Londoners moving out to towns - AIBU

[Disgruntledtownie]

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.

People enjoy nature in different ways, people out enjoying it in groups, doing park runs etc sounds great.

@lightisnotwhite They aren’t enjoying nature. That’s the point. Nature is there already. They need proper paths, lots of kit, start and finish points and organisations.

Get a grip! People can enjoy things in different ways to you.
You don’t enjoy something less because you want to walk on a path instead of a muddy field and do it in a group rather than alone.

What a mental outlook you have.

I can imagine how annoying that must be

Bit like the Locals in London are priced out by Chinese investors then....that's life I've got my 30 year old and family living with me get on with it.

Get over yourself 🙄

I moved from the country into London 😎

The people from London that bought our house are way more involved in the local community than we ever were. In fact in that village since the influx there's much more local social scene than ever, the only local shop is heaving compared to before because in reality most people in the village went either to the local town or to semi rural/out of town large supermarkets, the other small shop was shut years ago, the art shop was shut years ago, and the curiosity and antique shop also shut years ago. The petrol station shut years ago. There's another one nearby but it's down on a major road. The fact is that the new people from London brought kids with them, and the average age of the village fell by about 900 years and the village will thrive because of that

It's not a million miles from sevenoaks, commuter village rather than proper rural. I'd say that's been a fairly typical decline in the area and that was long before COVID

It's the houses and surrounding countryside that people want to live in. The town's always been fucking bleak

What’s bizarre is some of the people who are up in arms about Londoners will have family and friends who commute into London for work. Of course that’s different isn’t it, you can utilise London when it serves you but god forbid one of them decides to move near you.

I live IN THE NORTH and we’ve just had a Gail’s open (opposite sweaty Betty actually). I can confirm the locals are all going beserk for it 😃

I totally agree OP. Where my family grew up has changed beyond recognition. It was a proper little market town and is now just a Disneyfied version of a village.

Next they’ll be using maps, wearing cagoules, following the footpaths and rambling. With tea, in a flask, instead of just licking a tree like a proper nature lover.

I think it's fine for people to move around, the only thing I've never thought fine is people moving to cheaper places and then disrespecting the local culture - trying to change things to suit their own ideas rather than follow the indigineous knowledge, considering them little ideas from unimportant people who just need showing how.

I was a Londoner for several decades but I wasn't born there and I moved out again when I retired. There is an acute housing shortage in the village where I live, but I'm aware of two houses near me that are empty/holiday lets. There's plenty of housing, but it's not available to anyone. Most of the businesses in nearby towns are independents and they do very well because they know their market.

One of the main reasons I relocated to London was the 'local culture' in my last home town. Things like casual (and not so casual) racism/sexism/homophobia, deep suspicion of anybody who mentioned visiting an art gallery or seeing a subtitled film, some of the lowest wage levels in the country and a few odd ideas about an appropriate level of interest in other people's lives, for starters.

Anybody changing any of that would be doing the place a massive service, if only for the next generation.

I can't tell you how offensive this is.

A bit like the people who over many centuries have come to London looking for prosperity and wealth and settled with like minded people from their own community. Over time adding huge colour and vibrancy to their new adopted city. Unlike you with your 'little Englander' mentality. So you don't want people coming from somewhere you perceive as more wealthy - perhaps you'd be more welcoming to poor immigrants? I wonder.

I say all this as someone who isn't a native Londoner but was welcomed here with open arms and for years have lived among black, white, poor, rich whoever. Tolerance and kindness is everything.

Bloody Londoners. Almost as bad as immigrants. The worst are Northerners though. Or maybe actually the people from the next village who send their kids to OUR primary school. I also don't like my neighbour, because they've only lived here for two generations. I wish everything was like in the olden days. You could leave your door open and everything.

depends where you live - the colour of people's skin, sexuality, etc is irrelevant, it's what people do, or not do in many places

that said , socks, and their experience of small town mentality is also a very real and true experience, had by many.

just saying, when people do find their home-base, if it's changed too much, than the reasons it was preferable in the first place are gone.

People need to move forwards though and accept change. Variety is the spice of life. Welcoming new people and using their ideas as new opportunities is a good thing. You may find that your town/village becomes stagnant and stuck in the past. You may find young people chomping at the bit to leave in order to gain a wealth of experience beyond the confines of where they live. The world moves forward by the collective ideas, experience and wealth of knowledge of all those around you

Clioma - nothing like weaving in your own perspective to make my words suit your PO response.

Blimey luv just having a little comment, nothing that warrants your outrage, be happy with your life.

I'm hungry and tired so carry on folks.

Sorry but I don't even know what PO is.

Yes it’s definitely the cinnamon buns. I might start a petition in my nearby market town to ask Gail’s to open a branch there, but we probably don’t have enough DFL (Down From London) people to make it viable. Or a decent pizza/Italian restaurant, or a Chinese etc etc. A little more inward investment would be rather welcome. We do have a lovely farm shop cafe but by 14.45 they are winding up for the day. The growth of remote working is opening up areas of the country for professionals who previously would have to be in striking distance of the capital. For me this has meant I could return to live in the area where I grew up, a four hour drive from London, without being constrained by the previous limited work opportunities here. We contribute to the local economy, employ local tradesmen and support local businesses, so the arrival of families like mine will help this area prosper, and reverse the trend of communities hollowed out by second homes and Airbnb. The warm welcome we have received suggests this is recognised by the long term residents.

I wonder what % of 'Londoners' were born and raised in London?

I'd had a quick look but couldn't find any data.

Living in a tourist and retirement area. Places that are trendy, spring up now and again and fail. We are having the same issues as everywhere with chain store groups closing down.

Things don't really change that much though. Housing always been expensive because retirees from cities have a bigger nest egg. Covid meant some country homes became very desirable for city dwellers but in the main they're second homes.

Our problem is retirees leaning heavily on the NHS and eventually carers, nursing homes. Our council tax 9.9% increase this April. Our costs for this service are astronomical

So much stereotyping. People are all different. Everybody knows somebody who's priced out, wherever they live. Op you don't own the land. Much like those from London don't own London. It's literally a free country. Where things change all the time. People move. Businesses become unsustainable. For whatever reason. Unless you want to ban people where you live ever moving anywhere else, you have no rights. Do you stand outside cafes asking if those walking by are from London? Or can you just tell from their shoes or something?

But also anytime anyone raises rising rents in London Mumsnet tells you move out of London