Pingpongpom69 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 For the past couple of years or so I have been toying with the idea of moving back to England (maybe for 12 months, maybe permanently). I live in a beautiful part of Australia - Murwillumbah, part of the Tweed Region in Northern NSW. It is the one place in all of Aus that feels the closest thing to England in that it's green pretty much all year round with lots of soothing, pleasant scenery. The population is approx 10,000. People are on the whole very relaxed and friendly, walking down the street most people will either smile or say hello and stop to talk. The bank teller will have time for a genuine chat, the person crossing the zebra crossing will wave to say thanks, it's a great country town feel. There is a real sense of community here and also a strong focus on health with heaps of health food stores and vegetarian eateries which I love. A real mix of people too, a large Sikh community, Hari Krishna's and Sai Baba followers too, all bringing their unique cultures, ideas, foods and flavours and being accepted by all (I love Indian food so this is a bonus to me!). Only a couple of pubs and no night clubs so no seediness or trouble with drunken revellers. Alas, however the downside...summers and even spring are an absolute killer for me as I get older and hence my desire to move back to gentler climes. Ideally I'd like to live somewhere in England with a similar feel, in a small town or in a village close by. So my question is, is there anywhere similar to Murwillumbah in England?! Basically I need somewhere that is a relaxed and genuinely friendly place, with a real sense of community and welcoming! By the way I have no interest in living in a city whatsoever, small towns or villages only! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unzippy Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Given that no one will have lived in every town/village in order to compare, you won't get a very accurate reply I'm a city dweller so don't have much to contribute, but good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I come from a little place called North Wingfield, outside Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Chesterfield itself isn't too big, close to the pennines, lots of National parks and people are very friendly. Lots of nice little villages around. You might struggle with the Derbyshire accent but you shouldn't have to worry about the heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Loads of places. Look around Yorkshire, Derbyshire, even the Midlands - Rutland springs to mind. I live in a little village a lot smaller (don't have a shop or anything) but very community based. The nearest town is Strathaven which is very much like what you describe, though not as multicultural. But, the weather here would be maybe too big a shock - we get snow, lots and lots of snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingpongpom69 Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 58 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said: Loads of places. Look around Yorkshire, Derbyshire, even the Midlands - Rutland springs to mind. I live in a little village a lot smaller (don't have a shop or anything) but very community based. The nearest town is Strathaven which is very much like what you describe, though not as multicultural. But, the weather here would be maybe too big a shock - we get snow, lots and lots of snow. We house sat in Rutland earlier this year for a week and loved it! We were in Ridlington which was tiny. Oakham was lovely and was somewhere I actually considered but not sure if it's right. Uppingham was lovely too but definitely way too posh and 'well healed' for me. Beautiful area though and close to family in Bedfordshire so it's a possibility...snow is not a problem, would totally love it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 England only or would you consider Scotland too? Some lovely villages in Scotland that might meet your needs if you don'd mind colder winters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingpongpom69 Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 32 minutes ago, MacGyver said: England only or would you consider Scotland too? Some lovely villages in Scotland that might meet your needs if you don'd mind colder winters I do love Scotland (went to the Edinburgh Tattoo earlier this year!) but a little too far away from family really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 8 hours ago, Pingpongpom69 said: I do love Scotland (went to the Edinburgh Tattoo earlier this year!) but a little too far away from family really. It is actually not bad that way as flights from Glasgow to southern England can be had for £30 and take 30 minutes. The pluses are that lots of very nice small towns and villages, but house prices are much more reasonable. Also things like no prescription charges in Scotland is a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I've always liked the sound of Upper Dicker. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopylu Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) How about Wales? Some beautiful green rolling countryside similar to Northern NSW to be had in Carmarthenshire (where my folks live) and not so far from England as Scotland.... There is a similar vibe to Murwillumbah around small towns like Llandeilo with plenty of alternative lifestyle people (eg Tipi Valley). Edited October 11, 2018 by Loopylu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingpongpom69 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 I do love Wales too, so beautiful but have concerns that the weather may be a little too extreme and again would prefer to be closer to family who are in Bedfordshire. 48 minutes ago, Loopylu said: How about Wales? Some beautiful green rolling countryside similar to Northern NSW to be had in Carmarthenshire (where my folks live) and not so far from England as Scotland.... There is a similar vibe to Murwillumbah around small towns like Llandeilo with plenty of alternative lifestyle people (eg Tipi Valley). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopylu Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Hi Pingpong - the weather in that part of Wales is very mild as it benefits from the Gulf Stream warming effects (similar to Cornwall/Devon). It certainly does not get as cold as the Midlands and the East of England where temperatures can frequently go sub-zero in winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Kent and the SE in general have lots of lovely villages and small towns. They are not my cup of tea but Westerham, Sevenoaks, Caterham are all nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 What about somewhere in East Anglia? We lived in villages near Cambridge, Ely, Saffron Walden, Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket before we moved to Sydney, and found them all nice places to live. It isn't too far to Bedfordshire, easy to get to the coast, fairly close to London, and has the airport at Stansted which is handy if you like going on overseas holidays. From what I remember of the area, the roads towards Bedfordshire aren't too bad. Lots of really lovely villages around that area, with slightly larger towns within easy reach for cinema, shopping etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Or Cheshire. Holmes Chapel, Tarporley, Tattenhall...the list goes on. Will you be working or are you free as a bird to choose? obviously budget will dictate as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Budget is a big decider - I love St Albans but it is super expensive - Has everything - lovely countryside, proximity to London, history, physical beauty. One area I've been considering for my return in retirement is Stroud - Beautiful countryside, a great market, good pubs and walks and prices not too off the scale (I'm from SE UK). Stroud is also well positioned for Wales, West Country Beaches and close to exciting places like Bristol, Oxford etc... If anyone has views on Stroud (good or bad) I'd love to hear...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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