Would your parents consider relocating to somewhere else within the UK? It’d get them out of London in their old age & give you more scope to find somewhere that meets your needs.

+3 for moving your parents. I’d aim for Aberdeenshire, but there’s a whole big country up there…

i wouldnt aim for aberdeenshire – at least the east of it …..- and i live there….. the west and north west are awesome though.

id aim for inverness or the black isle – and fly to london from the airport….

Derbyshire. 2hrs drive, 1hr 20 on the direct midland mainline. Thriving new hospital in derby. I live here and can vouch for the riding and the quality of the hospital…

I would look at old town Stevenage. You are near the Lister hospital for work. The old town is quite pleasant. And it’s only 20 mins on a fast train to Finsbury park (North London).

Really? What about the ‘outdoor’ requirements?

A house in Muswell Hill (much like anywhere in NW London ending in “Hill”) will be worth well over CAD $1m. But I agree with the four months/year gardening thing.

Sell the London place and buy a 6-bed with annex etc. somewhere like Pandy in Wales, I would, and live there as a group. Selfishly, this will also ease your move back to the UK which is ridiculously expensive.

Alberta has been hit fairly hard by the drop in oil prices. Lots of people laid off at the moment.

I (luckily still) work for a Canadian oil company and I can confirm that!

Was going to say Derbyshire too. Easy access to Peak District, quick and easy drive down the M1 then A1 into North London as long as you’re not doing it at peak morning time. Central so <3hrs to Lakes, most of Wales, etc.

It’s a compromise but the combination needed requires one.

+3 for moving your parents. I’d aim for Aberdeenshire, but there’s a whole big country up there..

I’m just imagining the conversation. Hi Mum & Dad, we’ve decided you’re moving to………Scotland! 😯

Norfolk? Easily doable to London in 2 hours, house prices aren’t extortionate, a good hospital (my wife works in radiology). Great schools for the kids. The coastline is beautiful.

But if you want places to ride a mountain bike you’re out of luck – it’s a drive to get anywhere with a gradient! Still, lots of alternative activities to get involved in.

+1 all move

We sold up and moved north a few years ago, currently building a granny annex for my folks.

If you’re in healthcare then you can pretty much work anywhere in the UK and the earnings don’t vary (once outside London), and good Mechanics can always get work.

+1 all move

It sounds very simplistic, but old people don’t want to move away from what they know so well, with friends, clubs etc all around them. I think if you’re going to move it has to be at retirement age when you still have enough energy to make a new life for yourself. Once they get past mid 70’s, forget it.

Another vote for Derbyshire, plenty in terms of outdoors to go at with local trails and easy peak access, as well as within 2 hours of the smoke, depending on what time of day you travel of course!

To those that have suggested moving them, if theyre frail I can imagine uprooting them may not be the best option, unless they really want to go and have expressed this. My not so frail parents in their 70’s moved earlier in the year, and they struggled to recover physically & mentally for months. You dont expect it, but is does have a considerable effect at that time of life.

When I look up various towns on the internet this forum comes up so I thought I would post a question here.

You don’t make it clear whether you have any interest in Mountain Biking, but if not then you can ignore all the advice about Chicksands etc.

Basically I think you are looking at the Midlands. Most places within 2 hours of Muswell Hill are too expensive. Somewhere like Warwick might be about right.

I’ll admit that Chicksands and Woburn hardly set the world alight for excitement, but MK as a town is not a bad bet for Joanna in this regard. It is very close to London on the train and gets in to the right part of the city. It’s also relatively cheap (compared to London) to buy in (or around). It’s also relatively easy to get from MK to places that are exciting to go biking, climbing or hiking in.

Ok, it is not going to be as cheap as Derby, Hull or another place further north, but it’s an acceptable solution given the requirements.

Note: I am _not_ sponsored by the Milton Keynes tourist board. I do know people that live there and they chose it for pretty much those ^^^ reasons.

What Rockape63 said about not moving parents. They’ve got their friends, know the area etc. I’ve had this discussion with mine. They don’t want to move from the place they like living in to a totally new place where they’d lose all of their independence, have no friends. Quality of life will descend rapidly despite best interests to move across the globe to be near them.

We lived in Tring for a while. Have you looked there? They have a nice little train station on the main line direct to Watford and Euston. I commuted to central London on the overland train in 45 minutes to Euston and northwards to MK etc. Reasonably priced to live in the town, a few big towns in the area with various health ‘care’ establishments (Aylesbury, Luton). Mtbing up in the Chilterns (Ashridge, Aston Hill, Wendover etc). As others have said, Milton Keynes or nearby which is also on the main overland link to London (I don’t know how to get to Muswell Hill, but maybe there are links from Watford).

Now live in Stroud, Gloucestershire as well, and whilst there’s a direct train link to Paddington (can be pricey – £80 pp), driving takes 2.5 hours to Richmond so I should think a bit longer to north London in low traffic (and when was the last time the traffic was low when needing to get somewhere fast …).

You’ve got to be able to ‘pop’ over to your parents if they need help and I wouldn’t want to face a 2+ hour drive knowing that I’d have to wait till 10pm for the roads to quieten down.

Sorry, but if parents insist on living in an inaccessible and/or unaffordable area, they can’t expect visits at the drop of a hat. IMO of course.

Nico – Member
Basically I think you are looking at the Midlands. Most places within 2 hours of Muswell Hill are too expensive. Somewhere like Warwick might be about right.

Warwick? Are you insane Nico?
Have you looked at housing prices there? 😯
M40 5 mins away, A45/46, etc.
Lovely, lovely place.
BUT because of all that its right up there cost wise to live.
Oh – and forget the 2hrs to north london unless you want to do the M40 late at night.

We have family in Islington. Milton Keynes to there is 1 hour drive at quiet times. Train / tube about an hour too, door to door from us (5 mins from station). Muswell Hill harder by public transport as I expect you know but 10 mins quicker by road.

Fun place to live, excellent for families / running / cycling, big hospital, lots of jobs. You have to like modern architecture though…

Thanks everyone for your continued input and suggestions. Yes, sadly I don’t think moving my parents is feasible. My Mum who has early Alzheimer’s is only coping because she is in familiar surroundings. I don’t think my Dad would cope either (and he’s a stubborn old bugger!). Great suggestions everyone. I love Derbyshire and it’s definitely on the list. Hadn’t thought of MK but will definitely look into it. Also looking at Stroud, Gloucestershire and many of the other great suggestions. I used to live in Inverness and loved it (and the hospital is great)but I think it’s a bit too tricky (and expensive) to get to London. My husband is a mountainbiker, I am more of a hiker and runner. My hubby also climbs but doesn’t like the sound of trad climbing (which, to be honest, I used to love). Does anyone know if sport climbing is becoming more common in the UK? I think as long as we have decent access to the outdoors we can make it work.

doesn’t like the sound of trad climbing

– get out! 😉

Plenty of bolts to clip in the Peak, Yorkshire, North Wales, Dorset (Portland/Swanage), Devon, and probably numerous dank quarries all over the place.

Realistically it’s Peak or somewhere with access to Dorset to get within range for you. So Surrey Hills or South Downs then day-trip to Dorset. Or live in the Peak and have it on your doorstep.

I’d suggest Dorking. Train into Waterloo and then Northern line to your parents takes around an hour. Very good riding, lovely countryside, 40 minutes to the coast by car etc etc. Not cheap but a nice place to live. The drive will be a pain in the arse but you could do it in around 1.30 if the traffic was kind.

Warwick? Are you insane Nico?
Have you looked at housing prices there?
M40 5 mins away, A45/46, etc.
Lovely, lovely place.
BUT because of all that its right up there cost wise to live.
Oh – and forget the 2hrs to north london unless you want to do the M40 late at night.

Not as far as I know, but I might be, as I live in Surrey. I drove up there the other day in under 2 hours. And Leamington which I consider to be “in that area”. Both seem to have houses for 250K which has to be cheaper than anywhere nearer, and it’s nearer than anywhere cheaper (such as Sheffield or Scotland which have also been suggested!!!!).

Edit: And somebody’s suggested Dorking which definitely doesn’t have houses for £250K and is the wrong side of London (though you’d get there in 2 hours).

It would seem (from a brief bit o’ searching admittedly) that Wales and the South West are your places to go for sport climbing, which would give a bit more weight to the suggestion of Stroud.

I have to admit that I like that part of the country and the #Jennride that Tang organised showed me that it’s a great place for both running and mountain biking. I’m just wondering how far away from London Banbury is by train. It’s not too far from the Cotswolds and is on the right side of town to go both North and West/South West. From memory, it’s also cheaper than Oxford, but I think that’s changing.

By the way, please do let me know if you need anything bringing over before Christmas. I can always drop it off in town for you when my wife and I get to Banff.

A physio and mechanic with young kids cannot afford to move to Brighton (unless independently wealthy) FFS 😕

Getting to N London from anywhere South in 2 hours will be challenging on most days.
To the West (for the outdoor life) you have to look at the Cotswolds, the Gloucestershire part will be cheaper.
What about the Midlands – somewhere near Cannock chase?
Maybe Lichfield – so near to the Birmingham hospitals, plenty of mechanics work and plenty for kids to do.

sadly I don’t think moving my parents is feasible. My Mum who has early Alzheimer’s is only coping because she is in familiar surroundings

Research this this someone who knows their subject. Whilst change will cause some confusion initially, you might be how surprised they’ll adapt and quickly become oblivious to the change of environment and may settle in quicker than you expect.

Hi Willard, if you can fit in a couple (or several!)large jars of marmite I would be forever in your debt! I completely underestimated our consumption of the stuff when I was there in October and there’s no way we will have enough to get us through to our next visit.
Gwerty, you’re probably right, but while both my parents are fairly compus mentis and physically able to navigate their house and the surrounding area they will not move. To be honest, I don’t blame them. It’s a lovely area and they have friends (the ones that are still alive!) nearby. They’ve been in that house since 1977!!

Willard, where in Banff are you staying? I’m assuming you’re coming to ski? It’s been a great early season so far, although it’s around -20 today!!

Sorry, but if parents insist on living in an inaccessible and/or unaffordable area, they can’t expect visits at the drop of a hat. IMO of course.

To be honest, I don’t blame them. It’s a lovely area and they have friends (the ones that are still alive!) nearby. They’ve been in that house since 1977!!

What an unbelievably insensitive thing to say! North London, inaccessible? Unaffordable? Yes, if you’re going to buy now, but they’ve lived there for nearly forty years! Can you imagine what the property must be worth now? And after all this time, it’s their home, dammit! Why should they move when it’s been their whole life and they love it there.
I’m sure Joanna will find somewhere that’s accessible and within budget, maybe somewhere unexpected. Maybe not in some mountain bike nirvana, and she’s not said whether she’s a biker, or if she is, it’s an important consideration; it may well be that’s the one real compromise that will make it easier to find somewhere ideal. Cambridgeshire is pretty flat in the south, but there are parts which are just like North Wiltshire, and there are good travel links down to London.
A very close friend lives near March, she’s a midwife, her husband is ex-RAF and involved in engineering, and he used to work in London, now near Birmingham, and the travel wasn’t too bad; could be worth checking out.

You aren’t going to find somewhere with great outdoor sports on your door step and within 2hrs of North London. I’d have said if you want to be within 2hrs, at any time of London, you need to be within 50 miles. In your situation I’d rather be nearer parents taking into account traffic, rather than on the door step of outdoor activites. With the 2hr travel time, is a pipedream anyway.

I’m biased as I had a similar descision for when I bought my house, I chose a satellite town near to London which is close to motorways for easy weekend outdoor activity access and there is some local tame mountainbiking for midweek. Places like Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield are cheap and great access to London and South Wales is only a couple hours away.

There is alot of good quality mountain biking in the south that is within 1-2hrs drive of North London.