Where to go to escape gentrification/‘daaarrrling’ brigade?

[Warrick23]

Currently south east, finance-working Waterloo commuter - but not for much longer!

Taking Vol. Redundancy and will be retraining (maths teacher training) in Sept 26. Want to then look for secondary schools somewhere rural (I love walking and lived in a Devon village as a kid) in England (elderly parents down south so need to stay in England/Wales I think). Know I’m swapping one set of long hours (8.00 - 20/22.00)for another but looking forward to doing something less robotic/grey.

Not interested in ‘naice’/‘it’s just like London/south east’ type places and got no kids so schools (other than working in one) not an issue. I don’t drink coffee either so no ‘cafe culture’ required!

Just had enough of long hours, soul
less work/how busy it all is and the way people talk endlessly (just endured a fortnight of Xmas parties) about their “role/career” as though it’s something far more than a job; final straw was when someone introduced a friend last week (with what seemed like genuine sincerity) as ‘one of the leading online marketing experts of his generation’ last week.

I’d also like a pub that just serves beer without a fuss/a back story/an autobiography about the landlord and landlady etc. In short, I’m out of patience with all the braying south east BS and noisy self-importance.

If you live in the south east are are not like this (or I’ve got it all wrong and everyone is really actually modest and softly spoken but just comes across lile this sometimes) then I apologise - perhaps it’s simply my town/line of work - but it does feel pretty pervasive.

So, do you live in a rural place where there isn’t a Waitrose, where no one puts their hands on their hips/in their belt when they talk, no one wears red trousers, where people use their voice at a moderate volume in public/on their phone and can discuss something other than themselves/how important their work is or skiing - and there’s a normal (ungastro-ed) pub?

Thanks.

GS

West Devon? East is still a bit ‘rah’ but west is good, proper rural but close enough to Plymouth if you do ever need a coffee.

Not very helpful to you but you'll find plenty of rural and no Waitrose in N. Ireland.

You wouldn't get away with Darrrrling or red trousers round here. They'd likely be met with a good natured, "Would you look at the cut of thon." 😁

The back end of Bedfordshire. As long as you avoid Woburn you should be fine.😂

I was born in London, live coastal south east and I totally get you.

Am off to North Yorkshire next year.

Peak District.

Not posh, beautiful walks. Train to Manchester if you can be arsed. And we're always after Maths teachers.

Anywhere in the Fens. You have to be a fan of 'austere beauty' landscapes - we don't do hills or hedges.

Was also going to suggest the Fens, especially around Chatteris and March. Also the Norfolk/ Cambs border between Ely and Downham Market

Anywhere in Shropshire. Avoiding the towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow.

Hmm, I think you could run into tricky ground here due to the combination of a move and a career change.

Teaching in rural secondaries can be quite challenging: i) rural areas also have poverty and social challenges, ii) there are fewer school jobs around so if you don’t like your school then you can be stuck, iii) you will be using the same local amenities as your pupils and iv) you will be teaching full stop!

At least do your first year of teaching before you move?

Rural Somerset further from Bristol is down to earth, once you get near the city it’s more gentrified, we have a Waitrose (though also have a Lidl) but despite having craft beer pubs we have proper down to earth pubs too where pints cost £4 (and I don’t mean Wetherspoons)

Wye valley

North Warwickshire - all the London exiles move to South Warks (it’s basically the Cotswolds, darling!) so North is still relatively unluvvied

Gods own country but avoid Harrogate. I live close to an ex mining are and there is nowt like that here. @LividArse also Peak district way though not in it.

Try Bradford - you'll get none of any of that in Bradford! Of course, a completely different type of "local" which you probably wouldn't like either!

I think you need to get further away from London then avoid villages with an M&S foods or waitrose.

North Yorks, Peak District or Scottish Borders? Somewhere within reach of Leeds for good train connections if needed?

A lot of such areas near us do tend to suffer from poverty and drugs (to take mind off poverty).

Proper farming villages are the exception but can be unwelcoming. You'll also be the rich londoner pushing up prices of local houses etc, etc.

But there are plenty of villages desperate for teachers so maybe you'll be welcomed with open arms to the right one. Rent before buying.

I think you need to head north so here’s another vote for the Peak District (or surrounding areas.)

I think Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf would be a good shout.

I live in the south east (Littlehampton West Sussex specifically if you want) and haven’t noticed any of this.
so I recommend coastal West Sussex (Brighton is East Sussex btw before someone mentions)

The Fens. It’s grim, though.

Most of rural Dorset is quite unfashionable/ unpretentious- around Blandford?

I would say somerset we live there, depends on where your parents live l suppose, its a long way to London and m5 is a pain.

Forest of Dean!

Cumbria, pretty much anywhere that borders the Lake District (Penrith, Kendal, Cockermouth, Ulverston) etc. Go too far from the national park and you run into poverty but the border areas are nice without being pretentious and lack the southern second home owners.

Completely agree, lovely villages around Dorchester, Weymouth, Blandford with teaching jobs in all 3. Dorchester in particular has good state schools.
I’m biased though.