Relocation is upon us so I’m busy tying loose ends. We have not been lucky finding a house yet but in the meantime there are plenty of other things to do.
Some changes have happened already, for instance I’m not tutoring anymore as I couldn’t guarantee I would be available to teach a whole term at the local education centre, while my private pupils are finding alternatives.
After finding two great volunteers for the Rugby newsletter team, I have recently stepped down as NCT editor. My last newsletter is being distributed this week (cover pictured above). I'm still volunteering at the breastfeeding cafe, though. The journo work proceeds as usual, it's done remotely anyway.
Just over a year ago we left London and relocated to the West Midlands. We have enjoyed living here but we are lacking the cosmopolitan flavour of the Capital so we are moving down closer to London. We are now thinking of Cambridge, where the university provides the international element and there are more opportunities for tutoring and proofreading/editing work.
We considered Oxford but it's much more expensive due to the buy-to-let bubble and it's less family friendly. Besides the commute to London is better from Cambridge.
I feel like we have been scouring most of the commuterland. Since we have left London we have househunted in Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire (Huntingdon, St Neots and Cambridge) and Oxfordshire (Oxford and nearby villages). I hope we have found the right place!
My top tip: Among the reference material that I have found quite useful are two books and several websites. The books are Escape from London and Guide to Commuterland; the websites are www.rightmove.co.uk, www.houseprices.co.uk, www.zoopla.co.uk, www.ukvillages.co.uk, maps.google.co.uk, ww.musnet.com, www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/earlyyears/surestart among many others.
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