After my people sold their beautiful thatched house in West Chiltington Sussex, they moved to this house in a small Shropshire village (above), to which they retired.
My father had left Sussex where he had spent his entire life, whilst my mother returned to her native Shropshire.
How many of us remain living where we were born? I recently saw a house-hunting programme where the husband had lived all his life in the same house; some 61 years. The programme presenter amusingly remarked "So, you're a first time buyer".
My sister moved to New Zealand in about 1964/5, my cousin moved to Canada, and I moved to France, both in 1972. My daughter lives in Oz, and at present my youngest son is living in Mexico; but we're not sure for how long; he also has homes in France, Oz, and Thailand.
The idea of staying in the same place all one's life, is now almost unheard of. We see our country, or the world, as our Oyster, and wish to explore. It's not that we are dissatisfied with life where we were born, we simply refuse to be nailed to one particular spot.
My village is very small, with just 240 well-spaced inhabitants. Old time peasant-farming has been ruined by the EU and most youngsters now quit the village to work in towns, so in future there will be very little family continuity. I wonder when the next 'return to the country' trend will arrive?
Maybe if France was to leave the EU, farming could make a come-back. Until then land remains unused, the owners receive payments from Brussels for doing nothing, and their sons and daughters head for the crowded cities.
I think my grandparents generation is when the young people, like my mother and most of her siblings moved away to greater and greater distances. I ended up further away than she did and so are my children scattered about now. I still encounter people who stay in one little corner of their world — pros and cons to staying in one place. I don't regret having moved about our country and could have enjoyed living abroad, I think. .
ReplyDeleteTravel has been made so easy, and affordable. My youngest travels about a lot, just this last year he has lived in Holland, Sweden, France, and Mexico. I was never so brave.
DeleteI think of France and Germany being the EU. How could it possibly work without them? It is sad how country areas in France and in my own country slowly die, but not all towns do.
ReplyDeleteThe small peasant-farmer used to be the backbone of the country, now all they want are big efficient prairie-farms, and big industries. Areas such as ours are now dedicated to tourism.
DeleteYour family may be cosmopolitan Cro but I know a lot of people who never left the East Yorkshire village where I was born and it's the same for a lot of others here in south west Sheffield. They never left.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite surprised; especially in these times. When I bought my very first house (in Wales), we had a neighbour who had been as far as the nearby town, about 5 miles away, and that was it.
DeleteDidn't they used to say that the invention of the bicycle enlarged the country dweller's genepool?
ReplyDeleteYes, suddenly people started having four fingers and a thumb on each hand.
DeleteAttitude to moving is all relative, I think. I can remember reading another discussion on this and someone commented that they cannot imagine staying in the same village all their life as the had moved all across the county. Others think you haven’t really moved unless you have had some transnational moves...all relative.
ReplyDeleteIn the days when they still had Military Service here, the young men from the countryside really looked forward to it, as they were guaranteed at least 6 months service overseas. In those days it was probably their only chance to travel.
DeleteWe have a family WhatsApp group whose members live in South Africa, Denmark, America, Germany, Brazil, Australia, England and Israel, that says something about our grandparents who traveled all over the world. Not always from their choice.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar group. They are so useful when families are widespread around the world.
DeleteI've moved so many times but never out of Suffolk. When you live in the best county in England there's no need to leave!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Suffolk is very nice, and no real need to move. I would liked to have stayed in my native Surrey, but the climate wasn't quite to my liking, and you need several millions to purchase the sort of home I would like.
DeleteI couldn't wait to leave the grotty West London suburb where I grew up. I left in 1976 and have never felt the desire to move back.
ReplyDeleteI loved my time living in London (64-69), and if I had the funds I would buy myself a little Mews House in S Ken (for weekends).
DeletePirate left Kent to join the RAF in the early 60s...and didn't return. He has only started visiting again since we have been together.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in about 35 places...each generation following work and short term rentals.
My lovely native Surrey village is unfortunately quite close to Gatwick. It was a very peaceful little village when I was growing up; these days it's nothing but constant aircraft noise!!
DeleteUntil my husband, my farmer, had his final illness (glioblastoma) he had lived his entire 74 years) on the farm. He so wished to die there but his condition was too severe to stay at home. Many farmers up here in the Dales are in their seventies and were born where they now live and have no intention of moving.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be like that here, often with three or four generations living in the same house. Sadly all that has now gone.
DeleteI have known elderly people who have only ever left their birthplace when ordered to by the Forces. Otherwise, they stay put.
ReplyDeleteNot too many of those around these days.
DeleteIt's very difficult to make any kind of living in the countryside. The jobs are in the big towns and cities.
ReplyDeleteOur village Plumber, Electrician, Builder, and Roofer, are never out of work, it's just the farmers who can't make a decent living.
DeleteThere is something to be said about living in one place all your life. Yoy know the seasons, the flora and the fauna, you know what direction your weather comes from and what clouds will bring. You know what your earth provides and youre probably very happy with all you've got around you. Sometimes I would like to be so much at home . Youre either a traveller or a stayer. Im a traveller obviously but in my next life I just may stay close to 'home' wherever that may be
ReplyDeleteIn the village where I was born, everyone knew who I was, and knew my name. We left there when I was 14 and I've never experienced the same ambiance again.
DeleteMy dad (he will be 91 next month) has lived in the same Sussex village all his life and only moved house once. I've lost count of the number of times I have moved.
ReplyDeleteI think my father would have preferred to have stayed in his native Sussex, but he never complained.
DeleteThe pandemic has changed the way we live our lives. Now, because many can work remotely, people are not tied to an area. They are leaving the cities in droves and moving to homes in more rural areas. Houses are sold in hours, not days, here in the countryside. However, I expect that to change once the virus subsides. Many will want to return to the cities for the culture and nightlife it offers.
ReplyDeleteI feel very fortunate to have three of my four children and their families living close by. I only lost one to the beaches of California.
My oldest moved from central London to a small village. He works from home, so no need to pay those huge London prices.
DeleteSmall villages are part of the heart some make happen in real life; and some of us are content with having the attitude. I've lived in Vermont five times the years I lived where I was born. I can't imagine how bland my life would be if I hadn't moved around.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally I like the sound of staying in the place where one was born, but in reality I would have gone crazy without moving around.
DeleteI have a sister who grew up in a small town moved to another small town about 15 miles from our home. I left our area and didn't return for 25 years. Once my sister said to me, "I was washing dishes one day and looking out the window and I wondered how you could stand knowing that your view out your window would change. We wrote letters back and forth in those days. I remember distinctly washing my own dishes, looking out my window and wondering how she could stand the same unchanging view out the same unchanging window. Difference in personalities, I guess. We're both older now. She's a lot more adventurous. I'm a lot more settled. We're a lot more alike than we used to be.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. One of the things I love about where I live now, is looking out and knowing that nothing will change.
DeleteI walked through Welshampton last Sunday
ReplyDeleteI live in rural Ontario Canada. People are flocking to the countryside from the cities in droves. Garden supplies and chicken supplies are often going short. Everyone we know has some sort of garden or crop growing. Numerous neighbours have invested in some sort of critter! We have cattle, sheep and chickens all around us.
ReplyDeleteCame to my county over forty years ago with a military posting. The majority of families in the tiny village have been here for generations and intermarried a LOT. My second husband was a local boy so I stayed put.
ReplyDelete