First topic message reminder :

Experiences of Brits Abroad

Please feel free to post you experiences here good or bad or indifferent? please be careful about anything you post and please do not mention any names of individuals, if you do post anything and a member wishes to know more they can then send you a pm for more information however there is nothing wrong with you posting the facts so long as it has been dealt with through any court of law and come to a conclusion, Ok that's the legal stuff over with so its over to you to share your experiences.

Just WOW.

What a good topic this is. I myself have never experienced anything like what Brian has and the reason is I do keep myself to myself quite a lot but it does make me very lonely sometimes but I see it as a small price to pay to avoid this type of thing which could happen to any of us, I'm not so small minded as to think it only happens to those who live here that would be bonkers, I know of a couple who were forced out of Bulgaria by another person who posted rubbish about them on many forums so I fully understand why Brian has posted the information about his experience of Bulgaria. To all those who read this whatever members post of their experience live here or not it's all very important.

Itchyfeet I am sorry but you do not know the history behind Willowsends post. It is very relevant and his terrible story of retribution by a person involved in his property being sold without his knowledge filled many pages of many Brits abroad forums. I don't think Bryan would want it all dragged up again but he is clearly still receiving threats. Some of them over the telephone and some involving death threats. Many of us living or with holiday homes over here supported him in his two year fight through the Bulgarian courts. He got his property back but this one Brit involved in the scam has never got over the fact that he had been outed.
This is a very bad instance of what Brits can do while living abroad but many others have had their lives blighted by bad people who have come to live here in order to carry on scams which they probably did in Britain. Some, like myself have found life so unbearable that the only recourse is to leave and move elsewhere or back to England. One Brit who was praised on forums for a while is actually now in gaol!
People who complain about Britain today should bear in mind that all of England is not bad and the government is not all bad although obviously some things annoy many people. I'm all for coming abroad to live for a simpler lifestyle or to have a place for a holiday or to learn more about another culture but to come to Bulgaria of all places thinking it is better than Britain beggars belief to me. Bulgaria has many problems and is a very poor country with outdated bureaucracy which can equal any in Britain and in a foreign language.
I have written on 3 forums of the wonderful life I have found in Bulgaria and have been at pains to keep a positive attitude to the downsides. Sometimes people have said I should take off my rose coloured spectacles. Well, we have had as many problems as anyone else has but Bulgaria became my home and I have always seen the good and promoted it especially my village where we have been so accepted.
After 9 years I am sad to say that I have joined the other Brits who have been so traumetised by the behaviour of fellow Brits that have decided to return to their roots where they now realise its not so bad after all. There is still a sense of community in Britain although there are places where its not comfortable to live. I accept that but please do not rubbish Britain just because you think you have found something better. Its just different and if you meet some of the unpleasant Brits as we have then you too might decide to move on.

bgbazz wrote:

That sort of rubbish is the product of a very sick mind..find the email addy of New Scotland Yard and every time one of these appears in your inbox, don't open it, just press the forward button and send it on. They have the ways and means....

That is sound advice bgbazz, I will do that also forward it to my PM Sir Tony Baldry

I have to add to this that my life in bg has been mostly positive and I can honestly say have never experienced anything like the of Brian. I love my life here and would really want to change it for anything else but just like any country its a daily challenge which I grab by the horns and throw myself into, I'm not one of these people who have been here 5 mins and think I have found utopia which is what a lot do!! I do love it here as I have said but that doesn't mean its the end of my journey, I see bg as a stepping stone and yes I may leave here one day but if I do I also know that I may also return.

Well what an enlightening topic this is going to be. I don't live in Bulgaria full time but I do spend most of the year there so I wonder if I'm allowed or qualified to comment at all Itchy? From what I can read you have only been in Bulgaria for 5 mins and now you think you can tell respected members on this forum where they can post. Sorry but I disagree. I have had many experiences here in Bulgaria some good and some not so good and I will write here later of 1 or 2 of them.

Before we get too bogged down in the bad Brits experiences I feel I should balance this with good Brits and a very happy lifestyle in Bulgaria. We first arrived in 2004. We casually provided accommodation in the front part of our house for a modest fee and gave lots of personal info which we had gained since moving in to this new lifestyle. We made friends and kept in touch. We found two homes in the village for people who had rented with no thoughts of commission I might add. My Hero looked after their homes by strimming keeping keys paying bills like a management company but charging much less. When we spotted a new arrival I always welcomed them and said we were always there to offer help or advice but would not impinge on their lives by popping in unannounced. All was great for two years. Then some new people arrived and made it obvious that civilities would be strained. A new bar owner also took over. It was awkward when we all met in the bar where we had made all our Bulgarian friends, because they gradually took over the old boys no smoking table and we began sitting away from them with our local friends. I can see in a very small bar this might have been taken as a hostile move and the subsequent jokes which we had always had with the locals, might well have seemed as though it was poking fun at them because they would not have understood the language or the humour.
Things went from bad to worse when two other couples moved in and one found me on a forum (not this one) I had a message from the Mods asking if I knew this person and they were banned but they popped up on the other I used. All their posts sounded pleasant and chatty but then I voiced an opinion on a soapbox page asking what folk thought of Brits smoking in non-smoking areas and allowing dogs in a bar which normally banned them. I named no names but obviously the lurker knew who I was and took it that I had made the new rules in the bar! Of course I didn't I would never tell tales on anyone but I do have the right to a polite opinion and most people supported me on the topic. It was the Mayor enforcing the new EU rules but people always believe the better story don't they?....

Well, I am not going into chapter and verse about how events progressed except to say it didn't get better and it has been going on for at least 4 years. It involved an assault on My Hero which went to court, the guy (Bulgarian but set up in a conspiracy) pleaded guilty but the whole story was never heard and the Brit witnesses who shouted 'go on hit him' never appeared. I asked these people why they disliked us so much after we had helped them and I then finally got a letter through the post which was so vile I nearly had a heart attack. It was full of lies. Since that both of us ignored the situation. As you all know, my Hero continued to help the Community and is almost a paid up member of the strimming team. I stayed in isolation except for my choir appearances with my choir lady friends. We did as everyone has suggested and ignored the whole thing. However, I felt I should leave the choir if this upset some of them and now we both realise that things are never going to improve. The bar owner is not legal and allowed the Brits to have their own drinking club (bring your own drinks!) and if a few of the heavier Bulgarians go there they are often banned or the door locked. Most now use the local shop. So now the village is becoming involved and that is why I believe its time for us to leave. As I have written many times how I love Bulgaria (warts and all) and especially our lovely village and its inhabitants, I can't bear the thought that a divided community seems to be occurring. Originally the villagers pleaded with us to stay but nothing has changed and seems to be getting worse so for the benefit of all concerned it is better to leave the party now. Life moves on and goodness knows what will happen to these Brits who may well have spread a juicier side of the story further afield although, because we do not attend any of these Brit events we will never know if they do or not but equally we cannot meet people who might well think we are okay. I don't feel I should play the victim and have no need to tell my side of the story because it all becomes hearsay and gossip between warring parties.
Because I am retired I am happy to return to my roots and civilized people because where we are going seems a very nice place to live. Not all of Britain is a sink estate as media hype tells us and there are good, friendly people still around and we will be near family although we will not be popping in to them all the time either.
I have read some really bad experiences from other Brits here and at least one (besides Willow) had to lose his business and return to Britain out of pocket and unhappy.
So there you have it folks - or some of it. I hate to have to write this but my blood does start to boil when I read so many untruths on the internet that the otherside of life here should maybe be told. Thanks to Admin for starting the topic. Life in Bulgaria can be great as I have truthully told but there are people around, mostly Brits, though sometimes Bulgarians too, who are not nice and thanks to the internet its difficult to tell the good from the bad.

:Good post:How can you reply to that honest assessment of life in Bulgaria. Annie, that was written from the heart wasn't it and :Good luck:when you return to your grass roots
There have been many interesting and true life stories covering a wide range of topic's. :Thank you:and well done Admin for coming up with this one and allowing members to share good and bad experiences in Bulgaria

I am so sorry to hear the vialations that have happened to others by their own country men.
We have never encountered any thing bad here Run in to a couple of English clicks of people and then did a U turn.
We live with Bulgarians Turks Greeks and Dutch no English people in our town We have lots of English friends peppered around Bulgaria and we are fortunate that they are good friends.
Bulgarian living is as i remember my life as a child. Working with grandad gardening and farming rearing pigs chickens sheep and lambs growing our own food Then working with nan and mum in the kitchen cooking preserving sewing all good down to earth things. Helping any one in need and running in the fields and the streams with the dogs.
After a very hectic professional life of 40 years work retirement came and all i wanted to do is return to the good old fashion ways and here in Bulgaria we found it. For those looking to buy move and settle here please don't be put off by the stories on here We and a lot of people we know are living a good happy contented life and giving back by means of charities and language classes etc where we can. To be sharing again in a life that it bliss is wonderful Blessings to those of you who are suffering at the hands of others

Chrissybg I am so happy you are living the life of your past. I wonder how many years you have lived in Bulgaria. I ask because that is the life I love here having spent time on an Aunts smallholding in the summer as a child because my parents were working in our hotel.
What you are experiencing is exactly what I experienced in Bulgaria and what I loved. It has been spoilt by a few Brits who just want to sit in a bar on their own night after night without any interaction with the locals at all. Each to their own. Unfortunately ours is a small village and without a car, not easy to meet others although I know I have supportive friends elsewhere. Even if we had a car I wouldn't want to travel miles to see people. I applaud those Brits who do their bit in Bulgaria via charities, it is wonderful work, but I am sure that these folk have their poblems with those who become jealous of their success and ultimate media notoriety. If you are in business in any way people don't have the priviledge I now have of speaking their minds. All I have ever done is promote the best of Bulgaria and I do not want these posts to put people off the life here. Once more I will mention that its essential to get involved with Bulgarian life as much as you can. Start by introducing yourself to the Mayor (fortunately ours is a very nice man) and then just watch what goes on and go for walks around your village. Soon you will become a local and some Bulgarians will speak to you and give you fruit and veg maybe. Even with little language skills lots of laughs can be had using sign language. As no-one spoke English when we first arrived we had to learn and it was much appreciated. If you live totally in an expat bubble you will inevitably end up with stories like ours. Sad but true.
I might mention that when I lived with family in Canada for 4 years we received respect and friendship from the Canadians who actually told us we were not like most Brits who frequented the inevitable English club and who constantly bemoaned life in Canada which we found amazing. That was back in the '60s. I know Britain now has foreign communities but they work and learn English besides having their own outlets for familiar foods. Forget the fanatics who are spoiling life for them and those unemployed Brits who don't want to do many of the jobs that foreigners are happy to do. Unfortunately the employment situation for Brits in Bulgaria is difficult without a full grasp of Bulgarian and that is why there are so many carboots etc. However all this should be born in mind when coming here and not let the politics of envy spoil the lives of those who are quite content.

Hello oldun we have been here 10 years now. I agree work with all that is Bulgarian from the mayor to the roma helpers in the garden.Intrigate learn the language thank you and please good morning etc are so important use sign language and show interest in to others lives and build the community that you want here. In saying that if others choose a different type of community in the bars then that is their choice too but all i say is it doesn't have to be like that Eating out socializing is wonderful we do but to be known as a drunk or drinker by bulgarians will not do the brit abroad any favours.
Their are only two crimes in the world. Greed or sex. these lead to burgulary jealously murder fights anger all the terrable things The Bulgarians and other nationalities may be the same the wonder of wonders is we can't understand all they say so in our little town we are living in bliss

We have been here 6 years now, and we are still living our dream. We have a detached house which we could never have been able to afford in the UK, a place which we can call a garden rather than the postage stamp we have back in the UK. Yes we do still own our house in the UK as we are always aware that you never know what can happen. We have had good and bad experiences of people in BG both Brits and Bulgarian and to be truthful there are good and bad on both sides. To give one example of the good we met a man who ran an estate agency in Yambol, now we never bought a house through his company but knew of him on the internet. I called in to say hello one day after going to the gym. We had a chat as you do and I mentioned that I needed a hasp for a door. He explained that there was no such thing in BG and explained what the Bulgarians use. He then told me where to get the said device. I said I will go later as I had nothing on me apart from what I was wearing. He then gave me a bo******ng for not carrying my passport and lent me 10 Lev to buy what I needed. Now to me he handed me the hand of friendship and the trust that I would repay the money, not bad for a first meeting. We still meet on rare occasions and trade the odd insult to each other in the best of terms of course. He also invited us to a gathering of people as well so that we could met some other Brits, he paid for our meal &
drinks as well. As it happens we never did meet up with any of them again but his intentions were in the right place. Proves that there are some nice guys around. I will refrain from talking about the bad as these things are in the past and you must look forward

Nice post Tonyb60 which seems to have stopped this topic. I agree with what you say and that is why we are moving on. I don't wish to spend my twilight years in the same place, however beautiful it is, with the kind of people I have been talking about. I have refrained from talking about these bad people before and have always talked about the good guys of which there are many. What you have said is just what hurts me the most. Many people say they don't want to be involved which means that they have offered no support to us at all. We know people who have said they are our friends but have never helped us at all in our hour of need because they don't want to be involved. That is not friendship in my book.I would like to ask two questions - if your partner had been assaulted in a village street which ended up in court would you not be very upset? If you received a lying poisonous letter would you not be upset? I think you would. Well, these are just two of the things which have happened to us as I have explained, so it doesn't help much but makes me feel worse, when someone implies that I should forget all this and just refrain from talking about it. Thanks that helps me a lot.
People have suggested that I won't like England because it has changed so much in the years I have been abroad. So would it be better to suffer the humiliation and nastiness by staying here? Is Bulgaria really so much better or are many people making the best of a bad decision because they can't return? I wish I had the luxury of still having a home back in Britain but I haven't and it is a huge decision I have made together with my Hero but we are both of the opinion it is right for us. Judging by the number of beautiful properties on websites there are many people who share my opinion otherwise they would not be selling at this very bad time.

sorry, but i dont believe that tonys input has put a stop on this topic and i am surprised you even said that. we have all had different experiences of dealing with brits abroad, good, bad or indifferent, its up to each individual to choose what to share on this forum, but it should be respected rather than challenged or questioned.