brizzle

The crowdedness of the UK worries me too, but there are advantages to that (competition for services, access to loads of places to visit easily). Thing is that in Canada almost everyone lives in about half a dozen cities. There's a reason for that. 2/3rds of the country is frozen tundra. Even in BC, which is several times the size of the UK, about 75% of the population live in Vanc/Victoria.

anishq

Yes, and that leaves 25% of the BC population living away from Vanc/Victoria and spread out through that huge province. I lived in northern BC for a while on the Alaskan highway where some of that 25% live and it is that sort of uncrowdedness that I love. The beauty of the scenery, the wildlife, the vastness and the emptiness of the BC countryside is unforgettable, not to forget the Northern Lights and the most fantastic sunsets I have ever seen in any country.

In many ways I shall be sorry to leave.

sallysimmons

So did you lower the standards in your area?

Seriously, how a bunch of immigrants can slag off other immigrants is beyond me. I should have stayed on that self-imposed break from this site. Goodnight everyone and good luck.

cheers

There are legal emigrants and illegal emigrants.

You say standards and I hope I said living standards.

When I lived in New York and I was right off the boat and I remember people accusing me of taking their jobs. They were right!

cheers

A you come back here. I apologize if I wrote something that offended besides I need your posts on the Lake District.

johnh009

As I mentioned on another thread, I recently drove around Herefordshire for the first time and anyone who thinks England is crowded should do the same. Small, historical villages everywhere, it reminded me of what England used to be like in the sixties. No offence to anyone from Herefordshire, intended more of a compliment.

I also lived in Toronto for 23 year and people are quite packed in there in many parts but this is typical of many cities.

cheers

If I have this right there is only 75 years left on the leasehold?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18835677.html

bandrui

Beautiful place. Buty it is in the proverbial middle of nowhere. It doesn't give me the feeling of having access to anywhere which could be a bit disconcerting.
I travelled the busier A roads in Wales and still hardly saw anyone so I wouldn't be worried about that here. Perhaps for Aberystwyth but probably not bad.

Pistolpete2

So you can't now point a finger at immigrants themselves as being the problem if countries promote migration.

Illegal immigration in the UK isn't the problem either, though it is an issue. Many honestly believe, me included, that Labour deliberately beefed up immigration in the last decade to garner support, to placate employers hungry for cheap labour and to embarrass the Tories who could be accused of racism if they objected to the so called move of the UK towards multi-culturalism, a concept that many believe has simply not worked as there has been no real integration. If this was the case, it was hardly in the national interest, particularly if it side-lined or under-cut the existing workforce.

There is an argument that if the existing workforce, for one reason or another, is too lazy or too ignorant to get off its back-side and go out and be productive then the powers-that-be have no choice but to get that required labour from somewhere else.

The problem with immigration is political and the main objectors do so on three counts 1. The UK has lost its identity 2. Statistics now show that the majority of the recent migrants are unskilled which makes no economic sense and creates an unnecessary extra demand on services and 3. It creates more overcrowding in an already crowded nation (in urban areas) with affordable housing shortages.

Yesterday's newspapers were talking of, as I had predicted, the Tories now putting the screws on all immigration, to show political strength, which could end up seriously damaging UK industry as there is a shortage of skilled labour in certain areas.

Obviously, not everybody agrees with these objections and part of the believe/disbelief rests on one's political persuasion or social conscience, therefore this type of issue is not debatable in a Location Location Location forum where it can obviously cause offense.

So it's best not to start migration discussion unless it is in Take it Outside.

cheers

Pete,

Good points.

One addition. There is the class issue in the UK which is not so much now as in the past but still exists and I think this is part of the labor unrest. Come to think of it it exists in other countries also.
Communists get in power because they want a classless society but what do they do but form there own class system.
OK I'm off this now 'cause this is Location, L, L.

Cheers

Pistolpete2

A lot of property searchers on Location Location Location are not only looking for that perfect pad but also require access to their friends and relatives typically further north plus that big(ger) city break when it tickles their fancy.

I'm trying to look at ease of access from the south west in particular because it has been largely written off due to the time to get to London and also due to certain peculiarities in the locals which can make one feel unwelcome but which can be overcome.

I'm surprised at the amount of airlift out of Newquay Airport in North Cornwall in spite of the fact that Ryanair has withdrawn due to its Scrooge-like approach to airport taxes. See below:

http://www.newquaycornwallairport.co...rticleid=48607

Truro and Falmouth have a lot to offer now, the latter with EU cash injections.

I've also looked at rail service from the "hub" area around Westbury in Wiltshire.

Westbury - London 1h 19m
- Exeter 1h 9m
- Bristol 38m
- Bristol Airport 1h 16m
- Salisbury 30m
- Bath 24m
- Dorchester 1h 14m
- Manchester 3h 49m

The most attractive area with any property supply actually around Westbury appears to be Dilton Marsh which we have discussed on here before (nethead) (The (former) Kings Arms?). Here are two listings from that offshoot of Westbury, for style:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

Dilton Marsh has its own station on the line that serves Salisbury/Bristol/Bath

Of course there would be loads of other properties in the zone between Westbury/Frome/Trowbridge but I'm trying to allow for getting around without a car.

cheers

Surprise! I like #2 which costs more but I don't plan on spending 300K.
In both cases I liked the houses and really like that area (read county) however I was turned off when I saw the street view in both cases. Scroungy.
I like your priorities. No car, rail, although I think when I move into a place I don't stray too far from home. Rethinking rail. I like railways but they can be expensive way to travel when we can go by bus for free (love that socialism).

Pete thanks for sharing with us and keep it up.

Pistolpete2

Forget the actual houses, they are just for style, but see below.

Yesterday I dug out my Thames and Hudson book of The Most Beautiful Villages in England which includes:
Bamburgh, Hawkshead, Prestbury, Southwell, Weobley, Castle Bytham, Aldbury (Herts), Elham (Kent), Wherwell, Cerne Abbas and Lacock.

The problem is that in almost every case, particularly in the south, the prices are really high and there is no supply. That being the case, we have to maybe be more realistic and recognise that we will have to check out the community as much as the superficial as displayed in the appearance of neighbouring houses. That said, there are still plenty of picture-book villages/towns that can be considered but if we need services and a decent supermarket we will need a town (very) close by and this can inhibit the quality and appearance of the housing stock.

I think I've found a maybe better area of Westbury per another listing around Church Street in the town centre which makes it a bit more stylish than parts of Dilton Marsh.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-29221447.html

Follow Church Street SW as far as Edward Street on Streetview, to the Angel pub - looks OK!

The most expensive properties in the Westbury area are in Dilton Marsh though, by far.

I must comment that we have mentioned recently that we might not want to be located near a church. The rationale for the perceived drawback is the amount of congestion if one's property is located opposite a church entrance and the street is fairly narrow without allocated parking spaces.

Funnily enough, I've seen quite a few properties listed on Rightmove right at the entrance to a church. Maybe their patience has finally worn out? Folks sell for a reason, don't you know!

Come funerals here, which are regular, it's a major problem getting in and out of the village due to the amount of congestion on the one access road.

bandrui

Yes, a good central location, Pete, and I can see the advantage of having easy access to several large centres. I like all of these properties, especially this last one, though they are outside my price range. The church yard wouldn't bother me.

I am still being drawn South of here though I am just not finding the supply of places. It seems that everyone has the same idea, i.e. areas, places that are appealing to me are also appealing to many others so no affordable, quality properties. Might be worth looking at rentals in this area though I have always felt that the best rental deals are not through agents. On the ground one could have better access to what comes onto the market.

Pistolpete2

I would think that the rental position would be pretty good in this part of the West Country, meaning good value to the tenant, in spite of the excellent connections to Bristol.

When I'm thinking about Westbury I'm not really thinking about you though as you've always indicated that you would have a car and therefore not need to be very close to rail connections.