moving to UK

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volica

Guest
Hi all.
I will be moving back to Europe next year. Wanted to go to Spain, but my girlfriend doesn't speak Spanish, so, UK, here we come.
Currently we live in Washington, DC, USA, I go caving at least twice a month,mostly to survey caves in West Virginia, 13 to 36h underground. Anyway, where is good area in Great Britain to live? No more than 3 h driving to caves.
 
A

andymorgan

Guest
Ooohh this will be a controversial and subjective thread!

If caves are your main deciding factor, then living within one of the two main caving areas: South Wales or Yorkshire Dales (which both have caves of just over 40 miles long) is the best bet. The other two main caving areas Mendips and Derbyshire are relatively near South Wales and Yorkshire respectively.
    However this won't be the main deciding factor, if you need the hustle and bustle of a city then Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool are near to the Northern caving regions (Derbyshire and Yorkshire). Bristol, Cardiff, Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester are close to the southern caving regions (Mendips and South Wales).
    The south is sunnier and drier than the north, and nice beaches are nearby. The north has cheaper living costs. Is there anywhere on the mainland that is more than 3 hours drive from a cave without traffic?
 

zomjon

Member
I'd have thought that Birmingham was right in the middle and definately within 3 hrs of all areas (M6 Permitting!).
 

ChrisJC

Well-known member
I live near Cambridge, and given a clear run (i.e. early start), I can be in all caving regions (except South Wales) in 3 hours. South Wales takes 4.

The UK is a small place!

Chris.
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
graham said:
But who would recommend that anybody should live in Birmingham?  :confused:

One of the joint newsletter editors of the UBSS, for starters, no doubt!

Seriously, though, I would imagine that a major deciding factor will be budget for property.
 

peterdevlin

New member
volica said:
Anyway, where is good area in Great Britain to live? No more than 3 h driving to caves.
... and if finding a job takes you to London make sure you end up either west or north so an escape either west to Wales or Mendip or north to Derbyshire or Yorkshire

Peter
 

whitelackington

New member
I would go for The Forest of Dean / Wye Valley
it is a lovely location and within an easy drive of Mendip, Wales & Derbyshire,
as well of cousre the fine caves of the Forest, also the locals are mad keen on digging :eek:
 

Les W

Active member
volica said:
I go caving at least twice a month,mostly to survey caves in West Virginia, 13 to 36h underground.

You are in for a culture shock here then  :eek:

If you survey at that rate you will quickly run out of caves to survey.  :beer:

Big resurvey projects currently running include:

Lancaster-Easegill; Yorkshire Dales (and allegedly, Lancashire and Cumbria)
Ogof Fynnon Ddu (OFD); South Wales (finest cave in the UK IMO)
Ogof Dranaen; South Wales
Goatchurch Cavern; Mendip Hills (might be finished though  ;) )
 
W

wormster

Guest
Now then, now then folks, lets not start the handbagging about which area's best and be a bit more constructive.

Firstly Volicia, you've got to find a place to live, be it in a city or town or country village, now I'd reckon that depends on what type of professions you and your partner are in and how much you want to earn.

Secondly, nowhere is very far on this lump of rock. IF you get your feet wet you've gone too far. I live on the south central coast, its a 2 hour drive to the nearest caving region (Mendips) so I tend to go there a fair bit, venturing further afield to say South Wales might take 3 to 4 hours, further north might take 5 to 6 hours.

If it were me moving to the UK I'd draw up a priority list of:

How much I want to earn.
Do I want to live in a city, town or village.
Do I want to buy or rent a place to live.
Is it in or close to one of the major caving regions.

As for your caving activities I can't say much about surveying because its not something that I've ever got into, you're not likely to get trips of the time length that you're used to unless you start looking into the mining remains that's about.

BTW don't get caught up in the petty North vs South squabbles that you might see. (I reckon you might be used to that anyway)
be happy wherever you decide to plonk yourselves and call home.
Its all good over here in the mother country.
 

Peter Burgess

New member
If non-material factors are important to you, there is a difference in pace of life, depending on where you are. Unfortunately, the mad rush everyone engages in in the South East and around London is spreading, and there are pockets of this around any of the large conurbations. However, there are still many places where, for example, folk will have no hesitation in saying good morning to total strangers, and will take the time out to chat to you. Moving west from London, I reckon this starts to happen west of Swindon.
 

ttxela

New member
volica said:
Hi all.
I will be moving back to Europe next year. Wanted to go to Spain, but my girlfriend doesn't speak Spanish, so, UK, here we come.

The Uk is a fine place to live but I'd suggest if you had your heart set on Spain the the language shouldn't be too much of a problem depending on the area. There is alot of english spoken over there and you'd soon pick up some spanish. It might be trickier to find employment possibly.
 
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AMW

Guest
As said we are a small country, so no were is far from any were  ;)

I live in Cam, Gloucestershire and the caving areas are (normal driving time):

Forest: half an hour
South Wales: hour and three quarters (OFD)
North (Ingleton): three and a half hours
Mendip: hour.


Given a choice of were to live with good caves and roads I would say.............................................................  France  :clap:

Andrew.
 

Hughie

Active member
Peter Burgess said:
If non-material factors are important to you, there is a difference in pace of life, depending on where you are. Unfortunately, the mad rush everyone engages in in the South East and around London is spreading, and there are pockets of this around any of the large conurbations.

Peter, that's possibly how you perceive it. I can assure you, reality is somewhat different.

Peter Burgess said:
However, there are still many places where, for example, folk will have no hesitation in saying good morning to total strangers, and will take the time out to chat to you. Moving west from London, I reckon this starts to happen west of Swindon.

Errm - we're just better mannered and have higher levels of courtesy!  ;)
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
All I would say that 3 hours driving in the UK is now sheer hell as opposed to 3 hours driving in the USA which is probably fairly relaxing. My max for a day trip is South Wales and that's 3 hours for the Swansea valley caves.  I would have thought North Somerset/Bristol area gives  you a chance to get at a variety of caving areas using the M5/M4/M6 or otherwise move to somewhere up North within reach of the Dales.
 

whitelackington

New member
ttxela said:
volica said:
Hi all.
I will be moving back to Europe next year. Wanted to go to Spain, but my girlfriend doesn't speak Spanish, so, UK, here we come.

The Uk is a fine place to live but I'd suggest if you had your heart set on Spain the the language shouldn't be too much of a problem depending on the area. There is alot of english spoken over there and you'd soon pick up some spanish. It might be trickier to find employment possibly.

You could move to sunny Devonshire, it's got Dartmoor, the sea & caves, is close to Mendip, Forest of Dean,Wales
& you can easily catch the ferry from Plymouth to Spain,
then only an hour from monster caves & cheap women & wine. :beer:
 
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