Escape from the country (lighthearted support thread!)

[Onebigmistake]

We moved from London 10 years ago to the countryside. We're surrounded by small towns, rural life and beaches - which was idyllic until the children became preteens.

Now it's just deprivation, dreary, nothing to do, jobless, no buses, empty highstreets and even the schooling has gone down hill. (SW England)

We would LOVE to move back to London but we've priced ourselves out. We can never afford to move back.

Has anyone else made this mistake?

I really need to reframe it. We were all happy until the children reached 10 / 11 ish. I was also made redundant and cant find a similar role in the entire county. It sucks..... (obviously lots of work in London with decent salaries too! But none offer remote working)

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else had regrets about moving from city to rural? And how do you cope? What did you do? 😊

(We're from rural SW but seem to prefer city life)

Another vote for Gloucestershire here 😀

I am not about to suggest where the OP might want to buy, but I am in the tiny minority of folk who actively like Plymouth, and its people. It's dilapidated, run down and poor, and the (same) jobs are much better paid in Exeter, but it is possibly the most beautifully located city that I have ever seen in the UK. The hospital is particularly well run too.

And actually, there are decently (not highly) paid jobs in Plymouth. Babcock, Kawasaki, Plessey, Wrigleys, Rittal and a host of other big global companies have sizeable manufacturing and service operations there. Quietly, there is a lot bubbling under in Plymouth and the free port is likely to make a big difference.

Right okay: Hastings.
1.) you can afford it
2.) you can commute to London (where there are jobs)
3.) there is a beach and countryside
4.) there is youth theatre, cadets, guides etc. (loads of it) and DS's (state) school has an orchestra
5.) you're close enough to London to nip in for dinner and theatre/ see an exhibition etc.
6.) also really good galleries around here, plus Charleston and the Charleston Festival is 45 minutes away, Glyndebourne is 50 minutes drive, etc.
7.) yes there are train strikes at the moment but when there aren't the trains are actually pretty good - as well as London there are direct trains to Rye, Brighton, Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells etc.

Hastings should be wonderful, but it hasn't got rid of the HMOs full of addicts. It will be lovely, one day soonish, but it ain't there yet. The schools need to improve a lot before ambitious aspiring parents get on on board.

@EffortlessDesmond there are at least two Ofsted-rated outstanding primaries now, and St. Richard's Catholic College in Bexhill-on-Sea is amazing. (I agree the local secondaries aren't there - yet.)

We’re hoping to move back to Devon from Scotland in the next few months. We lived in Plymouth previously but we’re looking to be in one of the coastal towns between Torquay and Sidmouth preferably. I don’t know these areas too well so would love to hear recommendations.