Suffolk, Norfolk or Essex.

We lived in N Essex for over 20 years. It’s a beautiful rural area - nothing like many people’s idea of Essex.

Germanshepherdsmum

We lived in N Essex for over 20 years. It’s a beautiful rural area - nothing like many people’s idea of Essex.

We lived in W Essex for several years, Loughton. It was quite fun! What you see is what you get!

Dorset we moved to Suffolk in 2019 and of course along came Covid!
We are mid 60s and live about 8 miles from our son and family. We are in a village midway between Diss, Bury SE and Thetford. Diss is a lovely little town and we like BSE a great deal except for the sugar beet factory which has a smell all of its own in the autumn and winter! We are not far from the A14 for escaping from here.
We would have loved to be by the sea but Woodbridge etc are low lying and likely to flood more often as the climate warms. The coast is a delight to visit but to live there? No, the roads are awful. The 36 miles to Minsmere consistently take 75 minutes (and I have never been criticised for driving slowly!)
Lovely people in Suffolk, great wildlife and good garden soil! I recommend it.
Realistically, in time we can sell our house at a profit, as we have extended and improved. When we need to be in town we shall do it, but for now, we will enjoy our rural idyll.
Good luck!

Germanshepherdsmum

We lived in N Essex for over 20 years. It’s a beautiful rural area - nothing like many people’s idea of Essex.

I’m on the east coast, close to the Suffolk/Essex border. North Essex is beautiful and it makes me really angry when people who have no idea what they’re talking about denigrate Essex. I also loathe TOWIE as because of this outsiders think we’re all dim, ignorant idiots.

He he FoghornLeghorn, dim, ignorant, idiots?. Have you ever met a TOWIE member? Some actually have quite clever, entrepreneurial business acumen. Our well educated, intelligent DD who runs her own business worked with a few.
Where we lived was called the Golden Triangle - central line into London in 30 minutes, gyms galore, good shops, health centres and best of all beautiful Epping Forest on the doorstep with its wildlife.

Rather than decide on an area - why not find your ideal home?

I've found the area I'm interested in. The problem is the scarcity of properties available that fit my criteria.

We have a holiday home right on the coast in Suffolk - had it for 23 years. We love it and have often thought we would live there permanently. We are now in our early 70’s and realise that it’s not the place for old age. No bus or shop , no family or old , close friends nearby (1hr 30mins away).
We will stay put in Essex. Rail station a 2 minute walk, bus stops the same, doctors and town 10 minute walk, hospital 20 minute drive, countryside nearby and seaside 20 minutes. AC a walk away and friends, clubs etc in easy driving distance . No sea view but hey Ho! We will keep our seaside hideaway as long as we can but our permanent home it won’t be!

Gingster, exactly! My parents moved to the coast in retirement. It was a long (and boring) couple of hours away - by car or train.

Although ok in the summer, it was bleak, cold and miserable in the winter. Sea mists, no shelter and many local shops/facilities closed out of season. They were surrounded by other elderly, doddery folk in bungalows too!