You’ve been a star moderator and contributor to this site. Hope you’ll check back every so often and keep us updated on what it’s like to move from London to the countryside.
And if you ever want to start a “dot life” forum for your new area let me know!
Cheers Chris. Yes we will miss it. Whilst FH is not a “village” it has a village feel. It is nice to walk down the street and wave at Peter in the Tea Pot, Dan, Nathan and Ruth (and sometimes Chris and Roger the tash), the lady in the opticians, the great people in Sainsbury’s, Galum in For Your Eyes Only and of course Pauline and her Nerf gun in Sugar Mountain. There are many many more and I will miss them.
Since we got here mid way through 2001 FH has undergone lots of changes. A new Sainsbury’s, the Horniman growing and extending. FH Boys and Sydenham Girls getting new schools, The Library and Louise House, The Pools and many many new and exciting shops, nails bars, estate agents
The food and drink scene has vastly improved. The Dartmouth Arms, All in One, Sylvan Post, Signal, Tea Pot, Gao, Canvass and Cream, Archie Parker the list goes on and on.
All in all FH has grown and expanded and is a great place to be part of and I will miss it.
Re a dot life for Norfolk. Are they ready for one?
I must admit to having thought about escaping city life and heading to greener pastures many times but have always stayed where I am - inertia and all that. So congrats for getting off your arse @Londondrz and doing it, I hope it works out for you and if you ever need any advice on keeping chickens, growing your own clothes or knitting your own yogurt - just ask!
@Foresthillnick I have to admit that I have been the one resisting. Having been a bit of a nomad in my early years (South Africa, Japan form 11-16, back to South Africa and then the UK aged 21) I needed some roots. But, the gilrs growing up means lack of space and finding bigger premises for the right money was not easy. This way we leave, get a four bed house v a two bed flat, are mortgage free and have space to put stuff. I will also have a garage where my tools can go. A very large six foot tool box lives in our kitchen, it is a great talking point but not a great place for it to be.
Once our fish have relocated and settled in (the things breed and die like, well, fish) the girls would be getting a kitten (if you want kids to leave their schools and friends behind bribe them with a kitten!) and once the kitten is settled in then chickens will be next. I have also seen a great area for a veg plot and will be putting in a herb greenhouse and solar panels. The good life it is. Now if I squint very very hard, Mrsldrz does start to look like Felicity Kendal
My other half tell everyone she is from Norfolk, which is partly true, she lived there from age four. She was actually born in Crawley, Oh the Shame!
I have been going up there with her for 19 years, her parents lived near Holt and her father has now moved in with his son and family near Fakenham. We will be living about a mile and a half from them. We will be about twenty minutes from the beach, close to two large towns and about twenty minutes from Norwich and the train to London so ideal for us.
I love Wiltshire, used to live in a shed at a house next to The Wheatsheaf in Lower Woodford and worked for a Field and Forestry company. Issue is it is bloody expensive. Somerset I dont know much about but Dorset is stunning. All I need is an old Landy, curly hair and a love of food foraging and you could call me Hugh. Just don’t really know anyone there and again, due to holiday makers, it is expensive.
As for GreenShifters and RuralScene I must admit I have never heard of them. We used local info and Rightmove
Just read that, Mrsldrz doesn’t like Chardonnay Our reason for moving is space, pure and simple. The fresh air, large garden, two garages, no crowds, nature, sea side, farms, cheaper food are all secondary
It made me laugh though. Most people I know who leave London do so with good reasons. But I do like the one or two who say their new home is really like a mini London.