Anyone move back to London (or Greater London) after moving away?

[mumtheforgetfulone]

We've lived in Kent for 10 years now and are only an hour away from London on the train - but I still miss it! I wondered if there's anyone out there who moved away from London (particularly when they had a family) then moved back. Was it a good choice?

Thanks

Following...

We moved to Cardiff two years ago after over a decade in London. Bigger house for less money in a city with more than enough going on but a much less stressful pace of life. Compromises have been limiting longer term career progression options (though they wouldn't have been guaranteed in London anyway) and leaving behind our familiar neighbourhood and social circle.

I do miss some things about London though I never thought I would. It's mainly the diversity and people I miss, friends who've known you for a long time as we've found it difficult to develop meaningful friendships with new people in a new place while having young children. We've met lots of people but friendships need time to grow and I'm impatient as ours are still at the v superficial level and very child-focused as we - and those we want to befriend - have little opportunity to socialise due to the young children IYSWIM. Not sure how that would have been v different in London or not but we already knew people there pretty well - the kind of friends it doesn't matter if you don't see very often as you know each other well so when you do see them you just pick up where you left off. At least we still have friends in London that we can visit often. Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a post about friends!! :)

We're also in the position of having lived in Bournemouth for 10 years and wondering about moving back to London with secondary school aged kids.
We miss the buzz and work opportunities which a beach doesn't seem to compensate for. But with kids already in secondary schools the upheaval seems almost insurmountable.
Has anyone else moved back to London with children in secondary school?