Back to the country etc

Lol @ street lamp! Our phone box has a defibrillator in

they fence and security gate it off, double glaze with those grey tone windows, put up security lighting like we are all thieves

Our new Escaped to the Country (or small seaside town in our case) neighbour asked me if the thing on the corner of our road was a CCTV camera. I had to explain to her that it is a 1960s street light!

I always wonder how folk get on when they move from somewhere like Camden Town to a village where the only facility is a disused telephone box with second hand Catherine Cooksons in.

Much as I’d enjoy them for a few days, I must say that many visits over the years to friends in rural N Devon rapidly cured me of any ‘escape to the country’ dreams I once had.

A friend of ours is a dairy farmer. From time to time he moves his cattle to other fields, sometimes crossing a lane. Several properties along the lane have been bought by folk "escaping to the country" Most have adapted well but he's had a stream of complaints from one or two regarding, noise, mud, smell and traffic hold ups when animals are being moved.
What on earth did they expect when they moved near to a dairy farm?

When they state that drive (say to Bristol) is just around 55 minutes
???

Yes, if you need to be at work in Bristol by 9 am then start out at 6 am to avoid the bottlenecks!

So few of the ETTC result in a successful purchase

I know of two locally and one in a place I knew which was an old hospital, now very expensive homes.
But it's always disappointing to hear how few do result in something positive.

Then there could be a sister programme, 'Return to City'. ?

So few of the ETTC result in a successful purchase. Do wonder if some Estate Agents have an arrangement with BBC for this programme in order to get some hard to sell properties shown on there. Never any sign of the sellers, fires always lit and many lights left on.

Like others I am amazed at how much money some, comparatively young couples seem to have for property purchase. However, what really annoys me are the mid age couples who look at properties with loads of stairs and steps, miles from anywhere, and with so much garden space. Definitely not future-proofing.

Love the way that the presenter show the nearest village with its single pub, community shop (if they are lucky), etc. but never mention such 'unimportant' details as to local buses, nearest train station, GP surgery, etc. When they state that drive (say to Bristol) is just around 55 minute, they mean you might be able to do it at that time, at 3.00 am on a summer morning - but along the roads locally it could take you anything up to three hours in rush hour!!!

When this programme started it was a totally different format and dealt with 'normal' families wanting to move to normal houses.- do wish it would return to that.

Then there could be a sister programme, 'Return to City'.

As someone who lives in the country I know exactly what they do when they move into their idyllic country pad too...they fence and security gate it off, double glaze with those grey tone windows, put up security lighting like we are all thieves and have a variety of massive 4x4s on their new concrete driveway and stone lions either side of the front door. Some of them even astro turf their gardens!

I most probably sound spiteful but it happens so often and there seem certain lanes that attract these type. They moan about mud and muck too

Callistemon21

^Ohhh 4 acres.^
We've just seen your current garden and it's a 10 foot square paved terrace with a plastic chair and one pot in which a shrub has died.

???

??? again!

I think when buying a home you should be picky!

We viewed many houses as we moved very frequently due to my husbands work, many times we had really high hopes for a house for them to be dashed.

We once drove to Northumberland from Lancashire because an agent convinced us “ THE ONE” had come up for sale.
We dumped the children and drove through a blizzard to arrive at a complete s@@@@@@e.
I could have wept.

Buying a house is all about me, and if they have a lot of money to spend then good for them and even better for the economy.

As a a)complete Billy no mates and b) someone that hates cooking I can never get to grips with all these people that want a huge kitchen/dining room so they can entertain all their many friends who will be desperate to travel to the other end of the country or even to other countries so they can enjoy their company. And quite often (well, most of the time) I find them so dull and boring that I’m glad I’m a Billy no mates….I mean, they even have to have a kitchen island so that their guests don’t even have to be deprived of their company while they’re cooking….

Callistemon21

^And yes the hand holding is sick-making^

Oh dear, DH sometimes holds mine. It's more to stop me tripping up and causing chaos.

My DH holds mine sometimes for the same reason I can't judge the step on escalators with my varifocals and trip quite a lot on nothing.
He is not much taller than I am and has never let me link him as he says I jiggle him which he finds uncomfortable.
He put up with it on our wedding day under sufferance, unfortunately, the photographer did not have a film in and we had to have an action replay with no audience. In the photo he is striding out of chapel a mile in front of me, he did relent on the steps.

I love all property porn too. Don't really care whether they buy or not, just like looking at houses and decor. Real hard core porn is a trip to B&Q to play with the power tools though ?

I love all these types of programmes.

I’ve just watched this afternoon’s episode. The poor husband hardly got a word in edgewise. Hilarious. Poor fella

We do too but I swear they do it for effect.

And yes the hand holding is sick-making

Oh dear, DH sometimes holds mine. It's more to stop me tripping up and causing chaos.

Ohhh 4 acres.
We've just seen your current garden and it's a 10 foot square paved terrace with a plastic chair and one pot in which a shrub has died.

???

Sorry Escape to the Country.

Nothing’s ever big enough/too isolated/not isolated enough. Does the property they want actually exist? And yes the hand holding is sick-making.
When we were downsizing we actually did get a couple about our age who said they were downsizing. Our house had five double bedrooms, four en suites and three acres. They must have lived in a mansion if that was their idea of something smaller. Then they said they weren’t sure they were really ready to downsize. Perfect fodder for HITC.

MawtheMerrier

Do you mean “Escape to the Country” ?
Love it and all property porn.

I like Escape to the Country too, especially when it's places we know. I say things like "lovely views but oh, that steep garden!" or "why would you want to live right out there when you're getting older?

Then wait for the end and if nothing is forthcoming about a result we say "They just wanted to be on the telly".

We have heard of two couples who decided to make the move and a Grand Designs couple locally too!

I don't believe that some of them really want to buy a house they just want to be on the T.V.
One couple went through a house in the country about 30 miles from us. They said they were too far from ammenities ,shops and gyms.It was a lovely house in a superb rural location, if you know the area.
We have a house in our village that has been sold 5 times in the last 10 years one couple were newly married divorcees. One trip to the local coffee morning "Holding hands" and six months later they were divorcing and moving out. The panelling, local flag stone kitchen etc. had had a big article in our local rag which must have persuaded them
Yes dear you are in the country, cow clap, awful smells and farmers on quad bikes at 6 in the morning.I've stopped watching I was shouting at the T.V.

The presenters are a joy though. Jules "anyone fancy a pint" Hudson., Johnny Irwin scoffing all the scones and Nicky in her beautiful coats. Then there's dear Alistair and his fabulous knitwear and scarves. Best of all though is Sonali giving people funny looks when they turn down an idyllic manor house because the boot room faces North and has insufficient dog washing stations.

They walk into a (in my eyes) a huge kitchen and say 'It's a bit small'. And why do they always have to hold hands?

Ohhh it has a lovely walk in wardrobe for my extensive shoe and clothes collection.
They will spend 9 months of the year in wellies and waterproofs?

Ohhh there's a lovely big island, dining room and a terrace for entertaining.
You're moving 350 miles away from all your friends and family.

Ohhh 4 acres.
We've just seen your current garden and it's a 10 foot square paved terrace with a plastic chair and one pot in which a shrub has died.