shd i move back to london or stay with my mum in (v pretty) backwater?

[regionallytorn]

a bit of a wwyd question really folks.

i am LP to delightful 2 year old and gave up my job in London to move to the southwest near my mum to bring up baby when it became clear that father was in no way interested in having a role.
i have been able to freelance a little bit, and if i sold my flat in london, could possibly afford a little house here.
however, there are no serious career prospects in the sw, and in truth, it's v provincial. i miss my london friends like mad.

I have now got an interview for a job in london, and really don't know what to do if i got it. it's not v well paid, but in a field i'm v passionate about. i would have to live in my one bed flat with my dd and spend most of my salary on childcare.

even though i have loads of friends in london, i am wondering how much i'd get to see them, without my lovely mum's constant help and offers to babysit. on the other hand, here in the southwest, i have loads of babysitting offers but no bloody social life!

i feel so indebted to my mum, but also feel if i stay here, i am throwing away my career. but i also feel that my career now is being a mum, and it's stupid to move to london for work, when freelancing in the sw could still buy me a house and garden for dd, even if it is a rather slow life.

i wonder if i'm idealising my pre-child life in my head?

argh, sorry for ramble. any advice anyone? anybody here moved away from their main support system? or anybody a LP in London? i would be up for single parent houseshare there, i guess, if anybody's done that. thanks.

I did the same, moving back to the SW for family support when I went on maternity leave, and now dd is 6. I have mixed feelings about it, but on balance I am glad I am here, particularly as many of my friends with children have moved away from London, and others are now looking at getting out of the rat race too.
I often do feel frustrated, and that I am missing out on many things that are important to me, but my quality of life in many ways is so much better. I work part time at a job that is fine, but certainly not a 'career' job and it took 4 or 5 years to really find some good friends and a social life of sorts.
Personally, I think much of what I miss about London life are things that I miss about pre-child life, and that being undecided has made it take longer to settle into life here - not sure if those are helpful observations but maybe something to think about!
Good luck with whatever you decide.

I had friends from Bristols, great people, love the music and all... must be a cool city
.... I have also thought about something in between... Brighton ?!
But than again, why living yet a gain in a totally new place without having the slight advantages of "village" and "city"?
Asking, as I do not have an answer