What Citys/towns outside London offer best bang for buck
Discussion
As a Londoner, what City's Towns Villages Outskirts offer the most reasonable house prices/rents and the opportunity to find work fairly easily.
Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
ewenm said:
Fittster said:
Why stay in the stinking hole that is the UK?
I don't think I've ever seen a positive post from you. It's quite an impressive record of consistent negativity about everything. 
69 coupe said:
As a Londoner, what City's Towns Villages Outskirts offer the most reasonable house prices/rents and the opportunity to find work fairly easily.
Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
What do you like about a place to live? Pubs, restaurants, theatre, hills, lakes, shops, sports? If you could list in order of priority the attributes of an ideal place to live, what would they be?Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
I left London and moved to Bath - beautiful city with a good social scene and easy access to countryside while still only 90 mins from London or 15 mins from Bristol if need be. The main downside for me is that it's too far from any proper hills but nothing is really that far away in Britain.
Fittster said:
ewenm said:
Fittster said:
Why stay in the stinking hole that is the UK?
I don't think I've ever seen a positive post from you. It's quite an impressive record of consistent negativity about everything. 
ewenm said:
69 coupe said:
As a Londoner, what City's Towns Villages Outskirts offer the most reasonable house prices/rents and the opportunity to find work fairly easily.
Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
What do you like about a place to live? Pubs, restaurants, theatre, hills, lakes, shops, sports? If you could list in order of priority the attributes of an ideal place to live, what would they be?Thinking of bailing out of the London rat race, looking to probably rent for a year or two, will also be looking for a new line of work, may even think of a bedsit/room until I get up on my feet in a new area.
I've done the IT thing 12 years can't stand that, was originally a qualified metalworker/welder/welding inspector 10+years, and have recently trained as a Gas ACS engineer.
Would like to find work in the Gas arena, servicing/breakdown, as its not as heavy and back breaking as metalwork can be, and I like to be out and about.
Am I fcked at 46 and wanting to restart totally from scratch, luckily have no baggage to worry about.
I left London and moved to Bath - beautiful city with a good social scene and easy access to countryside while still only 90 mins from London or 15 mins from Bristol if need be. The main downside for me is that it's too far from any proper hills but nothing is really that far away in Britain.
I know it isn't to everyone's taste, but I really like Milton Keynes!
Plenty of bars, restaurants, cinema, shops, etc... A lot of companies to work for, built to be friendly to cars (what other town can you legally drive at 70mph pretty much throughout?) 30 mins to London, OK house prices and slap bang in the middle of some great countryside with all the pubs and villages you could ask for.
Plenty of bars, restaurants, cinema, shops, etc... A lot of companies to work for, built to be friendly to cars (what other town can you legally drive at 70mph pretty much throughout?) 30 mins to London, OK house prices and slap bang in the middle of some great countryside with all the pubs and villages you could ask for.
As said already depends on what you're lokoing for, but being a Northener I'd have to recommend the Newcastle / Northumberland area. Good nightlife if thats your thing, great scenery within a short drive of the city itself, easy to get into the Lakes, Scotland and Yorkshire and of course the ever friendly locals 
i'd say manchester, leeds or sheffield.
manchester is the better city imo [lived there 6yrs and am from leeds originally!] as the centre is much better developed and has a better assortment of bars, restaurants & entertainment. you can also commute in from the peak district on the train in under half an hour.
leeds is a better option for buying a house as they were having to sell new builds at discount even before the credit crunch due to massive oversupply. they have ruined the city centre though imo with some amazingly poor architecture.
am less 'up' on sheffield but i was surprised when i was there the other week. again you can live in the peaks and drive into the centre in under half an hour.
york and bristol are nice too.
would personally give hull a wide berth. its cheap but thats the only thing going for it. nothing to do and a piss poor selection of shops & nightlife. have been here 18mths and can't wait to leave. there are some nice areas surrounding it mind.
manchester is the better city imo [lived there 6yrs and am from leeds originally!] as the centre is much better developed and has a better assortment of bars, restaurants & entertainment. you can also commute in from the peak district on the train in under half an hour.
leeds is a better option for buying a house as they were having to sell new builds at discount even before the credit crunch due to massive oversupply. they have ruined the city centre though imo with some amazingly poor architecture.
am less 'up' on sheffield but i was surprised when i was there the other week. again you can live in the peaks and drive into the centre in under half an hour.
york and bristol are nice too.
would personally give hull a wide berth. its cheap but thats the only thing going for it. nothing to do and a piss poor selection of shops & nightlife. have been here 18mths and can't wait to leave. there are some nice areas surrounding it mind.
Often think about leaving the UK, but I still like it here no matter how much Labour dick it up!
If I knew I could easily get work abroad I would go; trouble is I only have very basic cse French Spanish, very willing to learn but the old gray matter may not want to engage.
As for UK, yes down the M4 corridor appeals to me, as long as it's past Reading, can't stand that place one way systems yuk!
would like to live outside cities, looking for fresh air, community spirit, getting involved type of places, pubs restaurants are just fine.
I spent a month in Stockport doing my ACS course, I found the area appealing due to more space, but apparently it pees down an awful lot up that way, seemed like work was available if you wanted it.
Hull hmm I'm open to everything, as long as work is available.
Been in London can feel very claustrophobic, too many rules regs involving parking really really put me off the place, also a bit of been there done that.
If I knew I could easily get work abroad I would go; trouble is I only have very basic cse French Spanish, very willing to learn but the old gray matter may not want to engage.
As for UK, yes down the M4 corridor appeals to me, as long as it's past Reading, can't stand that place one way systems yuk!
would like to live outside cities, looking for fresh air, community spirit, getting involved type of places, pubs restaurants are just fine.
I spent a month in Stockport doing my ACS course, I found the area appealing due to more space, but apparently it pees down an awful lot up that way, seemed like work was available if you wanted it.
Hull hmm I'm open to everything, as long as work is available.
Been in London can feel very claustrophobic, too many rules regs involving parking really really put me off the place, also a bit of been there done that.
69 coupe said:
Often think about leaving the UK, but I still like it here no matter how much Labour dick it up!
If I knew I could easily get work abroad I would go; trouble is I only have very basic cse French Spanish, very willing to learn but the old gray matter may not want to engage.
As for UK, yes down the M4 corridor appeals to me, as long as it's past Reading, can't stand that place one way systems yuk!
would like to live outside cities, looking for fresh air, community spirit, getting involved type of places, pubs restaurants are just fine.
I spent a month in Stockport doing my ACS course, I found the area appealing due to more space, but apparently it pees down an awful lot up that way, seemed like work was available if you wanted it.
Hull hmm I'm open to everything, as long as work is available.
Been in London can feel very claustrophobic, too many rules regs involving parking really really put me off the place, also a bit of been there done that.
Try Clifton one weekend. It's only 1.5 hours on the train from Paddington to Temple Meads. If I knew I could easily get work abroad I would go; trouble is I only have very basic cse French Spanish, very willing to learn but the old gray matter may not want to engage.
As for UK, yes down the M4 corridor appeals to me, as long as it's past Reading, can't stand that place one way systems yuk!
would like to live outside cities, looking for fresh air, community spirit, getting involved type of places, pubs restaurants are just fine.
I spent a month in Stockport doing my ACS course, I found the area appealing due to more space, but apparently it pees down an awful lot up that way, seemed like work was available if you wanted it.
Hull hmm I'm open to everything, as long as work is available.
Been in London can feel very claustrophobic, too many rules regs involving parking really really put me off the place, also a bit of been there done that.
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