Your property up north is worth far less than in the south east!!

chucknorris

Cleaver wrote: »

Obviously Spain will be a lot hotter than Newcastle, so fully understand that move. But in terms of UK temps is there that much difference between North and South in the UK?

According to Wikipedia here's the difference between temps in Newcastle and Southampton:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle_upon_Tyne

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton

The differences each month are just a degree or two. On average across the whole year Southampton has average highs that are 1.5 degrees higher than Newcastle and average lows that are 2 degrees higher. Is that really much of a difference?

I'm not arguing with your reasons for moving to Spain, I'm more just generally making an observation on the often heard "ooh, I couldn't live in the North with the weather they have" when in actual fact it isn't really that different to the South.

Having lived about 25 years (plus about 3 in Europe) in both North and the South, I know the South offers better weather. It's not so much the winters (which we will escape anyway) because the South is cold too, for me the main difference is the mid spring and autumn seasons.

Additionally of course travelling by car (as we take our dog) to Spain each year really adds to task of driving if you set off from the North.

Funningly enough my parents moved back to Newcastle from Southampton after spending about 12 years there. They definitely feel the weather is worse (they play golf about 4 times a week). But they were of course very happy with the equity that the move released.

Cleaver

chucknorris wrote: »

Having lived about 25 years (plus about 3 in Europe) in both North and the South, I know the South offers better weather.

It does indeed, albeit very slightly. The point I was making though is that whether it's really that noticeably different?

For example, if you lived in New York and were sick of freezing snowy winters I can fully understand moving to Los Angeles to get some sunshine. Or if you were French and and lived in Le Harve I can get my head around moving to Nice for the climate. But moving from, say York to Bristol because you wanted winters and summers that were a degree or two higher in temperatures? Doesn't really seem to be much point. Does anyone move from one area of England to another using the weather as the primary reason?

You living South seem to make perfect sense given the reasons you've given (which are not really weather based).

chucknorris

Cleaver wrote: »

It does indeed, albeit very slightly. The point I was making though is that whether it's really that noticeably different?

For example, if you lived in New York and were sick of freezing snowy winters I can fully understand moving to Los Angeles to get some sunshine. Or if you were French and and lived in Le Harve I can get my head around moving to Nice for the climate. But moving from, say York to Bristol because you wanted winters and summers that were a degree or two higher in temperatures? Doesn't really seem to be much point. Does anyone move from one area of England to another using the weather as the primary reason?

You living South seem to make perfect sense given the reasons you've given (which are not really weather based).

Although I only moved South for career advancement I can definitely confirm that I can feel the difference, as my parents can too after 12 years in Southampton. But they too moved for career reasons (my father was a shipyard manager and was made redundant when Swan Hunters went under, until that point my mother would have never moved away from Newcastle as he was offered jobs in the South UK, Japan, Sweden and Bermuda in the past).

Cleaver

chucknorris wrote: »

Funningly enough my parents moved back to Newcastle from Southampton after spending about 12 years there. They definitely feel the weather is worse (they play golf about 4 times a week).

Well, according to Wiki and one other source:

Newcastle: 25 inches of rain a year, 121 rainy days a year
Southampton: 31 inches of rain a year, 201 rainy days a year

So their golfing days should be more plentiful in Newcastle as long as they don't mind it around a degree cooler. As I say, weather myths in this country are very apparent.

StevieJ

chucknorris wrote: »

Bit cold up there for me though. If I was going for value I think I would look towards Kent or Devon (handy for the car ferry to Spain to escape the winter in future years) but my friends and job currently tie me to Surrey.

We have a couple of airports, it's a bit quicker (most of the time)

chucknorris

Cleaver wrote: »

Well, according to Wiki and one other source:

Newcastle: 25 inches of rain a year, 121 rainy days a year
Southampton: 31 inches of rain a year, 201 rainy days a year

So their golfing days should be more plentiful in Newcastle as long as they don't mind it around a degree cooler. As I say, weather myths in this country are very apparent.

Trust me on this cleaver the weather is defintely better in the South, there is no doubt in my mind, you have to speak as you find and that is my experience of about 25 years in each location.

I wouldn't move solely for the weather but now that I am here in the South the weather would certainly be a negative for me going back up there for sure.

chucknorris

StevieJ wrote: »

We have a couple of airports, it's a bit quicker (most of the time)

There is absolutely no way that I would put my dog in the cago hold, it will never happen. An even better bonus now is that the car ferry to Spain has introduced 'dog cabins' which are much better for him (and us) than the kennels on the ship.

StevieJ

chucknorris wrote: »

Trust me on this cleaver the weather is defintely better in the South, there is no doubt in my mind, you have to speak as you find and that is my experience of about 25 years in each location.

I wouldn't move solely for the weather but now that I am here in the South the weather would certainly be a negative for me going back up there for sure.

I think the weather must have improved since you left, short sleeved Tee shirts for recreation all last summer.

chucknorris

StevieJ wrote: »

I think the weather must have improved since you left, short sleeved Tee shirts for recreation all last summer.

Short sleeved tee shirts are generally worn in Newcastle even in winter, more to do with daftness than weather (I know I was one of them). I reckon any Jan Friday/Sat night you could spot people in summer clothes in the Bigg Market.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Cleaver wrote: »

We like it here too.

Ultimately though, debating which is 'better' out of North and South is a bit pointless. A bit like arguing whether beef is better than chicken for Sunday dinner. Each person has different needs, differences and preferences as to where they live and therefore no one is ever going to agree on where's best.

For me personally I can think of many places in the North, the Midlands and in the South that you couldn't pay me to live. And there are places in the North, the Midlands and the South that I would love to live.

That's so true.
It's swings and round-a-bouts I suppose.
Like you there are places up North I would'nt want to live too,but you just use common sense and avoid them don't you.
Having said that being a Surrey girl by birth I would'nt go back down south if you paid me either,I just love living up here.
It realy does have eveything.