I think I want to move back to Engand, where should I go?

[lucy5]

Firstly i will have to convince dh which will be no mean feat!

I don't want to be in a little village in the middle of nowhere, I don't want to be in the heart of a city. Other than that I am open to ideas. Thanks

Do you work? Doesn't where you choose to live depend on your job?

And how much can you afford to spend on housing? - vast difference between the SE and further north for example...

Lucy we live in Cambridge - it has all the amenities but within a couple of miles you are in countryside and smaller villages. 45 minute fast train to Kings Cross if you want the big city for nights at the theatre or shopping.

Quite expensive though so depends on the money you have for housing as Satsuma said. and what job you do as Anna said.

oh yeah look at rightmove.co.uk for property prices.

My dh is a surveyor/project manager and I was a teacher. We have a house to sell here but I am out of touch with UK prices.

Cambridge sounds lovely, I miss going to the theatre taking dd to library, shows, even wacky warehouse. I also have a ds who is one and would love to take him to tumbletots r suchlike.

Great library in cambridge, several theatre's we don't have a wacky warehouse but do have a funky fun house (same thing!) and there are lots of tubletots groups. Definately have a look at the rightmove site for prices in different locations.

Your DH needs to get registered for some trade magazines, then he can see where the bulk of building is going on.

There will always be teaching jobs, you may have to wait a term or two or do supply, but the building trade may need a bit more research.

Thanks JJ if I can find the right area then find the right sort of jobs, I might have half a chance of convincing dh.

Dh wants to go to Australia so I could have a fight on my hands

where are you at the momebt Lucy?

Chipping Norton always strikes me as a fab place to live.

It's a small town but has its own theatre, and a lovely Lido (cos you will miss outdoor pools, won't you!) and is a reasonable distance from both London and Birmingham.

Your neighbours would include D Cameron & J Clarkson though, would that put you off?

I'm in Spain. I will miss the weather.

Wendy hahahaha!

the downside about Oz is if you have family and friends in europe - although people say they will visit - the reality is that it is such a big trip that it may be once every couple of years. (if that) Family may make it once a year but unlikely to be more than that.

If you don't have family ties and stuff then that argument doesn't hold water.

That is it. I couldnt take my kids away from their grandparents. Dh isn't close to his family so it doesn't really bother him.

My advice would be to go up North. I was brought up in Newcastle and it was great. You have the vibrant city with Theatre Royal, Quayside and all its nightlife, Science Museum, St. James Park
but then are surrounded by beautiful Northumbrian countryside and amazing beaches.

I miss it soo much and get back about twice a year, you wont get better people than the geordies

Hi, I'm in Spain too and want to move back. What are your reasons? Just curious...
(I think you're in Malaga? I'm in Granada, was 'Malaleche' before namechange)

bump

why don't you tell your dh he can buy a fancy car if you can move back? that's what I did!

anyway cambridge will be waaaay too expensive unless you don't mind going for a smaller house. but you could look at Ely - it's on the train line to cambridge but much smaller and cheaper. norwich is also a good but not too expensive city if you can bear the thought of your kids having Norfolk accents. also chesterfield is unfairly maligned and v cheap (you could buy an exec home there for what you'd get for a costa del s apartment which is what I assume you have!). we'd have moved there but liked the villages better.

Senora! How's it going? No regrets?(Malaleche)

Lucy Somerset way has a lot to offer. Bath is great with theatre, cinema and great shops. Wells is also lovely - small, cathedral, and near to bath and bristol. and cheaper i guess.

hey malaL. I thought of you last week when we were browsing the wonderful tourist shops in lincoln (by which I mean antique/wine/book shops). I would love to run such a shop. also it seems there is a gap in the uk for cheap tat you can buy in granada: www.maroque.co.uk/catalog.aspx?p=00450 (look at the prices)

but no, no regrets really.

well one: ds1 and dd are losing their spanish quite fast, and are getting bored of our spanish dvd collection. i wish we had a bigger house and could afford an au pair.

(also didn't really mean to call that website's wares "tat". you know what I mean)

Hola! I have a whole list of reasons for wanting to leave Spain but i'll keep them brief

I can only really talk about Costa del sol but have some experience of Madrid too.

The main reason is I am bored, good weather is not enough. I have made a few good friends here but it is a very transient community.
I don't have enough access to likeminded people.
It is an outdoor life but there is more to life than the beach and to be honest July and August are too hot. There is really very little to do here and you have to drive everywhere.

I feel we live in a bubble, very difficult to break into the Spanish community and to be honest I don't have a lot in common with your average local. The Spanish are very tolerant of us mass invaders but there are definitely defined groups here. I neither have a lot in common with large sections of the expat community, although I have met some lovely people too.

I want my kids to have a more rounded view of the world and its people.
I worry that my kids will lead this weird exsistence where they don't quite fit anywhere.

Sorry that wasn't very brief I've typed off the top of my head. SM if you want to cat me please do.