Currently reside in east LDN got 4 kids eldest 12. An opportunity has arises to uproot to Lakes (not 100% wife in final running for a job there). For the past 3 yrs we been spending all holiday time there everybody absolutely loves it. Here is question what is life really like up there are we just thinking its is greener on the other side etc.
other thing, believe the hype East LDN is going through an absolute astronomical leap forward at the moment, massive dilemma.

believe the hype East LDN is going through an absolute astronomical leap forward at the moment,

Yep, I’ve head rumours that they might be getting running water and electrickery…

You’ll quickly find that it’s ace apart from all the bloody London tourists… (-:

Iz yo madd? Git gowin!

From my experience green grass goes brown everywhere question is just when and how brown. Though it rains that much in the lakes that it might take a while.

What do you mean with lakes? in the real lakes property prices are quite high and job opportunities especially well paid not that many. Do you need to work as well or just the wife?

Travellling takes longer on the small road, shops will be further away and choice more limited. Can be limited a bit by choosing your location wisely. Over summer it gets a bit congested at times with tourist outside its fine.

As said it rains that why they have lakes. Other than that its nature views are wonderfull lovely road and offroad riding.

Used to live on the outskirts for a while but moved away almost three years ago.

From my perspective I wouldn’t want to anywhere else but then again I hate big cities and large groups of people. If you love living in London you may not like the cultural change. Having said that we do have running water and everything (even fibre broadband providing you pick the right place….)
It’s also an exceptionally friendly place providing you make the effort to integrate. I.e. If you live in a village don’t whine about the odd bit of cow crap on the road from the local farm…

It’s crap, you wont like it, it’s not worth it. Stay down in london it’s all better down there

Have no particular affinity to LDN anymore, been here 20yrs what I moved down here for I am longer involved in. Kids love it in lakes in fact they are almost packed 🙂 Grew in rural Lancashire so cow shit & the likes doesn’t bother me. We would be able to just about move inside national park looking round Keswick which is where we always go. It would be a 100% yeah let’s go but wife found some stuff out about the job that just made us think – what if ?
The upshot as well she has to get offered the job at moment it’s now down to final interviews so will find out one way or another this week

I’m born n bred Enfield for 40 years, left London with wife n son 3 and a bit years ago when we were aiming for Devon but landed in Stroud, Glos, perhaps my only regret is we didn’t do it sooner.
Be aware (may not apply to Lakes move), but if you decided that you did want to move back to London, that you could be priced out or have to downsize.

I live near Keswick with 2 young kids. Been here 10 years and wouldn’t like to leave. Love it, but then it suits my lifestyle.

Pros: Good schools, great countryside, friendly people, easy access to M6/mainline train etc. I work locally so no worries with long commutes. Brilliant road/mtb riding, climbing, fell running etc.

Cons: It does rain more than most parts of the country, property is expensive, town centres are rammed on sunny weekends (although easily avoidable). Kids are likely to need a lot of transporting in their teenage years as public transport links aren’t great and their friends may be in a 10 mile radius. Difficult job market if you’re not into minimum wage tourism/catering jobs, many commute to west cumbria (sellafield), penrith and carlisle. Low on culture- theatre/live bands/eating out etc that you may be used to in a big city.

Gotta see how it pans out she is gonna go up tomorrow prep for interview which is over 2 days. We would kick ourselves if we didn’t give it a go & truth be told the only thing keeping us in LDN is the mercenary aspect of it at the moment (job & property value) Neither of us do then LDN lifestyle thing we both worked in music industry whilst down here so TBH seen all that stuff inside & out got the T shirt etc . Wife changed career & is kind of at forefront of lots new developments in public sector here in east LDN. I now look after 4 kids full time so any spare time I have is spent on bike in Epping forest or the country lanes of Essex.

Can’t think of a better place to be a stay at home dad! I’m off a lot midweek (shift work) and you really get the best of the Lakes if not confined to weekends.

Email in profile if you have any specific Keswick area questions. There are a few other folk on here from this area too.

Tom b has it spot on.
I grew up in west Cumbria & moved to London years ago .still have home there and go back often.
We often talk about the move back north (the missus is a local too,arranged marriage 😉 )
Sometimes the lack of culture & variety of food gives us the fear..we’ve just bought another property in the smoke ,so maybe the next move……
Good luck .stay west of cockermouth ….:-)

Tom b has it spot on.
I grew up in west Cumbria & moved to London years ago .still have home there and go back often.
We often talk about the move back north (the missus is a local too,arranged marriage 😉 )
Sometimes the lack of culture & variety of food gives us the fear..we’ve just bought another property in the smoke ,so maybe the next move……
Good luck .stay west of cockermouth ….:-)

Again, Tom b is correct. I moved midlands to cockermouth 12 years ago, lifestyle changes were superb but house prices and family have forced me up to carlisle. I still commute to cockermouth and Keswick is only 40mins away but at least I can afford a decent house without paying thro the nose. I also spend 3 days per fortnight in clients London office, but it is only 3 hours on train to euston.

Friends have large house at caldbeck with young family. He is going to buy a taxi as kids need ferrying around all the time.

Good luck with it, glad I made the move.

I’d love it. My wife wouldn’t.I go to Cumbria a lot on business and can just stop the car and stand and stare. I’d love those views from my house windows but money doesn;t pay as it does on the M62 corridor.

I don’t mind it raining all the time, I don;t mind it snowing all the time, I don;t mind going up big hills to get some bread. Awesome place.

Thanks everybody she’s off up there today interview is two days tues & Wednesday. We defo decided if she is lucky enough to get offered job we are going.

Didn’t get the job, made if to the final 2 but they didn’t actually appoint anybody in the end. Dream was nice while it lasted looks like its LDN for the future especially as eldest is 12 & can’t see Job like that coming up again
Only consolation could have dodged a bullet as she was warned not to touch the job with barge poll by other professionals she spoke to before hand, and in the end it’s seems these warnings had an element of truth in them. S’pose will never know.

What was the job?

If your line of work allows it, why not get a job in Manchester/Lancaster – and just pop into the Lakes at the weekend?

Sounds great- houses prices in your neck of the words in East London very strong? If not ‘up and coming stage’ then yes! Sell now and move.

One thing – rose tinted specs? Holidayed in the Lakes, i.e. have you just been when its warm etc?

Could you cope with ‘locals’ treating you as someone coming in taking a house off a local/not from round ‘ere mentality?

Unlucky, I’d got my sheet and pointy hat out too. Ah well, you can’t burn a cross every weekend.

We spent all seasons in lakes warm rain cold snow etc & as mentioned grew up in Lancashire on the edge of Rivington used to race xc & fell as a kid so that side of things well covered. Job wise my wife is a director of commissioning & jobs like that are very hard to come by & even when they do there is still a significant drop in pay compared to LDN plus it’s very competitive, this process took 4 days of tests presentation & scrutiny & included an interview with a psychologist so are very draining & time consuming.
Sh*t happens we tried plus we broke to LDN matrix that everybody is terrified off – eg if you leave you are doomed and never can come back 🙂
Back on a bike I reckon

eg if you leave you are doomed and never can come bac

Sadly true. I miss London, can’t go back though 🙁