Brighton to Devon

[jemimapyjama]

Hello, I was wondering if any of you could give me a bit of reassurance, tips, advice, anything really.

I am moving myself and my daughter from Brighton to Devon in 2 weeks to a little village which I've visited once for about 3 hours (!) and I'm seriously starting to panic.

I considered this in theory for a long time before putting it all in motion but now the reality of leaving Brighton where I've been for 15 years is sinking in and I'm getting cold feet.

Has anyone else made the move from a big town to a small village successfully and enjoyed it and felt their kids thrived with a bit more space and a bigger house and a calmer life? How long did it take you to adjust, make friends etc?

Ta in advance.

I left Brighton six years ago and have been pining for it ever since.

Oh Crap.
What is it you miss?

Did you move somewhere you thought would be equally as lovely and it hasn't turned out like that?

From having lived in Brighton and visiting my in-laws in a Devonshire villages, I'd hazard a guess that you'd miss the culture and diversity for a start.

But having said that, it doesn't bother the in-laws one jot. Their village is their world. Big fish small pond and all that. And they enjoy coming up to London, where we live now, to marvel at the black and gay people.

Seriously though (not that that wasn't true!), if you've been hankering after this move for a long time, after the initial adjustment, it could be wonderful. Is your daughter still little? It's certainly a proper country upbringing for her.

I moved from Brighton (Hove Actually ) to a hamlet.

I miss the sea and walking to all amenities. However all my Brighton friends have moved on themselves now as it is a pretty transient place IME (although obviously many people live their whole lives there)

I now have DC and being in a small rural place is definitely better for us. Good luck with the move, i'm sure it will all be fine

Oh dear, I'm not sure I want to be a big fish at all and culture and diversity is the big down point I know, I also worry there's a certain openness to ideas and different lifestyles here that won't be in a little village and I'll get claustrophobic.

However my daughter is still little, 4 next Feb and I was thinking for her it might be good what with all that nature and stuff, we can have chickens and lashings of fresh air and also won't be able to hear drunks waiting at the taxi rank outside our house or the people in the flat above us having sex. Also as you found OctopusSting all my friends seem to be moving on now, moving to Worthing, Hangleton, Seaford etc etc

I do think I'm doing the right thing for us really as even if I wanted to stay here it's sooo expensive now but none the less this is all incredibly nerve wracking and I wish I could of spent more time where we're going before I committed.

Thanks for the reassurance though. (smile)