Having lived in London now for over five years, I’ve becomed used to city-living. Before moving to London, I lived and studied in Aberystwyth and before that I did a summer stint in Devon. Working at my godfather’s pub, I got a taste of proper countryside living and I really enjoyed it. It had me thinking the other day, what I miss about living in the countryside.
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Although I miss living in the countryside, it was certainly too quiet for me to have ever wanted to live there permanantly. I realise that I love the buzz of a city and wherever we decide to move to, I want to make sure I’m within a good distance of a city. So what do I miss about the countryside?
The Pubs
Working in a pub, I had so much fun at my godfather’s one in Scoriton. There’s really nothing like the pubs in the countryside that you could get down here in London. Unfortunately my godfather and his business partners later sold the pub to move out of the area but I loved it there. As one of very few staff members, I used this summer before university to earn a reasonable amount of money to make sure I went to university feeling a little more comfortable. By moving away from my hometown, living in the countryside also helped prepare me for university and living away from home. The pubs around Devon are beautiful and the ale and cider festivals are definitely one to be involved in.
Being Able To Cycle Safely
I would love to start cycling again and have even considered getting a tricycle. Jorvik Tricycles have a great range for using on countryside trails, but I just wouldn’t want to when I’m living in London. A lot of cyclists can’t cycle on the pavement and instead have cycle lanes or just have to cycle on the road. When you’re cycling next to buses and crazy taxis in London, it takes a real confident cyclist who knows the road. I’m not both of those things and I really couldn’t think of anything more dangerous than cycling around London. When you’re in the countryside however, it would be rare for a car to drive past you down the country roads.
Fresh And Local Produce
Now, I love food. The food they served at the pub I worked in was delicious to say the least. What I really enjoyed about living in the countryside was the fresh and local produce that was available to me. Clotted cream was made at the farm literally next door to the pub. A lot of nearby homes sold fresh eggs, strawberries and bread and would stick it outside the home for passersby to purchase. It’s just something that you can’t really get here in London and if you put food out for people to buy, chances are they’d take it without paying.
The Community Feel
Sadly, the community feel for London isn’t something I feel at the moment. I think if we stayed in the place we are now, I might find myself trying to make an effort with local events more but I know that this isn’t my forever home. However, living in the countryside, you definitely had that community feeling, mainly because there was very few people in one place. Everyone knew everyone and although I think that might have also been too much for me if I lived there permanantely, it was much nicer to have people greet you in the street than just ignore you, which is what you get here in London.
Do you live in the countryside or the city? Let me know which one you prefer in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post with Jorvik Tricycles. All words are my own.
