scotch03

One hour away from Central London by car is err London.

You might need to increase the commute a tad.

tony_2003

Is there any countryside left in England?

Emm

Did I mention a car? I don't think so. Even when I lived and worked in London I never drove my car - after all who wants all that hassle when there is a perfectly good public transport system? As long as you don't have to travel at peak times, the tube is great and trains into London are pretty frequent no matter which direction you are coming from.


And Tony, yes of course there is countryside left in England and very beautiful it is too.

Emm.

scotch03

Great Public Transport! When did you last use it? The Central Line was closed for a few months last year!
Strikes are common place. They trains dont work if its Autumn! And this year it was too sunny. I believe spring is ok though!.
And there isn't that much countryside within an hours commute of London.

BrigieDarling

1.I missed my 20th school reunion this year, so it would be nice to finally see all the poeple I went to school with again soon (hopefully in 2004)

2.I'm still working on building a relationship with my sisters and my dad.

3. Raise my children in this sometimes scary world.

Emm

I did not wish to provoke an arguament when I listed my ambitions but I have to beg to differ with your opnions.

I have lived in Berkshire, Essex and Hertfordshire all of which are around an hours commute to London and all of which have some wonderful countryside. I happen to have lived in the counties surrounding London from 1986 until I emigrated to Sweden 3 years ago and for 4 of those years I worked in London and commuted on both the tube and the overground system. One of my best friends in England works on the Underground and has done for many years, so I am aware of it's problems.

While admitting that the public transport system in and around London is not perfect by any means, it is very usuable. I can only think of a few occasions in the 4 years I commuted that I was actually late for work because of it (usually because someone had thrown themselves under a train, which as you can imagine takes a while to clean up!). I worked through all the building of the new Hammersmith and City line extension and when there were disruptions to the service caused by the building, an alternative bus was provided, bussing people between the non-usable stations on the line.

If you have not lived or worked in London then you may not realise that if they shut down a line or part of it that they always provide a bus service to replace it. The line being closed does not mean that you have to alter your normal routine, other than allowing some extra time for travel.

Leaves on the line is a bit of a farce and one we have taken great delight in joking about for many years, although they are in fact trying out new systems to deal with the problem. This summer was an exception with the heat, it is not usual to have temperatures that high in London and therefore the system was disrupted to ensure the safety of passengers. It is unlikely to happen every summer!

I will maintain my ambition and stand by my comments and since it is my ambition I really don't see what cause you have to disagree with it. If you disagree simply because you see me as being 'silly' and having no idea of the realities of living in England, then you are wrong.

Emm.

superpat

Strange how I was able to get on a train at either Victoria or Cannon Street and step off 45 minutes later in the middle of Kent. Countryside - we had it coming out of our ears!



Pat

JerseyBoy

I get it, this was a wind-up.... wasn't it?

You can get a long way in an hour, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire.

All those overdeveloped urban areas (sigh...)

scotch03

I have no issues with you wishing to live in the location that you described earlier, so please do not be offended by my comments
My input is based on what I have experienced and I know that everyone will view things in other ways based on whatever they have experienced.
If you look at the road and population density in SE England then clearly the countryside around London is limited and vanishing. Current Government proposals include new road building, road widening and airport building and/or increasing size capacity.
It is also my opinion that if comparing the countryside throughout England the SE chunk is by far the dullest. Although if it is London you are after then one will have to compromise.
I suppose having grown up in a much more rural setting than the London backwaters I am used to countryside meaning mountains, lochs and tiny roads with no cars. And I still had the benefits of making it to Edinburgh in much less than an hour!
Public Transport in London is a mess - considering the expense of it and you seem to be happy with a replacement bus service on a closed line is rather funny. I remember getting such a bus at Epping and getting to Liverpool Street 3 hours later. And yes that happened to me several times. Or what about people collapsing every summer due to no air con? Or the idiots who jump in front of the trains (rightly pointed out by you)? The system in London is much better than here in LA and slightly better than India, but having used public transport in the likes of Singapore and Japan I think London Transport can improve in so many ways and provide a better service to the millions of people who use it everyday.
I doubt Ken Livingston will be able to deliver the required improvements.
So when are you moving back?

Lion in Winter

aagh....stop making me homesick! I live in Chicago, heart of the Great Midwest. You can drive and in about 1 hour you can be out of the city, unless they are "improving" the highways. You then face about three days solid driving of flat, unforgiving cornfields in any given direction, unless of course you head due east and drown your sorrows in the Lake. Makes driving out for those weekend country walks, picnics, etc. a bit of an undertaking.

Emm

It's an ambition, not a plan. Who knows?

Emm.

tony_2003

If it's an ambition then why did you bother leaving? Surely it would be realised quicker if you stayed in England?

tony_2003

I'd agree with that. Even starting in Edinburgh city centre you could be up in the glorious Pentland Hills within about 20 mins drive.

Emm

The quickest route is not always the best, who wants to go through life on a motorway when you can saunter through the country lanes and get there with a better view?

Emm.

Yorkieabroad

I can go with all of these, but.... to be able to afford to achieve 3, definitely going to have to achieve 4, probably going to blow 1 (have to sell the kids into the slave trade), so probably blow 2 en route (hubby divorces for selling the kids too cheaply) which case may as well just settle for 5. Yeah, reckon that'll do for me. Happy works.