Dear LPG, 

I am one of those pensioners who, when I was 19, answered the call and took England up on its offer of work opportunities.

Like so many of the others that came over, the plan was a two year stay but I never got around to returning back to the West Indies although I decided that once I retired I would.  I can remember each working day taking ages to pass although the years have flown as they say, and like many others who made that Atlantic crossing back then, we got married, had children who have also made their lives here and decided to stay near them in retirement.

But while many of us stayed, many decided to return home and enjoy the good weather and all the things that they have been missing while working in the UK.  I came over with one such person who, with her husband, returned in retirement having sold her house in England.  It is true that she left pre-Brexit when the pound sterling went a long way over there and, even now exchange rates are not that bad.  So my friends were able to have the most beautiful house built and transport all their special things of intrinsic value, together with all the furniture and other household items they needed. 

The big problem is that after 40 years of living away from home there are things that you cannot take back with you; namely family, friends and the way things were. So many things you left behind are often very different after all that time while the friends and family members you left have often moved on geographically, socially and in so many other ways. 

My friend found this and to make things worse, after just three years her husband died, leaving her in a virtually foreign environment and alone.

She is still there in her beautiful home with regular holidays and telephone calls to her friends and family in London being her link to the other life that she remembers.  When we talk she often tells me of her regret at moving so far away from everything that was familiar to her. 

This is not the same for everyone but I would ask anyone about to retire and considering that big move home to think very carefully about such a decision.

UF, Bellingham.