Moving

How about East Anglia? Diss in South Norfolk is a lovely little town with the facilities you would need and a mainline railway service for London. I would recommend Stowmarket in Suffolk and Manningtree in North Essex for the same reasons. All are near lovely countryside and the East Coast.

I advocate Cheshire. I live in a small town which was a village when I moved here 22 years ago. The amenities and entertainments in Greater Manchester are easily reached by the regular train service or by bus from a Park and Ride about a mile away. There is a big medical practice, covering this and two other communities, with surgeries in each. Three supermarkets cater for a range of wallets. There are lots of great walks into and around the Peak District. Have I sold it? Sadly, I am planning to move south to be closer to my family,

Take a look at Jane McDonald's "My Yorkshire" on channel 5.

Silvertwigs

@ TheodoraP Norwich has been consistently voted the friendliest place to live. Most of Norfolk is really lovely with the local population and ‘blow ins’ from wide and far. The beaches are spectacular and villages unsurpassed.

I live in a lovely little village in north Norfolk. However there is absolutely no public transport and no facilities in the village other than church (service once a fortnight) and village hall. So a car is needed for everything. We love living here and everyone is very friendly but it won’t be our final move, as we always knew. Norwich is indeed a lovely city but it is changing so much - lots of new housing. Not what it used to be. Our area is beautiful, in the countryside and close to the sea, but it’s not the place to be if you can’t drive everywhere to do your shopping, see the doctor etc. A long way from the nearest hospital too, every chance of dying whilst waiting for an ambulance!

Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire. Beautiful countryside, fantastic coastline, and friendly people !

how to find out if a town is friendly? do what I did, park in the carpark, which is free and open air here and start talking to people. Queue in the supermarket and speak to the person behind you. Go for a cup of tea and speak to people. People are not going to make the first move, you have to do it. Just ask what it is like to live there. That is honestly how I decided that this place would be my home. In somerset

My carpark is very central and has a lovely clean public toilet. You can get the ambience and vibes by walking the main street, eg here there are no betting shops or poundlands and only two charity shops. No druggies leaving their mark, the roads are clean, no grafitti and so on. There is a local magazine, containing a list of all activities and clubs

Walk along and say hello to people, see if they say hello and smile back. They do here

We've just (4 weeks) moved into a cottage in South Somerset... 2 miles from the Devon border We are within 30 minutes of the sea ..a bit further to the the South Devon coast. Our small town is thriving with lots of independent shops as well as 2 Supermarkets... We have churches ..chemists and a Medical Centre but the whole feel of the place is very much community. There is so much going on....a friends group who arrange lots of activities. If you enjoy walking then there is plenty of that around about....as I write I'm looking at the sheep and be born lambs in the field next door. I have no regrets at leaving the London suburb I'd lived in for most of my life. Carpe Diem.....and Good Luck

Good point Jaylou. So many people are having difficulty with 'drives' - I am glad my neighbour is reasonable and never blocks me/puts her bin on mine. The fence is another matter!

In addition to my previous post, I was borderline obsessive about my investigations, bus-stops, local shops, libraries, doctors. I also looked at streets on Google Earth. You can tell a lot about the type of cars parked in driveways, is it the neighbourhood for you?

We’ve spent the last 5 years holidaying in various parts of the uk trying to find the place we’d like to retire to. Top of the list is Northumberland. We love it but have had to rule it out as it’s just too far from London where we live now and where our children and grandchildren will continue to live. We have finally decided on Somerset, close to the coast. We hope to move within the next 5 years if all goes to plan ?

I lived in Surrey for 60 years and got bored. Last year I moved to Dorset (alone) and not regretted it at all. Just calmer and slower, and as driving is easier everything feels so much closer. New things to see, coast (out of tourist season), and the New Forest. Also new places to visit that are now doable on a day trip. House prices are also cheaper, so mortgage paid off, and equity to live on. Do it now, as soon as feasible, don't leave it 10 years and get too old and regret it.
Make up a short list, and go on weekend trips to the areas and see how they feel. I have no regrets, so when it happens for you welcome to a new life!

We moved from London to outside Chichester, having spent many years researching by having lovely weekends away in various places. It offers so much but consequently is not cheap. Are you selling or renting? Are you looking to downsize and/ or release capital which will influence your choice. Have a look on Rightmove to see if there are the right type of properties for you at the right price, remembering that it is written by estate agents eg distance to station is as the crow flies!

Do you have family and friends in London who you will want to keep in touch with. How frequently? On escape to the country people often talk about having space for the family, but the reality is that if it can’t be done in an easy day trip, it won’t happen very often as everyone has busy lives. If indeed you do have people in London, which side of the city? Our family live in North London so it can take 2 and a half hours to get here, especially if everyone is going to glorious West Wittering etc. On the other hand they are delighted to offload the children in holidays as we can take them to the beach, countryside walks etc.
We had friends who moved from north Surrey to deepest Dorset, not well served by trains, who moved back after a while, specifically because they discovered their friends found it too far to visit. Yes you can make new friends but they didn’t want to lose good friends of many years. These days it is very expensive to move, let alone the upheaval so you need to get it right.

Having also lived in Yorkshire, there is no doubt that winter is longer. Snow and frost is now a rarity down here (which in turn has an impact on the garden).

Many people have made the important point about future proofing. Even if you drive now, that may not always be possible for all sorts of reasons. Public transport can be a problem in many areas, even smaller towns, infrequent, stops very early, nothing on Sundays.

There are lots of places with access to countryside and most are friendly, if you are. Good luck in your adventure.

Try South Wales - Cardiff, Penarth, Barry - especially Barry. Beautiful place, close to the sea, beautiful beaches.

Try South Wales - Cardiff, Penarth, Barry - especially Barry. Beautiful place, close to the sea, beautiful beaches.

Being in a market town is better than being in the countryside for all sorts of reasons, especially as one ages. Join in to make friends - U3A, language classes, etc. We moved to Somerset and a slower way of life.

Take a few holidays around the country in places that sound attractive to you and do your homework about what is available - GP surgeries, libraries, social groups, public transport, shops etc .
Living in the country , either in a village or a small town is totally different to living in a city with everything on your doorstep.
Also be aware that if you are uncomfortable with people knowing your business or about you, a village may not be the best choice for you !

I recently moved to Buckinghamshire from Yorkshire. My perception that Northerners were more friendly has been turned on it’s head. I have a great social life here. I have observed that a lot of people I meet through Meetup are in comers also. The only thing I don’t like is the price workman charge here! Yesterday a window cleaner gave me a quote of £35 for 8 windows, I paid £10 for 12 in Wetherby!

OldHag I've sent you a private message

Not from London but from a crowded Essex (!) town. I moved 10 years ago so that travelling to visit family in both North and South was easier. Picked a small market town with good road connections and facilities in the East Midlands.
Joined all the available organisations and volunteered for others.. Kept up with those that suited me best. The people here are so friendly compared to where I have lived before. Now I have many friends and acquaintances. Best decision I ever made.

Come up to Lincolnshire!! I was born here, but spent 58 years living in a London borough in north west Kent, I did love it there but circumstances needed me to be nearer family. I have never regretted the move and the large village I live in has such an active community, with all sorts of clubs and organisations you can join if you so wish. Beautiful countryside and good transport connections, no buses but we do have a railway station!

The Cotswolds. Stunning scenery, great climate, lots of National Trust properties and gardens. Fabulous pubs and great lifestyle.

We lived in North Bedfordshire, there are some lovely villages and countryside and it was only 40 minutes from London on the train, probably less now.

I didn't have the budget to go home, unfortunately. Our tiny two bed Victorian terrace in Whitton is now £575K, I got £275K for my 5 bed up here - admittedly in need of renovation, but still 264 sq m.

What has been the issues with leaving London

Know that if you want to you Can come back

We moved to Peterborough and wanted to come back to London so we did

sorry 'he' is my late husband. I do wish we could edit posts.