If I don't move, he will leave me....

lostinrates

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I live on a farm

Combines seasonal, tractors office hours normally expect harvest, hunt once in a blue moon, cyclists miles away... I don't think you're thinking as rural as I am.

I also live on a farm . (My own).

Tractors twice daily, hunt six times a year in area.

Been connected with farms and rural area and city life both all my life. . For me having both has been ideal. Having to choose, one, for me its out of cities every time, but that's because it suits me better. My ideal is to have both.

Tractors here (not mine , my neighbours, start to bring cows in for milking and feed, so certainly not office hours. . We're a little huddle of people who keep the same hours.

Person_one

lostinrates wrote: »

Ponies are popular, but by no means universal.

Other activities popular in my area...

Cycling. (Massive network of off road trails) walking, beagles no, fishing, water sports of various types. Gliding and light aircraft. (Not sure if youngsters can do that just know a lot of it goes on locally!) We're near several places of sporting excellence for team training, so its popular place for some types of sports people to locate themselves for access to training. Music scene in nearby cities is pretty decent, and city access is decent by train. And there are some excellent access to music tuition for local youngsters across genres.

There's always binge drinking in fields, that's popular with a lot of teens in rural areas.

duchy

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Luton is not in Hertfordshire

It's not rural either.

I'm a Londoner by birth -and I understand the OP's insularity and fear of the unknown but I would say until you've lived in a community with roots then you don't understand what you (and your kids) are missing out on by living in an area with such a transitional population as Crouch End or Muswell Hill.

Schools have a far better retention rate of staff -London schools go through teachers like water -no-one stays more than a couple of years, It's a massive educational benefit to have a stable staff in a school.

My Mum loved London and hated that we moved away -it meant she made a real effort to make sure we visited often. Not just to visit family and friends but to visit the theatre, exhibitions -whatever, Looking back it gave us kids the best of both worlds.

duchy

Person_one wrote: »

There's always binge drinking in fields, that's popular with a lot of teens in rural areas.

And in London parks too :-P

lostinrates

Person_one wrote: »

There's always binge drinking in fields, that's popular with a lot of teens in rural areas.

That's true. . And sadly drinking and driving round the roads.

Person_one

duchy wrote: »

And in London parks too :-P

Exactly, teenagers are teenagers wherever they live!

lostinrates

duchy wrote: »

And in London parks too :-P

Just London parks?

[Deleted User]

duchy wrote: »

It's not rural either.

I'm a Londoner by birth -and I understand the OP's insularity and fear of the unknown but I would say until you've lived in a community with roots then you don't understand what you (and your kids) are missing out on by living in an area with such a transitional population as Crouch End or Muswell Hill.

Schools have a far better retention rate of staff -London schools go through teachers like water -no-one stays more than a couple of years, It's a massive educational benefit to have a stable staff in a school.

My Mum loved London and hated that we moved away -it meant she made a real effort to make sure we visited often. Not just to visit family and friends but to visit the theatre, exhibitions -whatever, Looking back it gave us kids the best of both worlds.

Well, no, it's not at all

We intentionally live 'close enough' to London to get all of it's benefits, without being too far out of the sticks to get the disadvantages.

daisiegg

hazyjo wrote: »

I'm 43 and pretty much a Londoner. Wasn't so keen on Brentwood where I lived for a while, but wouldn't write off Shenfield (next stop up) as they have very fast trains (Stratford then Liv St). It still very much has a London feel to it as so many commute. Not so keen on Chelmsford, but that's my opinion, not cos it's not a nice place, just not for me.

I'm currently in North Chingford - maybe look into places near that such as Sewardstone/High Beech. Feels like you're out in the sticks - really feels like totally in the middle of nowhere, but just on the edge of London and a short drive to the station.

I LOVE Hertford and nearly bought there. Really nice vibe about the place. Have a friend in central Ware and have eaten out there several times. It's nice, safe and quaint - but can't put my finger on it, but not somewhere that'd be top of my list to live. It is lovely, and I have looked at houses there before, but the area would be a medium-sized compromise for me.

LOVE Stansted Mountfitchet. Definitely worth looking into. Used to have a friend who lived down Sunnyside. The central bit of town near there is just lovely. There are several pubs, nice restaurants, shops nearby, Bishop's Stortford on your doorstep for more shops, stuff for the kids... yeah, nice feel about it. Probably the place I'll end up next. I feel like I ought to be living there - if not now, certainly in the future.

Really, don't rule it out. Go visit. If you go to Hertford, head down to the river (in town) and go to the nice little pub there. They have a theatre, hotels, restaurants, etc. Maybe worth a weekend there and in Stansted Mountfitchet, see what you think...

Jx

Stansted Mountfitchet is pretty flooded at the moment though :eek: But agree, it is nice. We almost bought there (I grew up in Stortford). Decided we wanted to get hubby's train journey to 30 mins though so we went further down the Stansted express line (I am probably making it really obvious where we live!). Many people commute to London from Stansted Mountfitchet though.

We also looked at a few places at the top of the central line. Epping is nice, and if that is not rural enough for fussy husband, Theydon Bois felt too rural/small for us! Though very lovely.

There are loooooads of lovely villagey type places within a stone's throw of London. If it is a deal breaker for husband it is definitely worth a good look.

lostinrates

duchy wrote: »

It's not rural either.
.

No its not, no town is rural by definition, but areas a short drive from that commutable place ARE lovely commutable places. we were talking about towns in the Home Counties. (And I certainly got it wrong that that was in herts!) and that they were white outs. I maintain that's not always so. So,e are, some aren't. Some are 'nicer' some are rougher, Some are nicer and multi cultural, some are rougher and white and all sorts of permutations.

My only point was that rural dwellers are not necessarily white/brit/c of e racist reserves! Apologies for my mistake and the confusions that have arisen from that!