moving from London to Salisbury - have you done it and are you happy?

[allchangeplease]

Hi, I'm divorced and moving out of London to get my own place at a reasonable price! Don't have kids but am looking for a new partner so kids/schools could well be featuring in the future. Anyway I know that schools are good in Salisbury so that's not really the question. I like the countryside/climate aspect and the period property there.
People seem quite friendly (is it really so?)
Has anyone made such move (not necessarily from London but from a big city at any rate) and feel happy with Salisbury?
Some specific questions:
-what's it like for shopping, including any options nearby?
-is there anything cultural going on, like classes, clubs, lectures/talks, or is it in all honesty dull ?
-what's it like in terms of mature single/divorced men ? worried that it's all families and dating is thin on the ground.
-how long is a drive is it to London central-sw side on average?
Grateful for all opinions!

is it in last option.

Salisbury is lovely. But you will not find a man there! It's for marrieds. I'm also divorced and live not far away. I am still single

Drive to Ldn 2 hours

hi Mexxo - oh no! are there no divorces in Salisbury? have you tried being proactive? are there things to join to meet people, if not cultural then maybe hobby related? did you try dating sites, not that I'm a fan?

I moved to this area 6 years ago when newly divorced. In the years since then I have had 2 relationships but both with men I met through work (in London).

In between times I tried online dating which was, frankly, depressing. This part of the world is very country and very married. I suppose if you are down the pub every night then you might meet people but that's not my lifestyle.

People move to Hampshire/Wiltshire when they have coupled up and are breeding. You don't say how old you are but if you still plan kids as you say, I guess you're under 40. The divorced men down here are more in the 50 plus bracket IME (I'm 35).

I love the area and my family is here but I am relocating elsewhere next year, partly for work but if I'm honest, partly in hopes of somewhere more metropolitan having a few more "prospects" romantically.

Salisbury is VERY Nayce - but I'd not think of it as a singleton's town.
It is the home of Reeve's the Baker though which counts for a LOT

Mexxo so are you going back to London? Good luck with your search!
THe thing is, I don't think it's easy to find a wide choice of free men around 40 anywhere! I lived in London since divorce for years and although dating chances crop up, finding someone for LTR is exremely difficult as a)most are partenered at this age, b)in London people spend such long hours working and commmuting to where they live that they don't have time for hobbies during the week - and no, I'm not a bar-goer! If you work in Lon that's different of course, lots of chances but I'm freelance and meet only an odd men through work (those i liked were married). I think in smaller places people are fewer but they NOTICE each other more and have more opportunities to be at the same place in the same time. But in the end I think it's fate/luck or smth like that, as lots of London women are single for ages. I am less fussy than you wouldn't mind attractive 50+ men btw, I'm mid 30s myself. Maybe 'kids' is ambitious, one kid would do
So how about my other questions in the OP?
Talking, tell me about the baker!

i mean "an odd man".

Allchange I am not moving to London, but to another city in the south east. It's to be closer to work but I am also hoping that social life will be better.

Re your other questions. I don't think people in Salisbury are any more friendly than anywhere else, though compared to London perhaps it would seem so. Just regular people, some good some bad like everywhere.

Shopping is average - you've got most main high street shops but not very good for clothes. If you want Zara, John Lewis etc you have to go to Southampton 30-40 mins away.

The villages around Salisbury are lovely, but property is quite expensive. There's a newish huge Waitrose off the ring road.

I would not move to Salisbury expecting to find a buzzing social life, tbh. Would maybe look at Bournemouth as it's much bigger and with the university there you have a more natural social scene. I hear it's very nice as well. HTH

hi Mexxo, what about going to Bath for shopping - is it too far?
I'm not expecting a buzzing social life, I realise that after London any small town would seem quiet, but I would want SOMETHING there to join, like book clubs or cooking, or are there any art related talks/lectures? it is quite an educated crowd there so I'd think there should be, unless everyone commutes and not there much in the week. I will be going to london weekly anyway. Bournemouth is too far for me but yes, I hear it has become quite lively!

Bournemouth is only about 2 hours from London by train and there will definitely be more men in your age group. What about Winchester?

2 hrs is too much really. Also it's far from anywhere else iykwim - I go to Gloucestershire often which is not great from B'mouth. The thing is 40 yr old men who are single and nice aer thin on the ground anywhere! so it's more realstic to go for older men - they have their own pluses! But if living in Salisbury it's easy to visit B'mouth. Say if someone dates online that would be within radius anyway.

any more advice on groups/clubs/cultural events in or around? thanks!

Hi..
Looking for a bit of help/info..
We are looking to possibly move from london to Salisbury... please dont judge but yes we are in council housing.. I'm a florist so would be nice to have some potential work options, but will also be commuting to london regents park once a week for this..
Just sort of want to know peoples feels of the place, we have a 6yr old and 2 yr old so good schools are a must, I've read previous comments about schools being private or hard to get into etc..

We literally just want a quieter life with nicer living environments for the kids. .. thanks in advance. Xx