A number of my friends are making changes in 2007. Good luck to all of them.
I’ve been enjoying my time in IBM Software Services – it is such a varied role. Who knows if I will make a change myself this year…
One thing we really do need to do in 2007 is find a house… we have a bunch of requirements:
- good area
- convenient(ish) for London (family, my work), Winchester (my work), Fareham (family), Farnborough (Ola’s work), airports, road and rail connections.
- 3 bedroom (minimum)
- parking for 2 cars
- garden
- affordable (!!! – I think we are long past that point)
We don’t care if it is run down, particularly. We are rapidly running out of space though, so the housing thing is high on the agenda for the next 12 months.
Basingstoke? Not the most fun place on the place itself, but fulfills many of the other criteria… I’m sure there must be a suburb which is nice.
Hmm. We’ll have to look for one of those suburbs!
Noooo, not Boringstoke!
I counter propose Hedge End- aside from me living there, it’s not a bad area. Has a station with direct trains to Eastleigh, Winchester, Farnborough (~55 mins) and London. Very close to the M27 for Fareham and Southampton Airport. Good bus service to Southampton. Plenty of local shops etc., including big Sainsburys and M&S if that’s your cup of tea. Oh, and there’s the Rose Bowl if you like cricket. It does have 3 bedroom houses with garden and parking for 2+ cars, some of which might be affordable…
Cons:
It is just a bit of a trek to London for daily communting. Bit of an anonymous housing estate in places; not a great choice of local pubs, although Botley isn’t too far away. Avoid Botley Lakeside.
No pubs? Why bother?