End of the Line?

[laser wheels]

^^^^ Visited Sulgrave, Washington lately

 

TS

 

Cheapest place in the UK to buy a house - for the second year running.

 

We're number one! We're number one!

[Guest Hooli]

Cheapest place in the UK to buy a house - for the second year running.

 

We're number one! We're number one!

 

People PAY for houses there?

[MarvinsMom]

I'm surprised at that, as you can buy a house* in one of the less desirable* bits of 'Boro for £3000.

 

ok, it won't have any flooring, windows, wiring or piping, and it may not have a roof, but it can still be yours for £3000.

 

Trading up, you could instead splash out £5000  and buy a house in Port Clarence or St Hilda's, and those would be houses that you could actually move straight into, and even live in, if you are brave/stupid/desperate or all 3.

[New POD]

I like being here for the arts, culture, good food, the interesting, attractive people from all four corners of the globe that you meet on a daily basis, the sights, sounds and smells of one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, etc, etc, etc. It's true that rents and house prices are ridiculous, but job opportunities are abundant.

 

I have no intention of moving because of some silly stealth tax. Like someone said, it affects a tiny minority of people. It's just unfortunate if you happen to be one of them. Commuting by car here is daft when public transport is so good. I know very few people amongst my colleagues and in my social circle that own a car. I myself haven't owned one for six months.

 

It just bugs me that people who know very little about London life are often very vocal any time the subject comes up. London is a big, scary place to the uninitiated, teeming with the types of people that you don't see outside of here very often. Have you spent any time living here New POD?

 

in 2014 I spent 6 months commuting to Hemel Hempstead from Liverpool, which overlapped the 12 months my son was living and working in Mill Hill, so I spent one night a week meeting him in Central London for a meal or some culture. I appreciate that London is the most cosmopolitan and vibrant city in the world, but I've lived in Coventry, Birmingham, the Yorkshire Dales and Liverpool, and it seems to me that most cities have enough stuff going on than you can experience.

I will say I've NEVER come across crowds in the street, like Camden Lock.

The only place I really hated living was the Dales. Fucking hated it.

[ERNO]

Not here to try and argue with anyone in particular but hear dis:

 

I get that Londoners think that it's the most amazing place in the world. Surely you have to get yourself into the mindset that the place has some sort of mythical quality to it in order to convince yourself that it's in some way worth what you pay to live there.

 

I do rather resent the implication that the rest of the UK is somehow a cultural wasteland, ERNO, I live in a fairly small town and we have foreign people, kebab and chicken shops, and even things like theatres and museums. 

 

It shouldn't be us vs them, some people like to live in a large city, I don't, that's cool.

 

However, for those in the thread saying "just move to a field somewhere" that's not really an option for lots of people either. Like it or not people HAVE to travel to cities (London or otherwise) to work.

 

Having to go in to work is what should be targeted here as for the vast majority of people, commuting into an office is done only because it's traditional to turn up in a suit and have meetings in the same room. 

 

If I were in charge, instead of penalizing the chod drivers of Mayfair I would give a financial incentive to employers for every avoided journey. Enable people to work from home, web meetings and whatnot and reward the employers for reducing the traffic. Obviously some people would still need to go to their actual workplace but I bet about 80% really don't.

 

As a final point, to drift back in the vague direction of the OP, which journey results in more absolute emissions - the OP on his Euro2 motorbike or the same journey in a Euro6 Range Rover Sport TDV8?

 

I'm probably guilty of being stuck in a London bubble, I haven't left the inner London boroughs at all for going on a couple of years. You're not wrong about the mythical quality it's easy to raise London to; maybe I have convinced myself but it often does have something magical about it and the city stimulates and fascinates me still and I've been here seven years. Because of the salary I earn and my situation (single guy renting a one bedroom flat) it's a struggle to get by but I do genuinely like it here and don't want to go back to live in Hamilton at the moment.

 

(London being magical earlier this week with a double rainbow over Tower Bridge)

 

I'm not implying that the rest of the country is a cultural wasteland, but there's nowhere else like London, outside of a handful of other locations dotted around the globe, for arts and culture. From the grassroots in south London squats to the huge sprawling art institutions, and everything in between, there's nothing with the variety and depth of what's going on in London. I admit I'm biased on that score too because I make make my living at one of those huge sprawling art institutions.

 

I will say I've NEVER come across crowds in the street, like Camden Lock.

 

Camden is the pits. It's in every tourist guidebook and attracts the worst kind of teens and early 20's from all over. Another place that's succumbing to the scourge of these terrible "legal highs".

 

To go back vaguely to the OP's original point, it's the buses that are the air quality elephant in the room. There's far too many of them running dirty diesel engines and getting an exemption from all these restrictions. TfL have got air quality targets they're aiming for, and I'm sure the situation will improve as improvements in clean motive technology come into affordable price ranges in the next few years. But at the moment, the buses that keep the "real" Londoners moving are heavily polluting the air.

[tooSavvy]

I'm surprised at that, as you can buy a house* in one of the less desirable* bits of 'Boro for £3000.

 

ok, it won't have any flooring, windows, wiring or piping, and it may not have a roof, but it can still be yours for £3000.

 

Trading up, you could instead splash out £5000 and buy a house in Port Clarence or St Hilda's, and those would be houses that you could actually move straight into, and even live in, if you are brave/stupid/desperate or all 3.

Ahh... But Wellington Walk, Sulgrave is a cement 'egg box' 60's Flaktower.

 

The people below could get burned out (dodgy crack deal, perhaps) and you would simply choke a bit and enjoy Roman floor heating

 

*all residents pay a grand a year 'service charge'- worth it simply to see 'overnight sofa expulsion' disappear courtesy of the caretaker rather than beautifying the front garden in St Hildas.

 

TS

[Lacquer Peel]

Last time he went for work he went on the train with intentions to get a bus the rest of the way. I don't know if you can go there on the Tube, but he won't go on the Tube. No idea why. Anyway, he found and got on the bus, placed a pound coin down and cheerfully went "one to Ruislip". The surprisingly patient bus driver started to explain about Oyster Cards and must have become so exasperated with an utterly baffled Yorkshireman going "But I don't live in London, what do I want an Oyster Card for? I just want to go to Ruislip" that he let him on for free. What amazes me more is that he somehow managed to do this on the way back with a different bus driver.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm_I9jCGjA4

 

Not a slight on Father_Hirst, the story reminded me of this sketch

[laser wheels]

Ahh... But Wellington Walk, Sulgrave is a cement 'egg box' 60's Flaktower.

 

The people below could get burned out (dodgy crack deal, perhaps) and you would simply choke a bit and enjoy Roman floor heating

 

*all residents pay a grand a year 'service charge'- worth it simply to see 'overnight sofa expulsion' disappear courtesy of the caretaker rather than beautifying the front garden in St Hildas.

 

TS

 

When it was all gentrified* they put in a sauna. Sauna was soon closed as the residents were using it as a knocking shop.

[laser wheels]

I'm surprised at that, as you can buy a house* in one of the less desirable* bits of 'Boro for £3000.

 

ok, it won't have any flooring, windows, wiring or piping, and it may not have a roof, but it can still be yours for £3000.

 

Trading up, you could instead splash out £5000  and buy a house in Port Clarence or St Hilda's, and those would be houses that you could actually move straight into, and even live in, if you are brave/stupid/desperate or all 3.

 

Yeah, you can get a place in Sulgrave for £3000-£5000. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been tempted!

[Alan_Green]

The secret to driving in London is to wait until 7pm. Then the bus lanes open (so the capacity doubles) and most civilians are home. You can cover vast distances in no time at all. I do 40 miles most evenings. I point blank refuse to drive anywhere until 7.

 

When I started this central London driving stuff 6 yrs ago the big surprise was the black cab drivers and the cyclists. I find the cabbies patient, predictable and courteous. The cyclists are maniac risk takers all pumped up with adrenalin and aggression (not all obviously). This was exactly the opposite of what I expected.