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[Barry]

Here's a fantastic little deli and ceramics shop, which has recently opened in a nearby village: https://cwtchceramics.co.uk/

Looks nice - but the prices are no cheaper than in our local cake, coffee and lunch snack café, here 'darn sarf'.

[Marco]

Yeah, but I'm not talking about you, mate. I'm talking about people who are young and healthy, or at least younger and healthier, who for reasons I simply can't fathom, just 'settle' for living somewhere that is deeply dull, grey and boring, or worse, really not much fun at all, when they don't *have* to and indeed could do something about it.... Why, I wonder?

Marco.

[Marco]

Looks nice - but the prices are no cheaper than in our local cake, coffee and lunch snack café, here 'darn sarf'.

Lol - it's 'cos Rossett (and Gresford down from it, where Del was born) is considered as 'posh'!

There are any number of places like that in Wrexham town centre (but purely cafes), which offer similar food, but much cheaper

Marco.

[Macca]

Yeah, but I'm not talking about you, mate. I'm talking about people who are young and healthy, or at least younger and healthier, who for reasons I simply can't fathom, just 'settle' for living somewhere that is deeply dull, grey and boring, or worse, really not much fun at all, when they don't *have* to and indeed could do something about it.... Why, I wonder?

Marco.

1) Money- interesting and/or beautiful places tend to be desirable and so expensive to buy or rent in.
2) Stay close to family and friends - most women IME don't like to live too far away from their mothers.
3) Work - if you can't get a job somewhere else then probably best not to move there.
4) It's where they grew up and they're comfortable with those surroundings.

Scousers who make it rarely move any further than west Cheshire. Round here if you make it you just move to the posh neighbourhood on top of the hill a quarter of a mile away. Or onto the moors a couple of miles away.

[Marco]

This joint, an annex onto The Nightingale Hospice, is within a 10-min walk of my house, and run by a multi-award winning chef: https://www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/w...ter-v4-WEB.pdf

You can also get the delicious meals they make delivered to your door!

Then there's my favourite coffee shop in Wrexham town centre: https://lot-11-cafe-and-hideout.business.site/

And probably the best pub/eatery in town: https://www.thefatboarwrecsam.co.uk/

All privately owned - no fooking soulless chains in sight!

Marco.

[Marco]

1) Money- interesting and/or beautiful places tend to be desirable and so expensive to buy or rent in.
2) Stay close to family and friends - most women IME don't like to live too far away from their mothers.
3) Work - if you can't get a job somewhere else then probably best not to move there.
4) It's where they grew up and they're comfortable with those surroundings.

Scousers who make it rarely move any further than west Cheshire. Round here if you make it you just move to the posh neighbourhood on top of the hill a quarter of a mile away. Or onto the moors a couple of miles away.

Ok, thanks for that. Tell me though, how much (if any) of the above is the reason why you live in Stoke? And correct me if I'm wrong, it's my understanding that if you really wanted, you could afford to live somewhere nicer? As we've discussed before, I'd far rather be in Liverpool!

However, to address your points in order:

1) Often, but not always. Seek and ye shall find. It's amazing what kind of properties/bargains that are available out in the sticks or in small towns, when there aren't any schools nearby or a great number of amenities, or if the property in question needs some work done. But how many folk bother doing the research/leg work to find them?

'Safe' choices in life are rarely the most rewarding!

2) Sure, but at the end of the day you have to make your own way in life and can't stay tied to your mum's apron strings forever. You never achieve anything with that attitude. Del moved down to London to live on her own when she was in her early 20s, and became totally self-sufficient, getting a job working for House of Fraser and never taking a penny from her parents, despite them not being short of cash, and who would've gladly funded her lifestyle in the big smoke.

And that determined attitude and desire to make something of her life has undoubtedly been the reason why she's had such a rewarding and successful career!

3) Yeah sure, but if you're *really* good at what you do, confident and driven, and have desirable skillsets, I contend that you could find a job almost anywhere. So... I'd choose where *I* wanted to live FIRST, then find a job that suited me somewhere in that area. Plus, if necessary, I'd be willing to drive a decent distance to work, in order to live somewhere that was nice. It's a question of switching priorities, as ultimately, above all else, I'd need to be happy with where I lived.

Too many folk allow jobs to TOTALLY RULE their lives, when it needn't be like that. Have an unswerving level of self-belief, and consider that *you* DESERVE the best, and so others (employers) are lucky to have you!!

Then you'll find that opportunities come to YOU, rather than you having to find them... It's a mindset thing.

4) No longer really applicable, if that place has now become unrecognisable from where they grew up. If the surroundings have totally changed, as you've described has happened in Stoke, and you dislike what they've become, then how can you still be comfortable with them?

I could totally get that and see the point if the place in question had hardly changed in years, but otherwise, no. It does smack of being very unadventurous, though!

Marco.

[Macca]

Well all those things are conditional. Most people I think just want to live peaceful, unstressful lives. They don't like to go out of any comfort zones and they're not driven to be wealthy or successful. Family, friends, children, football, a week or two in the Canaries or maybe Blackpool and they're good. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm where I am because my girlfriend still had a year to do at University. Met lots of local people in that year, decided to stay.

Also I liked that it was 30 years behind the rest of the country, like living back in time. All the old shops and pubs were unchanged, in some cases from before the war. Of course nothing stays the same forever. But that's true of wherever you live. Except maybe the Lake District or somewhere like that.

[Macca]

I recall Donald Fagen saying in an interview that it didn't matter to him where he lived since he didn't go out much anyway.

[Marco]

Lol - fair enough... I've always been the ambitious and driven type, hence why I was able to semi-retire at 43. I missed my goal though, as I wanted to get there by 40!

Marco.

[Barry]

Lol - fair enough... I've always been the ambitious and driven type, hence why I was able to semi-retire at 43. I missed my goal though, as I wanted to get there by 40!

Marco.

Don't feel too bad - I wanted to fully retire at 55, but it took me a further three years to do it.