to want to move 'up north'?

[onemiddlefinger]

That is if South Yorkshire is actually considered 'up north'?
We have always lived in London and now DH might have a job offer near Sheffield and i'm actually surprised that really want to move.
If someone told me 3 years ago that we might be moving nearly 3h away from London i would have been laughing, but now it might be a reality and i'm really hoping it works out.

We would have less money each month, but i would be able to stay home with DC for a few years and we would have much more space, a lovely house, a garden and DH would have more free time to spend with us.
I'm just so sick and tired of squeezing into our tiny flat and worrying about the downstairs neighbours coming to complain again about the noise and the commute on packed tube trains and just generally people everywhere.

AIBU?
Maybe it's just a phase of being fed up and once we actually move i'll be missing London? This is really all i can think about the last few days and in my head i'm already decorating the house and imagining us there - kids happy playing, our family able to come and visit (they live in another country) and actually be able to stay with us comfortably.

Sheffield? Not exactly the far north, but very lovely. Can get from Doncaster to London in about two hours on the right train, too.

Up north is great, I am currently down south and yearn to return.

However, I agree with the lady who said to be sure. Financially it will be v v hard to reverse your choice. My brother has rented out his london property and rented up north whilst they make certain they are sure about their move.

Leeds isn't dirty! What makes you say that?!

I'm Scottish by origin and moved South to "oop North". Love it here, in Leeds. I'm in a suburb to the north west of the city and can drive to work in the city centre in 20mins.

oh yea - and we northerners get very filled with northern pride when someone slates our areas!!

God yes, the chip shops. Seen to be open for an hour a day, and not when you're actually hungry.

I'm from the far north so my family think my kids with Darlington accents (think Vic Reeves) are southerners. But we lived in the south before. London might be great if you are rich and don't have kids but in my experience there's not much culture in the London hinterland until you reach Birmingham. In the North the culture is everywhere and is family friendly. We've got three national parks within an hours drive, five World Heritage sites within 2 hours (London has 1), some incredible stately homes (Castle Howard, Harewood House, Chatsworth to name a few highlights), Michelin starred restaurants, lots of theatres and the money to afford them (last time we took the kids to London a family member took us to the theatre, it cost 4 times as much to see a kids show there than it does to see exactly the same show here). Schools are great, childcare is cheap, housing is cheap (agree we can't match the price increases of London but I'd rather have the space, the price only becomes useful if you leave), I live 20 minutes from my nearest airport (which does have international flights) and an hour and a half from three more. DH has a 10 minute commute (by bike), I have half an hour. There is no way I'd ever move to London.

singing I was brought up saying 'dirty leeds' but think it's was more a football thing than anything else (being a boro fan it's a natural dislike haha) brother however lIves in leeds now and we are still in middlesbrough, York is the perfect lunchtime meet up point! I would recommend this area to anyone and everyone!!

are you all prepared to wear flat caps and wellies? The fact the toilet will be outside in a shed and your dc will prob have to work down pit ??
Just kidding were actually quite civilized up north you know!

Seriously though you will be able to have more space bigger house etc and the chance to spend time at home more with your dc and as a family too , it sounds a good move to me !

I moved from Sheffield to London in 2003. I wouldn't go back. You get a lot bigger house for a lot less money, it's very green, unlike London we have nice neighbours rather than psychopaths. It's a lot nicer for children the pace of life is easier and people tend to be nicer to each other.

The public transport in Sheffield is good, childcare is a lot cheaper and you are generally only paying for about an hours childcare a day for travel rather than 2/3 in London.

The two things I miss are:

a) weather. It's noticeably colder up here and the winter is longer.
b) museums and galleries. But you can get a train down to London for £20 return ish and it's possible to go down once every month or so for a museum day so not too bad.

Oh, and it's further to the continent and stuff like that. But to make up for that you have a huge area of the UK which is more accessible for days away like North Yorkshire, the east and west coasts, Northumbria, the Lake District, the Peaks, Derbyshire, the Yorkshire Dales.

No, Doncaster is not murky. Parts of it are, but other parts are very nice. Tell anyone living in the southern suburbs that and they'll beat you to death with a copy of the Boden catalogue

Yes, York is lovely, but it also has the most horrific traffic problems and the pollution is awful - I suffer from asthma so can't spend more than a couple of hours there.

Move immediately, it's great up North!!

The overall cost of living would be less so it'd eventually even itself out!

Lovely fresh air in the Pennines too :-)

Excuse me! I live near Doncaster

Sorreh, saskia luv.

Near Doncaster is better than in Doncaster

we have a few dirty cities up here too looking at you Leeds natureplantar101

Ayup theur that's fightin talk, it's gonna kick off nah, lass...

We have 4 national museums in yorkshire (railway, mining, media and armouries), plus there is the imperial war museum north in nearby Manchester. There is also the yorkshire sculpture park and salts mill.

We made the Tour de France so welcome and impressed the organisers so much they have given us our own mini version. No, there is no culture here .

TheCatAteMyTaxReturn Fair enough, I'll take my clogs off

Rae, that photo is in Staffordshire so definitely the Midlands and not up north

I'm exiled from Sheffield due to work and will probably never go back as I have a job I can't match anywhere else. SOB

The beauty of Sheffield is good countryside, good schools, good housing, good transport, good culture and reasonable shops, all of which are all very close to each other. I actually prefer Manchester as a city but no way would I live there again because it takes too long to get out of the city- not a problem in Sheffield.

Fair enough, I'll take my clogs off

Ah onny ever nip on through it ont' train, 'n never looks that grand

I'm happy to be proved wrong!

In Doncaster is just lovely, thank you very much.

One minute from my front door it's all fields and woodland.

Any more of this maligning of Donny and I'll set Wellard t'whippet on't you.

I fully intend to buy a home up north, love the countryside. There's no way I would sell my london house though, I'd never to able afford to buy another.

TheCatAteMyTaxReturn I'd only ever been through on the train, that part of town is grim, it's quite industrial, so it's going to be. But other parts are nice. I thought the same about Sheffield before I actually went there.

I suspect northern towns do that on purpose: locate the grim bits near main transport routes to deter southerners.

Alice It's the same where I live. Lots of trees and fields and a pretty river.

That should say for a long time I'd only been through on the train - sorry, my browser keeps eating parts of my posts.

i am in Sheffield and its great..... Close to the Peaks, wonderful parks, friendly people and Hendersons Relish... what's not to love ?

Actually, (thinking about potential spiralling house prices) everything up north is awful. Go away, you won't like it. Shoo, nothing to see!

Saskia locate the grim bits near main transport routes to deter southerners

And seems to work too!

The only exceptions are Harrogate and York, which explains the house prices.

I seem to have inadvertantly enraged the Vikings, so I'll keep quiet

Do it - immediately!

I've never understood how people can choose to cram into a tiny flat in London when they could have a really nice house & garden for less 'oop North'.

Well South Yorkshire is ok but it is " South" yorkshire. West Yorkshire is much better!!