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HELP! People who have moved to the country from London I need your advice (long, sorry)...

432 replies

CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 13:25

Am having a mare

We live in London currently in a lovely house in v nice area (which we are just finishing doing up) with lots of friends, great primary schools, dd just settled in brilliant nursery, easy journey to work etc...

AND NOW....dh has been offered an excellent job in Winchester. I grew up there and am tbh not overly keen on going back, though if I look at it objectively I can see the benefits (near parents, bigger house with garden 10 x size of current one, no planes, traffic etc, dh will have much chiller lifestyle, we will get to do country things (whatever those are, stumbling around in shite IME))

BUT... I love living in London. I have lived here for 20 years, I love it. When I go to the country I go bonkers. Everything is so slow and annoying. The shops are crap. The food is awful and even nice restaurants give you bloody baby corn and mange tout with everything. Culture is non-existant (I love theatre, opera, gigs etc and go a lot). I will miss all my friends. Plus I will have to commute 4 days a week and it would add at least 40 mins each way onto my journey, but not sure I would really mind that as could sleep in the morning and work in the evening (or drink v&t lol!) I would still see dd in the evenings.

My question is, once I am there, would I chill out and stop being such an arsehole about all this or am I doomed to a life of dissatisfaction and woe? I don't want to go if so!

Other downsides - the schools are nowhere near as good, would have to pay for private in all probablility. There is nothing to do as a teenager but get pissed and take drugs. There is NO WAITROSE (ok that is my main problem I admit )

I really really want to do this for dh. He reckons he has no prospects in London. This firm tried to get him twice already and he turned them down (about 3 years ago). They are, for them, offering him the earth. He will take a paycut but will have much better prospects and life. I want to make him happy but I don't want to make myself miserable in the process.

WHAT DO I DO?

OP posts:
Keane · 16/03/2005 18:40

cant you just shop at m&s foodhall?

buy local [rpduce

what is it with fekkin waitrose

Enid · 16/03/2005 18:44

waitrose is better than m&S foodhall

iota · 16/03/2005 18:48

ha - we've got both - nur

ks · 16/03/2005 18:50

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CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:14

Anchovy are you me?

Cod dahling we don't expect old country fish to understand this dilemma, don't worry your pretty little scales about it

Oh I don't know

I was wandering around today with all the planes and traffic and fumes thinking "would it really be so bad"

Think I am going soft in the head

OP posts:
Cod · 16/03/2005 19:15

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Cod · 16/03/2005 19:15

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CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:16

Brum - that's not TOWN though is it?

heh heh

OP posts:
Cod · 16/03/2005 19:17

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CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:19

I only take her when she asks for a babycino

OP posts:
Cod · 16/03/2005 19:19

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CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:19

I wouldn't be seen dead in starbucks or those places. (Caffe Nero exception as coffee so good)

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:22

OH GOD I am doomed to a life of floppy baby corn and mange tout aren't I? I will have to cave in

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ks · 16/03/2005 19:35

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LittleRedRidingHood · 16/03/2005 19:37

Sorry CD but I stand by my origonal observation - your origonal post makes IMHO a sweeping statement that suggests that you think that basically most things outside London are indeed crap.

FGS Winchester is hardly any distance from London/ Southampton - How would you cope if your DH was offered a job somewhere genuinely remote

I have spent much time this afternoon mulling over the issue and I am still and

Surely in every city town and village there are bits that are wonderful bits that are not. It all depends on who you are and what you like.

I am really sorry if my attitude annoys you but be assured that yours has annoyed me today! May I be the first to offer cyber hugs and goodwill in whatever decision you make???

Enid · 16/03/2005 19:38

I lllurrve Starbucks. And the kids love it. And they love babycinos! So there. And we were totally over excited when a Cafe Nero opened in Yeovil fgs.

Culture isn't necessarily non-existent, you have to look harder but it is definitely there, even here IYKWIM

Cod · 16/03/2005 19:39

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Cod · 16/03/2005 19:41

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Cod · 16/03/2005 19:43

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Enid · 16/03/2005 19:43

no! it exists! They had them in Oz when I was there millions of years ago and they have finally made it here - basically hot milk with the froth and choc sprinkles - yummy!

ks · 16/03/2005 19:43

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CountessDracula · 16/03/2005 19:43

no it doesn't annoy me one bit, all I said was that you and I were bound to differ in opinion given that you don't like the city but love the country and I love the city and am not so keen on the country.

FWIW I constantly put up with comments from country folk for eg that you meet on holiday - ooh London, no, couldn't live there, awful place etc then you ask where they come from and they say bloody Goole or Port Talbot or something and you are expected to oooh and aaaah about how lovely it is ffs!

Works both ways...

OP posts:
Cod · 16/03/2005 19:44

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Cod · 16/03/2005 19:45

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Enid · 16/03/2005 19:45

sorry to burst your bubble

look they are here!