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If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

place to discuss doing things round and about the UK or to ask advice about other locations
moorfield
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50726

Postby moorfield » May 2nd, 2017, 9:07 pm

ElectronicFur wrote:I finally decided to move away from the rat race, and so we can move away from living near London.

Where would you choose and recommend?

We are still weighing up all our requirements, and what we're willing to trade off, but our only restriction is that it needs to be near the major hospitals, for partners work, and near a school for our 3 year old.



Don't think anyone has mentioned Cambridge / Addenbrookes Hospital yet. Two rail lines into London (if you feel the need not to sever ties completely), but it's a boom town currently as far as property prices are concerned. Head further north or south and you'll find some fantastic gems of villages.

AleisterCrowley
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50883

Postby AleisterCrowley » May 3rd, 2017, 12:04 pm

Cambridge is VERY expensive - I doubt it's any cheaper than London suburbs. There seems to be a lot of new development up that way also, which is rarely good news for 'quality of life' - your country walk becomes 1000 acres of 'executive housing' and business parks.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50889

Postby DiamondEcho » May 3rd, 2017, 12:12 pm

@Moorfield I mentioned Cambridge in a post c2 weeks ago in this thread. And I explained why I think it should work for us...

AleisterCrowley wrote:Cambridge is VERY expensive - I doubt it's any cheaper than London suburbs. There seems to be a lot of new development up that way also, which is rarely good news for 'quality of life' - your country walk becomes 1000 acres of 'executive housing' and business parks.


IMHO it's relative rather than an absolute. It depends where you are moving from and what area of Cambridge you are considering.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50920

Postby AleisterCrowley » May 3rd, 2017, 1:49 pm

Yes indeed, but I get impression that moving between similar properties in London 'burbs and Cambridge wouldnt release a lot of capital.
Cambridge does look nice - better than Oxford, which strikes me as a sprawling south Midlands industrial town with an Olde Universitye theme park in the middle. They've ruined the Oxford station approach with that business school that looks like an out-of-town Tesco, and have built some ugly accommodation near Port Meadow

moorfield
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50932

Postby moorfield » May 3rd, 2017, 2:37 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:@Moorfield I mentioned Cambridge in a post c2 weeks ago in this thread. And I explained why I think it should work for us...


Many apologies - missed that! Yes Cambridge is just about on the magic 60 minute boundary from London terminals so the transport links should work ok for you.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#50945

Postby DiamondEcho » May 3rd, 2017, 3:04 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:Yes indeed, but I get impression that moving between similar properties in London 'burbs and Cambridge wouldnt release a lot of capital.
Cambridge does look nice - better than Oxford, which strikes me as a sprawling south Midlands industrial town with an Olde Universitye theme park in the middle. They've ruined the Oxford station approach with that business school that looks like an out-of-town Tesco, and have built some ugly accommodation near Port Meadow


IMO it's perhaps not possible to generalise to that extent. Please don't think I'm boasting or anything, I'm not, but just to give an illustration, this is what I consider a good example of supply/demand vs compound growth - In our case I could sell the 2-bed flat in London and buy a 3-4 bed house + garden in an established/desirable area of Cambridge [CB] and have significant funds left over. 2-3 year ago I subscribed by e-mail to receive new property listings for CB and have been keeping a casual eye on what's available where and what it costs, so have some confidence that I have that right.
For context: I bought my first home in London in 1992 after scraping together the deposit over 2 years by worked all hours [>80hrs/week] as a temp on a baseline £6-8/hr. I was hired, taking their 'temp to perm' offer on a salary of c£25k enough for a c£50k mortgage. And moved twice subsequently within a 400-600M radius to now owning the current place. That 1992 FTB was recently resold for c12/+ times what I paid for it. Circa 1/2 the value of my current place. Astonishing compound growth. So perhaps the point is if you've owned over a long period in London, moving out of town and getting more space is, within reason, pretty much a given. And the wider point there I feel is there were plenty of others like me in that one company alone. Temping, saving the income, getting hired and then buying our first home. This fits with the [then] thinking of you try and live near work when the demand on your time is highest, and only move for space/lifestyle when the commute can fit into the demands of the job. So maybe move to the suburbs when/if children enter the picture. Perhaps move further out come retirement. Maximising exposure to commutable London property over the long-term has perhaps become a proxy pension for when you finally are done with living in town.

Yes, I looked at Oxford too, and coming from the West Country know it pretty well anyway, I might expect to feel quite at home there but somehow don't. It is incomparable to CB. It used to get far worse traffic through the centre. And to me the layout of the centre is rather incoherent. Cambridge never really had that traffic problem, perhaps as through traffic to points north could also use the A1 and M1, which don't go through CBs town centre. Oxford has a bypass now but it's not that long ago that it didn't [AFAIR]. So to me CB is laid out in a more er.... 'classical' unspoilt way, and therein lies a good amount of it's charm. But now with the growth of Stanstead airport, and the improved railway network it is also becoming much more commutable, esp. because commuters can work effectively whilst travelling [computers+internet etc]. So the price step-down from London to places like that has certainly somewhat eroded in recent years.

ps no probs Moorfield!

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#53090

Postby Redmires » May 12th, 2017, 6:02 pm

EF[/quote]

Hi EF,

Have you considered Monmouthshire / Wye Valley just in to S Wales?
Cardiff, Newport, Abergavenny and Bristol hospitals within reach (Severn
Bridge tolls reducing soon). Many good rural primary schools around.

We moved here seventeen years ago and have not regretted it!

Cheers,
P[/quote]

Agreed. We moved to the Usk valley about 18 months ago and it's the best move we ever made, now living between Usk/Abergavenny. We always planned to move somewhere more rural from our South Yorkshire home when our child went to Uni. An internal vacancy came up in Newport so we spent a few days in the area before making the decision. It was a easy decision to make. The pace of life is slower, the roads are quiet (except for the M4 around Newport) and the countryside is beautiful. Larger towns and cities are on tap if required but aren't missed at all. As for culture - we're off to the cinema tonight. The village hall has a monthly showing and for £5 each you get the film, a cup of tea and Welsh cakes. What's not to like ?

There's a natural burial ground nearby and that's where I intend to end my days :)

tjh290633
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#53101

Postby tjh290633 » May 12th, 2017, 6:44 pm

pbarne wrote:Hi EF,

Have you considered Monmouthshire / Wye Valley just in to S Wales?
Cardiff, Newport, Abergavenny and Bristol hospitals within reach (Severn
Bridge tolls reducing soon). Many good rural primary schools around.

We moved here seventeen years ago and have not regretted it!

Cheers,
P


I was brought up in the Forest of Dean, and went to school in Monmouth. My preference lies on the English side of Offa's Dyke, and having seen the floods in 1947 I would steer clear of the lower lying areas. Monnow Street was flooded for a long way up, and the only road in from the east was the Wye Valley road to Chepstow. The dip at the bottom of May Hill was impassable.

Which side of the border you choose is obviously a personal choice, but the Forest has a lot of character.

TJH

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#70781

Postby Longtermyieldman » July 30th, 2017, 6:41 pm

Finding this thread fascinating, as I currently live on the London/Surrey borders, am early retired, so am considering relocating. Proximity to family isn't an overriding concern. Personal priorities are:

- Fast, reliable broadband, good mobile coverage
- Close enough to London to get there and back the same day, if needs be
- Close to a city where there is culture and shopping
- Close to the sea and countryside
- Decent weather
- Ideally cheaper than where I currently live; definitely not more expensive

So far my shortlist consists of:

- Bournemouth
- Exeter
- Eastbourne
- Seaford
- Chichester

In all cases I'm including the surrounding countryside.

Looking at a map, Portsmouth and Southampton would be on the list too. Apologies for offending anyone who has links to them, but I think they're pretty run down. Brighton could also be a candidate, except that house prices there have soared.

I'd appreciate feedback on my shortlist from people who live in/around these places, or know them well.

Lootman
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#70794

Postby Lootman » July 30th, 2017, 7:25 pm

Longtermyieldman wrote:So far my shortlist consists of:

- Bournemouth
- Exeter
- Eastbourne
- Seaford
- Chichester

I'd appreciate feedback on my shortlist from people who live in/around these places, or know them well.

I'm biased, since I've had a house in Devon for the last 20 years since my children started at a school down there. But I love Exeter. A few reasons:

1) It's close to the ocean one way and Dartmoor NP the other way.
2) It's just 2 hours from Paddington by the fastest train
3) Nice size. Big enough to have various cultural venues but small enough that you can walk across the city city centre in 10 minutes or bike anywhere.
4) Major hospital and university
5) Good restaurants, including a Cote (which is always a good sign IMO)
6) An airport which has a surprising number of destinations because it is the hub and HQ for Flybe. Direct flights to Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and (recently) London City
7) An hour from Plymouth for ferries to Brittany, to Cornwall on the A303 and to Bristol if you need a bigger city.
8) Low crime, mild weather and the Cathedral Green and the Quay are good places to gather when the sun is out.

Of your other choices, I only know Bournemouth and I prefer Exeter.

UncleEbenezer
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#70827

Postby UncleEbenezer » July 30th, 2017, 9:56 pm

Lootman wrote:I'm biased, since I've had a house in Devon for the last 20 years since my children started at a school down there. But I love Exeter. A few reasons:

It has its attractions. But the downside seems to be a high proportion of very ugly and depressing residential areas and houses, with what's nicer (and older) being very much on the pricey side. Plymouth is much cheaper, though for very good reasons.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#70830

Postby Lootman » July 30th, 2017, 10:17 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:
Lootman wrote:I'm biased, since I've had a house in Devon for the last 20 years since my children started at a school down there. But I love Exeter. A few reasons:

It has its attractions. But the downside seems to be a high proportion of very ugly and depressing residential areas and houses, with what's nicer (and older) being very much on the pricey side. Plymouth is much cheaper, though for very good reasons.

True, although you could say that about a lot of English towns and cities. The area to the East of the city centre - St. Leonards - is the nicest. Broadly a diamond from the cathedral to the new'ish Waitrose to the hospital and then down to the river. Not cheap, as you say, and some of the larger homes are over a million. But then I doubt that the other towns on that list are cheap either.

Incidentally, part of the reason that Exeter has some nasty, modern neo-brutalist architecture is because of WW2. Whilst Plymouth was bombed for its obvious military significance, Exeter really didn't have any and so was spared until Hitler ordered his infamous Baedeker raids, targeting cities of historical and cultural interest e.g. Exeter, Bath, Canterbury, Norwich and York. Baedeker was a popular range of tourist guides at the time and it is said that Hitler referred to the UK edition to decide where to bomb:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baedeker_Blitz

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#70836

Postby redsturgeon » July 30th, 2017, 10:43 pm

Longtermyieldman wrote:Finding this thread fascinating, as I currently live on the London/Surrey borders, am early retired, so am considering relocating. Proximity to family isn't an overriding concern. Personal priorities are:
I live in Winchester
- Fast, reliable broadband, good mobile coverage Tick Virgin cable
- Close enough to London to get there and back the same day, if needs be Tick, one hour to Waterloo
- Close to a city where there is culture and shopping Has its own plus 12 miles from Southampton.
- Close to the sea and countryside Tick, South Downs National Park, New Forest, Coast within 40 minutes.
- Decent weather Tick
- Ideally cheaper than where I currently live; definitely not more expensive Not sure where you live but it's not cheap


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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71049

Postby Longtermyieldman » July 31st, 2017, 8:10 pm

Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming!

So far Exeter is looking an interesting option. Other than some ugly city centre architecture the only major negative I can see is that the cost of a rail ticket to/from London is high relative to some of the other places on the list.

Redsturgeon, thanks for the recommendation for Winchester. I know and like it, but rejected it on cost grounds. Little if any cheaper than my corner of Surrey, sadly. That's the nub of the challenge: I'm trying to find somewhere nice, and connected, but not (too) costly.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71060

Postby Lootman » July 31st, 2017, 8:32 pm

Longtermyieldman wrote:Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming!So far Exeter is looking an interesting option. Other than some ugly city centre architecture the only major negative I can see is that the cost of a rail ticket to/from London is high relative to some of the other places on the list.

Exeter is making major improvements in remediating those post-WW2 monstrosities. As an example, the new'ish John Lewis gave a complete facelift to what was a horrendous monolithic concrete block. See for yourself:

https://www.google.com/search?q=exeter+ ... 66&bih=662

The PrincessHay shopping district was sympathetically done.

And there are some fairly grand plans to redo the hopelessly depressing central bus station:

https://www.google.com/search?q=exeter+ ... 66&bih=662

Re the train fare, if you have a rail card then a "super off-peak return" to or from London is about 55 quid.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71085

Postby Longtermyieldman » July 31st, 2017, 9:43 pm

Thanks Lootman. Re the rail card, what type of card do you recommend?

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71104

Postby Lootman » August 1st, 2017, 12:04 am

Longtermyieldman wrote:Thanks Lootman. Re the rail card, what type of card do you recommend?

Whichever one you qualify for, as they all have conditions and qualification criteria.

I have a senior rail care because I am over 60.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71133

Postby tea42 » August 1st, 2017, 8:41 am

What I dislike about Exeter is the traffic, I always find it rather intimidating there. Otherwise it's a nice place. The Cosy Club is a nice place for a lunch.

I live in what looks like a very nondescript village 5 miles from a big town. It has everything for day to day needs and is set in lovely countryside. A garage, a decent small supermarket, proper butcher, post office, vet, health centre, dentist, brown coated ironmonger, newsagent, chemist, cash machines, but no bank!
We see lots of walkers and cyclists from London at the weekend. The community spirit is something you won't find in large town's or cities, lots of clubs and activities. Primary and Secondary schools, library and village hall, couple of pubs, several restaurants. I hardly ever drive to the town. Being retired I have a bus pass, it takes about 25 minutes with no cost or parking hassle. A summer alternative is to go by bike. I can be in London by rail in just over an hour and at a large international airport in under an hour. There are several cinemas and a theatre within half an hour or less travelling. We have a village theatre club and we regularly go to shows in London and other local towns. One lady who moved here looked for 2 years with her scoresheet of 20 points, the highest she scored was 14 until she racked up all 20 here. It's possible to live a very full life without living in a large town or city. My advice would be to make a checklist like she did and check places out. Having found this place 40 years ago I wouldn't want to leave it, it's too convenient.

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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71137

Postby redsturgeon » August 1st, 2017, 8:55 am

tea42 wrote:What I dislike about Exeter is the traffic, I always find it rather intimidating there. Otherwise it's a nice place. The Cosy Club is a nice place for a lunch.

I live in what looks like a very nondescript village 5 miles from a big town. It has everything for day to day needs and is set in lovely countryside. A garage, a decent small supermarket, proper butcher, post office, vet, health centre, dentist, brown coated ironmonger, newsagent, chemist, cash machines, but no bank!
We see lots of walkers and cyclists from London at the weekend. The community spirit is something you won't find in large town's or cities, lots of clubs and activities. Primary and Secondary schools, library and village hall, couple of pubs, several restaurants. I hardly ever drive to the town. Being retired I have a bus pass, it takes about 25 minutes with no cost or parking hassle. A summer alternative is to go by bike. I can be in London by rail in just over an hour and at a large international airport in under an hour. There are several cinemas and a theatre within half an hour or less travelling. We have a village theatre club and we regularly go to shows in London and other local towns. One lady who moved here looked for 2 years with her scoresheet of 20 points, the highest she scored was 14 until she racked up all 20 here. It's possible to live a very full life without living in a large town or city. My advice would be to make a checklist like she did and check places out. Having found this place 40 years ago I wouldn't want to leave it, it's too convenient.


It must be Midsomer! ;)

John

tea42
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Re: If you could live anywhere in the UK where would you choose?

#71179

Postby tea42 » August 1st, 2017, 10:40 am

Yes, we get coach loads of tourists, Germans French etc on Midsomer Murders tours locally. The Ironmongers was in a recent episode and closed for several days, most inconvenient! Better than B&Q you can buy single screws, none of those expensive packets... :lol:


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