If you want relatively easy access to the motorway network then you’re looking at North Kent (M2, M20), Brighton (A23/M23) or Portsmouth/Southampton (M3).
Anywhere else in the South East is getting more difficult and you can forget the South West if you want to get anywhere in under a day.
Dave - that's a strange answer! How about Bristol, technically the South West, M4/M5 so can go north, south, east and west easily!!Originally Posted by Dave+63
Yes, Bristol is another option with the M4 and M5 being on its doorstep and whilst technically South West, it isn’t really is it?
Lovely city and surrounding countryside, I’ve a brother who lives there and have enjoyed many visits.
Hi,
I'm attracted by the idea of relocating to a more sleepy part of the UK, I currently live in North Kent.
The reality is everywhere is getting more busy with housebuilding going on everywhere and little or no improvement in infrastructure.
Truth be known I fancy living in the French Alps but I doubt we'd ever make the jump.
However, I think I'd miss my network of friends, family, clubs and other contacts that we have built up over the last 20 years since moving out of the London suburbs ...
I find it odd that people move when they retire and leave their network behind at the time of life when they would have more time to enjoy their network.
Relocating on retirement seems like an almighty reset and risks leaving you isolated and lonely ...
All my frinds from up north call it SW but yep, not so sure!
I heard a definition of the South West as that part of the UK where there is no cut-off date for sleeping with your parents.
if looking at bristol i'd just cross over the bridge and look at south wales instead.
Crossing the Rubicon there.
Wimborne Minster is pleasant. Within easy reach of Bournemouth and Poole, Shaftesbury, Dorchester etc. New Forest too…
relocated from south wales to fife scotland at 50.
downsized from 4 bed new build town house to nice old 2 bed place with huge garden. mortgage ancient history.
the ball and chain went from teaching full time to part time work and some charity stuff too.
i went from an semiconductor engineering career to muggins work requiring no global travel, no stress and being able to switch off very night.
should mention we are, and have always been, delighted to be a rugrat free zone.
that was just about 5 years ago -
tried some semiconductor work up here - too much like stepping backing in time - the industry is totally farked in the uk now. i lasted 3 months and after the first review amazed the company by legging it.
her is still doing her thing.
we downsized a bit too much - currently on the move up to a newish 3 bed detached with mid size garden - the current huge garden is getting too much and we were even only getting through half the veg we grew. new house MUCH cheaper to heat and needing no remedial work in the next decade which is more can be said for our current choccy box looking money pit. trades and materials prices and heating bills make this a no brainer.
we originally chose at place only a few miles from a rail station as we though we'd be hitting the lights on a semi regular basis - and we have not used it once, there are plenty of decent places to eat an easy drive and then i have a nice big glass of something warming when we get back. the new place is less than 15 mins walk from 2 decent pubs - that'll do nicely. as it happens we are moving about 5 miles this time.
think i am just pootling along until proper retirement whatever that is - which is bloody hilarious as i seem to be doing a better job than most of my mostly younger whiney work peers, but that is a story for another day.
glad we did it - would probably do it differently if we could go back but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
no idea what my actual point is but any questions just ask.
Last edited by bigbaddes; 21st March 2024 at 21:15.
Hehe....it's a no from me
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