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Original poster

People who have moved to the country from London

490 replies

CountessDracula · 13/01/2006 14:37

What exactly is so much cheaper about living in the country to justify the massive salary cut you have to take when you move?

Food, clothes, schools etc the same price surely. Plus masses of petrol so that is more. If you are moving to an area where the house prices are not dissimilar to London, I can't see where you make the saving.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:45

Where is the Arsenal grounds? I am really ignorant about football. (I ask because, unless it's a notably Jewish area, I'm unlikely to be tempted by the bagels.)

I understand that Brick Lane Beigels may be good by English standards, but they don't compare to Montreal ones. DH agrees with me on this.

Aloha · 13/01/2006 20:47

I dont' like bagels. But I do like London. I find cities very romantic. I look out at the skyline from ds's bedroom - all rooftops and chimneys and think it is just like Peter Pan or 1001 Dalmations and just love it.
Find the dark and quiet of the country a bit scary tbh. I find cities cosier. And I do like being near museums and theatres and cafes. They are what I like and actively enjoy. I remember coming to London to see my grandparents as a kid, and it was SUCH a treat.

foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 20:49

it's near Arsenal on the picadilly line

the woman who goes to get the bagels is Jewish and she seems to think these ones are great (but I really wouldn't know - don't like them myself!)

Lonelymum · 13/01/2006 20:49

Arsenal grounds are off the A1 I believe it is (anyway, the road north from Islington)

foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 20:49

or even piccadilly!

lalaa · 13/01/2006 20:50

come to this a bit late but for what it's worth......
we moved from Twickenham (gasp, Zone 5!) to Winchester in 1999. We lived in central Twickenham and in central Winchester. Winch was good for the NCT and I still miss my group 3 years after dd was born. I was frustrated in Winchester by the lack of choice of good shops (god, I so missed pied a terre in richmond)and even though West Quay Shopping Centre in Southampton has a fab John Lewis and M&S, the queues to get there on a Saturday and any day in the two months run up to Xmas are absolutely horrendous. I found finding childcare was difficult - the nursery I was interested in absolutely fleece parents. A friend of mine had to pay for her place from when she was six months pregnant until her son was 4 months old, otherwise the nursery threatened to not guarantee the place. Schools are good (as others have said) but some are hugely difficult to get into.
We moved to a village 6 miles outside Bath 2 years ago and I think we've pretty much got the best of both worlds. Bath has great shopping and is on the doorstep and we live a rural lifestyle, going to closer smaller towns like Bradford on Avon to get the every day stuff from local independent retailers and the farmers market. The only big negative is the Waitrose situation - the Bath version is absolutely rubbish (too small and crowded). Chandlers Ford Waitrose is an absolute dream - we used to drive there (10 mins max down the motorway) and it was a pleasure to shop there even in the run up to Xmas.
Also, on the commute from Winchester - it sounds do-able (55 mins to Waterloo) but it so isn't. I do know people who have done it for years, but I lasted 3 months and dh did 6 months. It's really the Underground that was the pain the ar*e at the other end!
House prices are ridiculous in Winchester and I'm glad we moved when we did. They are pretty bananas here too, but I think it's a better quality of life here.
Also (nearly finished) the middle of Winchester at night is to be avoided - I felt really vulnerable. Lots of louty students.
Enough ammo for you?

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 20:50

Oh cr*p can't let dh think about bagels (etc) if we are moving. We get ours in Temple Fortune and if I can't find somewhere SW environs could definitely be asticking point in the grand plan.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:50

FIS, yes, then, I could be tempted. There's a big Hassidim neighbourhood up there. They have good taste in bagels. And we go through that neighbourhood once in a while.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:51

chicagomum, it depends how fussy your DH is about bagels. There are Oi Bagel shops all over the place. (They serve bagels with pork on!)

foxinsocks · 13/01/2006 20:52

I'll find out for you NQC and post a message in food. It will be after Wed next week because that's when I'll see her at school (sorry cd for hijack).

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:53

Ta muchly!

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 20:55

NO! With pork on! He's jewish (not kosher) but we always get our bagels (and chopped liver/cream cheese/latkes/herring etc) from the jewish deli(s) in Temple Fortune down the road from his parents. Don't think that aspect of the move has hit him yet.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:57

Ah, hadn't known he was Jewish. (I'm pretty sure you can get bagels with pork + cheese, for the double-treyf score.)

Are you adamant on the SW of London? I think it's all treyf down there. There are bagels at Brick Lane, also bagels in north London, Golders Green, and some Hackney bits.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:57

Where's Temple Fortune? I miss latkes, made my own out of random root veg the other week.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 20:59

Most of the chains, maybe all, are really selling bread-in-the-shape-of-bagels. I don't think they boil them at all.

Proper bagels are boiled, and then cooked in a wood oven. They use big wooden slats to get them in and out of the oven. They are divine. They do not exist in this country, though.

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 21:01

NQC Temple fortune is just down the road from golders green (IL's are in Hampstead Garden Suburb) get my point?

chicagomum · 13/01/2006 21:02

They do real bagels in temple fortune.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 21:04

Are they cooked in a wood fire?

Hmm, I've found you a liberal synagogue .

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 21:06

Hmm, found one in SE1 . Possibly crap.

NotQuiteCockney · 13/01/2006 21:07

I used to work with someone who was American and Jewish, who was slightly offended by the existance of bagels with pork on them. Ok, really offended.

Mercy · 13/01/2006 21:22

foxinsocks, do you mean the bakery opp Finsbury park tube station (which has an Arsenal football shop type thing?)

Mercy · 13/01/2006 21:30

lalaa, my brother would agree with you re the commuting. He has worked in Winchester on and off (till about 1 year ago) and the journey usually takes 1hr 15 to 2 hours, even outside of rush hour

Anteater · 13/01/2006 22:26

MorningPaper, dd2 calls the alpacas two farms away Packis!! So there.. Also ex BIL writes for the Guardian, all be it sport..

Cow shit is a bugger to get off car.

No one bothers if you drive a huge Fxck off 4x4.
You can justify driving a tank by installing a heat pump and wind mill.

Kids are more like kids rather than smart ass's.

Horses fill the gap between toys and boys so well for girls

Sound like Count D could due with a change of career?

morningpaper · 13/01/2006 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Mirage · 13/01/2006 22:58

Beware the country.I DID actually have a whole herd of cows in my parking space {well,ok,my front garden,then},on Monday.