Bollo you are a true friend

Chaps,

I'm thinking of getting a job in London. Well more than thinking, I've applied for one and got through the first stage.

I've never wanted to work in London and fuck knows where we'd live, me and the family are happily settled in Bristol and the thought of fucking up my kids fills me with dread. I'm sure they'll cope in the long term but in the short term it'll be really tough.

But it's a good opportunity, the company is small but growing and the culture looks good, I'm pretty sure I'd take it if offered. But it's keeping me up at night, it'd almost be a relief if I didn't get it. I can tell myself I'd be doing it for the kids, which is true, it'd be great for them in the long run I know. But mostly it's just a better job for me. Although the commute would no doubt suck (but a great excuse to buy a Switch eh?).

Not sure what I'm looking for guys but I needed somewhere to get my thoughts down.

Better the devil you know? I'm a bit long in the tooth for massive complicated life changes (schools! Houses! Travel! New job!) and all that. And I'd miss Bristol and our friends and the kids would be miserable for a while. But it's also kind of exciting. I'm really in two minds over it all.

What are you bringing of value to the next stock?

At the next stock I'll supply sarcasm, general northern banter, and weariness.

Come to London, it's great.

Although we do already have sarcasm and weariness in abundance at Stocks, TBF.

Literally start googling commuter towns.

The line I am on is very good into London and not an obvious one.
Bedford (where I live) is between 35 and 45 minutes by train going into St Pancras. You could move closer on the line, avoiding Luton obviously. St Albans is lovely if pricier, very popular with commuters.

If you go South of London be aware that Southern operate many of the services and they are crap. On top of that Clapham Junction, London Bridge and the Croydon stations are all outdated, over populated and don't look to be getting any better any time soon.

Moving West of London would make it easier to get back to Bristol if you have ties there still. Could be worth considering for your older two. If they know they can spend a weekend at old friend's places it may take the edge off.

If you have a few places in mind go on National Rail and check season ticket prices. These can vary a fair bit town to town.
For example when I moved I was looking at Bedford and Milton Keynes, both about the same distance to London.
A Bedford 12 month pass is £4500
A Milton Keynes 12 month pass is £5000

Also St. Albans is nice.

Lord_Griff wrote:

Make sure to get the fast train from Bedford. Memories of the chugger.

Ha, yeah. And get out of London before midnight or you end up on the 90 minute train, needing a wee.

Yeah I was thinking Reading. No idea what it is like as a place but certainly a commuter town.

Thanks guys. Job is somewhere near Bank / Liverpool Street so looks like could literally live anywhere. Waterloo and City opens up the South part too.

I would like to stick West of London if possible but it looks pricey as anything.

I figure though that if this comes off I may end up living alone in a tiny flat until I can get the family moved so I will try and get the full London experience. Which probably needs to include a Stock at some point.

Because I live in Bristol and have been to London for work on occasions I basically hate the Reading trains, it's always a crush around 4 to 7.

Surely it would have to be a considerable bump in salary to take into account the enormous increase in the price of a home and the fairs?
I dunno about Bristol house prices but london zones houses are min 550k+ for crappy 2-3 bedrooms (houses are also hard to get even if you have the money - demand), even the commuter towns are pricey but if they are cheaper the savings are eaten up with travel costs like mentioned above. Would you have overground then underground ticket costs as well? Or will it be bundled in at around the usual 4k a year season ticket price.

Liveinadive wrote:

Yeah I was thinking Reading. No idea what it is like as a place but certainly a commuter town.

Have family who moved there for personal reasons.  Trains in and out of Reading aplenty.  Some lovely spots a few miles out.  Good shopping and close to M3/M4/M25.  That said, getting to the station, motorways or anywhere in a car takes forever because of the one-way systems and volume of vehicles being a commuter town. Probably not dissimilar to Bristol, there are some very dodgy spots/people dotted around the place and if I have to visit, can't wait to get the hell out.  

Reading's where the new crossrail ends so the commute should come down significantly. I bought a house other end of the crossrail, Plumstead - nice little place, ~45 mins into Charing X atm via regular ol' train, when crossrail station opens it's meant to be ~20 mins to TCR. Mental.

Have a google around crossrail stations - it's a good future proof, or should be at least.

Come to South London and buy a motorbike.

Yeah 50-75 minutes depending on the train you catch and how busy it is. Bank is always crazy anyway.
That section of the Northern line is as good as any other line though.

I would have thought St Albans would be similarly priced to Bristol, maybe a tad more. Similar type of place as well if a little less culture but then you can get that from London.