Moving from London

[the_badlands]

I'm amazed that people will put themselves through that much commuting. Getting up, presumably about 5.15am and getting home after 7pm (the ticket price must be a lot, too), you aren't going to see the south coast in daylight, Mon-Fri, until next spring!

[Herring_Gull]

[quoted]
The Badlands wrote:
I'm amazed that people will put themselves through that much commuting. Getting up, presumably about 5.15am and getting home after 7pm (the ticket price must be a lot, too), you aren't going to see the south coast in daylight, Mon-Fri, until next spring!
[/quoted]

True dat.

Troglyditic Commuting. 5 15 on the dot.

Leave here at 0600 nodnoL 0750.

Leave nodnoL 1618 showering 1805.

[Herring_Gull]

[quoted]
jules wrote:
[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.
[/quoted]
Apologies. Got ahead of my presumptious self.

You know I would stay there. Wht swap half hour commute for what is essentially chihuahuas.

The single rail is only in a few places not the whole route so it is not really a problme as I do not have a breakdown of points failures to back up my waffle about the single line issues.

[jules]

[quoted]
Herring_Gull wrote:
[quoted]
jules wrote:
[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.
[/quoted]
Apologies. Got ahead of my presumptious self.

You know I would stay there. Wht swap half hour commute for what is essentially chihuahuas.

The single rail is only in a few places not the whole route so it is not really a problme as I do not have a breakdown of points failures to back up my waffle about the single line issues.
[/quoted]

Where I live is very nice (Eynsford/Shoreham) but I am from a place very similar to Hastings (albeit 300-odd miles north) and I love the idea of having more to do of an evening than our picturesque (but Miss Marple-ish)village can offer; I secretly crave sea shanties on a Thursday in All Saints Street - and plodging through the low tide mud on Winchelsea beach with the dogs; even in the winter! Unfortunately, I just can't see a way of affording a place in Hastings on Hastings wages these days. Although I'm sure it must be just as much of a problem for 'the natives' and one of the reasons I got "on my bike" from Northumberland 30 years ago.

I was just seeking a little reassurance about the doability of the commute. It is quite scary to the uninitiated. I think it probably best if I ask my (very fortunate and generous) friends if I can do a couple of weeks trial run_ _ _

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[ladyfelsham]

I echo Jules' comment - thanks so much to all of you for your really helpful feedback.

It's not an easy decision to spend all those hours commuting - unless you're completely driven to be a homeowner (like me) and nuts (also me). The sad reality is that I cannot afford to buy in London at all - unless I want a 12 x 12 foot box room in an unattractive part of town. Strangely that just doesn't appeal.

But it's not just financial. I'm also attracted to the area because people seem to speak to each other shock horror (lol), and let's face it you're a pretty hip and groovy lot!

Last question - has anyone used the coach to commute? On paper it's a much better option - same time to work and 1/3 of the cost. Downside is one coach a day each way - and traffic, of course - but then as many of you have commented, as a train commuter you are often a victim of the single track issue delays. I commuted from Lewisham to Tunbridge Wells for about a year and it went belly up about twice a week.

I'm hoping to come and stay for a week and commute up to try it out before Christmas and see how I get on. Will post the dates and see if anyone is up for a drink and a chat about the absolute need for a dirt cheap private plane service to London

[Michael]

My wife did consider the coach, but soon dismissed it, as the times didn't suit her. People do talk to each other down here. A mate of mine came down for the day a couple of weeks ago and we went on a pub crawl, he couldn't believe how many people we knew, and I'm not just talking about the bar staff. We lived in Brighton for a couple of years (05-08) and whilst it's a good place to live I wouldn't swap it for where we are now.

[Herring_Gull]

[quoted]
ladyfelsham wrote:
I echo Jules' comment - thanks so much to all of you for your really helpful feedback.

It's not an easy decision to spend all those hours commuting - unless you're completely driven to be a homeowner (like me) and nuts (also me). The sad reality is that I cannot afford to buy in London at all - unless I want a 12 x 12 foot box room in an unattractive part of town. Strangely that just doesn't appeal.

But it's not just financial. I'm also attracted to the area because people seem to speak to each other shock horror (lol), and let's face it you're a pretty hip and groovy lot!

Last question - has anyone used the coach to commute? On paper it's a much better option - same time to work and 1/3 of the cost. Downside is one coach a day each way - and traffic, of course - but then as many of you have commented, as a train commuter you are often a victim of the single track issue delays. I commuted from Lewisham to Tunbridge Wells for about a year and it went belly up about twice a week.

I'm hoping to come and stay for a week and commute up to try it out before Christmas and see how I get on. Will post the dates and see if anyone is up for a drink and a chat about the absolute need for a dirt cheap private plane service to London
[/quoted]

Blimey.

Forget about the single line it is nowt to worry about what-so-ever.

I considered the coach for about 1 second when I saw myself stuck in traffic in sarf nodnoL 2100 on a Friday night when the trin has already gone back up and down again. It might be cheaper but if the train has a handful of possible chances to be delayed, then the coach must have 1000s.

The fact that you can own a 4 bed house for half the price of a studio flat in nodnoL was one of the reasons I chose to live here. But you will have to consider the GBP400+ per month additional cost to live here and how that could be paying for your mortgague in nodnoL.

Pick the right place / house to live in (as has been said) and you will enjoy it. Why not rent for 6 months.

[roy]

Renting is the best option until you find your feet and work out whats right for you,as someone who rents myself I am facinated by the desire to own property,ok I might not have the nest egg you have but I have much more freedom to move around if I so desire.And of course negative equaty is all around isnt it.
As for Londonistan I cant think of a worse place to live to be honest,expensive stressful and dirty oh and people who have lost the ability to talk to you,thanks but no thanks.



Enjoy life.you never know when it will end.

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks guys, all good points.

I'll try the train and coach for a week and see how I get on.

Have a good weekend.

[Scootagal]

Hi Lady Felsham!

Fellow Londoner dreaming of the sea here We're in Lewisham too randomly_ _ _although that might sound bad on Lewisham's part (ie all of us wanting to leave) - we love it here too but Hastings just caught our imagination_ _ _even though we left lovely York to move to London as it felt too small_ _ _not entirely sure why Hastings wouldn't also feel small! For us it's a difficult decision to leave a flat that is quickly going up in value to buy in Hastings then kick ourselves a few years down the line_ _ _although the major thing is the commute_ _ _as I work near Oxford Circus.

Would love to hear how you get on with the train and coach_ _ _where in London do you work?