To relocate up north

[StonwEd]

From East Anglia? Has anyone done it? Am I mad?
I’ve just spent yet another lovely week in the Lake District, greater Manchester and Derbyshire. We do this often although not as often as I would like due to very low holiday allowance.
Daydreaming a bit but also not really.
Kids all moved out, own my house outright, prob will sell for around £375k.
Enjoy my job but it’s crap money and hasn’t really got prospects but it is a field I’m sure I can get another job in and I’ve seen plenty of remote working jobs that are related (and better paid 🙄)
Husband is on board with this fantasy, he has a small business so can work anywhere.
I had kids very young so have lived in my home town all my life. Never left but always wanted to.
I’m 45 and I’m finally thinking it might be time. Financially as long as I get a job, we’ll be fine, and I’m so poorly paid as it is, shop or bar work will be fine to start with.
I’ve got a fair bit of savings and I’m thinking of travelling round the north for a couple of months, stay in local b&bs and to know some areas better before we take the plunge. I’d have to quit my job obvs but it’s a risk I’m starting to think is worth it…

And most importantly, where should we be looking? Want nature on our doorstep, but easy access to a town.

I wouldn't. One of the many benefits of divorcing my ex is that I never have to go up North ever again.

I’m not sure how widely applicable that particular reasoning is likely to be.

I don't know why posters are getting so het up about the descriptions of the North.

Really??
Yeah you do, the faux naivety fools no-one.

'Ooooh comprehensive schools in the north are full of chavs.... what do you mean that is offensive' 🙄

Who even calls people chavs any more. People with no class, that's who.

Don't say that too loudly to those who live in Knutsford, Wilmslow and Tarporley ( Cheshire ) 😂

I moved from East Anglian to Yorkshire nearly thirty years ago. Lived in all of the ridings.

Sheffield is a fab place to live, close to countryside and lots going on. The right balance for me personally.

Im so pleased I made the move, I visit family in the South East because I love and want to see them but find the place so depressing, overpriced and superficial, the landscape is bland and flat. Honestly in your position I’d be listing the house for sale first thing in the morning.

Yes this!!!!!

Eh?!

What TAF are you talking about, lower life expectancy " up there"??

My neighbour is nearly 90 and still going ( unfortunately!) Jee Whizz!!

Anyone else think Cheshire is more the Midlands than the North ?

No

Nope

I think you should stay down south to be honest.

Shusssshhhh....I hadn't spotted East Yorkshire on this thread yet. It's truly awful here. You shouldn't be encouraging anyone to live here. Absolutely not. Terrible place.

No! The North is roughly above the river Trent. As in, Stoke-on.

I live up north, if your like small village, nature and walking you’ll probably love it.

The Wirral is lovely, chester / liverpool on the doorstep easy access to the peak and Lake District with lots of beaches and walks.

' nature on doorstep, easy access to a town ' is a bit vague. What sort of nature? How big a town?

I find North Wales and Chester really pretty. It's not too far from Liverpool either. Further up you'd have the lake District too.

The North is huge ,yes there are small villages ,nature and nice areas to walk ,but there are also big cities ,towns and everywhere in between.

Me.

Same goes for Manchester imo.

As someone from Greater Manchester our news is North West tonight.

It starts at Yorkshire. South Yorkshire is pushing it tbf.

It might be but you're several hundred miles south of me so definitely not the north lol.

I'm from South Yorkshire and used to think of it as the North. Now I live in the North East (further north then Durham) and think South Yorkshire is definitely more Midlands than North but I wouldn't dare tell anyone from South Yorkshire that!

@twistyizzy I would class North as beyond Inverness!