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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Londoners moving out to towns - AIBU

284 replies

Disgruntledtownie · 17/03/2023 11:22

I have lived in the same town all my life - great community feel, independent shops etc.

During COVID, we had an absolute influx of people moving out from London which massively drove up prices so locals have had to move away and it’s really changed the whole town.

A lot of the Londoners were campaigning about getting a Pure Gym in the town - one opened, and now our local leisure centre has had to go into liquidation. This is where all the school kids learn to swim, all the teens hang out after school etc and it’s just gone.

An independent family owned shop that has been in our town for over 130 years has had to close as business has dropped.

In the last two years, Gails and a Joe & Juice have opened right next to independent coffee shops - there’s been massive queues outside Gail’s and everyone saying how good it is they can still get their Gail’s fix out of London. But it’s meant the independents have struggled and a few have had to shut.

I totally appreciate that times are tough and spiralling costs and overheads will have impacted these businesses but AIBU to think if you move out of London, you embrace the local shops etc and don’t just change the town into a mini London ??!! It’s just such a shame to see our local community disintegrating around us.

OP posts:
WakeMeUpInspring · 17/03/2023 11:52

ManateeFair · 17/03/2023 11:46

I see it's 'Let's all shit on Londoners' day on Mumsnet again

This.

Blame us for the country going to the dogs 😂

Whichnumbers · 17/03/2023 11:53

A lot of the Londoners were campaigning about getting a Pure Gym in the town - one opened, and now our local leisure centre has had to go into liquidation. This is where all the school kids learn to swim, all the teens hang out after school etc and it’s just gone.

leisure centres across the country are shutting due to fuel prices Here

if locals are moving away, how are they affecting the places they are moving to? Or is it ok if they move elsewhere but not others moving in?

MajorCarolDanvers · 17/03/2023 11:53

What you describe has happened across the whole country.

It's

Covid
Brexit
Cost of living

It's not the fault of people who previously lived in London

Porridgeislife · 17/03/2023 11:54

LimeCheesecake · 17/03/2023 11:29

Sevenoaks?

If it’s Sevenoaks then the OP is being hilarious about her poor wee town.

One of the most affluent towns in the South-east & stuffed to the brim with ex-Londoners since time eternal.

Gail’s don’t just rock up because of a few down from Londoners, they only move into incredibly affluent, proven locations eg Windsor, Marlow, Beaconsfield.

SocksAndTheCity · 17/03/2023 11:56

ManateeFair · 17/03/2023 11:46

I see it's 'Let's all shit on Londoners' day on Mumsnet again

Having just replied on another thread slagging London off, so it would seem. They don't mind our money, though.

Cornwallintherain · 17/03/2023 11:57

@FlounderingFruitcake same here! It's so funny. The local cafe was open
Mon: 10-3
Tues: 10- 3
Wed: closed
Thurs: 10-12
Fri: closed
Saturday: 10 - 12
Sunday: closed

People gave up and went to Costa. The business owner posted in the local FB group that they were disappointed by the lack of local customers.

She was situated on the outskirts of the city near a business park. Her customers would obviously want coffee before 9am and lunch between 11-2pm.

Ah well. Costa is doing well 😂

Chickenly · 17/03/2023 11:57

Ozgirl75 · 17/03/2023 11:49

I’ve just moved back to the U.K. from overseas and went into a Gail’s in Guildford in the week - hadn’t heard of it before. I can’t believe people would go often, it’s very bland and echoey and I paid £6.30 for a pain au chocolat and a pot of tea whereas a few days earlier in a tiny, cosy and friendly cafe in Godalming (Thyme for Tea if you’re local!) I paid £4 for a pot of tea and the most delicious piece of lemon cake.
Maybe people go to recognisable places the first time but surely most people like a little independent place.
Mind you, I cannot fathom the ongoing popularity of Neros or Starbucks when there are so many lovely little cafes in the U.K.

I Love Thyme for Tea! I’d never heard of Gail’s before this thread - I’ll be heading to Guildford to see just how bad it is which I think was the opposite of OP’s intention! I agree with you on Starbucks and Nero though - I’m Guildford, the Starbucks is always freezing and the Nero is so dark and narrow. The Black Sheep place is actually quite nice but the price is madness. Not a Harris and Hoole fan either.

DangerNoodles · 17/03/2023 11:58

If it's Sevenoaks then it's been Londonified since before I left 15 years ago!

MelchiorsMistress · 17/03/2023 11:58

In my little commuter town independent coffee shops have never survived despite a few trying to over the years. A chain coffee shop has flourished though and it’s always busy.

The independent coffee shops failed because they only serve one size of take away coffee and they consider a varied menu to be one that includes a cappuccino and a latte. They had rubbish seating areas, rubbish Wi-Fi, rubbish opening hours and a rubbish range of snacks. And they’re as overpriced as the chain. They didn’t fail because of of the chain coffee shop, they failed because they were a bit shit.

Yeep · 17/03/2023 12:00

I think it's quite Rose tinted glasses about locals, the shops/centre probably wasn't supported as much by locals as you think it was.

I live in a remote non mainland area of Scotland that has seen a large influx of incomers and tbh I like it, it's breathing fresh ideas in and the ones wfh tend to have more money to spend, clearly they're involved if they're campaigning for things even if it's stuff you personally don't want.

I think blaming everything on incomers is quite a cop out, espcially Londoner who seem an easy, target if the area was so good locals wouldn't move away, if the leisure centre was so good, it wouldn't be beaten out by a pure gym as locals and incomers would prefer whatever the better option is, clearly its pure gym.

Sleepygrumpyandnothappy · 17/03/2023 12:00

Your independent shops and cafes need to work a bit harder to appeal to old and new residents. The locals who made a packet selling to Londoners can surely afford to support them?

ChildcareIsBroken · 17/03/2023 12:00

We'd love to stay in London but we're priced out.
The issue is not the people moving, it's the housing crisis and not enough new houses being built. Think about it during next elections and don't vote for Tories.

Startuplife · 17/03/2023 12:03

To be honest I can see why local businesses are struggling (being a Londoner who bought a house in the SE at a hugely inflated price during COVID). We have a lovely local tearooms which I’ve never been able to visit as it’s open 9-3 Monday to Saturday. DP works Saturdays so Sunday is the day we usually get out and about in the local area and loads of shops are shut despite the fact the Sunday farmers market brings loads of customers to the high street.

BigGreen · 17/03/2023 12:11

Londoners are moving because they are priced out themselves though? A tiny 3 bed terrace is 1.1million in my very average edge of zone 2 area.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 17/03/2023 12:12

To deliberately miss the point entirely, Gail's is so overrated. They're opening in Manchester this year, and I just wanted to make a PSA to the effect that both Trove and Pollen do the same kind of thing but better and cheaper.

Ovidnaso · 17/03/2023 12:12

Eerrmm...you do realise this is what it's been like for us Londoners for a very long time, certainly the 25 years since I left home.

The influx of people from small towns moving here, putting up prices, meaning we can't afford basic housing, can't afford to use our local shops...people from outside our area selfishly using cars so we grow up with lung conditions...

This is the norm for Londoners, those of us born here. If they're moving out it's either people who weren't from London in the first place, or people forced out by social and council housing being sold off.

Having said that, it is awful. I can't imagine the extreme lack of any sense of morality or social responsibility that would cause anyone to campaign for chains to decimate a local economy and community.

We had a Gail's appear recently in my local, London shopping centre and I'm upset about it. It's filled with presumably very wealthy (£3 a bun!!!) students and incomers, while there are fewer places affordable for locals to get a cuppa. Believe me, people who frequent such places are unlikely to be bona fide Londoners.

Spectre8 · 17/03/2023 12:13

And on another thread asking why people live in London....becuase of shitty posts like this, cos you don't see londoners posting and moaning about other towns like this

WeddingVegetables · 17/03/2023 12:13

And on another thread asking why people live in London....becuase of shitty posts like this, cos you don't see londoners posting and moaning about other towns like this

Yes you do. There's plenty of examples on this thread.

WeddingVegetables · 17/03/2023 12:14

The other London thread sorry.

Ovidnaso · 17/03/2023 12:14

Startuplife · 17/03/2023 12:03

To be honest I can see why local businesses are struggling (being a Londoner who bought a house in the SE at a hugely inflated price during COVID). We have a lovely local tearooms which I’ve never been able to visit as it’s open 9-3 Monday to Saturday. DP works Saturdays so Sunday is the day we usually get out and about in the local area and loads of shops are shut despite the fact the Sunday farmers market brings loads of customers to the high street.

Yes — and it's extraordinary how many tea shops actually close at tea time (traditionally 4 pm, or high tea at 5 pm)!

onetimenamec · 17/03/2023 12:18

It's the cinnamon buns I'm afraid. I would put money on the fact that your local could never compete with Gail's. I'm sure you had locals in disguise buying them by the boxful too!

WeWereInParis · 17/03/2023 12:18

During COVID, we had an absolute influx of people moving out from London which massively drove up prices so locals have had to move away and it’s really changed the whole town.

If you were moving house OP, would you sell for less than you could, to ensure a local person could buy your house?

oakleaffy · 17/03/2023 12:22

Cornwallintherain · 17/03/2023 11:40

We had loads of Londoners move here during covid. It was so fun and towns / city were beginning to look more diverse. Interesting smaller businesses opened and the High Street looked quite nice.

Then, the Londoners realised Cornwall is actually very poor and a little boring. They moved away and it has been noticeable on my local high street.

For a brief moment, Cornwall looked like it was moving forwards with money and diversity. Then all of a sudden its gone back 10 years as they all went and moved to Bristol.

YABU OP. Change is good x

Bristol is really “ West London “ now!😂

Porridgeislife · 17/03/2023 12:31

Ovidnaso · 17/03/2023 12:14

Yes — and it's extraordinary how many tea shops actually close at tea time (traditionally 4 pm, or high tea at 5 pm)!

Show quote history

Absolutely!

Gail’s near us opens at 7am which is an absolute godsend with tiny children. Ours is full of mums and dads in the early hours nursing coffee and a small child.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 17/03/2023 12:43

Disgruntledtownie · 17/03/2023 11:22

I have lived in the same town all my life - great community feel, independent shops etc.

During COVID, we had an absolute influx of people moving out from London which massively drove up prices so locals have had to move away and it’s really changed the whole town.

A lot of the Londoners were campaigning about getting a Pure Gym in the town - one opened, and now our local leisure centre has had to go into liquidation. This is where all the school kids learn to swim, all the teens hang out after school etc and it’s just gone.

An independent family owned shop that has been in our town for over 130 years has had to close as business has dropped.

In the last two years, Gails and a Joe & Juice have opened right next to independent coffee shops - there’s been massive queues outside Gail’s and everyone saying how good it is they can still get their Gail’s fix out of London. But it’s meant the independents have struggled and a few have had to shut.

I totally appreciate that times are tough and spiralling costs and overheads will have impacted these businesses but AIBU to think if you move out of London, you embrace the local shops etc and don’t just change the town into a mini London ??!! It’s just such a shame to see our local community disintegrating around us.

Yabu. Why aren't all the locals using the original places? This is on yourselves.