Mr Osbourne has just made me cross! Just read the article on the BBC site about encouraging starter homes in villages, talk about too little too late.
Seems to think that revitalising the economy in rural areas will happen by offering subsidies on homes up to £250k. 'We want better transport for rural areas', go tell that to rural communities who are losing their bus services. What a great idea, lets plonk young people down in rural areas where there is no public transport, got some of that now and it doesn't work Mr Osbourne. And what economy? Agriculture is no longer labour intensive and people on agricultural workers wages will just about manage to live not afford mortgages. Young people need to get to the local county town at the very least to get their further education and any chance of a job that gives a living wage, primary schools are closing in rural areas, as are shops and post offices. Bringing in more commuter families (which is what will happen) does not bring with it wealth to a rural area but weekday ghost villages.
It's not like me to be so negative and I don't pretend to know what the answer is but I can spot lip-service when it's being rolled out.
Now I have to go and wake my son who is 16 today and getting his exam results. I have to drive him in to his school this morning as there is not a bus... And next week he will complete his enrollment at the local college, which is in the county town... He is studying Business Management and Accountancy and will no doubt end up on the mainland rather than the island as wages are notoriously poor over this side of the Solent.
MW
Out of touch or what!
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Primrose
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Yes I do think many people overr estimate the joys of living in rural areas, without truly understanding the disadvantages. My parents threw off the "disadvantages" of town life and retired to a delightdul Sussex village. Fine when you are fit and active. But over several years the village shop closed, the petrol station closed, the GP's surgery relocated to the nearest town, public transport virtually disappeared and my father had to give up driving, and idyllic life turned into to a nightmare.
The cutbacks of the recession and auaterity have made things worse. I too don,t know what the answer is. Perhaps a massive new study is needed to come up with answers and join up all the missing links. Perhaps there is already a government department working on this and we don,t know about it in which case its profile needs to be raised.
I love the idea of life in a rural environment but have now reached the age where being in walking distance of some shops to keep life and limb together, a doctor's surgery, a post office and a library are really of more practical use to me than wide open vistas. Certainly the lack of decent rural public transport is turning many rural inhabitants into prisoners in their own homes and villages and in the 21st century where the world has massively opened up, up that is regrettable.
The cutbacks of the recession and auaterity have made things worse. I too don,t know what the answer is. Perhaps a massive new study is needed to come up with answers and join up all the missing links. Perhaps there is already a government department working on this and we don,t know about it in which case its profile needs to be raised.
I love the idea of life in a rural environment but have now reached the age where being in walking distance of some shops to keep life and limb together, a doctor's surgery, a post office and a library are really of more practical use to me than wide open vistas. Certainly the lack of decent rural public transport is turning many rural inhabitants into prisoners in their own homes and villages and in the 21st century where the world has massively opened up, up that is regrettable.
I have always hankered after living in the country...."when we win the lottery".
Having reached 62 and retirement next year (my husband retired this April) I realise that even if we did win a fortune, moving to a rural area would not be sensible at our time of life, for all the reasons Primrose's parents have experienced. Fortunately we are both in good health and both drive but who knows what is around the corner? We will make the best of what we have and be grateful for our good health and happiness.
As for shipping folks out to rural areas with subsidised homes, like MW says, it will finish up with ghost villages.....there are already a lot of villages and coastal resorts which have lots of holiday homes, with no families there all the year round to contribute to the local economy.
I don't have any answers either but I hope someone does.
Having reached 62 and retirement next year (my husband retired this April) I realise that even if we did win a fortune, moving to a rural area would not be sensible at our time of life, for all the reasons Primrose's parents have experienced. Fortunately we are both in good health and both drive but who knows what is around the corner? We will make the best of what we have and be grateful for our good health and happiness.
As for shipping folks out to rural areas with subsidised homes, like MW says, it will finish up with ghost villages.....there are already a lot of villages and coastal resorts which have lots of holiday homes, with no families there all the year round to contribute to the local economy.
I don't have any answers either but I hope someone does.
Happy with my lot
Motherwoman is so right!
Wonderful as it is to live in the countryside there is a very big BUT before you consider especially when you are getting on a bit.
My local hospital is a 50 mile round trip and the nearest Morrissons is a 25 mile round trip. For those with with children the schools are reached either by coach or taken by parents or pay an awful lot of money per child if you live under three miles from the school. This means a working mum is under a hell of a strain in an area due to flooding like this one.
They don't mind flooding us just so long as they don't have to spend money protecting the towns downstream. Probably something when considering a country life you would not even consider.
Example I had to visit the hospital last Friday afternoon and from a 3pm appointment I finally got home at 9am Saturday because all four routes home were flooded and by good fortune I managed to get to one of my daughters at Credenhill.
The government are trying to build affordable housing either for sale or rent for those who are in need but simply could not afford to live in the countryside with any degree of comfort. The vagaries of country living are too many.
JB.
Wonderful as it is to live in the countryside there is a very big BUT before you consider especially when you are getting on a bit.
My local hospital is a 50 mile round trip and the nearest Morrissons is a 25 mile round trip. For those with with children the schools are reached either by coach or taken by parents or pay an awful lot of money per child if you live under three miles from the school. This means a working mum is under a hell of a strain in an area due to flooding like this one.
They don't mind flooding us just so long as they don't have to spend money protecting the towns downstream. Probably something when considering a country life you would not even consider.
Example I had to visit the hospital last Friday afternoon and from a 3pm appointment I finally got home at 9am Saturday because all four routes home were flooded and by good fortune I managed to get to one of my daughters at Credenhill.
The government are trying to build affordable housing either for sale or rent for those who are in need but simply could not afford to live in the countryside with any degree of comfort. The vagaries of country living are too many.
JB.
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Primrose
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Not to mention the fact that once you reach 70 your driving licence is at the mercy of a three year tenure and possible cancellation if you suffer from a long list of medical conditions.
It does leave older people with some very difficult decisions to make if they have lived in a pleasant rural environment for many years. The art is to anticipate the difficulties and try to eliminate them before they arrive but we're all too skilled in the art of putting our heads in the sand when faced with major disruption in our life.
Incidentally husband reports that on going into our nearest bank this morning (last one in our village closed earlier this year) all the tills except one have closed down and you have to deal with a machine which gives no instructions . The tide of technology rolls on relentlessly wherever you live
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It does leave older people with some very difficult decisions to make if they have lived in a pleasant rural environment for many years. The art is to anticipate the difficulties and try to eliminate them before they arrive but we're all too skilled in the art of putting our heads in the sand when faced with major disruption in our life.
Incidentally husband reports that on going into our nearest bank this morning (last one in our village closed earlier this year) all the tills except one have closed down and you have to deal with a machine which gives no instructions . The tide of technology rolls on relentlessly wherever you live
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Geoff
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Having just done the supermarket run, probably covered almost 40 miles, I can agree with all this. We do look out for grocery deliveries for £1 which are excellent value. Bought my probably illegal 15 litres of petrol for mower etc. The hospital is the same distance. Post Office, Coop, Doctors, bus stop and a few other businesses are about five miles. Went to my bank a few weeks ago for the first time for ages; closed, building up for auction and ATM bricked up - they hadn't even written to me but I suppose I had only banked there since 1975. I am seriously wondering if we should set up house with my son in Sussex but it would be a massive culture shock for a born and bred Northerner and finding a divided property is a rocking horse droppings job. Would solve one of the issues, he's a GP!
There ARE easier ways of living in the country: when we moved to our village 35 years ago, we chose it because it lies off the main road, still had (and has!) a post office/ village store/newspaper shop and is within reasonable walking distance of a market town with all the usual facilities. It takes me just over half an hour to walk there, but a bus runs every hour from Monday to Friday, though there are no evening services.
The village is a thriving social community: gardening club, carpet bowling, WI, art classes, 'knit and natter', community library (run by volunteers), yoga, pilates, circuit training, aerobics, exercises for the over 50s, karate, bridge and perhaps others I don't know about, as well as many social activities of the two churches.
On the other hand, we are completely surrounded by pasture land and moorland and within 5 minutes' walk I can be on the moor with just sheep and moorland birds.
The only problem are visits to the hospital which is about 40 minutes' drive away.
The village is a thriving social community: gardening club, carpet bowling, WI, art classes, 'knit and natter', community library (run by volunteers), yoga, pilates, circuit training, aerobics, exercises for the over 50s, karate, bridge and perhaps others I don't know about, as well as many social activities of the two churches.
On the other hand, we are completely surrounded by pasture land and moorland and within 5 minutes' walk I can be on the moor with just sheep and moorland birds.
The only problem are visits to the hospital which is about 40 minutes' drive away.