cheers

We drove along the main road on the north coast of Devon and we were surprised at the number of huge windmills that are spotted along the coast. Are they making a mistake by building these all over the place??

BTW I think they are ruining Lands End by having these ticki tacki tourist places selling junk. IMO.

Zen10

I haven't been on the north coast since the 1980s so things might have changed somewhat! Yes I hate those things, and remain unconvinced about their benefit to society.

jimbolini

Sally,
I'm so glad your return is working. As one who was 30 yrs in UK then 25 yrs in USA I am considering moving back. Going on various sites on the subject, they seem to be infested with Brit-hating sunseeker types from Aussie or the Med. Ugh! Its clear that whether moving back is a good idea is very dependent on personal situation. Example: many of the most vocal critics roots were in the London area and their biggest beef is the foreigners. I sympathize but I am a North Yorkshireman, where the country has changed less. I am still considering, but its refreshing to see someone successfully reintegrate.

Zen10

I agree. If a return means a long, miserable commute through rain-soaked gridlock every morning to a job you hate, then how likely is a success story? I've read enough posts on these forums to know those who can cash in their chips overseas and buy outright in the UK are mysteriously happier than those who cannot. No surprises here.

TheEmperorIsNaked

Good post!

dunroving

Exactly - it's all subjective and individual.

sallysimmons

I totally agree that it's all individual and we can all only share our own experiences. But I don't think you have to be able to buy outright to be happy here. I certainly wasn't in a position to do that and have a mortgage.

I do think that where you are able to live is a huge determinant of how happy you will be, along with how much you liked the place you left. I have missed Yorkshire for years, so being back here and being lucky enough to live out in the wilds per my lifelong dream, has been a daily joy. To be able to walk out of my front door and be up on the moor in 15 minutes, just me and the curlews and the views - amazing! If I had moved to Beeston in Leeds, I would not be feeling as happy I'm sure.

But there are other people who would hate where I live and who need to be in the thick of a big city. Or at least need to live somewhere that has at least one shop In the end, it comes down to knowing what makes you happy.

chris955

Yes I agree it is absurd to say you are somehow happier depending on whether you have a mortgage or not, if we had a mortgage I have no doubt we would be just as happy as we are now. It absolutely comes down to where you are.

Zen10

Agreed. And the mortgage is not a problem per se so long as one's means of paying it are not too miserable. If so, then it becomes a burden which refracts back onto one's decision to return, or emigrate. You live in a beautiful part of the UK (I found out I'm part Yorkshireman, so maybe I'm biased...) and if I could return to a place like you have I would be content in the UK, I;m certain. The difficulty is that most people must live within commutable distance of major work centres, and that means inflated house prices and a concomitant poor standard of housing. If you are able to work from home, as I believe you and chris955 do (please correct if I'm wrong), then you are able to buy well out of the rat race, and that means much more affordable housing, which again bounces back and helps to improve the standard of housing, which in turn helps one settle and make a success of emigration/return.

TheEmperorIsNaked

Not nececelery. I have found a delightful des res behind the gasworks. I plan to paint it shocking pink, and make the garden an absolute paradise.

It really is an attitude of mind. They have given me a lantern for my new job. Checking for gas leaks.

I am very excited.

sallysimmons

I do work from home, but none of my neighbours do. One commutes from here to Oldham, another to Manchester, one to Bradford, and one to Harrogate. All are between 30 and 45 minutes drive away. Only two work locally - one is a teacher in the village school and one works in Skipton.

If a person doesn't have a car, then a place like this wouldn't work as we have no bus service. But for those who drive to work, this area is actually great.

I do think that being able to afford to live where you like makes a big difference to happiness, but that applies anywhere you live. I've lived in some dumps - especially when we first moved to Canada - and I know how depressing it can be. Plus I used to live in Hull, so, you know ...

That's why I think anyone considering moving back has to do a really thorough analysis of what's important to them and then assess whether they can attain that if they move back. Look at the number of people who move from somewhere warm and sunny and only realize that's important to them once they get back here - that should have been determined before ever making the move.

Bud the Wiser

Zen10

I lived in a chocolate box wonderland in one of the nicest parts of the country and I worked in a so-called beautiful city as well, and after 12 months of commuting I'd started looking into emigration. Endless gridlock, road works, unbelievable road rage, tail-gating, totally unaffordable petrol, and double yellow lines everywhere when I got in causing a long and miserable search for a parking space. If you've found somewhere where none of these things exist I presume housing is not affordable because demand would be too great.

sallysimmons

Actually, it's a hidden affordable gem and I remain convinced there must be other places like this in the UK. It's cheap compared to places like Harrogate or Ilkley, or to anywhere in the Dales, because we're in a Bradford postcode. But we're miles from Bradford in a valley that we call the hidden valley - no tourists, no traffic but very close to the M65, which is a fast motorway to Manchester and further west.

The only neighbour who will have to deal with traffic every day is the one who commutes into Bradford - that's a tough one because it's all A roads.

The downsides are that we can get snowed in during winter and the roads never get cleared (too small), there's no public transport and no shop unless you drive at least 10 minutes. Also, we're uncomfortably close to Lancashire

chris955

Well we found a place that isnt even remotely like that and housing is affordable.