Originally Posted by Piff Poff

Lived and worked near Cambridge, Sister still lives in Cambridge. Traffic is horrendous, with suicidal cyclists everywhere.

My sister has 2 kids 14 and 17. The 14 year had disabilities,so a different scenario for him. The 17 year old has had limited freedom when playing as growing up, she was never allowed to go and play around the corner where the park is (visible from upstairs window), she was never allowed to go to the local shops on her own or with a buddy until she was around 14. At that age she started to get the bus to school and was allowed into the City centre with friends and to the pictures and stuff - as long as she was dropped off and picked up by a parent, I believe the same rules still apply and of course she has the requisite cell phone.

She did work experience through school and charges were brought to her and her friends 'manager' for innapropriate behaviour.

Aside from that, I love Cambridge, full of history and stuff to do with plenty of surrounding beautiful countryside. If you wish to move to Cambridge take a look at some of the surrounding villages if you have kids to raise.

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

3 and a half acres within an hour of the CBD for $300,000 bought a year ago sounds like a fair deal to me.

Originally Posted by guest5234

More land a pain in the buttocks, so much more work for what I had 5 acres that was just...well.....5 acres

You only need enough space to have a good brie with a few family

Originally Posted by rugbymatt

I tend to prefer a mature Cheddar or a crumbly Wensleydale.

Originally Posted by guest5234

More land a pain in the buttocks, so much more work for what I had 5 acres that was just...well.....5 acres

You only need enough space to have a good brie with a few family

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

It's all about elbow room for us my agoraphobic friend, elbow room.

We are currently horse-sitting and our daughter is enjoying that immensely, she can also wander down to the creek and our dam and enjoy not being cooped-up in psuedo-suburbia.

Just us, the chickens, some horses and a shedload of wildlife ... and no chance of hearing "next-door's" party or television.

If we had a cat then I'd sling it occasionally just for the hell of it

Originally Posted by Hutch

Except that many of the roads in Bath (and in the other afore-mentioned cities) were originally designed for oxon and cart, not 24 wheel articulated Sainsburys lorries. I know Cambridge well too, being from North Herts, and it's every bit as bad. The traffic planners solution in both cases was a one-way system so complicated that Lord Lucan is still circling inner-Cambridge. Like I say - I think Cambridge and Bath are great cities - but liveable? I think not.

Originally Posted by brits1

Each to their own...looks like you know what retirement is like already!!! We had a big block wen e firs came to Aus...lived in the hills....it was something we always wanted to try...but not for us we found that we liked being near the countryside but also not far from the City....as our boys got older...they really disliked being so far away from "things" that started to interest them as they got older....
A good Lancashire Cheese with some great "crackers" and freshly made bread (not made by me ofcourse....the local bakery) is just the best!!!
Jackie

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

I can see how our daughter may prefer to be closer to 'the action' when she gets older (I'd be surprised if she didn't) but I guess that is what a car and public transport is for, we are only an hour away from the city so that isn't a world away (hopefully quicker in years to come with better transport links) ... hell, she'll probably do the usual thing and want to get the hell away from Brisbane and Australia in general.

But for now she's 2 so I think we'll just enjoy our choice while we can

I've spent a fair amount of time in Lancashire and the Peak District climbing and hiking, nice part of the world.