Originally Posted by bandrui

At the risk of exposing myself personally which many of you choose not to do, and to let you know that your posts do not fall on deaf ears , I thought I would let you know that I have completely revised my plans as follows:
1) I think it will be next year, or conceivably 2013 before I get to the UK.
2) I have decided to look for a rental with studio space where I can focus on my textile work (surface design, felting, etc.) in some location that has a strong arts market. This to permit me more freedom in exploring the UK and to create some additional income since I will not likely be able to live on pension income.
3) I shall take the money from my house and if the housing market does fall, buy optimistically 2 well-chosen buy-to-let properties that will create additional monthly income for me while hopefully increasing in value.
This is only a high-level plan that will have many details to be worked out but seems that it may fit my objectives.

As I was just PMing, I think the future of jobs are in the re-creation of local communities and older simpler ways of living. Something akin to what your son was saying Pete although I do think this whole Eco, Green thing is a bit of a racket in itself. Perhaps I am just a purist at heart.

p.s. I am currently looking at rentals in towns on the Dorset coast... Swanage, Weymouth, Poole... where there are Arts communities. I shall also look at Lewes and other Sussex towns that are close to the coast. At the moment I am thinking that if I am renting, I would like to be near the sea, but this too could change, as it has before. (Wiltshire, Somerset, Herefordshire, Shropshire are always in my sights).

Originally Posted by 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.

Originally Posted by bandrui

Anyway, I like the idea of looking for rail hubs. How did you find that? I think Salisbury is one too. I have looked twice for property around there but not finding anything.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Salisbury is indeed a hub, partly on the same line from Bristol to Southampton but Westbury's proximity to Bath and Bristol as well as Exeter, makes it more attractive for connections.

For Salisbury character properties I was thinking of the area around Wilton and found this for Quidhampton which is another village to consider close in to Salisbury, off the A36.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^20438

Originally Posted by cheers

Didn't come up

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

On the railway line south of Yeovil in Dorset is Yetminster (has its own station)

Yetminster is described as the best stone-built village in the South of England.

http://www.dorsets.co.uk/Yetminster/

Village looks very attractive and big enough to have future supply for sale and to rent with several properties for sale now of which this is one:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18244308.html

V Pricey, but:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18683277.html

To rent:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-29684536.html

shared access!

Train:

Weymouth 42 mins
Dorchester 26 mins
Yeovil 10 mins
Poole 1h 18mins
London 2h 28mins

Nearby, check that name Ryme Intrinseca but no real supply apart from this converted granary!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-33289658.html

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

On the railway line south of Yeovil in Dorset is Yetminster (has its own station)

Yetminster is described as the best stone-built village in the South of England.

http://www.dorsets.co.uk/Yetminster/

Village looks very attractive and big enough to have future supply for sale and to rent with several properties for sale now of which this is one:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18244308.html

V Pricey, but:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18683277.html

To rent:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-29684536.html

shared access!

Train:

Weymouth 42 mins
Dorchester 26 mins
Yeovil 10 mins
Poole 1h 18mins
London 2h 28mins

Nearby, check that name Ryme Intrinseca but no real supply apart from this converted granary!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-33289658.html

Originally Posted by aries

Did you note that six times every day the bells of the Minster of St Andrew in Yetminster chime the National Anthem?

Originally Posted by coastieexpat

I have friends in Faversham/Oare , although I am from the North, if I go back to the UK I am considering living there.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

RAIL TRAVEL IN THE UK:

"Rail users are lavishly subsidised: on the regional lines taxpayers contribute 31p for every kilometre passengers travel. Unless costs can be restricted, ticket prices will rise endlessly or some lines will have to close."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datab...ns-listed-rail

From the article MAP, it's hard to imagine that Yetminster with its 6,350 pax per year will be able to sustain a rail-stop in a world where councils will have to take some of the burden for current state subsidised regional rail travel.

Originally Posted by cheers

The question should always be asked when we consider the subsidies on rail travel is how much is road travel subsidized? Further if you reduce train travel that will throw more people on the roads and we will be on the way to coast to coast concrete. Look at what has happened to many cities where neighborhoods have been destroyed to make ways for 'traffic'. Wrong! Bring back the horse and cart I say! Another part of the equation is how many people are employed on the rails who might otherwise be unemployed? Whenever we see the headlines about reducing spending I would advize the reader to move on to the next article were they are going to be spending some outrageous sum on a project with questionable benefit.
There I said it.

What I want to do when I become emperor is to tax heavily all those high rise buildings in London which blight the city and they are not beneficial to the public whether they be employees who work in them or residents who are inconvenienced by the congestion that they create. They also create wind tunnels.
End of chapter 2.
Location, Loc.....