To ask about Surrey

[Pikehau]

Full disclosure- I live in surrey (still in a tfl zone and can vote for Lodon mayor!) I am from “The north” but lived in zone 2 /3 london 2002-2013.We then moved from balham flat with dc1 to Surrey and chose where we are based on short commute time to waterloo and ease of access to both Gatwick and Heathrow.

I have read quite a few threads recently describing Surrey as “strange” “odd” “not where I would want to live” “worst of all home
Counties”

So I guess I am curious and would like to know why what’s going on with Surrey that nonother counties have?

and on a selfish level see if I identify / can avoid these traits or am I now one of them!

Well technically you don't live in Surrey, you live in a London Borough that used to be part of Surrey before (I'm guessing) the reorganisation in 1974, but retain a Surrey postal address.

I am in the same situation - close to, but not actually under Surrey County Council. I have worked within Surrey for Local Authorities and really don't recognise most of the comments I have seen recently on MN threads.

aaah thanks for that I never realised or thought to look for that info. Although it did confuse me!

As a PP said you actually live in Greater London.

There are historic county boundaries that bear no reflection to today's actual county boundaries. For example the Oval cricket ground is in the historic county of Surrey, when in fact everyone knows it's just in South West London near Vauxhall and Kennington.

Middlesex is a historic county that no longer exists, but if you live North West of the river Thames then you may have Middlesex as part of your address.

I have lived in a part of Surrey that is considered to be London and it has turned into a dump.

I have also, at other times, lived in parts of Surrey that are very pleasant, there are also parts of Surrey that I would not consider living in, just as there are parts of London I would never live in. I have also lived in more than one part of London.

I don't understand why people are so against Surrey, but perhaps it is the 'thing' on MN like slating the baby boomers, who obviously all live in affluent parts of Surrey.

I am longing to move back there because the part of London I am in now is much worse than Surrey for entitled behaviour and showing off.

Ok so I live in London! Oops!

So the hate for surrey is for “rich”
Or property rich baby boomers who complain about pointless things like poor daffodil displays and talk about money, golf, schools,
property?

Do all Home Counties not have this element?

Why surrey in these threads?

Well we come under Surrey County Council, have a London phone number, local stations are zone six and we are adjacent to a wildlife trust conservation zone and have a bridlepath alongside our property.

We have a village nearby, the schools are excellent, it's quiet, leafy and bloody marvellous.

We moved from SW London three years ago. Fast to Victoria and London Bridge, short drive to fast to Waterloo. Only downside is no corner shop and higher rates than Wandsworth. Oh, and NHS Services/local hospital are crap.

You don't live in Surrey. Surrey's County Hall is also not in Surrey.

Lots of people think real Surrey is full of rich people - bit this prejudice has been around for a while - it used to be described as "stockbroker belt".
Surrey has its issues - some are because actually not everyone is fabulously well off. Others include: expensive property prices, lots of Good school (state and private) but this leads to very high expectations and pressure on young people.
Surrey also has great transport links, and some fabulous countryside.
And people are people - some nice and some not so nice.

SW London was pretty rich imo. Property is cheaper in Surrey, there are state school options so I think the squeezed middle has a higher disposal income and this is what creates the resentment. Not sure why though.

We are late 50s so probably don't give a fuck but in London an 8-10 year old mpv was unremarkable. Must admit that here it feels scruffy and there does seem to be an obsession with smart cars.

It's because we are all pretentious twats with flash cars who vote conservative and talk house prices. And our countryside isn't as good as the lakes, our suburbia is too suburban and our towns aren't London.

High cost housing?

I was born in Surrey and lived there for 32 years. My abiding memory of my childhood is of quiet villages, leafy lanes and open countryside. I was very happy there.
You can get pretentious twats with flash cars and an entitled air anywhere in the county, this is not exclusive to Surrey.
The thing that spoils Surrey for me now, although I rarely go back (now live in the west country) is the horrendous traffic and how parts have been blighted by the M25. Although of course traffic has increased everywhere, Surrey seems especially busy to me.

Surrey is busy - and the Hindhead tunnel encourages more people to use the A3! There are a lot of Russians around buying up houses - and people moving out of London to enlarge more modest ones.

And yes the Lakes are more beautiful but Surrey is pretty good for near London. There are still quiet lanes, if you know where to look - but if unlucky you will encounter 4 Daimler's coming the other way on a narrow one.