A woman who moved from the Cotswolds to London over two decades ago has said that despite her vibrant life that there has been one massive downside of being based in the UK’s capital
A woman who moved from the Cotswolds to London has said she wouldn’t move back(Image: Getty)
There has been a noticeable ebb and flow in UK living patterns in recent years, as thousands of Britons weigh up whether they prefer city or countryside life.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many left urban centres in favour of the wide open spaces and cleaner air of the countryside, though some later returned when restrictions were lifted and they missed the convenience and amenities of city living.
As the cost of living crisis has continued, the debate over whether to stay in cities or relocate to the countryside has remained ongoing. One woman, who moved from the Cotswolds to London to run a pub in the East End, has explained why she has no intention of returning.
Artist and mother-of-five Pauline Forster, 76, runs The George Tavern on Commercial Road in Tower Hamlets, having bought the building for £500,000 in 2003 when she was 53.
More than 20 years and a major renovation later, the Grade II listed building — which had once been earmarked for demolition — is still standing and thriving. She has said that despite the high cost of living in London, she values the space her property provides for those who need it.
She told The Times: “There’s room here for whoever needs it, including my five sons. I like the scale and space of it — why would you buy a terraced house when you can get all this?
“I’ll admit that the bills, wages and utility bills are horrendous, and have rocketed in the time I have been here. I do have a mortgage but if I live to 80, I’ll have paid it off. I don’t really care because I’ll never stop working and the George will continue well after I’ve gone.”
Pauline added firmly that “nothing” would tempt her back to countryside living, saying the stimulating environment of London is both what she wants and what she needs.
However, while Pauline has chosen to remain in the capital, others have taken a different approach, opting to live outside the city while still commuting in for work.
Olivia Newton, 37, works in London but lives in South Hams in Devon with her husband Will.
Despite a four-hour commute and £150 off-peak train fare, she says she has no plans to move back to the city, largely because of the benefits the journey brings to her mental health and productivity.
She told The Times: “I once dreaded ‘the commute’ and that was from Shepherds Bush to my office in Shoreditch, but it’s become an integral and valuable part of my life in its own right.
“I get time to have a good think and finish off the deck I’ve been putting off, attempt to get to the end of my book club book and occasionally just zone out and watch the waves splash at the tracks as we pass through Dawlish.”