Moving out of London

Nice! I used to ride through endcliffe pk all the way out to the peaks to MTB when I lived on brocco bank. Round Sharrowvale is a good shout, nice village feel round there. Am envious!

ride through endcliffe pk all the way out to the peaks to MTB

You are describing the life I am dreaming of living, this gives me confidence I’m not making a huge mistake.

Pro tip: If you're going to move back towards the general area where you grew up to have kids and be nearer family and friends, etc i would say don't half-arse it. Live near enough that they can easily help with childcare i.e be close enough that they can be there in minutes and spend enough time with the baby that they can settle it and cuddle it back off to sleep in the night. Or buy a house with a spare bedroom so they stay over if needed. If you don't do either of these you may as well be in another country as far as effective childcare support goes.

We got this calculation slightly wrong and bought a house we love in a small town we love, 40 mins drive from the in-laws (and 2 hours drive from my parents) with no spare room. My wife and I were/are therefore the only people who can settle the kids at night. As a result we haven't been out for a date or meal without the kids for five years.

*twitches eyelid

Actually, i've just remembered (like a repressed abuse memory) that we did have a spare room when we only had one child. This resulted in the in-laws staying over two nights a week; effectively living with us three days a week, while we tried to continue both working full-time. Not recommended either.

buy a house with a spare bedroom so they stay over if needed.

This is my plan. Be about an hour’s drive from my parents but with the ability to accommodate them. The notion of living close enough to my parents that they could just drop round whenever they wanted fills my blood with ice.

We’re 20 mins from my parents and 90 from my inlaws. We’ve told both of them that although they have keys, if they want more grandchildren they will arrange visits in advance and never let themselves in.

This could go on a couple of other threads but I’m looking to move out for 3-6 months while my partner and I separate short term to focus on our individual mental issues. Plan is to rent somewhere within 45-hour closer to friends and family (scattered between Monmouth, Worcester, Bradford upon Avon) so looking at west side of the M4 corridor- somewhere around Cirencester/Stroud way or towards Swindon.

Any recommendations/tips for the area or going back to living and renting alone for a while?

40 minutes isn’t that far away though? My MIL was bugging us hard to buy a house that came up on their road - nope no way. About 25 mins away now not that they can babysit now with covid.

This parents to take care of child thing has been practiced by Asians here quite efficiently. The relationship has to be very clear and it works, no amount of spare rooms or distance math will do the trick.

Also the house we bought has one of those new fangle keypad doors. My partner thought if a good idea to set the code as her parents old phone number. So it’s seared into all of their memories (and they can get in) while I have a piece of paper with it written down in my wallet.

we had our in-laws live with us for childcare 2 days a week between spring 2018 and covid, and i work from home anyway.

it was convenient in one sense but outstandingly frustrating in another. a bit like child ownership in general, i guess.

Are you looking for rural or town? I used to live in Charfield, wouldn't particularly recommend it as not a lot there apart from a couple of pubs and a shop, but it is cheap and easy to get to places.
Also lived in Sherston and Malmesbury, both very nice, particularly Sherston, but on the pricy side.
We looked at Nailsworth, which was quite nice, and OK prices. There are some really nice villages around Cirencester and the water park, but you pay a premium to live there.

Not sure tbh. Rural suits but don’t want to be totally isolated if on my own. Village probably. Got knowledge though- will look at nailsworth and surrounding area.

Then you are probably in luck, one thing that area does is villages! Somerford Keynes, Sherston, Hullavington, Brinkworth, South Cerney, all spring to mind.

I really like the outskirts of Stroud: around Rodborough but also out towards Lypiatt. Lovely countryside, close enough to walk into town if necessary and stroud has enough going on to interest....

Ex-LDN sheffielder here!

Sheffield is great - pubs are great, peaks access is great. Its a bit of weird place in that the city centre is not exactly thriving (though new development is happening) but lots of the suburbs are really really good with lots of stuff happening.

We initially moved to Nether Edge and I'd highly recommend there - a peaceful enclave between the more grimy pubs/bars/bakeries/kebabs of Abbeydale and London Roads, and the mix of the students and posh of Sharrow and Ecclesall Road.

On the best side for the peaks as well, escaping up Ringinglow Road. Or off road, can ride from Endcliff Park, out along the Porter Brook up the Mountain Bike tracks at Lady Cannings completely off road.

I live in the same village as my in-laws. they look after my son for one morning a week. i think they are still smarting from having us there for 4 months during lockdown, but 4 hours a week has made it clear that we do not need to be so near to them if we move out of this place

.

My flat is now on the market, so this is actually happening (subject to selling the thing).

It's been on the cards for a while, it's been such a massive decision for us, I've been down here for more than half of my life, but the time has come for a different lifestyle and pace of life.

There was a point i thought i would never leave, but eventually we've come to the reality that you either need to earn increasing amounts of money to tread water, and that is a little trapping if you want to do other things.

city centre is not exactly thriving

Fortunately I am no longer a city centre type of person. Probably one of the reasons I am looking to leave London.

Have been looking at a few places around Nether Edge, so nice to get a recommendation for it, cheers.

My flat is now on the market

Mine went on last night. Already have 9 viewings booked in for next Saturday. Everything has gone from ‘hey this is a fun hypothetical to daydream about’ to ‘holy shit are we actually doing this wtf?!’ very fucking quickly.

We stayed in Nether Edge last year, loved it and added it to a short list of places we could move to if we ever left London.

I was at Sheffield polytechnic from 88-91. Lived in nether edge in a shitty shared house and our local was the Broadfield aka the Broadmoor. I used to love drinking at the Porter cottage and putting James Taylor Quartet on the juke box.. happy skint days. I still have a soft spot for Sheffield as you can tell!

Yeah we are in exactly the same place tbh, actually takimg that step has been a big deal. Fingers crossed for you!

We are near Newent, but in a small village. Prices are much lower than Stroud which suffers from the near London in the countryside prices of the cotswolds. It’s pretty much equidistant from Monmouth and Worcester approx 40 mins from either.

One of the best life changes has been escaping from London.