What Do UK Expats From Yorkshire Miss The Most?

Depending on their original location in the UK, British expats miss certain home comforts more than most other nationalities seem to.

The lure of living overseas in a permanently hot climate is strong for many Brits who’re simply fed up with rain, extended cold winters and parliamentary chaos. Waking up every morning for the rest of their lives to sunshine, birdsong, a gently breeze and a view over the ocean can be had, but once the gloss of new arrival has melted away, missing certain home comforts can become problematic.

In addition, many of the UK’s secondary cities have lures of their own, with Leeds being no exception. As with many cities and smaller towns in the north of England, residents of Leeds hold the city in their hearts no matter where they’re living. It’s an ‘oop North’ thing, impossible for those born in and around the city to eradicate, as many social media outlets confirm.

Recently, one former Leeds resident now living in Canada asked fellow members of a Leeds-based online outlet what they missed most, sparking at least 100 replies. The original poster admitted to missing the shopping, the British sense of humour and the TV shows, with many others chiming in with their own favourites. Another Leeds-born expat in Canada said real beer, old buildings, banter, country pubs, history and heritage and rugby were all on his ‘most-missed’ list, with another now living in Australia pining for another glimpse of the stunning Yorkshire moorland heights, Yorkshire humour and fish ‘n chips.

A Yorkshireman in South Africa voted for pork pies, mushy peas, country pubs, parks and the Yorkshire folk themselves, saying he’d never stop thinking of Yorkshire as home. Another female expat now in France voted for genuine Yorkshire tea, something she’d been able to buy until recently, when it disappeared. The special Yorkshire brew had a good number of other fans, including one guy living in Florida who chose it and the genuine folks in Leeds as his most-missed, along with the bakery delights offered by Greggs.

One former Leeds United footie fan said the Elland Road stadium was his most-missed location, with Yorkshire pudding and mushy peas as his culinary delights. One thing’s for sure, if expats were born, bred and lived in Leeds before leaving on a permanent basis, a small part of this much-loved city and county remains in all their hearts.