“Over the boom years , very many people thought that the grass was greener on the other side. The British colonised the Mediterranean, Florida and the West Indies. Then the recession came....everywhere, it seems, except China and India. Britain has had it bad, but not as severe as all those places where people escaped to find what they thought would be a better life.

I very nearly escaped myself, but I'm so glad I couldn't. It may not be perfect here, but I'm used to it..........so I'll stay.”

“If the rest of the world offered the same benefits as the UK then it would be pretty much a level playing field, but then I doubt anyone would come here just for the sake of the weather.”