Returning to the UK

How about somewhere like Pickering, with access to York? One of my favourite towns in the UK.

If you can sell your house and then buy another house with cash you will potentially get a bargain; not many people can do that these days.

A village community with access to an interesting town would suit me perfectly.
I adore the countryside, yet also enjoy music, film and theatre. Managing both is the trick.

The far north is pulling us both.......at the moment.
House swapping is a strong possibility. We did it with some Americans a couple of years ago and it was a great success.

We've already been offered a house to use as a base as and when, which is fabulous. Not planning on doing that until this is sold, then we can do the move and start hunting.

B we could share the cost of the helicopter!

Love to have you as a neighbour, butty, but I think you'd find most of Argyll a bit remote from everything except mountains and water (both salt and fresh). Suits me but I'm not much of a town person. All I lack is a helicopter, with pilot, so I could visit DD1 more easily in Derbyshire.

Given the huge variation in house prices I'd probably be terribly boring and say what sort of price can you afford and what do you want for that amount. Then list the things that you will most want to do when you're there. Although I live in a small village I can get to our cinema [and it's a very good one] and theatre in @ 20 minutes [even less on a quiet day]. That is vitally important to me. If you're in no great hurry to move you could, perhaps do a few 'house swaps' and try out different parts of the country for a couple of weeks. It's a huge decision and, given the house sale market at the moment not one that you want to make a mistake with. I can see you getting totally addicted to the Right Move site; I go on there sometimes and have such fantasies about cottages in the Peak District. Somewhere that I love totally albeit rather remote in it's way and lacking a lot of the amenities that I'd like; also a bit pricey [and cliquey or so I've heard] is Southwell. Floods as well in some parts. Why do I even suggest it then? Because I've been there several times and I just adore it; other people I know feel the same about it. Oh heck; Right Move is calling me now ...

Trouble is that there are no hilly places in the East of England and the more westerly areas do get more rain
Shropshire always seems to me a lovely peaceful county. Welsh borders. Hilly but not mountainous. And fairly easy access to the midlands and Wales. But never lived there. Similar to Herefordshire really. Both benefit from the proximity of Wales but maybe get a bit less rain than Wales itself.

Come to Fife then! Reasonably cheap property, lots to do, near to Edinburgh, plenty of space......................

Gally I've lived in the West but our working lives were mainly in the South East. We have friends in the South, but returning to the SE is not something we'd wish for, nor could afford.

It's great to get ideas from further afield.

I will never go back to live in Britain - for the same reasons which made me leave it in the first place. I want to be free to travel widely without having to rely on planes, trains or boats. I have just spent three weeks in Manchester - it rained every day but one. I think those grey, leaden skies would really get me down. (And I couldn't afford to buy anything there, in spite of the downturn in property prices.)
I lived in Chelsea for five years and hated it. I can't stand being surrounded by buildings, traffic, crowds..........I can live without shopping, other than for food, cinemas, theatres, concert halls.........
There are many parts of Britain which I love - but I did spend many years exploring them. Now, there is such a lot of Europe to see before I leave it for good.
I haven't come across any other Britons in this area - I can't think why, as it is so beautiful.

All your suggestions are lifting my spirits already. The kindness of strangers......thank you.

Butty where used you to live before you went to France? Don't you still have friends and contacts there? How about Sussex? Countryside, coast, history aplenty and within easy reach of London. Rail service and airport close by and near to ports for return visits to France!

I have 2 suggestions, if walking and views are important to you.

One is Herefordshire - the south of the county is close to S. Wales and the Black Mountains; and the north is full of lovely black and white villages. We came here well over 30 years ago and could not tear ourselves away - we live in the friendliest of communities and life moves at a slower, kinder pace. There is a direct train route to London to visit your son. The other nice thing about the area is that it is rural and beautiful, but there are places within easy reach for the other things in life: Birmingham for the Symphony Hall, galleries etc.; Cardiff; Bristol - all easy to get to by car or train. and neaby are the Malverns and the coast of the Gower. Bit of everything really.

My other suggestion would be Cheshire (as someone else has mentioned). I have family living in a village near Macclesfield and there is so much there - lovely canal walks, Derbyshire dales on the doorstep, Manchester within easy reach. It is slightly pricey though when it comes to housing - whereas Herefordshire is still relatively cheap.

Lots of good luck with your decision-making.

Yes Butty, we are the same as you really. I never understand the view of some ex-pats here that they will never go back, as if going back is somehow selling out. I never saw living in France as a life sentence! I think the planned move idea is right and that is what we will do too.

January is not grim in the Alps! Today, I walked by a lake - bright blue skies, crisp white snow, dark green forests - lovely. (Not too good for skiers, though, too much green showing on the mountains.)

Butty I'm not a native Geordie but can only echo Glass's recommendation.
We have everything within easy reach - lovely countryside, beaches, theatre, concerts, cinema, good restaurants, and very little traffic congestion.
I live 10 minutes drive from Newcastle airport, so excellent for holidays and visiting son in the States, and the train service to London is quick - less than 3 hours.
Good luck and you're welcome to come round for a cuppa if in these parts

Yes Mamie, January in rural France is not a bundle of laughs. We always knew we wanted to return to the UK. Just a question of when! My husband turning 65 last year clarified things, and as someone wisely said, it's better to have a planned move rather than a crisis move.
We're taking a long view, as the housing market is v. flat, but thought may as well get the ball rolling........ Realistically, I can't see it happening any time soon, but from a positive perspective it gives plenty of time to choose a lovely location.

Now off to close those shutters...

Movedalot, we visited Great Malvern a couple of years ago when I found out that my paternal grandmother's family originally hailed from a village, more of a hamlet called Hanley Castle. As you say it is indeed a lovely part of the world.

Oh Butty! Nothing like January in rural France for bringing on the moving back blues, is there...
We have this discussion all the time and one of the problems in a sense is having so much choice about where to go. OH would vote for his native Yorkshire every time and I can see the attraction of the big skies, but I love our ever so slightly longer and lighter days in France. I would vote for my native south-east, near daughter and granddaughters. Our latest plan would be to buy a a flat in the UK and have a small rented property in the south of France so we could have the best of both countries.
We aren't ready to do it yet and anyway I don't think much property is selling, but we are going to Spain for a few weeks to escape the greyness and the mud....

I think we could get quite competetive about the best place to live but none of you have anything we don't have here in Malvern so it is quite clear to me that this is the best place to live in the UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Water level is rising so you need to live on a hill. I rest my case!

Does it have to be England Butty? Because you could do a lot worse than the west coast of Scotland, particularly Kintyre, it`s beautiful there, if a bit out of the way.

Oh, some lovely suggestions. What comes across is how happy you are with where you live or once lived.
Thanks for your replies - lots to think about.

Off to google Zoopla and RightMove!

We have an International Airport here too Butty and all the Countryside you would want for walking. A gorgeous coastline. Large Towns Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland and smaller towns Hexham, Alnwick, Morpeth to name but a few. House prices are more realistic than in the South. Close to the Scottish Borders. The people are very friendly.

Oh I could go on and on go on have a look at Northumberland.

Norfolk is very flat though!

Norfolk is wonderful Butty. Fantastic coastline, pretty villages, fabulous shopping in Norwich, the Broads, reasonably priced property and cost of living. (I'd go back if I could)

Very good road and rail links to London, plus Norwich Airport for further afield.

Less rain in the SE Butty - more sunshine and the clouds, if they come are somehow just...fluffier