[Closed] 'Move to the Country' - why does this annoy me!

brandeberryj - yes - sarcasm , i apologise. 🙂

brandeberryj - Member

As I said the majority have little if anything to do with the local community NOT ALL

And I'm saying I'll bet the majority of people who move from cities to villages do involve themselves in and support their new local communities. Of course, sometimes this may involve changing or trying to change those communities in ways some other residents do not like.

The fact that you have moved with your children is a moronic statement you are fully aware that majority are retired and therefore have not moved with there kid. One is not a statistic you are as you are well aware of not the majority. Unbelievably you are actually suggesting that sending kids to a private schools helps the local schools!! Are you real?

FWIW, the majority around here are not retired. Perhaps this is a regional thing? Retired folk head to small villages further away from regional centers and working folk choose villages within commutable distance (say an hour thirty) of the bigger towns or cities? And yeah, I should have said [i][b]although[/b] the same ratio then go private for secondary[/i] although it makes no difference to my point. The village schools are supported by incomers and their children just as much as by 'locals' and theirs. The nearest secondary schools are in our nearest towns anyway, and so are unaffected.

I said the majority drink at home remind me where I mentioned the wine bar? And yet again I hear that they have to change to suit you. Can you tell me if the pub stayed open just because of outsiders? You are clearly implying it. I would suggest that is crap. You simply had a bad landlady replaced by good one. And this "camra's regional pub of the year in 2009" proves it

😀 You never mentioned a wine bar, obvs. I put it in to say that that accusation could not be levelled at it. Also, I do reckon that the pub here stayed open because of outsiders. This was a farming village and farming jobs are now few and far between. Who would still be here and could they sustain a pub? The old publican ran the bar as suited him but not the village. The new publican changed that. And yeah, she's ace!

And that was all because of outsiders yeah right

Not at all. But it shows that a shop that serves the needs of those around it can survive, even if those around it now include 'outsiders'.

What the hell is the middle ages got to do with? you are top man for twisting words no maybe lieing would be a better way of putting it. Again you have no right to expect internet speed to be the same as in a city nor can you expect electricity not to be disrupted more than in a city. Now this is a sickening lie SINCE WHEN IS THE NHS A UTILITY? And where did I say utilities shouldn’t be improved I said you shouldn't expect them to be equal. Wow you do like to change everything a person says. Work for the press do you or are you a politician. Fox news could do with someone like you.
Anyway why are you worried about the NHS if you send your children to private school you no doubt have private health care so it has nothing to do with you. PS I will say this again you may have missed it I am an outsider and yet again as you appear to be a bit slow I was talking about most not all.

Neither did I say one should expect utilities to be able to provide equal service in the countryside - but what's wrong with trying to improve them? Surely everyone in the community benefits if things such as the village's electricity supply are improved? You may not have a 'right' to equal service, but you can certainly campaign for it. Also, no the NHS isn't a utility but that doesn't matter. I was using that as an example of why your subsidies argument was mistaken. Just for the record, my child is too young for school (private schools are being considered, as are the village ones) and IMO the NHS rocks!

You're an outsider and you're talking about most not all? Hey, me too!

Bunnyhop - Member
brandiberryj - I really enjoyed reading all of that, it totally makes sense.

I have friends who are complete townies, when they moved into their converted barn/stableblock they complained about the noisy sheep, the dawn chorus, the farmer making farming smells etc. they now spend half the year in Spain because its too cold in Britain during the winter and have made no effort to understand country ways.

I am also a semi townie who hopes to one day live in the countryside, but will really treasure it and hopefully fit in with the real locals.

complained about the noisy sheep

the dawn chorus,

the farmer making farming smells etc.

they now spend half the year in Spain

because its too cold in Britain during the winter

and have made no effort to understand country ways.

I am also a semi townie who hopes to one day live in the countryside, but will really treasure it and hopefully fit in with the real locals.

Double post? If so it's because I missed this...

brandeberryj - Member

Use the bus often?

Used it twice every working weekday for the first two years we were here. Then got a scooter. Now use it about half the times I head into town. Do you use your local buses?

completely escapes outsiders as they expect supermarket prices for everything.

Pay the odd token visit to the village shop do you ?

I use the village shop and the supermarket. Understand the village shop has higher prices, but also am grateful for the convenience and sociability it provides.

And where do the rest go don't they like there kids going near the locals the plague is over is gone.

Ketchup with those chips? I doubt anyone here chooses not to send their child to the village schools in an attempt to avoid locals!

[i]About the same proportion then go to private school instead of the state secondaries in the nearby towns.[/i]

Now we are getting there doing them a favour are you?

How did I imply that? Just noting that whatever secondary schools parents here choose, it makes no difference to the village primary school.

[i]Maybe the pub needs to change to meet the needs of the newcomers[/i]

That says it all!

Is that so unreasonable? The business only has to change if it wants to win new business [i]and[/i] that change is necessary to win this new business. Generational change will have the same effect, albeit more slowly, at a guess.

I can't imagine anyone here having any truck with someone complaining about the dawn chorus, or the smell of muck spreading, or the sound of shotguns or sheep. Same goes for tractors on the road and mud on the footpaths - we know we're in the countryside and we're glad of it. In my experience this is true for most of those who move to the countryside.

Our local village has a shopping scheme, whereby a cash prize is on offer every month for people who use the local facilities.
Each shop or business has a stamp, once your card is full then its placed into the draw.
These are the sort of things that make sense to me.

It's just the way of the modern world. Small shops and businesses struggle to survive in rural communities as everything is cheaper from the supermarket, big chains and online shopping. In turn there's no jobs for youngsters and young people are increasingly attracted by the city lifestyle.

I was recently chatting to an old friend on facebook. He was from a sleepy East Yorkshire coastal town and moved to increasingly bigger towns until he ended up living in Hull which he loved. He was a passionate northerner. Now he stays in London where he say's he's 'living the dream' and now say's he hates Hull. People have different aspirations in the modern world and older people have the money to 'live the dream' in the countryside.

I would nt be supervised if most of these "Townies" actually grew up in a rural area/small town, moved to the city and have now moved back to a rural area (abit a different rural area).

Personally I dont think many people who really grow up in a properly busy city want to move to the country side.

Also its quite easy to grow up in a small almost rural town and actually have very little to do with rural life.

I mean when I was a kid there was a farm 30 seconds down the road and miles of countryside but my links were to the town cant say I knew any farmers or anything about farming.

I loved the countryside around for cycling through but I was never really part of it in the way your describing.

Actually when I think of the average UK person this is kinda what I think of someone who lives in Suburbia near the countryside but whose links are too the town.

Markie - Member

I can't imagine anyone here having any truck with someone complaining about the dawn chorus, or the smell of muck spreading, or the sound of shotguns or sheep. Same goes for tractors on the road and mud on the footpaths - we know we're in the countryside and we're glad of it. In my experience this is true for most of those who move to the countryside.

Erhh remind me was that anything to do with you?

Ketchup with those chips?

scu98rkr - Member
scu98rkr - Member
I would nt be supervised if most of these "Townies" actually grew up in a rural area/small town, moved to the city and have now moved back to a rural area (abit a different rural area).

Personally I dont think many people who really grow up in a properly busy city want to move to the country side.

Now come on scu98rkr this whole blog is saying the exact opposite. I was brought up in a busy city and they are shit holes....at least that what I feel. I would rather have cancer than move back.......not terminal cancer or testicular cancer terminal or otherwise.

ok probably over exaggerating to a large extent. Maybe what I meant is the majority of city dwellers either CANT or DONT want to move out of the city. I mean if every person who grow up in a city in this country suddenly managed to move out that would be 20 million or more people wanting to move to the countryside.

My point is the people the OP is complaining about are probably semi rural all ready.

PS Im not disagreeing with your assessment of city life

Erhh remind me was that anything to do with you?

😀 Well, yes - at least just as much as most everything else posted on this open thread.

Unless you are say all those working class only eat chips and ketchup. A bit snobby??

Woosh.

Markie - Member

Erhh remind me was that anything to do with you?

Well, yes - at least just as much as most everything else posted on this open thread

Woosh.

I'll go with brandeberryj on this one.

If I was working in the rural sector in West Cornwall where I grew up I'd be struggling to rent, let alone buy. Incomers bringing their city house prices to one of the lowest paying areas. Know a guy back home that is a fisherman, but can't afford to live in the village his boat is moored so is 10 miles INLAND. Great for those 2am starts. Note to in-movers, there wouldn't be a rattly truck charging through the village streets at 2am if he could walk to his boat.

Going off on one now.
Anyway, currently quite settled in mid Wales and will inevitably end up in another rural area (no forests in the city centres) as I know I am incompatible with urban living so shan't inflict myself on the townies again.

Too easy a subject to rant on and everyone is a different case.

double woosh...

[i] Note to in-movers, there wouldn't be a rattly truck charging through the village streets at 2am if he could walk to his boat.[/i]

Note to locals. If you didn't sell your houses at over-inflated prices to in-movers for filthy lucre, then the fisherman would still be able to walk to his boat 🙂

Just out of interest, are there actually enough jobs in the rural economy to support all the villages/small towns without having any 'incomers'?

The problem of people wanting to live in Rural areas but not being able to find work there will all sort itself out in a few years. When half the working population will be forced to work remotely because the company you work for wont want to pay for an office building anymore when people can just log into the system from home.

This will probably lead to a fall in prices houses near business centres and transport links. As everyone will need an office in their house now they'll be even more people wanting to move to larger properties in the countryside. Which will increase prices there.

Obviously this still wont help you if your a fisherman. But you wont be complaining about people living in the countryside and commuting to the city anymore.

funkynick - Member
Just out of interest, are there actually enough jobs in the rural economy to support all the villages/small towns without having any 'incomers'?

timber - Member
I'll go with brandeberryj on this one.

If I was working in the rural sector in West Cornwall where I grew up I'd be struggling to rent, let alone buy. Incomers bringing their city house prices to one of the lowest paying areas.

I think you are right that area is the lowest paying rural area in Britain AND one with one of the highest house price. Furthermore a huge amount are people with second homes. Am I right on the latter?

wot no Starbucks 😯

scu98rkr - Member
The problem of people wanting to live in Rural areas but not being able to find work there will all sort itself out in a few years. When half the working population will be forced to work remotely because the company you work for wont want to pay for an office building anymore when people can just log into the system from home.

This will probably lead to a fall in prices houses near business centres and transport links. As everyone will need an office in their house now they'll be even more people wanting to move to larger properties in the countryside. Which will increase prices there.

Obviously this still wont help you if your a fisherman. But you wont be complaining about people living in the countryside and commuting to the city anymore.

senor j - Member
A complaint went in last year from recent "incomers" that the cocks were making too much noise in the morning.WTF!

Not sure that you are right there what can you make remotely. Now people who sit in an office all day maybe can work from home but I don't believe we are looking at 50%?

I'd be interested to know what percentage of the working population basically work in an office.

I'd include job there that are mainly based in an office environment but also have occasional site visits.

"I'd be interested to know what percentage of the working population basically work in an office.

I'd include job there that are mainly based in an office environment but also have occasional site visits."

I have always wonder if it was possible to work in a call centre from home? Or should I say work as call centre staff from home?

I'm with the OP but in a rather less generous way> I hate the "improvements". Barns should have sheep in them not people. better they collapse than that.
What I don't like as well are those who come to the country, either to live or for the day and then want all the trappings of civilisation. carparks, visitor centres to tell them to look after the countryside (stay at home) and gravelled cycle tracks where mud does the job perfectly.
Where do I live? The FoD.

I always assumed 'the country' was a nice quiet place, but it appears to full of people whinging and whining....

[i]running these shops as a hobby[/i]

Better than the shops lying empty though, surely?

crikey - often its the people who have moved in who moan though. They are quite surprised that the countryside has things like cockrels, farmers driving tractors at the crack of dawn, horseshit, cowshit, bored yobboes greenlaning defender v8s, people shooting guns all weekend, a primary school, kids playing football on the rec, owls hooting and other rural annoyances.

They seem to think it's going to be like Barnes, but quieter. Fail.

OP is being far to friendly to the emits.

People have different aspirations in the modern world and older people have the money to 'live the dream' in the countryside.

And that's the biggest rub. Those with the money have the choice. If you are from rural working class your choice is low aspiration, low pay & crappy rented accommodation - or move out.

Rural "ethnic" cleansing by rich urban tossers.

So many people just don't "get" the implications of their free market choices.

Note to locals. If you didn't sell your houses at over-inflated prices to in-movers for filthy lucre, then the fisherman would still be able to walk to his boat

Sorry, but this is utter shite.

Absolutely contemptuous, or just plain naive.

Who owned the frigging house to start with?
Sure as he'll wasn't the "fisherman" to keep with the same metaphor.

The properties were owned by the big landowners, and were sold off piecemeal for readies during the last century. In the main, they weren't sold to the local families - they didn't have the flipping money (because they worked for the skint landowner... And wouldn't even have gotten to meet the bank manager)

Not sure of the % working in offices, but something picked up at work suggested only 2% of the population work the land.

The fisherman isn't in the village, because when faced with selling your house at market price or double, which do you choose? Would you honestly take the lesser offer? Very few are that unmaterialistic or active community supporters.
Or another take, if there is more than one son/daughter, the house can't be split unless sold and the share gets smaller.

rkk01 - Member

Note to locals. If you didn't sell your houses at over-inflated prices to in-movers for filthy lucre, then the fisherman would still be able to walk to his boat

Sorry, but this is utter shite.

Absolutely contemptuous, or just plain naive.

Who owned the frigging house to start with?
Sure as he'll wasn't the "fisherman" to keep with the same metaphor.

The properties were owned by the big landowners, and were sold off piecemeal for readies during the last century. In the main, they weren't sold to the local families - they didn't have the flipping money (because they worked for the skint landowner... And wouldn't even have gotten to meet the bank manager)

brandeberryj That's right anyone who lived in rural areas never owned there own property. Furthemore they ate shite for breakfast everyday while you just talk it. Nothing like a bit of left wing generalistion. By the way the last century was 1900 - 2000?

Who owned the frigging house to start with?
Sure as he'll wasn't the "fisherman" to keep with the same metaphor.

The properties were owned by the big landowners

In the main, they weren't sold to the local families

rkk01 - Member
OP is being far to friendly to the emits.

People have different aspirations in the modern world and older people have the money to 'live the dream' in the countryside.

And that's the biggest rub. Those with the money have the choice. If you are from rural working class your choice is low aspiration, low pay & crappy rented accommodation - or move out.

Rural "ethnic" cleansing by rich urban tossers.

So many people just don't "get" the implications of their free market choices.

which immigrant groups won't learn the language then?

Quite. England has similar problems

Does it hell. The status of English in England is completely different to the status of Welsh in Wales innit?

Anyway. All this talk of Herefordshire has got me curious.. I gew up in Leominster.

But this story of incomers causing social problems is a long and sad one that's for sure. HOWEVER, I would like to point out that the changing global economy and market forces has meant that many small village businesses can't compete. However it has also meant that we can buy cars, TVs and food isn't expensive any more.

Might I politely suggest that unless you actually live in the sort of rural place that has these issues, you are most likely arguing from theory or prejudice rather than any practical experience.
This makes your views less valid.
Non polite way. BS

Who, me?

I can sympathise wth the OPs point of view, however for me the major issue is rural poverty, which is a product of sucessive governments and their 'metropolitan'focus...

the arrival of the 'move to the country set' just brings the inequalities to peoples attention, it's alway happened ... people arrive with cash and buy up a peice of the country and fence it off, these TV shows just highlight the process in action

Taxation, deregulation of services, lack of investment in infrastructure etc which are all designed about the south east and the major cities throughout the uk; have ill considered and significant impact upon the rural communities.

In rescent articles about the 'north / south divide' Herefordsire fit's in the North based upon income, standard of living and most importently infrastructure (lack of).....

rural poverty, which is a product of sucessive governments and their 'metropolitan'focus...

No, it's always been there.

the arrival of the 'move to the country set' just brings the inequalities to peoples attention,

Not really. What it really does is crank up house prices way beyond anything the locals can afford. Much more of an issue than bringing hilighting any wealth gaps.

Btw I think Herefordshire has worse infrastructure than 'The North', much more so. A pretty big county with what, three railway stations, a short snippet of motway passing through and barely even any dual carriageway. Big business is hardly going to set up there. People are all about moving business to The North from The South, and Herefordshire gets bypassed 🙂 Most people don't even know where it is ime.

All I find the countryside good for is fly tipping. It's so expensive and difficult to get rid of rubbish any other way.

Plus, the countryside smells of poo. And the locals wear funny red jackets and ride horses.

Someone should tell them it's 2011, not 1811.

no rural poverty hasn't always existed..it has developed over time.. and has been exasperated by sucessive governments of the left and right who have no interest in areas of marginal influence in UK politics

the house price gaps are due to the economic divide, which I highlighted because lots of people have a rose tinted view of rural life....

The move to the country set is not a new thing it's been happening for yrs....

as for infrastructure investment... look at the Hereford bypass and how many iterations it's been through......it always falls to the bottom of the investment pile...........

Although it's not helped by local politicians who have lacked vision and ambition for the past 50 yrs +.... theyre cosy reluctance to support industry has amplified the neglect of central government

you should be pleased most don't know where it is......

no rural poverty hasn't always existed.

this intrigues me? Do you have any background info - not saying you are wrong (although I'll admit to being sceptical) just very interested.

I hate whinging locals who never leave the area but expect 'something' in return; beit work/employment or social/entertainment.

People work hard, make money and can decide what to buy and where. What is wrong with that?

Would you prefer your town was turned into support services for the local (idle) youth? Maybe some support/advice groups on benefits, more fastfood, poundshops etc?

Young people tend to move away as they are ambitious then move back home (or close to) later when they have lived their life and ambitions.

FWIW, at some point in the next 18mths the missus and I will be vacating the urban sprawl that is Leeds for semi-retirement in the Lakes. Does that make us wrong 'uns?

almost every sector of the economy has had both good and bad times if you look bad far enough....

if you want to look back far enough they're have been relatively good times in rural Herefordshire and well as bad.

my main comments have been about rural poverty which can be every bit as dreadful as urban poverty, but exasperated by isolation and the dilute level of services available (I'm not dismissing urban poverty but rural poverty gets overlooked...)

The whole of the Marches area suffers from a lack of political interest (hasn't been much since Henry VII....), no infrastructure, historically a lack of tertiary education leading to a continual brain drain and poor local politicians...

Toxicsoks.

Not as far as I'm concerned... your choice...sound like a good one to me 🙂

The country's been many forces, just IME sucessive governments have made a mess by focussing on there own electorate and failed to invest in the country in a way that benefits all.....

My coments about rural poverty is just about how a sector of society has been neglected.