Moving from London

[ladyfelsham]

Hi all, love reading the forum, everyone's so helpful. Another potential London refugee here - with a couple of questions.

I've been coming down to visit for a couple of years and really love St Leonards - but I don't know St Paul's Road and surrounds - any thoughts?

Also, the only thing absolutely stopping me from buying something tomorrow is the commute back to London. I'm not considering working locally, I know how tough it has been - and anyway I really love my job, sadly I can't bring it with me. Does anyone here commute? Is it just hateful or does the time fly with a good book? I know the service almost requires a second mortgage - but is it reasonably reliable?

All advice gratefully received.

[Michael]

Wife commutes, it's not to bad, I drop her off at Hastings station most mornings and pick her up from Battle most evenings, she also works from home either 1 or 2 days a week, which helps. fares arn't to bad about 110 a week, trains are pretty comfortable and once you get used to it you will be fine_ _ _all the best.

[Herring_Gull]

Ladyfelsham - can i be Lovejoy?

I commute every day and have been for years.

The service is really relaible and has punctuality has dramatically improved now you can claim back a %tage of your ticket depending on how late your train is (delay repay I think it is called).

So, yes it is really reliable the only problem is that when it goes wrong MAN it goes wrong. For example, some of the line Hastings to Humbridge Wells is single track and the points fail. So, depending on where the points fail and when will depend on the reation time of Network FAIL to get to it. I have been delayed 4 hours. That said you can reasonably expect to be massively delayed about 5 times a year.

The commute itslef is long there is no denying that but I have grown used to it and watch a tremendous amount on my laptop. It is really good to watch films, TV series etc (over several weekes m watched all 5 series of Lovejoy). There are a great bunch of people who get on the same train and all are very friendly.

cannot say much about St paul's Road I lives on the Hest Will but I had a look see on moogel gaps and the houses look typical good Victorian Hastings stock.

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks so much to you both, that's really helpful and encouraging - and yes Herring you can be Lovejoy! :laugh:

[jules]

I have also been wondering about this. I think I would have to get on the train about 6.15am to get to London Bridge around the 8am mark - does that sound about right? It is rather daunting :S

[Michael]

[quoted]
jules wrote:
I have also been wondering about this. I think I would have to get on the train about 6.15am to get to London Bridge around the 8am mark - does that sound about right? It is rather daunting :S
[/quoted]

The 6-41am from Hastings gets to Cannon St at around 8-30_ _ _..have a look on the trainline website for more details.

[Herring_Gull]

Daunting? Then stay where you are.

You wake on a Saturday morning in a busy city with all that that entails and I will wake up and go down t'beach and go for long walks on the beach / through the countryside.

I gets the 0603 from Hastings to nodnoL and we arrive around 0750.

I then gets the 1618 or the 1719 back.

It is up to you how you spend the time travelling.

You could be one of those annoying crackberry phone obsessed people who click all the way in and back. Or you could be one of those self important goits who clickety click on their laptops all the way in and out (ear plugs are adviable if you do not intend to suffer the slings and click of outragious contempt at fellow passengers).

have a look see at the time table here:
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/yo ... ndsubmit3=

One hour fifty is about standard. It is a great way to realx and catch up on some Zzzzs or work or TV or films or books or etc.

[roy]

And of course not to mention having to get up very early to catch the train and of course then you have nearly 3 hrs travel time to consider every day,no thanks.
I can think of better things to do with my 15 hrs a week stuck on the train,lol then again its everyone to their own isnt it.




Enjoy life.you never know when it will end.

[Richard]

Two hours each way to work and back is no joke over a number of years.
If you are in your 20's or 30s then you might put up with it for the sake of somewhere you love to live/work for a few short years.

30 minutes maximum travel is probably ideal.

[jules]

[quoted]
Herring_Gull wrote:
Daunting? Then stay where you are.

You wake on a Saturday morning in a busy city with all that that entails and I will wake up and go down t'beach and go for long walks on the beach / through the countryside.

I gets the 0603 from Hastings to nodnoL and we arrive around 0750.

I then gets the 1618 or the 1719 back.

It is up to you how you spend the time travelling.

You could be one of those annoying crackberry phone obsessed people who click all the way in and back. Or you could be one of those self important goits who clickety click on their laptops all the way in and out (ear plugs are adviable if you do not intend to suffer the slings and click of outragious contempt at fellow passengers).

have a look see at the time table here:
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/yo ... ndsubmit3=

One hour fifty is about standard. It is a great way to realx and catch up on some Zzzzs or work or TV or films or books or etc.
[/quoted]

Woah! That's a rather big assumption! I actually live on the edge of south London in a very picturesque hamlet adjacent to a country park. But the commute is only 20/30 minutes on a good day.We are fortunate to have use of a weekend place at Three Oaks, but if I moved to Hastings (which I would like to do eventually) I would still have to commute to London to pay for my new house! At least in the beginning anyway. What I find a bit daunting is the limited options if that makes sense? You are kind of hostage to the (single) rail track. I'm sure once you are in the groove it is fine, but I'm no spring chicken
:blush: That was my reason for asking. I might see if my lovely friends will let me have a couple of weeks at their place to have a practice.