutions) are filled with smart foreigners - there is an opportunity to choose future English scientists (their minds are running out).

Wales(west of England) has its own language and English, but closer to Scotland and in Scotland itself (the north of England) the English themselves cannot understand their English. A joke is the answer of Aboriginal people to the question: “How many languages ​​do you know?”, Like this: “I know two languages ​​- English and bad English” (obscene words). And you get used to the low level of education of the poor class over time and you start to get dull yourself.

Finishing, I want to tell about rest on "Foggy Albion" (there are fogs like in the films about Sherlock Holmes). On weekends, since Friday night, all pubs (public) crowded with people, queues near the bar, drink beer, meet with friends and move from pub to pub and then to the disco. Pubs are usually located in the city center, and there are a lot of guards and police in places of festivities, any aggression is stopped instantly and punishable by law. On holidays, pubs are also having fun, only Christmas is considered a family holiday, and turkey on the tables is the main product.

Prices for electricity and gas are simply exorbitant + utility bills are also very high, and if there is also an elevator in the house, then get ready to fork out.

Living in Glasgow, on average, I spent about 200 pounds a month on utility bills.

If you rent an apartment, then add these 200 pounds to the rent, although housing prices there were quite tolerable, you could rent a 2-bedroom apartment for 600 pounds (then it was about 30k rubles, now it's about 56k). Those. if desired, the £ 800 needed to live in a warm apartment can be divided by 2, i.e. 400 lbs.

There is now a huge wave of emigrants, all over Eupoppe, and even more so in old England. Some Arabs are around, they live in communities, according to their own rules and traditions. My cousin has lived there for 10 years, now she plans to return. I would not meddle.

They even turn on the heating in the most severe frosts and wash from one basin in order to save water - the communal apartment there is prohibitive. If not rich, it is very difficult to find a job, only in the service staff.

No matter how much you live in England, for the locals you will always be a foreigner, despite the fact that they are mostly good people and with humor, and yet with their inherent share of stiffness and a certain significance, it is quite difficult there in terms of communication. what you are used to at home, you can't just break into a visit, even relatives call up in advance, but in different parts of England there are different people. It is a very expensive country, you can live, but much will surprise you and you will not understand much.

I lived in England for 4 years, from 14 to 18 years old. It is difficult to join the team, the British are on their own, xenophobes, full of all sorts of strange ideas about how everything should be. They sincerely consider themselves to be the highest nation on earth, and if you try to object, they will simply twist at their temples. Although they are not evil or insidious. But they always keep their distance. Now I am in Germany, in comparison, it wins a lot. The Germans, although they are also often strange - how robots perform the task inherent in them - but they make contact much easier. It's easy to get into the company. But the attitude towards the Russians is not so hot here - the natives of the scoop tried their best, mainly the uneducated stratum of "Germans" from Kazakhstan. I don't face such a problem in my life, because my appearance is European and I communicate in academic circles, but on the phone it was a couple of times that I received a completely different service when they heard my Russian accent on the other end.

I was in London while still a student. I say right away that this country is not for the poor and not even for people of average income. VERY expensive rental housing, VERY expensive communication (as mentioned in the article), good food isn't cheap either. You won't be able to find a job without knowledge of the language at an advanced level, so think carefully about what you can offer this country.

Neutral reviews

I read and remembered my first impressions of London .. Close! My gaze was cramped - nowhere to roam - since the houses are pressed together. The distance to the roadway is not great, and the roads are too narrow (by our standards) .. and also - Russian speech .. I lived in a hotel and decided “ flaunt their English, but they didn’t understand me: women worked there ... from Bulgaria and they asked me to communicate in Russian. since they knew Russian better than English)) such are the curiosities. I learned a lot from your story that I did not know. Thanks.

decided to talk about life in england, if anyone is interested

It would be very interesting to hear comparisons with life in Russia and other countries. I have never been to Russia, my idea of ​​it is made up of films, TV series, stories of bloggers and various forums.

for ease of reading, I will divide everything into points.

1) climate.

everything that is written about the nasty English weather is true. We do not see the sun for six months or more, many suffer from a lack of vitamin D. There are not so many fogs, as they say, but it rains almost constantly. Heavy showers are rare enough, mostly a fine, nasty rain drizzling. I heard that there is a lot of rain in St. Petersburg, is it true?

the films often show campy Englishmen drinking tea from an old set. in fact, there are more than enough homeless people and drunks here. and gopnik a dime a dozen. Yesterday I was driving to work, looked at people and it became sad - most of them look nothing at all. faces crumpled, drenched, voices smoky. no manners, solid obscenities and vulgar behavior (throwing garbage at the feet, yelling through the whole bus, etc.)

yes, they always say thank you, but that's the end of the manners. there are more expensive towns, there are also less gopniks, because all drunks and gopas usually live in state houses, and in expensive towns / districts they do not allocate state houses. in the evenings I try not to leave the house and return before it gets dark, as there are also enough drug addicts here, as well as nationalists. there are practically no Englishmen in London, mostly immigrants. but I felt safer there.

3) benefits.

There are many benefits, almost every Englishman has received benefits at least once in his life. also a lot of Englishmen live their whole lives on benefits (from 16 years to retirement). the state allocates houses for which people pay pennies, sometimes these houses can be redeemed (conditions are more favorable than taking out a mortgage). anyone can queue up for the state. housing, but children are given priority. then disabled and retired people. sometimes one gets the impression that children are being brought up here just for the sake of home. if one child is given an apartment or little house... if there are two children of different genders, each is entitled to a room, that is, parents receive at least a four-room house. as well as vouchers for furniture and repairs are given, the state pays part of the payments for water, gas, etc. many mothers lie to the state that they are single mothers, thus grabbing even more benefits. there are decent families who spend their child benefits as they should. but there is also a considerable proportion of those who spend on drink the benefits. Several years ago, it was proposed to give out benefits not in money, but in coupons, so there was such a stench about this. Of course, coupons are not easy to drink.

It's a shame that our taxes go to the maintenance of such parasites. and they continue to multiply.

4) childcentrism

developed as elsewhere. here they are cared for and cherished to the point of absurdity. for example, any physical punishments are prohibited, as well as moral infringement. social services are not asleep - if somewhere someone complained, they rush to check. children are taken almost wrong. therefore, for every bruise on the child, parents report to the teachers, since they always report everything to the social. services. if the foal is punished (not physically, but for example to take away the tablet) and he complains about his parents at school - wait for a visit from the social services. workers who will follow your every step for a very long time. what we have as a result: children who are spoiled to the point of impossibility, who do not know how to behave and have absolutely no respect for adults. there are no punishments for them and they know it. from this greyhounds and get up to whatever goes into their heads. I, an adult, am afraid of 11-year-old girls, as they can throw out anything. not children, but some kind of animals.

5) the attitude towards Russians is very strange. at first everyone thinks I'm Polish, Canadian, etc. but as soon as they learn that she is Russian, even the attitude changes. they seem to be afraid or very respectful, it's hard to say. but the attitude changes instantly and in better side... all as one throw jokes about vodka with glasses, and I back up with stories about tame bears.

Well, I wrote here. sorry for the many letters, if interested, I can write more. share your opinions and comparisons with life in your country, I will read with pleasure

Tax deductions in the UK are impressive: income from 11 to 43 thousand is taxed at 20%, from 43 thousand - at 40%.

In other words,

42,000 * 0.8 = 33,600 pounds

43,000 * 0.6 = 25,800 pounds.

Although, go find that job for 43,000 ...

Gorgeous everywhere if you have money)))) A friend's sister lives in London, 3 children. It is necessary to retrain for work (our diplomas do not count), it is very difficult to adapt (the mentality of the British is peculiar), the rules of life and behavior are different.

I went to the UK to study the language. This is given 2 years.

Then you can upgrade and go to university, you can get a loan for training.

Another 4 years.

Well, during this time, find a way to legalize: either get married, or find a professional job and get a work visa.

I live in Britain too. The article is correct. It was somehow instilled in us in Russia and in the USSR that there is paradise in the west. And people still think so. But this is not true. It's hard to live here. For Africans, Indians and other immigrants who have zero in their homeland, it can be and go out here.

The high income myth:

I have a salary of 30,000 a year,

on hands 1800 per month.

50% goes to pay for housing (I live on the periphery in small town not in London of course)

For an example of the rest of the spending, paying for lunches at school for a child of $ 100 per month

Not by bread alone

As the author correctly noted, there is virtually no industry here. You travel across the country and do not understand how one of the largest economies lives. There are no industrial enterprises. All the land on the island has been trampled down many times over its centuries-old history, everything has already been dug, cut down, and asphalted. It reminds me computer game- the strategy when one of the civilizations has completely exhausted its resources. She has many houses, a lot of population, all this requires resources for maintenance, but there is no prospect only of how to capture alien civilizations.

By contrast, Russia is a developing country in good sense with a lot of resources and therefore with the prospect

One the problem is people in Russia they think that their life is worse.

To be fair, I will say that people in institutions are very polite here. The client is used to feeling right. And calm in terms of crime (not in large cities).

I dream of going to Russia somehow to face constant rudeness, dirt, so that the face can be stuffed in order to say later that it seems good on TV in Russia, but you can't live there.

Positive reviews

the laws do protect animals, but not as much as we would like. a scandal recently broke out in our town: two teenagers (brothers) beat their bulldog, threw it from the steps, jumped on it and filmed everything. the video got on the Internet and then the case went to the police and later to the court. the dog died from injuries, and the young bastards received a life ban for keeping animals and a suspended sentence. that is, there was no real punishment - I do not think that they suffer greatly from the inability to have animals or from the inability to leave the country (and then only for a year, if I am not mistaken). but then a miracle happened - people united and survived the bastards from the town. now in social In networks, people tell each other where they were seen and so they have to move from place to place. so lynching really ruined their lives, and the law enforcement agencies did not punish them in any way. now people are collecting signatures to review this case and demand justice.

in fact, there is always the threat of imprisonment, but they are so frightening. in fact, they are not particularly severely punished for such crimes. another thing is drugs, for them you can thunder in full. but petty theft, mockery of animals, beatings, nothing particularly severely punished.

We don't have homeless cats and dogs. if an animal is found on the street, it is taken to a shelter, the microchip is read there and the owners are found. if they do not find the owners, they give it to other people. at the shelter, animals are not given out for free - there is some amount that is then spent on the needs of the shelter. microchips are required from April this year.

instead of homeless cats, we have “homeless” “foxes. but not the same as we are used to seeing in photographs - they look very sad. peeling dirty fur, thin bodies, tails are not fluffy at all. they are not afraid to walk around the city, and at night they howl terribly and move containers. people are afraid, that is, you cannot stroke a fox, but you can get very close.

for some reason there are a lot of green parrots in london. I heard that a couple of parrots escaped from the zoo and then multiplied free. while living in London, I often woke up in the morning from the screams of parrots. sorry there are no photos - the tree is covered with bright green parrots.

It all depends on how you settle down. I really like England. And the people around me are pleasant, and the neighbors are friendly. Yes, I will never become "local", but I have never felt any negative attitude towards myself as a Russian. I find life in England cheaper than in France, although statistics say the opposite. Very often there are big discounts on goods. And not only in the summer and post-Christmas period. And there are many more "middle class" goods. Whereas in France there is a greater gap between expensive exclusives and low-standard consumer goods in the absence of a reasonable middle. England and France are beautiful in their own way and it's silly to compare them. But the climate is definitely worse in England. I can't say anything about French medicine. But in England it is blatantly disgusting. And in comparison with Germany, it is on a medieval level.

I have been living in London for the last 3 years. It is not difficult to deal with the British, but they will still consider you foreign, and every day you will have to prove that you are not a camelander, and you are also worth something like they are local. They are reluctant to enter their community so that they can be friends like us. I am married to an Englishman (although he calls himself a European). He was born in England, his father is German and his mother is Dutch; Although he was born here, and it seems like Lyudi consider him an Englishman, at times there are Lyudi who, looking at his surname, consider him non-native. The British are very important what place you occupy in society (workers, middle, upper class). My husband belongs to the latter and therefore it is difficult for me to deal with lyudmi of NOT this class. I work at school, teaching English. It is better if you have a university education, they will appreciate you, because many English people do not have an education higher than our vocational school. At school, this is especially striking, and I am very surprised that before the end of the day until grades 8-9, children can neither read nor write. That is why foreigners (eg Poles, Russians and other nationalities) study very well, and sometimes even better than the English themselves for whom English is native. In general, England is a country of opportunities, but here, as elsewhere, you need to work to live well.

Pictured: A typical London residential area during the summer.

V recent times I was so lazy that I even started ordering groceries online thanks to the service Ocado- I wrote about him. This saves not only money (you calmly choose products, study special offers and take only what you really need, without being tempted by unnecessary products on the shelves), but time and effort. Going to the store with a small child is still a pleasure. And here, on the appointed day and hour, your purchases are brought to you, carefully laid out in packages - beauty! All goods are guaranteed fresh - the expiration date can be checked in advance on the website. I order absolutely everything from Ocado - from fruits to household chemicals. From time to time they send vouchers for discounts by e-mail, so the savings are even more significant. On average, we spend £ 100 a week for a family of 3.

Houses and apartments in London

In the photo: Historical buildings in London.

In London, local authorities carefully protect historical appearance of the city, so here is full of beautiful historic buildings built under Queen Victoria and even earlier. However, despite the fact that some of the houses look like real monuments from the outside, you may be wondering what kind of modern "stuffing" is inside. As a rule, all houses, especially those that are rented out, undergo periodic refurbishment - alteration for modern needs. Usually, inside London apartments there is everything that is necessary for a comfortable life: high-quality repairs, a full set of modern household appliances and other household amenities. In some places, however, an archaic misunderstanding in the form of double taps has been preserved, but gradually they are being replaced by the usual mixers.

V cold period It can be chilly in London houses during the year, especially on the ground floors, but this is easily corrected by underfloor heating or turning on an electric heater. Or (which is cheaper) you can simply dress warmer, as most locals do. Fleece clothing and a 15 tog warm blanket will save you in the cold if you don't have the extra £ 100 in your budget for your monthly electricity bill.

Life in London

Almost none of Londoners cook at home on their own - there is no need for this: ready meals in stores they are sold in abundance and do not cost much more than the original products from which they are prepared. The taste of these dishes is simply excellent and often even surpasses the food served in restaurants. If you are invited to visit, then, most likely, there will also be ready-made food from stores on the tables. Busy city dwellers value their time above all else, with dedicated staff usually hired to cook, clean the house and look after the children.

House cleaning Londoners also shove the cleaners whenever possible - their labor here costs about 8-10 pounds an hour. Many of the cleaners are from Eastern Europe and speak Russian. Work nannies in London, especially for Russian speakers, it is also very in demand and is generously paid: 10-12 pounds per hour is the standard nanny rate without special qualifications. Paid kindergartens not much cheaper than babysitting services: on average, a full day in the kindergarten costs around £ 1,700-2,000 per month. Therefore, it is often more profitable for a woman to sit at home and look after the child herself, rather than go to work and hire a nanny (or give the child to a paid garden). From the age of 3, the state subsidizes 15 hours per week in kindergarten, and from the age of 4, the child goes to school (and the mother can finally go to work).

Beautification of London

London is an incredibly beautiful city with many green parks and gardens... Even in the very center of the city, a lot of free space is given for parks, including the famous Hyde Park, where public rallies are regularly held on a variety of occasions. Not far from us is another no less beautiful park – Battersea Park, which I wrote about.

In the photo: There are many gardens and lawns in London.

It is strange that no one thought of cutting down all the trees and building up everything free space high-rise buildings - after all, how much money could be made from this, given that real estate prices in London are the highest in the world. But, nevertheless, the London authorities are concerned not so much about their profits as about people and their comfort. Caring for a person, its convenience and safety is felt in London in everything and everywhere - in the arrangement of streets and buildings, the organization of public transport and playgrounds.

But the main advantage of London is, of course, its inhabitants and the heady feeling of complete freedom of spirit... You will hardly find such an incredibly harmonious mixture of races, cultures, religions anywhere else. It is a city of triumphant tolerance. You can be sure that you will always feel at ease here. No one will be a stranger here. People of any religion and skin color are treated equally politely and benevolently here. After all, any person deserves respect and kindness simply because he is a person.

Today on the site we will tell you what you need to know about life in England.

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but more often this country is still called in one word - England.

And the British themselves also emphasize the separation of the Scots, the British, the Welsh and the Irish. And there is also a huge army of those who came to this country from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe.

Great Britain is the largest commercial and financial center in the world. The British are justly proud of the fact that they have made an enormous contribution to the world culture and economy.

Great Britain is one big island and many small islets. The country is separated from continental Europe only by a narrow thirty-kilometer strait. But the difference in the mentality of the British and other Europeans is enormous. Traditions, habits - everything is typically "British".

Many foreigners come to the UK every year. They all receive various rights and benefits. And today on the streets of London there are sometimes more immigrants from Asia and Africa than native Englishmen.

There are many in England and our compatriots. Someone went to London to live their millions, someone came to Great Britain to study at Cambridge or Oxford. And someone just went in search of a better life.

Marrying an Englishman is not so difficult. On many you can see the profiles of the British.

The English language is no longer an obstacle to happiness for our women, as it was a couple of decades ago. Great amount courses helps to learn the language for communication and a comfortable stay in the country for the first time. And then all that remains is to improve it.

If your chosen one lives in Scotland or Wales, it will be more difficult to get used to, but all this is surmountable.

When you move to Britain, you will have to abandon the standard measurement system and start getting used to feet, pounds, inches, miles, dozens, etc. It's hard to get used to it at first. To make your life easier, you can install an application on your phone that will convert data from one metric system to another.

A special feature of Great Britain is left-hand traffic and separate taps, which constantly surprises those who come to the country.

The tradition of guarding the royal palace by guards from the noble family of Gordons is sacredly observed. The colorful form, beautiful changing of the guard ritual attracts crowds of tourists.

Books and films have shaped the image of the Englishman as a polite, cold and reserved person. Yes, the British are really very polite. Even when addressing their child, they always say "please", "thank you." At any opportunity, these phrases sound in a conversation.

But the widespread misconception about the uncommunicativeness of the inhabitants of foggy Albion is fundamentally wrong. Most of them are very cheerful, cheerful, talkative people who will gladly support the conversation and answer any questions you may have. But they have one significant drawback. The British are snobs. They do not like the inhabitants of the third world who have moved to their country. Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, settlers from Africa annoy the British, despite the fact that they do dirty work for a penny, which the indigenous inhabitants of the island would hardly have done.

The British are an amazing mixture of conservatism and a desire for everything new. They honor their traditions, but at the same time they are happy to get acquainted with new cultures, people, and cuisine of other countries. In other countries, you can meet quite a lot of British traveling, who went for new experiences.

The famous English "five o clock" is a tribute to an old tradition. This is an opportunity to meet and chat with close friends or relatives. The tradition of five o'clock tea was adopted by the Americans and many Europeans. Serving something to the table for tea drinking during short friendly gatherings is not customary here. The British drink both tea and coffee a lot, in large mugs. Small coffee cups are often used here. The British love nature and animals. Many families take weekend walks or short hikes in their country.

The amazing adherence to the post of most British people is capable of surprising anyone. It is customary here to buy dozens of postcards while traveling and send them to all relatives, friends and acquaintances. Interesting moment that often the British arrive earlier than their parcels reach, but they do not change traditions. If a grand party, celebration or event is planned, then letters are also sent to all those invited. Even to those who live in the neighborhood. It is customary here to send postcards and congratulations on the holidays, and not just say kind words in person. Almost every Briton has a list of friends and acquaintances to whom he will definitely send a postcard for the New Year or for his birthday.

The British concept of friends is a bit blurry. Here, a friend can be called a close person who is always there, and the one with whom they meet once a month over a cup of tea. But the inhabitants of Albion have interesting tradition- periodically assemble in a complete set by the old company, even after a couple of decades. It is often possible to encounter such a phenomenon that school friends, wherever they are, come to a meeting once a year, or even sometimes more often.

London, Manchester and other major cities employ millions of employees, as these cities are home to the headquarters of large international corporations and trusts, banks and foundations. The salaries of the British are quite decent by the standards of most Europeans. But it's not for nothing that Great Britain is considered one of the most expensive countries in the world!

Tax, insurance, paying the bank for housing or renting an apartment, especially in London, eat up the lion's share of a young family's income. Here, young couples rarely live with their parents. Therefore, until their own housing is purchased, both spouses, as a rule, work in a family. And only after buying it and giving birth to a child, a woman can leave work and stay at home with the child. Not only because he can afford it, but because of the high cost of babysitting services. It is not customary to leave children alone here, even in adolescence.

Self-employed entrepreneurs in the UK do not complain about their lives. A good doctor, lawyer, architect, or dentist strives to become a private professional, not work for an employer. Private entrepreneurs have many responsibilities that they constantly remember. They have to pay taxes, deduct the necessary amounts to their own retirement fund, pay for health insurance, etc.

Most English people do not have a specific diet. Only breakfast is important here. Units do without it. Overall, British cuisine is simple and straightforward. They love meat, sweet sauces for it, boiled vegetables, laid out separately in piles, and fast food. Many people like Indian cuisine, but sometimes they are wary of dishes from other countries. If you decide to treat your chosen one or his friends with delicious Russian borscht, pilaf, cutlets and other dishes, it is not a fact that they will react to this with enthusiasm. Although there will be some curiosity.

English pubs are probably known to everyone. Beer is a favorite drink here. It is not customary in Britain to go to pubs alone, and if you come alone, you may be asked where your friend is. Sitting with friends over a glass of beer is a favorite pastime of most British people. And if there are masts on TV, then you can't imagine better. This is one of the most drinking nations. Many UK residents follow sporting events and prefer to keep abreast of the news. Sports broadcasts are rarely watched alone. Usually people gather in a company in a bar or pub, sometimes at one of their friends. The British love to be members of various sports clubs or associations of interest. It is simply impossible to get into many clubs without a solid recommendation.

The banking system in Britain is very developed, and the services of banks are actively used. Even for children, it is customary here to open a bank account, where money is credited for the child's minor expenses. It is not uncommon to find that if the wife does not work, the husband also donates money for housekeeping not to her personally, but credits it to her account.

The British are distinguished by careful planning. They are not temperamental and rarely do things that are not peculiar to them. If they have planned something, then there is too little likelihood that something will change. Orderliness in everything is one of the main features of the British.

As a rule, in this country people get married late, after 30 years. Average age childbirth for most couples is 32-35 years old.

The true inhabitant of this island is proud of his country and even bad weather. It is not customary to complain about climatic conditions here. Despite the rain and strong winds, the British can go for a walk outside the city.

London is the capital of Great Britain - without exaggeration, we can say that this expression is familiar to almost every inhabitant of the earth. England is also called Foggy Albion, and in recent decades - the homeland of Harry Potter. This is an amazing country with a little eccentric people who consider themselves the British elite. It is customary here to eat oatmeal for breakfast, have tea and not leave the house without an umbrella. This is how life in England is.

How to get to London?

You can read thousands of times about how people live in London, but it's still better to see everything with your own eyes. Not much is needed for this: desire, finances and a visa to England. Contrary to popular belief, there are no monsters in the embassy who, with bloodthirsty enthusiasm, refuse to issue a visa to every second person. The main thing here is to fill out the documents correctly and meet the requirements.

You can make a visa to England yourself by submitting all the relevant documents to the consulate, or you can contact the visa centers, where specialists will do everything for a small surcharge. Usually, people who work unofficially apply to visa centers, and therefore there is no one to issue a certificate to them. However, it is worth remembering that such agencies, although they can draw any "linden", do not give guarantees that the visa will be approved.

Required documents

To get to England, you need to collect a whole package of documents. The first thing to do is fill out a questionnaire. The information must be specified as accurately as possible. Any discrepancy with reality - and the consequences will be dire.

In addition to the questionnaire, you need to take care of a 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photograph in advance. Then you can start collecting all the missing documents:

• A passport with two free pages and an expiration date of at least six months from the date of application.
• A photocopy of the first page of the passport.
• If there is, then the old passports, which will show the history of movements.
• Printed and signed application form.
• The photo.
• Documents confirming marital status.
• Certificate from study or place of work. It is important that it indicates the position, salary and the fact that workplace assigned to the future tourist.
• Bank statement confirming that you have enough money for the trip.
• Information about the booked hotel and air tickets.
• Medical insurance. This item is not required, but will affect the decision to issue a visa.
• Receipt for payment of consular fees.

Such a package of documents is typical for a guest or tourist visa. To obtain a student or work visa, you need to provide additional documents: certificates confirming knowledge of the language, and documents that confirm the presence of an educational or work place.

Foxes and estates

And now about life in England. The first thing that surprises visitors from Russia is the absence of stray animals. This is closely monitored in the country, so that cats and dogs are full-fledged members of English families. But in the cities, wild foxes are often found, but it seems that the British are used to them, but an unprepared person can be frightened. And by the way, the legendary British accent is not found in every city.

Also in the country there is still a division of society into the lower class, the middle class and the aristocrats. These people cannot be confused with each other, they not only look differently, but also talk. Representatives of the middle class earn about 2,000 pounds a month (165,000 rubles) and are actively buying real estate on credit. The British prefer to live in own homes, and not in apartments, as is customary in Russia. Already almost 70% of the British live in private sectors, where there are houses with a separate entrance. Renting such housing costs about 1 thousand pounds (87.5 thousand rubles) per month, plus you also need to pay separately for utilities ≈ 15-20 thousand rubles.

Fish and chips

It also surprises with its cuisine. The signature specialty here is cod fried in batter with French fries. In the morning, they usually serve oatmeal or a classic English breakfast, which includes eggs, sausages, beans, bacon and mushrooms.

Even the British consider themselves the most musical nation, since it was in Great Britain that groups such as The beatles, Queen and The Rolling Stones... The argument, of course, is so-so, but let them believe if they like it.

And along with all this, it is worthwhile to understand that life in England and tourist idleness are not the same thing. Someone says that the country can only be visited for sightseeing or for study. The life of expatriates in England is not as rosy and carefree as it might seem.

Features of migrants

Russian people learn about life in England mainly from the words of those who came from there. But many migrants have one distinctive feature: they lie about their status, career success, earnings and quality of life. In fact, these people can be understood, because not a single person voluntarily admits that he has lost, therefore migrants lie godlessly.

If a person succeeds in getting hooked on some decent job, he will greatly exaggerate his success. And if it didn't work out, and he had to return, he will say that migrants are being pressed, they are not hired, and in general, it is impossible to get anywhere.

The second feature of migrants is, oddly enough, hostility towards their compatriots. The emigrants do not like each other and try to avoid meeting. True, this is only valid for Russian-speaking citizens. Lithuanians or Poles, for example, try to stick together in a foreign country.

Why you don't need to go to England for permanent residence?

It rains here 200 days a year, which makes it easy to get depressed, especially if nothing works out with work. But in addition to rain, the country is often wrapped in an impenetrable veil of fog and there are strong winds. Not everyone is able to endure such weather.

Some newcomers argue that medicine is bad in England. There is no such thing as a preventive examination. If you come to the doctor, then he asks the reason for the visit, when she is not there, then the person is sent home. Before going to a specialist, you need to get a referral from your family doctor.

Life ordinary people too measured in England. Outside the capital, the migrant is unlikely to find any entertainment. Movies, cafes, shops, theaters - all this is available only in London, and in other cities it is not so easy to find them. In addition, establishments operate according to a very strange scheme: banks can close at two in the afternoon, and shopping centers at nine in the evening, no later.

Standard of living

In general, living conditions in England are quite good, but to achieve them, you need to work hard. Here the average salary is high - about 179 thousand rubles, if translated into Russian rubles, and in London - all 290 000. Highly paid specialists are brokers, lawyers, doctors, company executives, sales and marketing managers.

Those who first came to England should not count on mountains of gold. Russian life in England begins with looking for work (if they were not invited to the company in advance). The maximum they have to count on at first is £ 6 per hour, which is the minimum wage in England. For a month, a person can receive about 1000 pounds (depending on who, how and how much will work). This money will be enough to rent the cheapest housing, for the minimum food and also for free expenses. If a person wants to eat normally (almost like an aristocrat), then he will not have free money.

Although the standard of living in England is high, people have to spend too much. The cost of a rented apartment is 900 pounds, food is also much more expensive than we are used to. And on public transport you will have to spend at least 100 pounds a month (about 8 thousand rubles). Also, do not forget about taxes - the higher the salary, the more you give to the state.

Work questions

In a word, you cannot come to England (or any other country) "from the lantern." There is work in England for the Russians, but you need to take care of it in advance. Not a single developed country will refuse a highly qualified specialist with knowledge of the local language. But even if a person is far from being a master of narrow specialization, the British authorities provide a whole list of work visas.

Basic requirements for working in England: knowledge of the language and qualifications. To get a good job, you must have a certificate confirming your knowledge of the language. Knowledge of other languages ​​will be an added advantage.

With regard to qualifications, it is not so simple here. Education and work experience may not qualify labor legislation in England. To check your qualifications, you can use the online service NARIC, which operates on behalf of the British government.

Also, to get a job, you need a sponsorship certificate - this is a kind of letter of guarantee from the employer that the applicant for the job is a highly qualified specialist.

Intermediary firms will help you find a job. But you can try to do it yourself, via the Internet. It is most optimal to look for a job in London, here the local labor market is absolutely unable to cope with the high rates of development.

Retired life

Most migrants are attracted to England by the life of pensioners. Seniors who spend their days in cafes and restaurants with a glass of wine or traveling the world cannot help but cause envy.

In 2016, the UK carried out a pension reform, which resulted in the establishment of a "new state pension" and raised the retirement age to 66 years. To receive a "new state pension", you need to have at least 10 years of work experience. This refers to the experience in the UK. Also, those who have received National Insurance credits for at least 10 years and those who voluntarily paid pension contributions are eligible for an English pension.

So how do retirees live in England? On the covers of glossy magazines and on TV screens, we can see what is good. But they are unlikely to be able to live carefree only on state benefits, here the system is focused on self-sufficiency. Of course, the government does not allow pensioners to live in poverty, providing various benefits, free medicines and additional social benefits, but if a person wants to have a comfortable old age, he must save up for it himself.

Positive points

As in every country, living in England has its positive and negative aspects. The pros and cons of living in England are seen by each migrant in their own way. It is difficult to find a job here due to the high level of competition, if nothing serious has happened to your health, then it is extremely difficult to get medical care, and it also rains here all the time.

But the country is unusually beautiful nature... There are many nature reserves and parks that make the country similar to the England that existed in this place several centuries ago. The same feeling is enhanced by ancient castles and fortresses.

History lovers can settle not just in old, but in super-old houses, which are more than 400 years old. Despite the fact that they have low ceilings, such buildings are always equipped with fireplaces, as large as in the past.

People here are sociable, smiling and easily make contact. In England, it is customary to talk to outsiders on simple, abstract topics. Just making close friends is almost impossible. It's not that the British are cynical and heartless egoists, it's just that they have a different mentality. They are restrained in expressing their emotions and are not inclined to share their experiences over a cup of tea, but are always ready to help.

There is affordable alcohol, cheese and dairy products, but vegetables and fruits good quality it is extremely difficult to find.

It may sound strange, but there is practically no crime in England, so you can safely walk late at night and not be afraid of robbers.

in England

At first glance, it may seem that life in England is no different from the foundations of other European countries, but if you look in more detail, you can find a lot of differences.

As already mentioned, the British love to live in private two-story houses, which is not only a tradition, but also a confirmation of status. Also, the inhabitants of this country save electricity, water and gas. Washing dishes under a stream of water running from the tap is, in their firm conviction, the height of waste. In winter, no one heats houses around the clock. It is believed that it is enough to turn it on for a couple of hours in the morning and in the evening - that's all the heating. It is considered in the order of things to walk around the house in two sweaters, three pairs of socks and go to bed in an embrace with a heating pad.

The British do not wear dressing gowns (except when going from bed to bathroom), stretched tracksuits and slippers. Household clothing usually consists of comfortable trousers and a T-shirt or sweater. do not like to waste time preparing food, and even more do not like to stand in lines every day. Therefore, they buy semi-finished products on Friday or Saturday for the entire next week.

The British are by nature hospitable and helpful people. But here the concept of hospitality is very radically different from that to which the Russian people are accustomed. No one comes here without an invitation, and you shouldn't wait for a magnificently set table "on two floors" either. If the meeting was agreed in advance, then the person will certainly be greeted in a good mood and will be treated with great respect. The British will never discuss their problems with guests; they always have "Everything is fine!"

This is how it is, life in Foggy Albion. It rains here 200 days a year, ancient castles hide among the green crowns of nature reserves, double-decker buses drive around London, and at five o'clock in the evening the whole country sits down to drink tea. Living in England, on the one hand, is difficult, because it is a foreign country, but, on the other hand, there are many places, worth it to be visited, there are many unknown customs and traditions that would be nice to get to know. The echoes of years gone by are still in the air, wide fields with farms stretch under a leaden-gray sky, and similar houses are lined up in a row in the suburbs. It is quiet and almost boring here, but no one complains, because everyone has too many thoughts that require careful thought over a traditional cup of tea.