It depends on how much you need to show your face and who pays for your travel. I do a day or two a week in London most weeks, with a half hour train journey into Leeds to get there. Done this for years and it’s no biggie. My line management and the team I manage are all down there, and all seem pretty happy with this arrangement…
I rarely do a full day in the office, but if I leave the house bang on 6:30 I can make a 10:00 meeting pretty reliably. 7:30 for 11:00 in the office is easier. It was my choice to move my job out of London (for kids’ schools and outdoor stuff reasons, panned out better for the latter than the former fwiw) so I don’t resent this at all. They’re lucky to have me, basically.
And this is the real reason for HS2. It is to allow London workers the chance to buy reasonable housing in a good part of the country but still commute easily into the big city.
London calling.
HS2: Expanding London's unaffordable housing problem to the rest of the country;-)
Surrey isn't just one massive homogeneous lump of guildford-a-like, thee are some nice bits that are still fairly easily to cycle into the city from.
Keeping away from the mainline stations means you get (relatively speaking) more for your money, then again, you were looking to buy in Harrogate so i'm assuming that money isn't an issue 😉
Woldingham is nice and quiet, <20 miles from canary wharf, depends what you want really, Oxted is nice too. I grew up on the downs, so maybe i'm biased 😀
to allow London workers the chance to buy reasonable housing in a good part of the country
That was not part of my business case, and nor were the family reasons in part behind a move that was utterly perverse in career terms and not great for the older two kids. And trust me, I do regret selling our nice Hackney house when we did 😉
(But yeah, agree with anti HS2 sentiment though it's possible to be pro north without being anti London)
Some great input here, thank you.
I wouldn't commute every day, so that's not too much of a worry. It would be a case of spending two to three nights in a hotel (or with friends - sadly no Flashheart largesse at this point for a pied a terre...)
Harrogate sounds like it might be difficult, but is a compromise - the Ms RL is not from the UK, and doesn't particularly want to live in 'England', so it's a case of trying to find compromise places. Hadn't thought of Macclesfield, so that's a good shout..
We are committed to a five to seven-year project, and it must be completed in London, so we are locked in that way. We just need to find a way of making life viable and enjoyable around that...
Don't think you can get much more English than Harrogate! Sheffield not a bad place - 2 hrs to St P on train and decent countryside close by. Lots of parks in the city and fairly laid back overall.
Somewhat more multi cultural than Harrogate too.
We are committed to a five to seven-year project, and it must be completed in London, so we are locked in that way. We just need to find a way of making life viable and enjoyable around that…
You need to go on a road-trip really. Location stuff is really subjective, Harrogate is a nice place if you like that kind of home counties vibe mixed with a bit of added northern grit. Sheffield is brilliant in an evolved, industrial, Peak District on your doorstep way, Macc is different again, smaller and a little rougher around the edges.
I guess it also depends on what Ms RK sees as 'England'. If she's mostly tring to avoid village greens with morris dancers and communities straight out of the Archers that should be quite straightforward. If she's expecting to live in a sort of scaled-down Venice it could be more complicated. How about Scotland, that's not every 'England' 😉
A 7 year "project"? So, the pollution isn't affecting you that badly then?
WTF is wrong wth Surrey ?
WTF is wrong wth Surrey ?
If you need to ask...
I knew someone who lived in York and worked three days a week in London. He managed it by working on the train down, aiming to arrive in the office by 10.30 am, worked through lunch and was on the 4.00 pm train back, again working. He has wall-to-wall meetings in London, but it worked for him. His company picked up the rail fare. He lived on the outskirts of the city and cycled to the station. Some weekends he was knackered, but generally he said it was not too bad. He did this for over four years before moving to another in Leeds.
I wouldn’t commute every day, so that’s not too much of a worry. It would be a case of spending two to three nights in a hotel (or with friends – sadly no Flashheart largesse at this point for a pied a terre…)
Harrogate sounds like it might be difficult, but is a compromise – the Ms RL is not from the UK, and doesn’t particularly want to live in ‘England’, so it’s a case of trying to find compromise places. Hadn’t thought of Macclesfield, so that’s a good shout..
Then your answer is to not live in England. Plenty of people live in Edinburgh and work in London, train is good and plenty of flights. An 45 mins drive from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness airports/stations will find you in some amazing places. I live in the Scottish Borders and know of a few people who work in London a couple of days per week.
If you are staying over when in London then you should really think about Scotland or Wales.
I used to commute from York a couple of days a week. Its was OK but i found myself staying over at least one night as it becomes very tiring after a while.
I now live in Cheshire West and commute from Crewe (1hr40) and that's a lot more doable. Wouldn't want to do it for 5 days a week, but 2 or 3 are fine.
And i'm only about 1hr away from both Peaks and Snowdonia for the weekends.
the Ms RL is not from the UK, and doesn’t particularly want to live in ‘England’,
There's some lovely bits of Northern France from which it would be easier to commute to London than up North.
There’s some lovely bits of Northern France from which it would be easier to commute to London than up North.
Risk of sharing carriage with Farage
Risk of sharing carriage with Farage
Just because he's got a French name...
I've been doing it 4 times a month since 2016. It's doable on that basis.
There is a morning train that runs directly to Kings Cross from Harrogate station, otherwise you'll have to change at Leeds or York.
Flying is possible but more difficult now BA only do one flight a day on average.
Driving is least hassle but also most unpredictable. Much easier if you have a car with semi-autonomous driving capability.
Not been one point where I'm driving home and regretting my move from the south east.
Well, I just did that journey you asked about.
Started 0600
In office 1100
Luckily I’m staying over this week, heading home on Thursday night (not back to Harrogate) but still a 2hr shlepp to the south coast.
It’ll kill ya..
I suppose the question is, how much 'not England' do you want?
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Haven't read the whole thread but a colleague lives in the Lake District and spends 2.5 days a week in the office, getting a fast train down after the peak pricing. Spends Weds and Thurs in London. He's played it well by owning a flat in London that he Airbnbs out the rest of the time. Mind you, if I was in that position I wouldn't pick the Lakes, I'd go for the Alps...
Luckily I’m staying over this week, heading home on Thursday night (not back to Harrogate)
What a waste, now you don't get to enjoy the eerily zombie apocalypse quiet roads of Harrogate on Bank Holiday half term week. I'm disappointed I'll miss them tomorrow as I'm on the 7am train to make and 11.30 meeting in Mayfair though that said I'm back out at 14.30 so should make the evening crush.
I honestly thought it was still Bank Holiday this morning. I didn't see a single car at bond end and only a handful at woodlands and Hornbeam. Something of a system shock after the last few weeks of standing traffic all the way from mother Shipton's to the office (though I do take great pleasure in plodding up the outside lane of Knaresborough Hill on my bike past all the cars, especially when one thinks the queue isn't for them and comes zipping up behind me then proceeds to rev and honk to indicate their displeasure at being stuck behind a cyclist)
I've restrained until now, but really, who the **** would want to live in Harrogate?
It’s the wife’s family that brings me to Harrogate’shire.
I think it’s a really nice little place, got most of what you need and the moors are in spitting distance.
What i don’t like is the silly sullen driving people seem to adopt, chaos for the 45mins either side of school kicking out time and the randomness that is tourist season.
But on the whole it’s a bit twee and maybe suffers from its own reluctance.
HeyHo.
Needs more micro breweries, definitely 👍🍺 less Gin palaces 🤮
Don't take this the wrong way but feel free not to move here. Nothing personal, just venting. I've been here 40+ years. Harrogate has been completely shafted by incomers to the point that no-one born here has a chance buying a house unless their parents are well off. The traffic is mental, the new housing estates that are popping up everywhere due to the council being rubbish and corrupt start at £1/4 million and go north fast. There aren't many proper jobs that don't require a commute. Not having a Tesco makes us quite exclusive I suppose. My kids will never have a house here.
No idea why you'd want to move so far away. My mate lives in High Wycombe, it's nice enough and the road biking is superb, haven't looked at off-road.
yeha - I think you are talking about a lot of places up North.
Again I think Macclesfield is a good start for the lifestyle the OP wants.
It's got its very exclusive side of the Cheshire triangle ie: Prestbury, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge. The actual middle of Macc is a bit scruffy. However the people are friendly, it's surrounded by gorgeous countryside with whooping big hills for proper mtbiking.
Some nice pubs and the foodie scene is good nearby (our area of Marple not far away has some fabulous restaurants and cafes).
I used to live a 26 minute train ride away from the City, I've now moved the south East Lincolnshire and it's bloody great, not crowded and much slower pace of life.
My commute takes me 2.5-3 hours each way and to be honest if I wasn't retiring in 3 or 4 years it would drive me nuts as I'm losing a lot of time at home. If you've got little people at home it would be even worse, luckily mine have all grown up and left.
PS; my cycling has suffered as I haven't got the time to get out as much now.
Not Yorkshire but how about Macclesfield? Plenty of trains to Euston and not far from Manchester.
Its surpassingly close on the train - 1hr 40 mins. Train only stops at Stoke and then straight on to Euston. Macc is relatively cheap, Bollington about 2 miles from the station is worth a look or with a big budget get some Cheshire set style in Prestbury - also about 2 miles from the station.
I didn’t see a single car at bond end
That's pretty much been the case since the 2 roundabouts were installed, now if only the council would see sense & stick one at the top of Claro road.
I’ve restrained until now, but really, who the **** would want to live in Harrogate?
To pay way over the odds for a house & show off your Chelsea tractor of course.
Edit, & why the OP wants to move from a congested city to another of the most congested towns in the country is beyond me.
(i'm qualified to comment as I drive a minibus in & around Harrogate every day)
I live in Stafford* and the time to Euston can be under 80 minutes.
About 100 yds from the station there are some fairly nice flats. I've been told that one of the penthouses is rented by a couple who are doctors at the University College Hospital, a 5 minute walk from Euston Station.
*Within riding distance of Cannock Chase
That’s pretty much been the case since the 2 roundabouts were installed,
I'm still convinced most people just found that it was better to go around when they did the works and haven't reverted to bond end. It doesn't just feel like less standing traffic but less actual traffic.
It has been lousy since they closed bogs lane though, its like flower and Yorkshire show traffic rolled into one.
to another of the most congested towns in the country is beyond me.
I think my record was a little over an hour to drive from Hornbeam to Starbeck, that's under 2 miles in over an hour, with no road works. I hate when I need the car/van for work.
Having lived and worked in Harrogate for over 40 years I feel I can comment on this thread
The traffic is mental,
Not in school holidays it’s not ....on the contrary if we could persuade folks not to drive their kids to school but enable them to walk, cycle or use the many school buses it would make life much better for everyone all year round.
On the other hand I do feel the town has more than a touch of xenophobia, so as the OPs other is non English that may possibly be an issue.
Housing is without doubt a huge issue, there just isn’t enough properly affordable housing in the new developments springing up, unless you call affordable approx 8 - 9 tomes national average wage,
Local rag likes to make out there are no go areas in the town And it’s a war zone .... comical as it’s so genteel compared to back in the 80s when Saturday night meant running fights on West Park and Parliament Street between local yobs, squaddies ( when penny pot had proper squaddies ) and passing football hooligans.
Harrogate has a lot going for it, but it’s a lot like Royston Vasey in some ways
WTF is wrong wth Surrey ? I'm in ghastly Guildford atm, you'd have to pay me to move here and the driving I find very aggressive, no jaywalkers here and the best beer is in 'spoons ffs.
Harrogate seems to me to be full of elderly wealthy types in German cars and Betty's Tea Room is the town's hot spot. The Little Beer House is a saving grace but I'm always glad to leave the town.
In terms of commuting, off the top of my head, I'd be looking at where I can get to from stations like Wellingborough, Peterborough, Corby. Not places I'd want to live in but they are the gateway to some great towns and villages and relatively affordable after London. Corby to London (I think) in under an hour.
To clarify I don’t live in Harrogate but in one of the far more pleasant (but slightly madder) towns in the vicinity. I don’t know why anyone would willingly choose to live in Harrogate itself. It’s got some good coffee shops but isn’t a particularly attractive place, and it’s a bit stuck up itself.
The traffic situation is dire because of the divine right drive into the town centre. Apparently they’re considering a park and ride but it’ll take ten years to implement. In the meantime they continue to encourage vehicle traffic and actively discourage bikes and pedestrians. For the time being we have easy(ish) access from one direction on the Beryl Burton cycleway / Nidderdale greenway but it appears that a new ring road is planned to replace it in the near future.
You could consider York for easy commuting, but riding isn’t as good there. I also only have to get to Heathrow when driving, which is under three hours at night.
i do wakefield to/from kingsX once a month (read that as at least every other week)
the 17:33 arrives harrogate 20:27 if on time, or change in leeds, trains every 1/2 hour take 3-3 1/2 hours)
(which my trains have been ok TBH over the last 5 months)
your Standard single is £134.50 (i go wakefield to slough £275 return, its normally around £90+ each way if you book early and intend to arrive before 9am and leave 4-6pm
wakefield would be better or one of the other stops further south. or elsewhere entirely.
i get tired after a day a way, but i prefer to day return, as i dont sleep in hotels too well. excellent mtb riding around the pennines and peaks
I’m still convinced most people just found that it was better to go around when they did the works and haven’t reverted to bond end. It doesn’t just feel like less standing traffic but less actual traffic.
It has been lousy since they closed bogs lane though, its like flower and Yorkshire show traffic rolled into one.
You could be right about going round. The traffic along Forest Moor rd has been from the Union pub up to Forest lane lately on a morning.
Bogs Lane being shut is a PITA cos we drop off/pick up at Henshaws & we usually do the rat run & come out the end of Birstwith Rd at the top of Knaresborough Rd.
I'm taking 3 days off when the GYS is on!
I'm with yeha, my family are also in the same situation regarding local wages:house price being unrealistic due to commuters/retirees/holiday homes.