” I’ve always loved England and visited there frequently for many years, but you wouldn’t get me to go there on a bet these days.”
I feel the same way . Heck , even many Brits don’t want to be there .
I visited 6 times between 1976-1983 for a total of about 20 weeks and had a helluva good time without a hassle . Miss the pubs .
I would strongly suggest that you do visit Britain again. Don’t let sensationalist tabloid stories about the UK put you off. We are indeed having problems with gangs etc at the moment, in rough inner-city areas. However, these problems are really not as bad as in similar areas of the US. Put it this way: in the UK indiviudual crimes featuring the discharging of firearms make the headline news still. If you get off the city tracks and visit areas such as the Lake District, Cornwall, the Brecon Beacons and the English countryside you’ll love it: and the pubs are as good as ever (although you have to go outside for a cigarette now).
The stories about emigrating Brits have been exaggerated. 196,000 Brits left the UK last year: yet, using stats for the past decade, about 50% will return within a few years. We live in a global age of mass migration and most Brits leaving the UK just want to go somewhere a bit sunnier.