Gransnet forums

Chat

Are you local? Do you still live where you grew up?

(157 Posts)
Indigo8 Thu 10-Oct-24 10:09:09

I have just counted up and I have lived in eight different areas since I was born. All, except one, in the south of England.

I recently chatted to a woman in her 70s who has always lived within a mile or so from where she was born and was very proud of the fact.

I know some of you may have grown up in a different country from where you are now.

62Granny Thu 10-Oct-24 16:30:41

I live within four miles of where I was born and had lived in our previous house for 40 years which was even closer. We moved 6 years ago.

Grandma70s Thu 10-Oct-24 16:27:35

I have lived in London, Edinburgh and Liverpool. I lived in Wirral as a child, but have not returned. I went to university in London, lived there for a while and would dearly like to return there, but jobs led me north, and London is too expensive now. Both my children live there.

My brother, too, has lived in the London area all his adult life, but now (in his late 80s) is moving to Nottingham to be near his son and family. I think he’s crazy! If I had a nice house in London I’d stay there.

NotAGran55 Thu 10-Oct-24 16:08:12

I have lived in 8 different properties in 6 different towns and villages, all in Berkshire.
I’m only 35 miles from my family home and couldn’t afford a family sized property there now.
I would love to live in London but sadly never will.

Grandmadinosaur Thu 10-Oct-24 14:53:42

Born in Derby where I lived until I was 27. Met my DH there who was from the North West. We had been married a year when we relocated to East Yorkshire with his job. Thought it was a stop gap but 39 years later we are still here. Not complaining though as we love it here.

In 2001 we fell in love with somewhere abroad. Having thoughts of moving there our Ds was in his early teens and DH said let’s get him through his education first. So we did but life challenges along the way stopped us later on. How we now regret that decision. Now there are grandchildren in the equation who I’d hate to leave behind.

heath480 Thu 10-Oct-24 14:49:59

Grew up in Surrey,left home at 18 and have lived all over the U.K.and Europe,I was in the Army so that included many moves.

I have lived in the house I am in now for 22 years,in the Midlands.I miss the South a lot,especially the South Downs,but know moving back wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

jusnoneed Thu 10-Oct-24 14:49:01

Greenfinch, where I live is very expensive, one of the highest council taxes in the country/highest rates electricity and gas, high house prices. Very little to do unless you travel outside the town. It's one of those nice to visit but not so good to live now as far as I am concerned.
If I ever get the chance I am going back across the border to my family area of Somerset.

Mollygo Thu 10-Oct-24 14:41:54

I’ve lived in different places, but my sisters stayed in the village where we were born.
I wonder what caused people’s first moves. Mine was going to Uni and meeting DH, then moving to live where DH lived.

BlueSapphire Thu 10-Oct-24 14:35:05

Born and bred in Wiltshire.
Went to college in Hertfordshire.
First job in London.
Next job in Singapore, where I met DH.
Settled in Northampton on return to UK.
Two foreign postings of 2/3 yrs with DH - Cyprus and Australia.
Returned to Northampton in 1991, moved house and still in Northampton. No plans on going anywhere else!

SueDonim Thu 10-Oct-24 14:30:51

I’ve lived in five different towns in England, four in Scotland and two spells of living in Developing countries. That’s certainly an eye opener, you never look at your own country in the same way again.

TerriBull Thu 10-Oct-24 14:25:31

I'm 25 miles from where I grew up in Surrey, my other half hails from Essex so it's round the M25 to get back to his neck of the woods. Round the opposite direction to get to one of my sons who lives in Bucks, the other lives fairly close to where he grew up. One of my closest and oldest friends from our earliest school days, still lives in our home town, even though she's lived, at varying times in her life in Brussels, Ireland, her parents were both Irish, The US and Australia, but back she boomeranged at every available opportunity, my nickname for her is the Accidental Tourist. Wherever she was living in the world, it was always the worst place she'd ever been to. We corresponded via letter, pre internet days, she'd always say "I can't wait to come home, and home she came back from Australia to have her first child and persuaded her husband to move lock, stock and barrel even though he had a lucrative contract in Oz. When I left home, it was to move to a flat in south east London, near Crystal Palace. Most of my grown up life, apart from a brief spell in Australia, I have lived in Greater London. About 38 years in leafy West London near the Royal Parks and the River Thames where my children were born and grew up. We moved from London 3 years ago, just into Sussex, to a lovely market town. The beautiful Surrey Hills, (my county) are just a couple of miles up the road and the South Downs and coast about 15 miles.

Northernsoulnanna Thu 10-Oct-24 14:20:20

I was born in village where i still live(69 years)
Used to be just a few farms and a shop and few houses.
Since mid 60s it has grown and still growing

Helenlouise3 Thu 10-Oct-24 14:09:06

I've never lived further than 9 miles from where I was born and I've lived in the same house for 47 years. I can't see myself moving now, unless I have to go to a home.

Kate1949 Thu 10-Oct-24 14:04:08

Born in Birmingham to Irish parents. I'm still in Brum but a different part. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

MaizieD Thu 10-Oct-24 13:58:00

Born in NE Essex, moved to Yorkshire in early 20s, then to Durham nearly 40 years ago.

I love Durham but still have a soft spot for the area in Essex where I spent my formative years 😆

Georgesgran Thu 10-Oct-24 13:43:44

Born in Durham (not my idea) in my GGM’s house, then taken straight back to Harrogate for 5 years, before returning to Durham.
I’m about 5/6 miles North of the city now and no immediate plans to move.

DH’s job took him to Worcester and we did look to move there, but as he would spend increasing amounts of time in other parts of the world, he decided, because I had mitigating circumstances, that he’d just commute as and when/weekly and we bought a little flat down there for him, rather than live in a hotel.

FlexibleFriend Thu 10-Oct-24 13:27:52

I've lived in London all my life but London is a big place and I've lived in various parts of it. I'm definitely a Londoner and I've been in my current house for 26 years so far and have no plans to move.

larry5 Thu 10-Oct-24 12:59:26

I lived within 5 miles of the centre of Croydon in 7 different homes (4 with my parents and 3 after I married) until I was 55 and then moved to about 10 miles from Bath 18 years ago. I am very happy being away from the South East.

watermeadow Thu 10-Oct-24 12:50:40

I left my home town when I was 2 and returned when I was 49.
Lived all over the place and went to 9 schools, spent my children’s entire childhoods in a place I hated, then came home.

crazyH Thu 10-Oct-24 12:40:00

Sorry, just checked, not 10000 miles away, more like 5000 miles

TheWeirdo Thu 10-Oct-24 12:36:40

I live and work about 208 miles from where I was born!

nanna8 Thu 10-Oct-24 12:34:31

I emigrated when I was in my early 20s. When I lived in the UK I left my home in London when I left school at 18 and then moved up North to uni for a few years then back down to Warwickshire then back to London then permanently to Australia. Lived in Tasmania for a while but mostly in Victoria. I couldn’t live anywhere else now ,all my extended family are here. I felt trapped in Tasmania, too small. Same applies to the UK for me. I like to be able to drive for days and days and still be in the same country, don’t know why.

crazyH Thu 10-Oct-24 12:32:58

The little hamlet where I was born, is at least 10,000 miles away

Babs03 Thu 10-Oct-24 12:29:58

Born Oldham Manchester, moved to Stockport as a baby, then to Bedfordshire for just a couple of years, was very young so don’t remember it. Moved then to Lancashire for very many years, met and married my OH there. Then moved down South when children were small, to get jobs.
Lived in Essex then moved to Greater London. Looking to now move to Brighton, the South Downs.
My OH lived in Beirut Lebanon until the late 1960s, moving to Paris for a couple of years, then coming to London, lived there for another couple of years then loved to Lancashire to study which is where we met.

Dee1012 Thu 10-Oct-24 12:28:04

Born in Liverpool and lived in a few parts of the city.
Left for University and afterwards lived in a number of places around Yorkshire and Scotland.
Settled in the North East 25 years ago.

Interestingly, all of my extended family have left Liverpool too although some remain close in Cheshire.

tanith Thu 10-Oct-24 12:02:29

I’ve lived in West London all my life in 4 different spots but all in West London.