I am quite fortunate where I live at the moment, 30 mins drive puts me in the Peak District, and there are a number of public parks in the city as well as reservoirs and so on around 30 minutes in another direction. Big plus for me because where I lived prior, for 20 years, 30 minutes just about got me into Manchester town Centre or the fringes of Oldham. My family are still up there however, which puts them 2 hours away door to door when the M6 is behaving.
I find where I live now a lot quieter, a step down from the bustle of Manchester. It's slightly bigger than Lincoln where I was at University, but not so big its daunting to go out anywhere. It's a step up for the Mrs, who although being born in Walsall lived most of her life in semi rural Staffordshire.
Whilst I do sometimes miss the "big city" and revisiting Manchester or spending time in London doesn't phase me like it does these "simple country folk" I much rather prefer where I am. Being so close to open countryside suits me enormously, and I find the outdoors very calming. Even walking in the rain is soothing.
I love walking around/near to water, that in itself is also calming and relaxing for me.
If I could live somewhere else, where money was no object and I'd have employment etc and not have to worry - it'd be more costal. Not so much a seaside resort, but somewhere like North Yorkshire with Filey and Bridlington within reach, or North Wales where I spent a lot of time as a kid, where the coast is 30 mins away but there is rugged and interesting green pasture to explore as well. Norfolk's a bit flat for me... and anywhere South of Birmingham is too 'southern' for this simple northerner
People sometimes ask me if the novelty of visiting the coast would wear off if I was closer to it - and I don't think it would. Even after 10+ years with the National Park nearby I've still not gotten weary of visiting it. It still inspires photography, exploration and awe. The passion for which I hope to pass onto the kids.
So my question to you good people - Does where you live now work for you in terms of life, business and pleasure? If you could move somewhere else, even out of your own country, where would it be?
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jedimasterlincoln
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Live 10 mins from the coast and love my location , I am in the country but can also get to Durham City in 10mins, so best of both worlds really . The coastal walks and bike rides is my sanity and wouldn't live anywhere else. Hopefully got my ablation next Tues the 30th and I can move to 5/6 mile walks and longer rides once the summers out and I've recovered a bit.
Well that's a question I know the answer too in my case but just can't get sufficient health control to make it happen.
First of all I live five minutes stroll from the derbyshire peak district. Looking out of my windows I can see rolling fields and miles and miles of glorious uninterrupted countryside. A five minute walk has me interacting with sheep, cattle and lamas at the local lama sanctuary. My local pub is a stone former forge with mullioned Windows and views out towards hathersage. Not bad eh. Conversely I can about turn and ten minutes down the road be faced with knife crime and just yesterday a drive by shooting where a local councillors house was targeted and front window shot out, all in a so called better residential area. Mixed blessings around here.
So my ideal which was planned to be reality is this. To have a small two bed property more or less where I am currently, a villa in Spain on the costa deal sol and my perfect home in Torbay where until recently I had a second home but due to poor health haven't been able to visit. The plan was to move between the three whenever I fancied and take a few mediterranean cruises in between. Worked for it, saved for it, planned for it and just when it could come to fruition poor health knocked the plan sideways.
With constant medical triop to London, fourteen in the last six months it would be more practical to relocate to central London but could probably only buy a studio flat at those prices lol.
So I dream of two of my ideal locations and am grateful for the beauty I have everyday on the edge of Peak District national park, a joy to behold.
Probably drove past your house on Saturday then, Hathersage was busy as was Bamford! I sometimes wonder if the locals hate the tourists, but then again what would the local economy be without us!
I like tourists I am so proud of the area I love to see them enjoy it. Plenty of room for locals and tourists alike.
Ah, I'm in semi rural leicestershire, 15 minutes drive to the City Centre but live with fields , woods and trees only minutes away. It's ok for now, better than the year I spent living in the smoke. I absolutely hated that!
Our dream is to move to the coast when the kids have flown the nest.
We love Croyde and surrounding area, but the amount of tourists put's us off. Hypocrite? Me?
We love the North Norfolk coast, but unfortunately it has suffered from gentrification over the last 20 years and now house prices are getting silly, and the Shoreditch by the sea vibe is keeping us away.
So, it will possibly be Northumberland, still fairly unspoiled and beautiful
Interesting thread. I do love many things about where I live. Love our rambling old house,with its large garden ,spingfed well,backing onto ancient large woodlands set in rolling hills,full of bluebells at the moment. Our nearest town is small enough to have interesting little shops but big enough for most of our needs. I have a lot of memories tied up in the village,my family gave lived around here for 5 generations so there is a lot of roots! If anywhere else it would be Llandynwg, North Wales. We spent many years as a multi generational family holiday in a lovely old cottage,still go at least once a year.... On the beach is a 1,500year old stone church,still used ,lit by candles. Many lovely walks in the area too,but sadly very far from hospitals !
I would like to revisit Singapore just once...lived there and went to school when dad was in the Royal Navy.
But I do see that many of us bear our health in mind even thinking of holidays makes me do a quick check through of..is it too far from medical aid!!!
Xx
Winters in rural South Africa, and summers on the moors west of Haworth, both places where I have lived in the past. Occasional trips to London, which I know well having grown up and studied there, but away from the tourists, to experience the cosmopolitan and multicultural atmosphere, so absent from the East Riding.
When we retired we bought a ruined isolated farmstead with an acre of land on the side of a mountain along a forestry track, and built our dream house with 180 degree panorama of lough, mountains, river and valley. Our friends thought we had mentally flipped. Even the ParcelForce man thought we were bonkers - that wilderness was his reaction. 😀
The peace and quiet, wildlife, nature and its seasons, its colours and sounds, its violence in storms, sunsets and the sense of wellbeing are indescribable. We are in an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) with an ASSI (Area of Special Scientific Interest) at the bottom of the yard. Practically every visitor admires the view and, after a moment’s thought, says ‘how do you manage in the winter?’ Every single time!
We pump water from our own supply, run a generator when we have to and sit tight in snow until a kindly neighbour with a JCB digs out the laneway for us. And we have the in-joke - what will we do in the winter?
This is an aspect of Northern Ireland that sadly gets very little publicity because of all the rotten things which human beings do to each other. But, I don’t want to live elsewhere - I paint a bit and my husband is a good photographer nature and wildlife so there is lots to occupy. Were I 30 years younger, I would now be thinking perhaps of moving to one of the other 27.☹️
We live in surburbia during the week but 6 years ago bought a holiday house on the water about an hour’s drive south of Perth where we spend most weekends. We found when we arrived on a Friday night we’d look at the water and go “Ahhhhh...”. Water and nature in general have such a calming effect. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere without a beach or river or lake. We spend our weekends with dolphins, crabs, fish, pelicans and other seabirds. We can also take a short boat ride into town to go for lunch, do some shopping or even go to the movies. It’s a wonderful lifestyle and where we’ll eventually retire in a few years. For now though we need to keep working to pay the mortgage 😃 or win the lottery.
We live in North West Norfolk. Both our families go back several hundred years in the area. Yes there are loads of 2nd homers who have “ discovered Norfolk” The village my husband came from, Burnham Market, now known as Chelsea on Sea is out of the price range of most locals. But our village is larger and has quite an age range, so it’s much better. Its great especially in the off season. I wouldn’t move out of the county. Hour and a half to Royal Papworth. We have no motorways in Norfolk, long may it continue.
What an interesting question, and I have loved reading the replies. We moved back to London 10 years ago from the coast in East Sussex and are really fortunate to live a few minutes drive from Richmond Park and within walking distance from the Thames Path and the Commons. We spend 4-5 months a year in Spain living on the edge of a valley in a remote sparsely populated area (our view is on my profile page). The contrast between places couldn't be more. But I walk much more in London than I do here - I am out with the dogs every morning come rain or shine. Here in Spain it is really hilly and since starting beta blockers four years ago I have found clambering in the hard rough terrain less enjoyable. And this trip, whilst the UK was basking in 20+degree temperatures outside was 8 degrees and we had two stoves burning! But I love the solitude, the views, the very simple way of life and the friendliness of the people in our nearest village.
Good morning Irene, I'm just catching up a bit on here, seen this interesting post and your reply. Where you're living now almost describes where I was born and brought up. We lived by the Thames in Ham, a few minutes walk from Ham common and Ham gate. Reading your comment has taken me back down memory lane to my fun and adventurous childhood x
It's wonderful round here, I love it. We alternate between Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common, Barnes and Putney Commons and often stop off for tea at Petersham Nurseries. The Thames Walk is off limits for the moment as I have a very adventurous young dog that manages to squeeze through the railings of all the schools between Barnes and Putney. That or jumping into deep mud when the tide is out! x
Oh it sounds heavenly, and I love the sound of your adventurous dog, made me laugh. I spent many hours by the river getting wet and muddy, and cycling in Richmond Park. My parents weren't over-protective so it was an idyllic childhood. I could write a book on the things my friends and I got up to!
I'm living in North Yorkshire now which is very beautiful but I'm still a Surrey girl at heart!
Take care and enjoy those lovely commons and the gorgeous park xx
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I much rather prefer where I am. Being so close to open countryside suits me enormously, and I find the outdoors very calming. Even walking in the rain is soothing. 
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