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Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 9:34 am
by Skub
I'm around 5 miles away from the council estate where I grew up.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 10:21 am
by Taipan
Moved to a couple of places, but the furthest from my hometown was only about 10 miles. Years ago, I was invited to apply for a job in Oxford, which would have meant moving there, but when I discussed it at home, my kids didn't want to move away from their mates and my wife didn't want to be away from her family and my family didn't want me to be far away and I realised at that point, we weren't the sort of family that would move around for a job and I was fine with that.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 11:19 am
by Mr Moofo
Born in Bridge of Allan

I have lived everywhere since 🙂

Bannockburn
Edinburgh
Solihull
IOW - Wotton Creek
Nottingham
Saunderfoot
Leeds
Newcastle under Lyme
Eastleigh
Wallasey Village
London (In a few places but mainly North London)
Back to Solihull
Buckingham
Hanslope nr MK
Zurich
Hanslope
Hinwiel , Kt Zurich
Brighton
Cologne
West Sussex

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 11:53 am
by The Martian
I wouldn't want to live on or near the estate I spent the majority of my childhood, or anywhere near where I spent the rest of it.
I returned to East London / Essex border for a while to be closer to family when I flew the nest but didn't stay.
Now live in a town that I only learned exists because of motorcycles and TRC. Might not stay here forever but not planning on going too far and would never live in a city again.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 12:06 pm
by cheb
Born in a nondescript village near Southampton. Moved out aged 22 to a flat in Southampton for work. Moved to the Outer Hebrides aged 24 because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Moved to Germany last year.

No great plan, not much deep thinking involved.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 12:34 pm
by mangocrazy
Born in Greenwich, lived in Sarf Lahndan (Bexleyheath) for first 10 years of life, family relocated to Stafford and I stayed there for the next 40 years. Then moved to Sheffield following work. Never intended to stay long, but still here 25 years later.

Very glad I didn't stay long in that London.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 2:13 pm
by ZRX61
Skub wrote: Sun Feb 08, 2026 9:34 am I'm around 5 miles away from the council estate where I grew up.
My sister lives barely a mile from where she grew up.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 2:54 pm
by Druid
Born in South Wales, moved to the west Midlands to uni. Now living in north east England due to reasons too complicated to go into here. I would like to go back to Wales but my children and grandchildren live near here and I can't see us moving too far from them.

My sister still lives in the town we were both born in.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 3:49 pm
by demographic
Not moved more than 20 miles from the hospital I was born in.
Its a nice place, seems kind of pointless to move somewhere I like less so I can move back later.
Plus doing the work I do I get to spend time all round the county and a.bit of southwest Scotland (plus a bit near Manchester, London, Glasgow, Wales) and so far on balance nowhere I've worked seems significantly better.
I'd get more money some places, but then living expenses go up so it's not much of a win.
Some places are prettier but have buggerall else in their favour.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 4:06 pm
by petrolpete
I was born in Westmoreland as it used to be called. Then lived in France all my childhood, then moved to London and then down to Kent. I lived in Vancouver for three years with work then back to Kent. Until I was in my 30s always moved house every couple of years. Got another move on the cards but will probably stay close to where I am now. Living in different places does open your view of the world.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 5:31 pm
by derek badger
1974, born in Glasgow. We moved to Middlesbrough when I was 18 months, and my brother was born. Immigrated to Chicago aged 2. Moved to Albany, NY aged 5. Moved to Houston, TX aged 8. Moved back to UK at 12 and had 6 months in Marlow on Thames before we settled in Surrey. Aside from a few years in Sheffield for Uni I've been within 10 miles of Guildford since about 1985.

It's nice here, but expensive for a reason. In the countryside (National Trust at end of garden), but London, the South Coast or either of the big Airports are an hour away. The kids can walk to school and the train station is a 20 min walk.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 5:35 pm
by weeksy
derek badger wrote: Sun Feb 08, 2026 5:31 pm 1974, born in Glasgow. We moved to Middlesbrough when I was 18 months, and my brother was born. Immigrated to Chicago aged 2. Moved to Albany, NY aged 5. Moved to Houston, TX aged 8. Moved back to UK at 12 and had 6 months in Marlow on Thames before we settled in Surrey. Aside from a few years in Sheffield for Uni I've been within 10 miles of Guildford since about 1995.

It's nice here, but expensive for a reason. In the countryside (National Trust at end of garden), but London, the South Coast or either of the big Airports are an hour away. The kids can walk to school and the train station is a 20 min walk.
Interesting one. Never suspected any of that, not sure why.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 6:36 pm
by the_priest
I'm a considerable distance from where I was born. Durban South Africa. Moved a few times, Pinetown 7yrs, Pietermaritzburg 5yrs, Ixopo 7yrs, Westville 6 yrs, Kensington 7yrs, Bexleyheath 2yrs, Abbey Wood 17yrs, Welling 3 and now Northfleet.

Moved to the UK for as a volunteer in a Christian Community and stayed for 7 years. Married, with kids, no desire to return to SA except on holiday.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 8:00 pm
by Scotsrich
5 miles from the village I grew up in and mile from where I spent my first 5 years.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 8:55 pm
by asmethurst99
Norfolk until I was 27 then lived in E1,E14 then E2 as they were all close to work.
I’m now slightly further out in East London and have no intention of moving again.
My siblings have all moved back to Norwich to be near my mother and it’s no big deal to get the train there.
I like living in London.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:37 am
by DefTrap
Originally from Cambridge, fully expected to stay there, most of my peers have. 20 years ago the stars aligned with my mood and opportunity and we let our house, shoved some stuff in storage and drove to SW France.. Never expected to stay but never looked back.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:43 am
by v8-powered
Grew up bottom end of Essex / London border - dragged up there for my 1st 25 years!

Moved up to Colchester and stayed in the area ever since - family has kind of scattered but a lot of people I went to school with have stayed in the same old area and never really moved on.

Now knocking on the doors of early retirement (I'm 54, wife is 48) and planning a down-sizing move to who knows where and some adventures!

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:54 am
by gremlin
South London, born and bred.

Born in Greenwich, like Mangocrazy, moved to Thamesmead when Ol' Ma Gremlin decided that the last battering she took from my dad was the final one, then moved to Bromley with the lovely Mrs. G after we met in the idyllic surroundings of the Isle of Wight.

Was proposed for a couple of roles in Stockholm over the years, but Gremlinette was in school, Mrs. G was running her business, so it just didn't work.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:57 am
by David
No, because it was Redditch and Brum. Now in Worle, via Bristol, Holland ,and mid Wales.

Re: Do you live near where you grew up? If not, how come?

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:58 am
by weeksy
Here's another follow-on then... Where did you nearly live ?

like the proposed potential move to Sweden above.

I almost went to Paris with my current company, back in about 2004 the guy working in Paris wanted to come to the UK and they wanted cover over in Paris. So i was planned to move over there. In the end it didn't quite work out but we got as far as booking removal firms and finding appartments etc.. A bit of a shame in some ways, but fate changed and i got married and had the boy here :)