have any mumsnetters left london and wished they hadn't

[albosmum]

Just my dh and I are thinking about it

how odd my thread is no longer there even on archived. Tech? Can't remember title but was along the lines of OMG what would I do in the country thread

albosmum we have just had an offer accepted on a house outside Brighton - we live in kentish town at the moment. I really don't know whether this is the right thing to do. dh and i have been in the pub this evening discussing it.

spidermama, did you used to live in London?

cd I am the same as you, I don't really want to leave London, but dh was brought up in the countryside and wants to bring up our children there too (easy for him to say, he will carry on working in London). But if we don't try we'll never know...

Left London nearly 4 years ago. I regret leaving in that I gave up a well-paid, high-level job as a Board PA with a very well-known media company. When I left I knew that I'd never have such an interesting job or place on the career ladder again. Let's just say that for my next job I would have been very well placed to have one of the best media PA jobs in the UK.
However, we now live near to where I was born, and therefore close to babysitting grandparents, and although our salaries are considerably reduced we can afford a house and garden that would have been totally out of reach in London. We have 3 bedrooms, a garden and a fab school where if we'd have stayed in west London we would have had a one bedroom flat (hence no ds2) and a really shite quality of life.
The air is definitely cleaner too - no more black snot in MY hanky!

N10 dahling!!!!!!!!!!

Left in June. Was v. nervous. Love London, we lived in zone 1 too, it was brill. Well it was brill till we had a kid. Then it was still brill in the day but we realised we were not getting the benefits in the evenings.

we moved to proper rural. loved it so far, but then it has been the summer, and I gave up work at the same time.

do miss London life though, especially chatting pissed on the tube or even worse the night bus. I miss taxis being on every corner.
I miss Selfridges, and Kings Road, and Islington, and Spitalfields Market. Haven't bought any clothes since living here: we have a Dotty P's, a Dash, a Phase 8, a Monsoon and a Waltons - all a bit naff or bit tweeeeeeee for meeeeeeee

What I do miss is the variety of people. it is like the last of the Arayans (sp?) round hear. All white faces, not even a suntan let alone an Asian,Black or Chinese face. its a bit wierd and am worried that will be a distorted view of UK for our children. There are Daily Mail readers everywhere!!!!!!!!!

We are Wiltshire though and it is beautiful, and quiet and relaxing.

Ooooh get you in Muswell Hill! Bit lah de dah like Woodside Park!

Oh yes, I live in a very white area - and very smalltown. In fact, when I was in another city a couple of weeks ago I found myself being shocked at the number of non-white people. Then I got a grip.
I have to say that I am quite pleased that dses school and nursery can do a nativity play, complete with towels, dressing gowns and market-doll baby jesus. The school they would have gone to had we still been in London had a ban on such things other than to cover them in as an educational topic. I'm an atheist but the sight of small children with cotton-wool beards and painted crowns makes me watery-eyed and sniffly.

Just up the road from Highgate dahling...........

See why they would have to drag me kicking and screaming from this place? lol

Oh god what does that sound like. I've lived here too long.
If you're unsure about leaving London make sure you live within an hour of another large city or else you'll go stir crazy. We're 40 mins from the largest town, let alone city (just over an hour to Manchester, Liverpool or Birmingham), and as you can see, it's starting to show.

Ah but - the parking in Highgate! What a mare!

My DP used to work in Highgate area. If you live there i can see why you'd stay. I on the other hand, live further east (EN1) nowadays. Couldnt afford to live near my parents in woodside park.

So you can see why we want out?

I don't actually miss being near a city at all. live near a biggish town, but only been there once in 4 months.

We lived right by Liverpool St station, it was thronging, i liked that.

what I don't like about the country is that people drive so fast and seemingly dangerously. You can't drive fast in London so I think you lose the urge.

Why have all you common birds gone so posh, eh?

should I be Baroness Flum or something?

Beg to differ re the speeding thing. I frequently did 80 up Western Avenue without even triggering the cameras. Got my first speeding ticket just after we moved back here.

Resent your "common" jibe.

there was a thread re lady fio of tipton or something. My name change was because i am no longer a tired mum! Coincidence for me.

Yes - I've left it
No - I don't wish I hadn't

But I do wish I could take a bus ride through it once a month and get on at and be delivered back to my door. That's about all. Although I agree with Flum about what she missed but I'm an old girl with little kids now so havne't been pissed on a night bus for many years. I was in Highgate and wouldn't go back there for all the tea in China.

I'm right in the 'burbs in the most isolated city in the world and I love it

I take your point QV.

I left London about four years ago and miss it desperately but I can't afford to move back and give dd the quality of life she has up here.

i believe I was flashed at in your city Suzywong. At a station, in the burbs. Most unnerving.

It was an extra-ordinarily well endowed aboriginal bloke on a BMX in 1994.

My great aunt who I was staying with found the whole episode highly amusing.

oh that'll be my DH,

ha ha, you lucky girl (well for the endowed bit) less so for the exposing himself to teenage girls at empty suburban stations part

Dh & I were sick of London. I had lived there for 10 years and he is born & bred. It was wicked when I was 20's/32 but it started to pall a bit. We left 4 years ago and commute which was brill until I unexpected fell pg with DS. The commuting & combing childcare are very very very very tiring, but can't afford to leave job. If I had known what I know now, I wouldn't have moved quite so far out. Undoubtedly the quality of life outside London is fab, when you get time to experience it.

ME! Although I never thougth I would feel this way.