Town or Country life?

[yola]

City life definitely. For me, the countryside is for visiting only. I love the noise, chaos, busyness and anonymity of city (or large town) life. Having lived in or very close to London most of my life and then out here in a large town 20 minutes' train ride from Paddington I would find it very hard to acclimatise to both the surroundings and also the attitudes of living in the country.

[dinahsmum]

'attitudes' Yola? What do you mean? Is it that we understand the concept of 'manana' but find it a bit too hasty? Or do you think we're a bit suspicious of incomers? I know people still think the country is like that but I think it is exactly the opposite; people are extremely welcoming and accepting

[yola]

DM - I'm quite an insular person. I like the fact that in the town you can be friendly with people but they don't neccesarily want to know everything about you and live in your pocket.

From my limited experience of country/village life (mainly anecdotal), there seems to be a good deal of 'curtain twitching' and needed to know everything about everyone's business. It's that more than anything which puts me off living in a smaller community.

I'm certain that's not always the case, but seems that way in the village where we have out office and also in the village where my husband used to live when he was married previously. But that may be peculiar to the typical well-heeled Berkshire and South Oxfordshire 'green wellie and 4x4 brigade' rather than the true villager.

[Luke]

See its funny because although we live in an infamous city, we happen to be located towards the edge and on the border of a more ruraler part of Coventry and just a up one way of a road is the real 'farm land' of rugby, then another way takes you the little country place of Bedworth and so forth, so its difficult. I guess i'm blessed in where we are that we have the best of both-like hovis!
When i have been into city centre or visiting relatives who live more in the hearts of the city i do tend to shudder, but then again when we have really gone 'out to the sticks' it is a bit...
I can't imagine just living one way or t'other-however, i can envision myself in the heart of the country one day...
Generally i prefer country type life-town life is too busy n 'got to get out of here' attitude.

[Kim]

I have always lived in a town, born in Paddington, no green fields around!! Then we moved to West London and then to North West London. There are some things I love about town/city life and I like the hustle and bustle to an extent too. However, I have always loved and appreciated the country abd it is my dream to retireto the New Forest/Dorset area. We now live in a small town, but not far away from the countryside and I suppose we have th best of both worlds. What I would really love though is to be surrounded by fields and be part of a village community.

[Donna]

I prefer the town. Like to feel enonymous amongst the crowds. Prefer the rush of life and everybody rushing about their business. I feel more secure living in a terrace as neighbours are close by.

Agree with Yola to a certain extend of country folk and everyone knowing your business. Dont see the fascination with looking at a field - its just a bit of dirt and grass as far as I am concerned!!!

Town for me!

[EmmaG]

Well we lived in a town centre before moving to the country where we are now, and we both love the countryside, it is very restfull and peacefull. Although we are lucky that we could if we wanted to walk to our local town centre (it would be about 35-45 mins walk) I would never go back to live in a town again, I would however like to have a second home in London but financially that is out of the question.