whether to relocate at retirement?

Humptydumpty, could we live any further from the sea? I was all set to go back to the South Coast as DDs were in the West Country, then DD2 surprised us by moving back home
just up the road, lovely, but I think my dreams of going back ‘home’ have been dashed.
I would go for it, it’s only a couple of hours away, on a good run and I’m sure your friends will beat a pathway to your door! The only thing you will find is that the roads are much busier down there than up here.
I envy you.

If you really want to move to the Brighton area, then I'd say -Go for it!
Yes, you'll be leaving your Oxford friends behind but they will probably love the idea of having a friend to visit at the seaside in the future.
More effort has to be made to find new friends after retirement because there isn't the ready-made daily contact and social potential of the workplace. However, if you're a reasonably outgoing person, it's not difficult to find groups, societies, classes and voluntary work where you can pursue your existing interests and make new contacts. It takes a little time but you can make it happen. (And yes, I'm talking from experience: moved to a new area in 2016. Best thing ever!).
Good luck!

I'm trying to downsize (unsuccessfully as I can't get a buyer for my house) and have thought of moving to the coast but want to stay near family and familiar areas so am just hoping to move from inner suburbs to outer suburbs. I'm not the sort of person to start from scratch making new friends.
Do you have children/grandchildren near you? Would you miss them ? Do you think you will easily make new friends? Brighton is a great place but I think it depends on your personality.

I would go for it! We moved and it is actually easy to make friends because so many move at that time- generally to be nearer family. We went to an area we had lived in 30yrs before.

We relocated when we retired but stayed close to family and GC. All our AC have remained in the same area so we'd be far away from them all if we retired to the coast.

It was my dream to live by the sea. I really wanted to, but in the end, the thought of not seeing our children so often and not seeing the grandchildren regularly and be with them as they grew up made us decided to stay close by but in a new area. We are not getting any younger so we are unlikely to move again.

I would say follow your instincts humptydumpty Only you know if you'd be happy starting anew in a different place. Usually what pulls hardest at your heartstrings is the right choice. (I must admit I am sad that my seaside dream didn't materialise but I am also compensated richly by staying put. It's a very difficult decision to make, so good luck.)

Brighton has changed a lot, it won't be as you remembered it.

Can you 'try before you buy'? Perhaps rent out your home for 6 months and rent something in Brighton to find out if it really is what you expect. For those of us who have moved around quite a bit it is not so daunting but if you have lived in one place for a long time it must be quite hard and the grass may not be quite as green as you think. Good luck whatever you decide.

Brighton is also pretty expensive.

Don’t move away from friends and social networks? I live on the south coast near Brighton as it goes? but have always lived on the coast either here in Sussex or in Dorset. These areas are getting more expensive to live in as young families move here from London and the demographic is at last not just old people.this means that our local services are now moving away from being focused on elder care and focusing on young families. You have to consider how it will be if your health gets worse, better to be in poor health with friends around then in a seaside town however lovely! And then get isolated! Lots of the old people in my town who now struggle to get out and are isolated are ones who moved here after retirement for the coast life?