Moving

Moved from West London, to Surrey/Sussex borders, love it here. Surrey Hills just up the road can see them in the distance, South Downs again very close. Beautiful countryside all around, but then again I know no area has the monopoly on scenic beauty most counties have their gorgeous parts. My drives are very different now, lots of leafy country lanes instead of built up suburbia. Although it has to be said some people drive like lunatics around the bends, this is Katie Price country so caution is very necessary when navigating the B roads

Please please lovely GN's stop telling everyone about Northumberland, it is far too nice to turn into another Cornwall. It really is gorgeous and quiet and very selfishly i would like it to stay that way x

I know how you feel! I’ve done my best to put people off north Norfolk!

PamQS

My friend moved to London recently, after over 30 years in a rural setting, which she loved. She’s been amazed by the facilities, Eg in healthcare. It may be hard to imagine if you’re used to London how less well-served other areas are, but there could be significant gaps in what you’re used to.

I’ve always imagined moving to the Cotswolds - there are some lovely villages and towns there. But I may just have read too much Agatha Raisin!

How interesting to move to London in later years - yep it's the place to be!

glammanana

We retired back to The Wirral on Merseyside close to the beach and River front really good transport to surrounding areas,Liverpool/West Kirby/Chester/Manchester etc. close to all the amenities that you would need,Liverpool gives you some really good eateries and museums/art galleries/theatres/easy access to all Motorways and train through to London takes just a couple of hours.
We did look at Northumberland just near Hexham (Acomb) but where put off because the area is cut off sometimes when it snows and the weather is very bad

Another vote from me for The Wirral. I moved here from Devon, and I absolutely love it. It's flat, for a start, so I can walk for miles without getting out of puff! Beautiful scenery, and fantastic travel links, with free bus and train travel for over 60s. You can get a train from Liverpool to London in two and a quarter hours, so it's not too far from the capital. The people here are lovely, too, very down to earth and eager to help.

Theodora - The public transport is poor to non existent. Cannot get an NHS dentist at all. Shops okayish not a great deal of choice. Everything expensive here in South West. So as I said think very carefully before leaving the London area.

A second vote here for Gloucester and the small towns and villages nearby. Great transport links - the bus services are excellent. Everyone's very friendly too and lots going on. My husband volunteers at the Cathedral and really enjoys it. We actually live in a large village in the beautiful Forest of Dean. We have a post office, fish and chip shop, village shop and there are two larger supermarkets, doctor's surgery and library just a few miles away. Quick bus service into Gloucester too. We've been here a few years now (moved from rural Somerset) and love it.

I live near Edinburgh and when my DGS was born in London, in Wimbledon during the tennis, we were desperate to go and visit but no one could put us up and the hotels were either full or exorbitant.
So we drove to Penrith and stayed the night at the station hotel.
Next morning we caught the train to London, (3hours) spent several hours adoring the new baby and even walked on the common and had a drink in one of those lovely pubs then train back to Penrith. There's a nice small town.
www.discoverpenrith.co.uk/

I haven't RTWT so forgive me please if I'm repeating a previous poster's recommendation - I have a close family member who lives in a small town near Hebden Bridge, and I've fallen in love with the area.

Hebden Bridge itself is so full of wonderful galleries and cafes and shops, and the surrounding countryside is truly beautiful.

Or going in the opposite direction both literally and metaphorically, how about the totally eclectic, fun loving, eccentric and colourful Brighton? I adore it!

As a South West resident I am considering moving into central London for my last decades. Prices are daft so I will have a much smaller house ; but the facilities, leisure and health care is what I am buying.
A lot of Londoners have relocated here during the pandemic and services are now dangerously stretched. Local papers are full of complaints and comparisons .
Public transport is nigh invisible whereas London has the cheapest most efficient systems. Think very hard about what you want and what you need.

A lot of people turn their bosses up at Birmingham but if you could find somewhere on the south side of the city there's a lot of open space/countryside within a very short distance.
We have lots of things to do and places to go but if you want to visit a little further afield, Birmingham sits inside a triangle of motorways (M5, M6 and M42) within easy access of several others (M1, M40 and M69) meaning you can get to almost anywhere else really easily.
Some may not think this is a benefit, but there is also the added plus of the country's best tap water, it tastes far better than any from anywhere else in the UK. We have absolutely no limescale and when washing your hair, clothes etc you don't need anywhere near as much shampoo or detergent as you do in hard water areas.

Flipping autocorrect..... People turn their 'noses' up, not their bosses ?

I did grin at bosses up DeeJaysMum I lived in Birmingham for a couple of years and after London it was certainly smaller, cheaper and more accessible. I could walk into the centre from Edgbaston.
Not sure about best water. We have limescale free here in Scotland too. Limescale is calcium and good for teeth and bones.

All very helpful posts

But the main issue for me is that as I will me moving alone it feels horrendous no matter what area I choose

Why move then?

A lot of us have had to move alone TheodoraP, selling is horrendous, but it is doable. I had to sell up as I didn't have the finances to maintain my huge old pile and was scared the next emergency would devastate my savings. I'd already been quoted £8K for a new boiler as the pipework had to be replaced, and it was making terrible noises, I was always anxious.

I was selling at auction and had half moved out, beds etc, to a rented cottage, but had left a lot so the house was 'dressed' for viewings. When I sold in April 2020 lockdown had just been enforced so I had to move the rest of my possessions on my own, the removal people said they weren't 'essential workers'. I had 18 steps at the front of my property, I wouldn't have managed it without the kids sledges! Unfortunately I had to leave all my big wardrobes etc - they hadn't sold in time, and I could hardly lift the drawers, let alone the wardrobe. Buyer had it all for free - house clearance people wouldn't come either.

Initially I started my search looking at places I could volunteer - the donkey sanctuary in Devon, and the Eden Project in Cornwall. I also wanted to volunteer at Oxfam. Had to dismiss both of them as I couldn't afford to live in the areas I wanted.

Think of somewhere you would enjoy walking around each day. A fellow widow is very happy in Maldon, in Essex, and posts daily photos of her walks, she is very happy.

Wow Shandy57 that's alot

Your amazing, didn't you have any family that could help, I know people can let you down when you need them most

What did you do in the end have you now settled in a property and how do you deal with the dreaded being alone

Personally I hate it, especially if I haven't been busy at work

Thank you by the way for taking the time to post

I couldn't ask my kids TheodoraP as travel wasn't allowed in the first lockdown, they were both over an hour away, it was when the police were stopping people on the road. It did annoy me that my neighbour watched me for weeks and weeks then one day, when his partner was home early, shouted over 'do you want some help Shandy57'? Just showing off to his partner.

I'm six years into being alone, and now I am, realise many, many people live alone. It did scare me that there's a rubbish signal here, in case I ever need help, so I found out about 'wifi calling' and changed to '3' who offer it on my old Iphone SE on PAYG.

I tried to go home to the south and couldn't afford it, so settled for a bungalow in a nice location in the NE. I do like being able to visit my husband's grave easily, and my kids are quite pleased I'm in the village they were brought up in.
I've still got my elderly pets and love my vets, I've got a great dentist here, chiropodist, know a huge amount of people as acquaintances - and can go to the beach every day. It's got a lot going for it but as a Londoner I still miss having facilities and choice, as well as multicultural society. Black and asian people are stared at here, and unthinking racism is common.

As you work, could you go to the gym or swimming in the evenings? Lots of people go on their own.

At least it sounds like you have settled that's good. I am a Londoner and am thinking about a countryside move, believe me your not missing out not being in London The crime here is horrendous I understand wat you say about it being diverse and that is definitely a bonus of living in London

I'm not very good with gyms and other stuff I don't stick to anything it's one thing that I hate about myself

I am not very busy at work at the moment and that is exaggerating my emotions

I am waiting to get back into positive thinking it seems to come and go

What helps me loads is focusing on my blessings

Thank you for your post grateful

TheodoraP, there seem to be 2 parts to this thread. One is about you and your contemplated move. If you are feeling unsure, I would definitely postpone a 'final' decision. A piece of advice often given was to rent out your own place and rent elsewhere for awhile (not sure how that would suit you if you are still working). I knew someone who went about the country doing that for some years! Although I know there are certain issues with renting out your property, I imagine that in London it would be quite easy.

The other part is people mostly recommending where they live (a few not). I love reading their perspective on different parts of the country - some of which I will put on my holiday list!