Well pre-pandemic this blog is going to be about – not in the current state, I don’t think that would be a fair or a realistic representation of London. Before the pandemic London boomed, bars are open everywhere, people are going about their busy lives, people are always smiling and laughing. I live on the South West side of London and before that I was West London.. I haven’t travelled far. I work what they class as ‘just outside of London’ in Richmond. It’s not outside London, it is London it’s just a bit further West, but easy to get to.
Summer is the best time to visit and when London is at it’s prime, if London was warm all the time it would be the perfect city. Everyone would live there, there would be triple the amount of people there are now. God, could you imagine it, too busy I think. When you don’t live in London and you are visiting for the day you are travelling to areas such as Picadilly, Leicester Square and Convent Garden, and I’m not going to lie to you; they are busy. So busy even I avoid them like the plague at peak times of the day. This is why people don’t want to move to London, too busy, too expensive, well yes it is if you aren’t working or living in London. But when you are actually IN London you are in the best and optimum position.
My decision to move to London came to me when I got back from travelling, 8 months away and suddenly I was struck by lightening. Not literally don’t worry it was just such a shock to the system. To come back to a small village and town where everyone knew each other and nothing was happening. It wasn’t for me, I needed something bigger, something more exciting, I needed the hustle and the bustle which I had just had for 8 months to continue, I couldn’t let it stop.
I started working for a company, in that same town, just one month after I got back. They sent me for a five week training course in London right in the heart if Kensington, and I loved it. The freedom that London bought grabbed me. After I had finished this course I started working in that office outside of London. I really enjoyed my time there, the people at that office were great. However within 8 months of the working there and living at home with my parents. That was it, I was done with the small town vibe.
A position came up in the Richmond area and I have never looked back since. I moved into my first flat with my bestfriend in the first 2 months of moving up to London and was there for a good 2 years, before August 2020 meant we had to part ways. A mutual decision from both of us don’t worry, we didn’t have a massive argument and now don’t speak. We are still bestfriends but it was time not to live together. We both had plans, we still do, they are just delayed a little more than we had hoped for. She also met her partner who she is living with now and it was a time in my life where I wanted to live on my own and crack on with other things.
I then moved to a flat in South West London, at this point in my life I was the perfect decision for me. Still easy to get to work, still easy to see all my friends this side of London, great location for going out in the evenings and even easy to get into Central London. It’s now been 8 months since I moved into this flat and coming up to 3 years in total for living in London. The novelty hasn’t worn off yet and I can’t wait until the world is back to normal for us to be able to enjoy London at it’s prime once more.
If you have any questions about London, flat renting, transport, just hit me up on my contact me page.
LEAH HANCOX 