AIBU to want my holiday to last longer/forever

Years ago we had a lovely family holiday in Ford and Etal. We went to Hadrian's Wall, a beautiful herb garden near Hexham which I don't think exists any more, Hexham itself and Bamburgh Castle where I told our children the story (and sang the song) about the Laidly Worm. We took them to Beamish and a few other places too.

I'd like to go again. I recall walking on deserted, windswept and beautiful beaches. No crowds and it was all just very......different. Otherworldly

I can see there are definite advantages to being in a caring village community where everyone looks out for each other. But with few people, if you don't fit in, it must be difficult to find good friends and a niche for yourself(ves). In a town, there are often other places you can go and interest groups to join. But then, I suppose if people find they don't enjoy living in a village and can't feel a part of life there, they move away, if they can.
I think I'd be a bit scared of moving away from home. I'm not that good at making lots of friends and have often felt an outsider at various stages of life and a bit of an oddity and I value and cherish the few good friends I have where we live now. I don't know how I'd cope starting afresh. Maybe I'm just a coward. I admire anyone with the courage and sense of adventure to start afresh elsewhere. Go for it! :D

AshTree, you could almost be describing the small town where I live! And although I enjoy seeing sites of historic interest, I also like to sit in a café and soak up the ambiance when I'm on holiday - a healthy balance is what I aim for.

I am the same with holidays, although I try and pick somewhere where the view is nearly as good as ours, or we just sit there and say how much nicer it is around us!

I miss the sea, so I always try and pick somewhere overlooking the water, be it sea or lake or river.

I do not miss the lack of amenities - I shop online for most things, and can get to things like swimming pool etc by driving about 16 miles or so - you just get used to that. We have a local garage about a mile away which sells some groceries, and another mile and a half further on is an excellent shop in the next village. The lovely thing to me is that when you go into the shops (or the pub) everyone knows you and we stop and chat and discuss the latest gossip!

Living in a small community sounds wonderful but I know the novelty would wear off for me. I live in a small town in the west country, on the outskirts of a city. Everything is to hand - a short car drive to several large supermarkets, DIY stores, garden centres and so on. Yet we have local amenities as well - butcher, newsagent, bakers, florists, little coffee shops, library, swimming pool, community centre.
If we want to escape the bustle we are just a few minutes drive from open countryside, moorland, miles of coastline. Plus the wider area is awash with historic country houses and gardens to visit, little market towns to wander around.
I find holidays very stressful, mainly because of health problems, but also because DH wants to be on the go all the time, sightseeing whereas, like Rowantree* I just want to sit and soak up the atmosphere, people watching or reading. I am always so ready to come home and relax.

Hopefully, with more openness, people can't get away with putting things like NFN on records. I wouldn't let it drop if someone wrote similar in my records.

Ooops I've given away the secret

I love holidays, don't mind where. Had some lovely self catering hols in Yorkshire-4 generations of my family together. BUT Please will people keep quiet about Northumberland, we have kept the secret for years and now everyone is telling! I blame that Robson Green.

Normal for Norfolk.

I've tried and tried to work it out. What does NFN mean?

I think NFN is offensive. It shouldn't be on anyone's hospital notes.

We have to be community oriented, especially in the winter as we look out for each other; and the transport is poor so we help each other in that way too - especially the older members of the community.

My OH has PD and I know that I can turn to any number of people if there are problems. His heart went haywire once when I was at work, and I was able to ring a neighbour who knew where the key is and he went and sat with my OH till the ambulance came.

All of that means a lot to us.

Soutra. I once had to collect someone from a hospital in Norfolk and bring them to Southend. NFN was on their notes. I had to ask what it meant.

Sounds like you might be in need of another holiday, vampire.

Three churches in my village, Rowan. I'm with you on the pagan atheist. Have to keep stopping my grandson saying, "But we don't believe in God, do we, Granny?" at inopportune moments.

Is it a case of everyone knowing your business or just that they're more community orientated than city people?

DH volunteers at the community centre and is constantly being asked why he does it. He does it because he thinks community and helping others is important. Would he be asked to justify himself in a village or hamlet?

Same as Mishap.
Main issue against for me, is that literally every club that is started, just doesnt have enough people. Not their fault. And cant fault anyones' enthusiasm. It is a pure numbers game.

I have never found it claustrophobic - yes, people do know your business, but the end result of that is that people are there for you come rain or shine. Pies and cakes and flowers arrived on my doorstep when I was ill, and I so appreciated it.

I am renowned for being late with all the "gossip"! - it is a standing joke.

(at the last few words!)

Definitely horses for courses! My dream'd be to live in a lovely historic country town with plenty of culture, lovely buildings, theatre, societies to join and so on, but surrounded by beautiful countryside and near plenty of historic houses. And lovely gardens to visit. And pubs with good food. Oh, but not too far from my family and friends.

Can't be done, so I settle for where I am at the moment ;) and visit these places on holiday!

Not sure I'd like a village atmosphere. Sounds idyllic but you might find it a bit claustrophobic, everyone knowing your business and all....and activities can often be focused round the local church, which is fine if you're a Christian but not so great if you're a half-Jewish Pagan atheist....

But vq finds it restful and it helps with her anxiety. Horses for courses and all that.

I think small communities are claustrophobic. Give me a big city any time.

The middle of nowhere can be depressing.

The nice thing about the middle of nowhere is that the communities are smaller and present less of a threat to someone who is agoraphobic or nervous about getting out and meeting people. Most of the clubs and societies round here have about 10 people or less in them - some of them the same people of course! - and they are very welcoming.

Vampire's not 60 yet, Rowantree. She can manage a few years in the middle of nowhere in Northumberland.

I love my holidays, always have, but I am never sorry to come home - whether the holiday has been for a few days or longer. I love my home and lets face it if we were on holiday all the time, we wouldn't enjoy it so much!

I like windswept; I like the UK for holidays. But I wouldn't want to live in the middle of nowhere. As we get older, I like to know there are amenities, shops and public transport within easy reach. And people. However boring Suburbia is (and it can certainly be), where we live is near to everything we need,within relatively easy reach of the beautiful Kent countryside and also London with its museums, theatres and galleries.
I enjoy being on holiday in the Dales or Northumbria, as well as many of the other lovely areas in the country. I know it's corny but I do like the Cotswolds, Derbyshire, the West Country....and a couple of years ago we went to Orkney and Shetland for a couple of weeks. I think I prefer having shorter breaks, on the whole. DH enjoys train holidays through Italy and wall-to-wall sightseeing, but I find them rather exhausting after a while and long to sit in a cafe and people-watch or read.
Later in the year, we're considering training it through Eastern Germany (Berlin, Dresden) and then Krakow, later in the year, if I am up to it (I tend to get very anxious going abroad, but I don't want that to stop me going). I wish I had the energy that some of you have!

Northumbria is very blowy. And cold. Great if you like bare windswept beaches. And Hadrians Wall. I can now do without both.