h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An advertising campaign has been launched this week encouraging people to move to the North of the country.

Statistics show that the cost of living is lower, housing prices are much lower, commuting is virtually zero, and the beer tastes better (alright, so I made that one up).

With a London recession predicted for the near future, would any of you Southern nancie-boys relocate to the North if so offered?

B

More to the point - do the Northerners want these southern nancy boys moving into their neighbourhoods

Well, precisely. We'd have to turn all the pubs into Yates' Wine Bars, for staters.

B

A friend of mine is moving from Hampshire to North Yorkshire next month.
They are selling their 3 bed Barratt-type rabbit hutch and buying a 4 bed 3 recep bungalow with 1.2 acres of garden, river bank with fishing rights for the same price (think it was about £250k)
It's in a village with reasonable public transport, shops, GP etc; the kids are going to a well-rated local school. Her hubby's in waste management and they're going to a local authority that believes in recycling, waste minimisation and improving the environment generally (and he doesn't get a lease car!).

They can't wait, and I confess I'm a bit jealous.
Would I do it? If it was up to me, possibly yes, if the right opportunity came up. Trouble is my other half is one of those mindless bigots!

It wou7ld be a bit of a commute to reach my potential clients in the thames valley, otherwise I would! Oh and it would have to be to a nice area with good shopping/restaurants/bars/transport. Aren't those sorts of places in the north getting very expensive too?

It's still worth thinking about though, if there is work to go to.

Sadly the boyf's current role with TFL rather demands that he spend a lot of time in L so it is quite difficult to persuade him to move just yet...

No. There, was that simple and unbigoted enough?

And remember, the yates' was an invention of the North. (The first one I ever saw was in Get Carter, filmed circa 1972, in Newcastle.)

Right, BS.
And some of us namby pamby Southerners would die rather than go in Yates.

As someone who had to move south for work, if I can get work where the life is cheaper I would be there in a shot. Am currently investigating getting back to where I once belonged (Glasgow) as I could afford to buy a house and other disturbingly organised things like that. Not that here in Surrey isn't nice or nothing, and Nodnol is a wonderful place to visit, but it is sooooo expensive.

I can honestly say I dont think I would ever live much north of Bristol. No offence to you lot, I just dont find it appealing. Its grim enough here thank you very much. Although I would *really* appreciate the cheapness.

As for nampy-pamby southerness, come here and say that!!!

How can you say if an area is worth living in until you have tried it?

As someone who has lived all over the SE corner of this fair land, (moved 12 times in the last 10 years) Some bit of the South are lovely, some bits are absolutely terrible.

Having said that, I can't afford to buy a house here, but could in Glasgow, so fully intend to join the researcher in post 8

I've only visited the North, never lived there, so shall have to see.

Oh yeah, What's wrong with our ?

I am a Southerner who has moved North. My Dad is a Northerner who moved South. I have uncles and aunts who moved:
even further North,
a long way east (Saudi Arabia) and then back to the North (albeit the wrong side of the Pennines),
nowhere, staying in the North.
On the other side, I have an uncle who was born in France and moved North from there.

In general, I would say that I like both places.

I am going to cop out too. I like both and have lived in both.

If the h2g2 offices moved oop north I'd follow, otherwise I'm happy to stay here, simply because I really like London, all my family are here, and I get upset in the countryside.

Why Mina, are the bothering you again?

London may be more expensive but it is incredibly good fun living there. Why would I want to move to somewhere that has to advertise to convince people that it's not too bad to live there (clearly it is).

We may be southern softies, but that's better than being violent wife-beating alcoholic mechanics.

No, I don't like the sky. Too much of it, not enough buildings on the horizon.

Who would ever want to live up north anyway...
Not enough smog, too little traffic, housing is just way too cheap - so's the beer. In fact, living in London is just perfect.... apart from the lack of

You can't find the in London?

But there are millions of them. Try hanging around the railway stations and you'll see them all pouring in of a morning. And then all going off the other way in the evening.

You strange creature Mina. I have exactly the reverse problem- the second I step off the train in London, I'm nervous, twitchy, I feel caged in, and I *really* violently dislike buildings that have the affront to loom up in front of me, and block the horizon and sky. The length of time required in London to attend a meet is about my limit, I'm afraid.

The tallest building where I live, apart from the church, is four stories ;-/