Missing London?

A question I am often asked before and after I moved down to the coast is whether I miss London? One good friend of mine put it more starkly “I will give it two years and you will be back with more to pay in property prices”.

A lady friend of mine I have known for over 50 years and who lived in South London before moving to a village near Newhaven gave me some encouragement as she could not bear going to London.

Yesterday was a good example of why I’m happier where I am.

I had a luncheon appointment at the RAC Pall Mall.

Normally I would enjoy a stroll through St James Park from Victoria but I happened to be there last Wednesday and the tourist congestion round Buckingham Palace spilling into the park was unbearable and I was with luggage.

So I took a taxi from Victoria Station at the Gatwick Express level. It was a good 7 minutes with now £6 on the meter whilst we were stuck in the small road where that level turns into before emerging into Buckingham Palace Road.

Knowing the Buckingham Palace area would be congested I suggested we went by Hyde Park Corner and down Piccadilly.

At Piccadily we were gridlocked for a further 20 minutes because of road works and the bank in St James where I wanted to draw some cash was no longer there. Fare £20. Same walking time. Tube £3. At least I was spared the normal taxi driver rant against Uber.

Contrast my home city:

Fare to Station or centre – £ 10. Gridlocked delayed journey- never.

You get home without a problem but – best of all – you arrive non-stressed and on time.

And if you don’t fancy a taxi there is a bus every 7 minutes or best of all an invigorating stroll by the sea.

No-brainer really.