Tom Bateman said he felt ‘trapped’
A dad swapped a six-figure corporate job in America for a £30,000-a-year job in Yorkshire because he missed British sarcasm and Greggs. Tom Bateman, 35, and his wife Brittany, 36, have lived in the US for 17 years, but now want to bring their four children up in England.
Tom worked in corporate marketing and at the peak of his career was earning more than $200,000 (£150,000) a year. But he felt “trapped by success” and missed English sarcasm and jokes.
He also wanted to be closer to family, so he has taken a whopping 80 per cent pay cut to take a job with his dad, Phil, 64, in Bradford, teaching bike lessons for kids for £30,000 a year. The couple have moved back to find a slower way of life and are happy to make adjustments with a lower pay after selling up all their furniture and cars in the US.
Tom said: “I became more and more successful, but I also felt more trapped by that success. You create these financial situations around yourself – a nicer car, bigger commitments – and they become reasons not to make a change. It wasn’t a midlife crisis, but it felt like a crisis. I wanted to contribute more and be closer to family.”
Tom and Brittany, a stay-at-home mum originally from the US, met in York in 2007 when they were both 17 and attending Bible college. After years of travelling back and forth between the UK and the US, Tom eventually moved to California, where the pair married and began building their life together.
The family later lived in Chicago while Tom completed university before returning to California, where he worked in corporate marketing, including roles with major banks. The family moved to Idaho before 2019 in search of a more affordable lifestyle than in California.
Tom said: “Idaho was fantastic. It’s a bit like the Wild West. People just get on and build things and make things happen.”
But despite enjoying life in America, he increasingly found himself longing for aspects of British life that are difficult to explain to outsiders.
He said: “People say Britain has no culture, but I think it has a very nuanced culture. It’s the humour, the sarcasm, the social cues. It’s the little nods, looks and sighs in the pubs that everyone understands.
“Unless you’ve grown up in it, it’s hard to explain. I love my wife and her family and America has been incredibly welcoming to me. We will definitely be back. But right now, I need to be home.”
Tom’s desire to return home grew stronger in recent years as he missed his parents and brothers, who all live in England. His older brother’s unexpected death at the age of 28 in 2016 also played a role in reshaping his priorities.
He said: “You realise time with family isn’t guaranteed. I missed being around familiarity and I missed my home culture.”
Brittany, who homeschools the couple’s four children – aged between six and 12 – is equally excited about the move.
She said: “Every time we visit England, we end up going for walks. Everything is closer together and there are so many footpaths, villages and little shops to discover. It sounds like a small thing, but we really enjoy that lifestyle.”
The family will also be bringing their two doodle mixes, Charlie and Mabel, across the Atlantic. While Tom is looking forward to reconnecting with family, he already has a list of British favourites waiting for him.
He said: “I’m excited for Greggs and proper curry… and a pint in the pub.”
The couple are also looking forward to spending more time exploring the Yorkshire Dales without the pressure of fitting everything into a short holiday. As moving day approaches, however, the reality of the decision still hasn’t fully sunk in.
Tom said: “We’ve spent years visiting England for four or five weeks at a time. So I keep wondering whether it will feel like another long visit when we land.
“At some point we’ll realise we’re not going back to Idaho. That’s when it will probably start to feel real.”
