I am really excited to be joining the Friday Club for the first time this week. I thought I’d keep it simple and talk about where I live and why I like it.
I graduated from University in 2001 and got married that summer, I was just 21. I had a job in London and my husband was working in Farnborough, so we decided to look round the Farnborough area for a house. We had a very strict, quite small budget, and no idea how to go about buying a house.
We immediately ruled out some more expensive areas and somehow ended up in Fleet, a little town in Hampshire with excellent train links to London.
Our search for a house was brief. After looking round some truly awful flats and tiny houses we found a small 2 bedroom back to back terrace house with a front garden on a nice street that for the amount of money we had was perfect. We stayed there for almost 3 years before moving to a big new housing estate where we still live now, although we have moved again on the estate. Initially we didn’t meet many people as we were both so busy with work, but since having the children I have built up a lovely network of friends.
I feel very lucky to live on our estate, while it is not the barn with fields my husband dreams of, it’s the perfect place to live with children.
The streets are tree lined and the roads quiet ( although right now I can hear the M3, but the soft roar of cars has become strangely soothing to me ). Just round the corner we have a little park and a nature reserve, where I am often to be found laden down with a scooter, bike, pushchair and 3 children not using any of those things. The path to the park is long and straight, making it the perfect place for my son to learn to ride his bike and great for scooter races. Should I admit that I have my own scooter? The nature reserve is home to cows, deer, squirrels, rabbits and there is a pond full of fish and ducks.
The estate also has its own church, supermarket and school. Sometimes it feels like we live at a centerparcs without the waterslides.
Fleet is a typical small commuter town, home to numerous coffee shops, supermarkets, restaurants and some not very good shops. If we need a big shopping centre we go to Reading or Guildford.
If anyone was thinking of moving to this area I would tell them to move within safe catchment of a school. Whilst all the schools are excellent, some are very oversubscribed. My 4 year old starts school in September and three of the schools have had an extra class added to accommodate the huge number of children needing a place this year. I am expecting my son to be about 30th on the waiting list for our nearest school. For this reason we may look to move within the next few years.
We put very little thought into moving to Fleet, or any of the houses we have bought, but it has worked out fantastically. Next time we move though, hopefully it will be our ‘forever’ house and I will be taking more time to choose it.
Here are the other entries in this carnival:
Isil at Smiling Like Sunshine tells us Home is where the heart is.
Jules at I Need Curtains for the Window In My Head posts Why Do I Live Where I Do?
South of the River Mum writes about Bringing up children in London.
Scribbling Mum explains why she lives where she does.
Jacq from Mymumdom posts about why she lives in London.
Rachel at Midlife Singlemum tells us Why she lives in Israel.
Kelly at Domestic Goddesque tells us about Wonderful, wonderful Bromley, and why I live there.
Bibsey Mama gives us 7 reasons to live in Spain in Cool España.
Helen at Cheeky Wipes tells us There’s Always a Compromise.
Jenny at The Gingerbread House tells us about her home in Our house.
Cass at The Diary of a Frugal Family tells us Home is Where The Heart Is.
Jax at Live Otherwise/Making it Up explains Why I live here. Right here. In this house.
Cara at Freckles Family posts Where I Call Home.
Merry at Patch of Puddles writes Why I Live Where I Live.
Pure Lanzarote tell us the reasons for their choice in Why live in Lanzarote?
Ella at Notes From Home explains her choices in Why we live where we do.
Isn’t it funny how before kids you don’t actually get to know your neighbours. I can remember the first few weeks of my first maternity leave looking out the window and it was like a whole new world, seeing people who lived on my street that I’d never even seen before!
Thats very true! We never used to be at home during daylight hours before having kids…I think people thought we were vampires!!
Ha ha. I remember the vampire years! These days I am hardly seen outside the hours of daylight.
Often the least planned moves are the happiest – funny isn’t it? I read a book once that said the Universe knows what’s best for you so go with the flow.
It is funny. I have found many times that something you think is not so good at the time, can become or lead to something brilliant. The universe must have a plan! x
We’ve considered Fleet because it seems to be one of the few affordable places within easy reach of London. I would love to be able to get on a train and be in London quickly!
I’ve always been quite keen on estate living and I love how you describe it as centerparcs without the waterslides!
There are some lovely little villages around here also. It is a beautiful area. x
Although I read your post a few days ago,I just didn’t have the chance to comment. A few friends of mine live in Fleet as well, though I have never been there yet. Sounds nice and better compared with house prices in Guildford.
I think it sounds lovely. The idea of it being Centreparks without the slides is brilliant!