....to think that retiring away from the city is bonkers?

[NewGrandmummy]

Inspired by another thread about moving away from London with small children, I wonder if anyone else has done as I have done, and actually moved back to London (or another major city) as preparation for retirement?

I truly don't understand the 'let's retire to the seaside/a rural smallholding/a tiny village' that seems to be in so many older people's minds. Why do that at a time of life when you will most likely have to give up driving at some point? How will you get to the supermarket/doctor/dentist/hospital/cinema/pub etc?

I'd love to hear from those who've moved out of London/a city for retirement and regretted it, or those who, like me, are moving towards civilisation (rather than away from it) as they get older.

Oh we have all tried to persuade her of many things believe me, and we've tried getting social services involved, but all to no avail. I could write an essay on the subject but I won't, partly in order to respect my neighbour's privacy as some of the details could be quite identifiable but also because it would be a long and probably very boring ramble!

My parents lived in a rural village. 2 buses per week, small village shop which was run by volunteers, no pub.
In their mid 70s they moved into the local small market town.
Lots of their friends asked why, their answer:
Move now while we still have the energy to do it, before one of us falls and breaks a hip, and before we have to give up driving.
Cost of a taxi from their old village to the shops- £35 there and £35 back.
Now on the edge of town, cost of taxi to ships is £5
They still have green space, fields opposite and fresh air, they also have town full of shops restaurants, leisure centre, small hospital, good GPs and loads of things going on.
Now mid 80s one of them has indeed fallen and broken a hip, Dad can't drive anymore and the more modern house is much easier to look after and manage (and heat)

Many of their friends waited, and then found themselves at 80 with no car, ill health and unable to move easily.

Yes, we live on a road in zone two where there is an active Whatsapp group, and annual street parties etc. If anything it is a little bit too familiar for me as I love anonymity, but my husband loves getting involved in all the committees!

This was a very sensible and considered/considerate approach. My mother has said, "We can take taxis if we need to." One bus a week. Yet they are already having to watch their spending and I don't know how she thinks there's room for a taxi for a two hour minimum return trip in that budget.

From what I have seen with my fellow allotmenteers mid 70s seems to be the cut off. There is the odd outlier still going strong into their 80s but in general it's mid 70s.

These are people who are generally engaged, fit and active but suddenly it all seems like too much work.

We are 70. We are selling our (very beautiful) village house and moving 200 miles north to be closer to family and friends, but also to be within walking distance of the health care and social amenities we shall need in the future. We have chosen the town we want to live in, that we think will suit us.

yes I think allotments are far more work than a garden attached to the house. I am mid 70's, manage my own garden and do everything except tree work myself and barring the unexpected, expect to continue to do so but I wouldn't consider an allotment.

I wasnt really thinking about allotments specifically. More about how certain lifestyles can become unsustainable beyond a certain point.

Allotments are great because if it becomes too much to manage you can give it up.

The same cant be said of throwing everything up and buying a smallholding.

I agree you'd need to sell it on or rent it out but tgat that still doesn’t mean that city life is the only option.