Guest 728- Registered: 24 Oct 2011
- Posts: 31
#1
I spent a lot of time in Dover/St Marg when i was younger and now our daughter is 20 we are looking to move. We spend a lot of time on holiday in Dover/St Margarets and love it. We've never stayed in the extreme winter weather though.
In compariosn North London feels depressing and having the sea so close just gives you as a person something else.
I wanted to know if any of you Dover folk have ever lived a long way from Dover and then made the switch to Dover (either back to Dover or to Dover for the 1st time).
Am i imagining the area is a lot nicer than it really is? Sometimes it feels like Dover is10 years behind, but in a good way. Dover never feels agressive and i never see many people i would consider as "trouble".
I look forward to hearing from you all.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#2
a fair summing up steve, dover is very laid back and a relaxing place to live.
after more than a half century in east london/west essex i feel qualified to judge, the people overall are the friendliest you could find anywhere.
Judith Roberts- Registered: 15 May 2012
- Posts: 637
#3
Great minds think alike. I spent my teenage years in Dover. I didn't go back for a long time and didn't really miss it, but now we are down in Kent at any opportunity and intend to move back within the next few years. I love the down to earth friendliness of Dovorians. The combination of beautiful typically English countryside and lovely seaside walks is unbeatable.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#4
I live in north London and quite enjoy it, on the whole.
It is certainly the case that Dover does indeed have many, many decent folk. Although I do not wish to convey that Dover has more than it's fair share of decent folk, just an ample supply.
If your daughter is a good joiner-in, there seems to be great scope in outdoor pursuits for people of her age.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 728- Registered: 24 Oct 2011
- Posts: 31
#5
Tom:
We're in Enfield.
Where are you? What's your connection with Dover?
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#6
[Enfield?? I think that is more 'north of', but then I am a foreigner.
]
I live in Hackney, 'Stoke Newington', to be precise. It must be love, I came here to argue and ended up agreeing. They are just that kind of folk.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 719- Registered: 11 Jul 2011
- Posts: 443
#7
Yorkshire Born And Yorkshire Bred
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#8
I was raised in London and moved to this area (Deal) over 40 years ago then into Dover. I would not go back to London for anything I love the whole area. Thank goodness Dover is laid back in comparison with London, I think that is the case for almost every town away from any metropolis. Another big advantage is the lack of serious crime in this part of the country but we do get rather riled up over dog poo on pavements.
The only downside could be for your daughter if she is moving with you and likes the high life, she just might find the area too slow.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#9
I used to live in (East) Barnet (born in St. Albans), which as Tom said is more North of London than North London. I had a career with NatWest at their London computer centre, but after over 24 years there, decided to make a break.
My wife and I moved here 1994 to buy a guest house, which we ran very successfully for almost 9 years.
I must admit that I love Dover more than Jean does, but neither of us would/could go back.
The Town has so much unrealised potential and I do get very frustrated sometimes, but it will become the jewel on the South (East) coast with much regeneration about to take place that will transform (for the better) Dover.
We could all make lists of what is great about the area and what is happening to make it the Town it should/will, be, but the thread would then be a 100 pages long.
Roger
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#10
STEVE;
Although I can't speak for London but do have family scattered around th outskirts, I have lived in dover since my mum and dad had that twinkle in there eye lol
dover's a great place to live, and the folk nice to.
compared to the busy life of London, you will find dover in many ways a lot more laid back.
London does have it's advantages, nightlife/shows etc, public transport
but dover also has many plus's so as long as your happy with that kind of life style dover is the place.
theres such a long list of great things about dover to long to list here
but look forward to your posts/and your move to dover
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
#11
Hi, I was born in Dover, brought up in Eythorne, went to the Boys Grammar School in Dover and then went away to sea. I've lived in London, Felixstowe, Hong Kong, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Manila and Cabugao, but when circumstances caused me and the family to return to the UK, Dover was the only place for us, even though it meant 7 years of commuting. We lived in Dover initially, but being a country boy at heart, moved out to the villages after a couple of years. Dover though is still what I consider to be our town and we do all our shopping and business in the town. For us there's family and a very long historical connection, but those are not the only reasons for settling back here. There are good primary and secondary schools for the kids, masses of heritage sites and activities, the port, ships of all kinds, plenty of outdoor (and indoor) activities and, I have found, a spirit of service to neighbours and community.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
#12
My story is slightly different, I was born in Islington Norf' London and lived and worked in Camden for most of my life. I don't live in Dover (just know a lot of the lovely people who do) but in 2005 I moved to Essex. As much as I love London I needed to breathe. I really like it here, I live next to a nature reserve but am within walking distance to a large shopping centre and amenities (important as I don't drive.) If I need a London fix I can hop on the train and be in Fenchurch Street in under 40 minutes. When I go back there now I am always more conscious of safety, holding tightly to my handbag etc. I never really used to be like that when I lived there. I find it very dirty and noisy now but I still love my 'roots'. I always said I could never move out of London yet when I hit 40 I couldn't wait to move!
Guest 750- Registered: 12 Apr 2012
- Posts: 72
#13
Hi Steve, I was born in Folkestone and the family moved to Dover when my dad was posted at the then Young Offenders Institute on the Western Heights in the 70's, I must admit that living up there through my youth was idyllic!
I moved away from Dover in 1989 and lived in Tunbridge Wells and later in Margate and now at a (considerably older age) am about to move back to Dover so looking forward to being back where my roots definately lie.
Dover is as you say is a quiet area and is very behind, the shops could do with a bit of upgrading and if the more realistic developments go ahead in the Town area they will contribute to Dover polishing its Jewel again.
I have younger sisters in their 20's/30's who will unfortunately say that the nightlife is not much, but they make the most of what is available.
However, in essence, Dover is a beautiful place - I can't wait to move back
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
#14
I grew up in North London, between Chalk Farm and Belsize Park, and was there for the 60's. As they got going our Grammar school had a choice of sports and swimming meant an hour in Marshall Street then free to wander Carnaby Street right at the time it meant something. In those days there was a great atmosphere to living in London (even though my primary school years had us walking to school in the last of the smogs). That atmosphere died with the seventies and by the eighties I had moved to Dover.
What I found here was that same friendly atmosphere, London lost it but Dover never did. As a lover of history and open spaces, Dover has everything to offer and I am very happy to have four children who are all Dover born and bred (just a pity that there will be no more maternity wards in the town).
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
#15
It's amazing the amount of ex-North Londoners in Dover.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#16
Yes they must have emigrated one after the other, I was from Streatham in South London.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
#17
Steve visit Canterbury first,
