My husband has been offered a job in reading, but it's not somewhere I have ever lived. The job description was working in London and East anglia, yet the company location is in reading. We were planning to move near to Stanstead in essex so I am not sure if this is going to be too much of a commute each day? Also, I wondered what reading is like to live near to or in?

Thought it worth asking?

I was hoping he could get the job, then go straight to work at the work in London or wherever instead of having to drive to reading each day.

Thanks

Living in or around Stansted and commuting to London for work is not too big a problem, nor is living in or around Reading . Reading has junctions with the M4 to Central London and the train will bring you in half an hour to Paddington Station ( an hour to Waterloo Station).
I didn't live in Reading but I visited it twice and I liked its uni and the football club. One of my favourite places for "the perfect angler" in Britain is very near: Henley-on-Thames. So yes Laurel, Reading is a fine locality if you think Stansted would be too far away..

I spent 2 weeks there last year in a town centre hotel (for a training course) - I'd also had lodgings there for 3 months a few years back for a work asignment. Can honestly say I absolutely HATE the damned place! Full of the sort of English scumbags that I was so happy to leave behind when I left the UK all those years ago.

There are nicer places in the region (can't think of anywhere worse, but then that's just my jaundiced view) such as Henley/Marlow but I can see the house prices there being a problem. Thankfully Reading is well served by rail and road links.


When I was there last year the local newspaper was running a "why is Reading such a filthpit" campaign. A luxury hotel had recently opened in the centre and guests had to use the local public multistorey car park, along with the local needle and meths-drinking brigade. Kinda sums the town up, really.


They've made a nice bars & cafes area in the central shopping mall, but I can't think of much else to recommend the place.


(the one positive note - first time around I was able to sit at a pub on the River Thames, feed the swans and watch Concorde fly over at 19:05 every evening).

are we talking chav town? if you get my drift, because I certainly wouldn't like to move to one of those after spending a dreadful year in Braintree in Essex which sounds similar to what you describe

Oh, absolutely chav central. But that describes most UK towns and cities these days, I'm afraid......difficult to avoid it.


That said, your original post says "working in London and East Anglia". Lots of nice little places in East Anglia around the main rail link into London that might be worth investigating. There are even (shock horror) some on the coast that resemble your typical toytown Dutch village, since much of East Anglia was reclaimed with help from the Dutch and they built themselves settlements there.

Agree. Any chance you can go there and have a look first before deciding on the location?

Hubby has told the guy that we are definately moving to one of the villages near to Stanstead, siimple as that. He did advertise the job saying that it was in London and the south east after all! so it shouldn't really matter where we actually live as long as work is within driving distance. He replied saying he will let me know today or tomorrow... so I shall wait and see.

There still are a few beautiful villages on the essex suffolk border not far from the M11/M25 that are certainly not chav towns, I know for sure because I still have friends living there. Thats why I wanted to move to that area

Just one caveat on that - the "South East" also includes Kent and Sussex, which could be a ###### to drive to (even with the M11 and M25 motorways) since it involves circumnavigating London.

Remember, the M25 motorway isn't referred to as 'the Jam Doughnut' for nothing......

TRUE, but once you have "circumnavigated", are there more charming, more "English" counties than Kent and Sussex? Biking and walking through the orchards and hop fields ( with their sometimes very steep hillies like at Elham) was always an exhilarating experience for me. The little churches, gems like Barfreston and Patrixbourne, little towns like Minster and Sandwich (with its famous golfcourse), un-pronouncable village names (Trottiscliffe = trousley), fantastic homes and gardens (like Sissinghurst, Hever, Leeds castle, Chartwell, etc.). And Canterbury cathedral of course. It's in my view one of the best regions of England to live in! However it comes with a price: houses are expensive in the area...

ps. I apologise for being so enthusiastic but I enjoyed this part of Britain enormously.

Oh yes its chav and worse!
Plenty of metal grills on shop fronts and serving hatches inside shops.
Also yes it is filthy, the place and the people. I haven't been to Reading for a long time and intend never to again.

I made the mistake of walking around at night. I was quite near the centre looking for a recomended indian takeaway, but suddenly found myself lost in some unlit ghetto like area feeling very alone and quite a bit scared. I did find the takeaway eventually (it was good) and I got out alive.

It is a very divided place with different areas taken up by different nationalities/religions. I do not intend to be political, divided is the wrong word, what I mean is ... you could end up living in an area which may make you feel a bit uncomfortable/lonely if everyone (and i mean everyone) in your neighbourhood is from Whereverland talking Whateverlanguage and you dont.

University term times, there are plenty of students puking up in middle of town staggering infront of cars. Sumertime they are all sent home and the Uni dorms are empty so let out to foriegn language students. Rich pickings for the muggers!

Someone here says Sussex is nice - yes I was born there . Yes its nice but the drive is crap to London.
Have you thought of maybe Basingstoke - tho I dont know much about it. Also if you want commuter belt and VERY nice places Alton in Hampshire has been swallowed into the circle but prices rose accordingly.

Good luck and dont go out alone at night!!!