| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? 12:43 - Nov 30 with 12712 views | colchesterchris |
I've been offered an interview tomorrow for a post that would effectively be the next rung up from my current position.
I'm currently in South East London and the role is in Stoke.
It's a 3k/10% payrise. Now this isn't that much of an uplift for the responsibility, but at the same time I'm expecting outgoings to drop rather sharply - so I assume it will feel like a bigger pay rise?
I don't really like hot weather, so I'm not bothered about that. Anyone have any experience or things to consider? |  |
| |  |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:47 - Nov 30 with 8282 views | GlasgowBlue |
"I don't really like hot weather, so I'm not bothered about that."
It's Stoke not Stockholm. just 30 minutes up the M6 from Birmingham. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:48 - Nov 30 with 8283 views | Ryorry |
I've never lived in Stoke or the Midlands, but found that simply leaving London & the SE of England (twice) was a huge lift. Massive generalisation of course, but I found people away from there much warmer & friendlier - something to do with being less crowded and having more space/time I suspect, rather than a reflection on people themselves. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:49 - Nov 30 with 8275 views | BondiBlue |
Yes. I’d recommend heading further south though. | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:49 - Nov 30 with 8273 views | colchesterchris |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:47 - Nov 30 by GlasgowBlue |
"I don't really like hot weather, so I'm not bothered about that."
It's Stoke not Stockholm. just 30 minutes up the M6 from Birmingham. |
I should have pointed out that the weather is the first (and in some cases only) feedback anyone I've asked in person has been helpful enough to give.
I was just trying to weed those out! :) | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:54 - Nov 30 with 8249 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:49 - Nov 30 by colchesterchris |
I should have pointed out that the weather is the first (and in some cases only) feedback anyone I've asked in person has been helpful enough to give.
I was just trying to weed those out! :) |
They must be pulling your leg. The average temperature in Stoke won't be any different from the average temperature in Ipswich. Maybe a little higher as Stoke has no coast.
Stoke is well located though. Easy to get to either Manchester of Birmingham. The Peak district not too far away for a day out or a weekend. Utoxeter races if you like the gee gees. And Alton Towers for the kids. | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:02 - Nov 30 with 8216 views | colchesterchris |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:54 - Nov 30 by GlasgowBlue |
They must be pulling your leg. The average temperature in Stoke won't be any different from the average temperature in Ipswich. Maybe a little higher as Stoke has no coast.
Stoke is well located though. Easy to get to either Manchester of Birmingham. The Peak district not too far away for a day out or a weekend. Utoxeter races if you like the gee gees. And Alton Towers for the kids. |
"but can they do it on a cold, wet, windy Tuesday night in Stoke?" is a quite well established question - so I can understand why people assume. You don't here the same about Brighton. It is 1.5 degrees colder annually in Stoke than where I am anyway.
Thanks for that though - it's the unknown, but does seem near a number of places I'd prefer. | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:04 - Nov 30 with 8204 views | itfcjoe |
I haven't done it, but judging by your username you have already moved away from home so surely that is the big step anyway?
I know it is a bit further away, but for me unless I'm living near family and friends it doesn't really matter if you are 1 hour away or 2 - you're too far to see them all the time but close enough to make the effort |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:04 - Nov 30 with 8205 views | StochesStotasBlewe |
Staffordshire is a nice county, Peak district close by, some lovely countryside.
Stoke is a strange place & bit of a sh#thole imo, but, saying that, some nicer places outside the city so you could commute.
Depends on how much you like SE London really. |  |
| We have no village green, or a shop.
It's very, very quiet.
I can walk to the pub. |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:09 - Nov 30 with 8172 views | Swansea_Blue |
😱
Don't people explode if they leave The South?
Stoke's ok (ish). But there are some nice parts round there. I've got good friends who live in Ashby d l Z just up the road. That seems a nice place, especially for those with kids.
If you do go I think you'd probably survive  |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:09 - Nov 30 with 8167 views | Pinewoodblue |
A step up the ladder but not presumably your final destination. Weatherwise you will have to get used to more snow days.
You make no mention of a family to consider so suppose you are single. The only drawback I can see is in the future if your next step up the ladder involved moving back to London area. You would need a significant payrise to make that move worthwhile.
I'm guessing you are with a largish company or organisation, trust they have a good relocation package. If you are not currently a homeowner then you should look to becoming one. Suspect there are plenty of new builds in that part of the country take advantage of the government help to buy scheme.
Stoke s much nearer to loads of Premier League grounds , for the post Mick era when we ain promotion. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:13 - Nov 30 with 8144 views | The_Romford_Blue |
The hot weather line has made me chuckle.
It's grim oop North |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:16 - Nov 30 with 8121 views | Ryorry |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:09 - Nov 30 by Pinewoodblue |
A step up the ladder but not presumably your final destination. Weatherwise you will have to get used to more snow days.
You make no mention of a family to consider so suppose you are single. The only drawback I can see is in the future if your next step up the ladder involved moving back to London area. You would need a significant payrise to make that move worthwhile.
I'm guessing you are with a largish company or organisation, trust they have a good relocation package. If you are not currently a homeowner then you should look to becoming one. Suspect there are plenty of new builds in that part of the country take advantage of the government help to buy scheme.
Stoke s much nearer to loads of Premier League grounds , for the post Mick era when we ain promotion. |
"The only drawback I can see is in the future if your next step up the ladder involved moving back to London area. You would need a significant payrise to make that move worthwhile. "
Very pertinent. If by any chance the OP is currently a homeowner in London, he should *not* sell - just let the property out. Could be impossible to buy there again in future.
Voice of experience! (albeit a long time ago now). | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:18 - Nov 30 with 8111 views | JimmyJazz |
I found that when you leave London the wages drop quite sharply the further away you go. So to get a rise on what you are currently on, in real terms, would be worth a lot more than 3k |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:18 - Nov 30 with 8110 views | Cheshire_Tractor |
I'd agree with the comments that Stoke itself can be a bit undesirable to live but there are some really decent places just outside.
As it happens selling a house in Alsager (about 7 miles away in Cheshire)
3 bed semi, large garden front + rear, off road parking for 3 cars, £180k. |  | | |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:26 - Nov 30 with 8074 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 12:54 - Nov 30 by GlasgowBlue |
They must be pulling your leg. The average temperature in Stoke won't be any different from the average temperature in Ipswich. Maybe a little higher as Stoke has no coast.
Stoke is well located though. Easy to get to either Manchester of Birmingham. The Peak district not too far away for a day out or a weekend. Utoxeter races if you like the gee gees. And Alton Towers for the kids. |
It's the rain innit. We should know this all too well. Swansea's like a swamp. Stoke would be worse than London. Not too bad though; I used to live just outside Chester and it was a lot better than Swansea (but wetter than London).
Anyway the OP isn't worried about the weather so I've no idea why I'm replying 😂 | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:32 - Nov 30 with 8057 views | Pendejo |
Moved from Ipswich to Manchester in '96. Lived in a great location 1 hour's drive to Pennines, Dales, Lakes, North Wales or the shopping villages in Castleford or Chester.
There's some cracking locations around Stoke on Trent, semi rural or rural rather than urban grime of Hanley or Burslem.
Good jump off point for many games... |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:42 - Nov 30 with 8041 views | colchesterchris |
Thanks all, that's really helpful to read.
Family are all in Ipswich so it wouldn't make much difference really. I'm going to look around Stoke tomorrow so will probably decide quite quickly that commuting from slightly further out would be nicer - if offered of course! | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:45 - Nov 30 with 8022 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:42 - Nov 30 by colchesterchris |
Thanks all, that's really helpful to read.
Family are all in Ipswich so it wouldn't make much difference really. I'm going to look around Stoke tomorrow so will probably decide quite quickly that commuting from slightly further out would be nicer - if offered of course! |
Good luck with the interview | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:46 - Nov 30 with 8027 views | chicoazul |
Average house price for a semi in Stoke 124k
Average house price for a semi in Ipswich 214k
Average house price for a semi in Greenwich 543k
BRB moving to Stoke |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:50 - Nov 30 with 8003 views | NewcyBlue |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:42 - Nov 30 by colchesterchris |
Thanks all, that's really helpful to read.
Family are all in Ipswich so it wouldn't make much difference really. I'm going to look around Stoke tomorrow so will probably decide quite quickly that commuting from slightly further out would be nicer - if offered of course! |
Yep, whilst I still miss the South sometimes, I love it up here. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:58 - Nov 30 with 7976 views | chicoazul |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:42 - Nov 30 by colchesterchris |
Thanks all, that's really helpful to read.
Family are all in Ipswich so it wouldn't make much difference really. I'm going to look around Stoke tomorrow so will probably decide quite quickly that commuting from slightly further out would be nicer - if offered of course! |
It's a no brainer blud. More money, Stoke while not particularly nice in itself is in the middle of everything, and as I showed you can buy a house without necessarily saving for a deposit for 10 years. | |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 13:59 - Nov 30 with 7971 views | ITFC_Forever |
I went to Staffs Uni in Stoke on Trent and it's a funny old place. The locals are a bit of an odd bunch.
But within a commutable distance, there are plenty of nice enough areas, and in Stoke, you're less than an hour from Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 14:00 - Nov 30 with 7967 views | BOjK |
I know you are moving to the far reaches of the United Kingdom here, to a land where mobile phone coverage is patchy, broadband speeds are slow and you'll be lucky to find a property which doesn't have an outside toilet - but I'd suggest the bigger difference will be between being In London and Not In London.
London is so unique in the UK I'd view that - rather than the 450 mile journey to the icy North as the bigger difference. |  |
| |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 14:05 - Nov 30 with 7939 views | Ryorry |
| Anyone ever considered/went through with leaving the South? on 14:00 - Nov 30 by BOjK |
I know you are moving to the far reaches of the United Kingdom here, to a land where mobile phone coverage is patchy, broadband speeds are slow and you'll be lucky to find a property which doesn't have an outside toilet - but I'd suggest the bigger difference will be between being In London and Not In London.
London is so unique in the UK I'd view that - rather than the 450 mile journey to the icy North as the bigger difference. |
The only things I missed about London were the theatres + shedloadsa diverse, live, music on offer! | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
It's also not far from a few decent cities. 