Moving from Edinburgh to London

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I'm considering applying for a promotion to the London office of my civil service department. Considering that i can expect to be on less than £20K a year, is it a bad idea?

― Leigh, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

no, you should try it. when i first came to london i was on £15k and i managed ok, its risen since then and i'm certainly comfortable financially now on around £21k, so i wouldn't worry about it on that angle. as for socially, well, i don't know - i'm kind of the wrong person to ask because i'm considering jacking it in and moving to manchester! but, theres certainly loads of ilx people here, so even if you didn't know anyone at all you'ld have something to start with...

― gareth, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The social aspect's not a problem, i know a fair number of people in London. I just don't want to find that i'll struggling so much that i can't go anywhere or do anything. My friend has a spare room in Slough and the office is in Bloomsbury. I'm not sure what the commute would be like though.

― Leigh, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Hoo hoo, my boss (who we call the Wicked Witch of Slough) manages to commute to central London every day (sadly) so it's more than do- able. I'm surviving on about 14K but it is just that. Surviving. How depressing.

*jumps off Lambeth bridge*

― Sarah, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

the commute would be train into paddington, and then probably 2 tubes from there (although short distances on each, or maybe 1 tube and a walk from euston square actually?) although i don't know how much that commute would cost.

would you stay in slough, or move into london itself?

― gareth, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Slough to Paddington is a fairly quick route, and overground too!

― jel --, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

What's so bad about Edinburgh that you need to do...THAT

― dave q, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

*revive*

OK, I have been offered a stupid amount of money to move to London. As in, a price I always put on making a move to London pretty much out of the question. Everything is all a bit strange now. I have no clear ties to Edinburgh bar eight years. I can't really put my finger on what makes me anxious. Maybe it being my first job move in my career, maybe that I don't like disruption (but know it is probably wise).

So, it is a near 100% pay rise. It would be in Canary Wharf. Classic or Dud? Wise or unwise? Why am I so anxious about the idea? I really am quite confused and nervous about it all, and probably need to give a verbal acceptance by Tuesday at the latest. Any help will really be gratefully received.

Oh, and I know a few folk down in London as well, but not for the past few years that well. It's.... i dunno.

― 3underscore (___), Sunday, 31 October 2004 22:06 (twenty years ago)

In my view, moving from anywhere to London = classic. There are some reasonably cheap places (by London standards) with an easy commute to Canary Wharf. As for friends, there is always ILX, though how the hell we would greet you by name is beyond me.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 31 October 2004 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Cheers Martin - my name would become quickly apparent. It is weird at the moment. I have five hours of interviews on Friday, and then got an offer by the time I reached the pub from them through the consultant. It's all very quick and strange right now.

― 3underscore (___), Sunday, 31 October 2004 22:52 (twenty years ago)

Martin, as ever, is OTM. Do it. Just do it. You will be offered considerably more money. You have no ties to Edinburgh. There is a fuck of a lot of really cool stuff to do in this city. You have a potentially very large group of friends/drinking companions to hook up with when you get here. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 1 November 2004 00:01 (twenty years ago)

try it ___, nothing ventured nothing gained and all that. Many of my friends have moved there in the past few years with a "well, i caN LWAys come back" mindset but none of them show any signs of doing so until they are a bit older and want to settle. I know you a bit and you seem comfident and laid back to me. Edinburgh will still be there for a few years at least i reckon.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 1 November 2004 00:36 (twenty years ago)

Cheers jed. I think one of the main things is that in the industry I am in it is quite big. Once in London, with this kind of move, the chances of a return to Edinburgh will be very slight. And I kind of like the place. But, I suppose I would then have to book holidays to optimo, which would improve my job performance.

And, obviously, i would really be persuing a career, rather than watching one develop slowly on its own.

― 3underscore (___), Monday, 1 November 2004 09:37 (twenty years ago)

Personally, I would stay in Edinburgh.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 1 November 2004 10:05 (twenty years ago)

and canary wharf is kinda nice.. if you like that kind of tall buildings and river thing. there's a really good chinese restaurant, too. I'd live there if I have a chance (the houses are expensive there though).

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 1 November 2004 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I don't think they will pay me enough to buy a flat on the wharf quite yet. The new building out there is meant to be pretty great though.

I must say, I am at the height of tempted at the moment. Someone sending me a schedule of what I am to do every day this month hasn't helped matters.

― 3underscore (___), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:00 (twenty years ago)

(notice how this is all the londonistas saying "join us"!!)

JOIN US!! serious, i wasn't overly keen on the idea when my wife got a job in london when we were in oxford, but it's really good. i'd advise living somewhere that you can get to work to without needing to use the underground though, this seems to be a main cause of london loathing in my friends who have left...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:16 (twenty years ago)

Gosh, I would LOVE to live somewhere where I COULD use the underground!

― Starry (hello chickens), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:19 (twenty years ago)

is the DLR any better for commuting? (i have no idea how many people use it in the mornings - although them trains are tiny)

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:20 (twenty years ago)

move to proper london starry.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:20 (twenty years ago)

also trip, south london does not count, there be dragons there and everyone smells of wee ;)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:21 (twenty years ago)

Cheers Steve. I think some form of decision needs to be made in the next ten minutes (I now have 12 missed calls on my phone from them). Looking at it, travel in wouldn't be that bad, as a train to London Bridge then only requires three stops on the Jubilee extension. I wouldn't be too keen on any other, like you say (sadly they are moving from within walking distance of London Bridge).

x-post to a few. The times I have been on the DLR have put me off big-time, ken. Normally doing City Airport - Canary Wharf - Bank. Horrible experience. I guess it does bring Greenwich in to the process though.

― 3underscore (___), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:23 (twenty years ago)

Greenwich to the Wharf is the sort of easy commute that dreams are made of, and its a nice place to live.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:28 (twenty years ago)

DO IT!!

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:30 (twenty years ago)

i don't know you, so i don't know what you're into or anything, but i haven't regretted moving to london at all. it's a great city and there's tons to do. especially if you've got a job that means you can afford to do those things, i'd totally go for it.

(also, i second carsmile's opinion about avoiding the tube commute. i found a flat that means i walk to work, it dramatically improves my quality of life. being close to a decent night bus helps as well)

― colette (a2lette), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:36 (twenty years ago)

the DLR is fantastic - never had a problem on it - you must be very unlucky ___

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago)

Docklands Light Railway appreciation society

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 1 November 2004 12:44 (twenty years ago)

Well - my DLR experiences have all been after a red-eye flight and a bus journey, so my view of it was pretty negative in that way. I probably wouldn't like any form of transport after getting up at 4am though, so (once again) I am being unduly harsh due to my personal situations!

― 3underscore (___), Monday, 1 November 2004 13:10 (twenty years ago)

I'm perfectly happy with tubes myself, though the DLR is pretty. Some of the stations are rather exposed to cold winds in the winter, though.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 1 November 2004 18:13 (twenty years ago)

So, ___, did you go for it? You have to tell us your real name now (especially if you're actually famous - my guess is that you're Cat Deeley, am I close?)

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 November 2004 18:17 (twenty years ago)

Today I got from St Brides by Fleet Street or somewhere to Paddington Station using only TWO buses. May I be the first to congratulate myself?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 1 November 2004 20:04 (twenty years ago)

Edinburgh is the most beautiful city in the UK.

London is a dump

Edinburgh has no jobs

London does

I took the heavy decision.

― Re-Locating Ron, Monday, 1 November 2004 20:17 (twenty years ago)

OTM!!!!

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 1 November 2004 20:22 (twenty years ago)

nine months pass...

Revive!

I'm an ex-Embra resident, but I moved away to look for work. Unfortunately, I ended up in an east-coast shithole, where I never go out, don't have any friends, and life consists solely of work/home/shopping for essentials.

I've been in London this weekend, and had a really good time. Now I'm trying to think of reasons why I should and shouldn't think about moving there. And, if it *is* a good idea, how I should go about trying to do it.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Monday, 15 August 2005 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

move to glasgow instead.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Saturday, 20 August 2005 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

I'm in Edinburgh right now and thinking about the relationship of Edinburgh / World and Edinburgh / London. I remember telling my dad, when I moved to London in 1984, that I saw it as a gateway to the world. That was true then, but I don't know if it's still true now. You can skip the intermediate stage now and go anywhere in Europe, straight from Edinburgh. I think Edinburgh now has this direct relationship with the global, whereas once everything would have had to pass through London.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 20 August 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

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Moving from Edinburgh to London - C or D