On 7 Oct 2012 at 7:10pm Kettle wrote:
My comment was not aimed at you, ed, but a couple of other posters who were being judgemental.
On 7 Oct 2012 at 8:29pm Ed Can Do wrote:
Fair enough, sorry to assume the worst of you.
On 7 Oct 2012 at 10:58pm GhostBike wrote:
On the commute - I would recommned getting a Brompton or other folding bike, I can get from the outskirts of Lewes to my office in the West End in an hour and a half, give or take a few mnutes.
I actually enjoy the commute - I think it's what you make it. I get a desk and people are civilised - it's far preferable to spending 30 mins on a packed tube train.
The key is to treat it as 'your' time. Read War and Peace, write a novel, watch i-player stuff or a video, listen to podcasts... I sometimes find myself getting annoyed when the journey ends. Call me weird.
On the other hand, it is a bit annoying that so few trains go into Victoria in the morning, and late at night it's a bit difficult getting home. But there are worse journeys.
Incidentally you won't get that much more for your money in Lewes than in zone 3/4 London - particularly if you want to live in the centre.
On 8 Oct 2012 at 8:01am GhostBike wrote:
I'd add that I know people in Lewes who drive to the other end of Sussex for work. Two hours or more in the car each day sounds like hell - at least on the train you can do things.
Incidentally I love the assertion in the earlier thread that only DFLs commute to London - I know quite a few born-and-bred Lewesians who commute to the smoke each day. Although perhaps under the blood-and-soil fascist state some would clearly like Lewes to become, they would presumably be cast out and left to starve?
On 8 Oct 2012 at 9:16am Ben wrote:
Yes GB, prices are high. Ive got a mate who lives in the trendy side of Peckham. He
wants to move the family here (wife is Lewes born before you all start). They concluded they would end up with a smaller house if they moved to central lewes (De Mont rd) when they factored in stamp duty, estate agent com, moving costs etc. But they feel its still worth it.
On 8 Oct 2012 at 5:57pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I've been here for 21 years this year, and sold my house in Croydon and bought this one for virtually the the same price (I think there was a £500 difference, but I can't now recall which was dearer).
If I were to sell this place and move back to Croydon (which I wouldn't, not while there is a breath left in my body), and bought a house the same as the one I sold 21 years ago, I'd have £50k or so to spare.
Should add, the same applied before last year's riots, which have probably improved Croydon rather (except for Mr Reeves' shop, whic was something form a bygone age).
On 8 Oct 2012 at 8:53pm Kettle wrote:
Doesnt matter where you bought act, you bought over 20 yrs ago, like me. We are in a priviledged position and should remember that.
On 9 Oct 2012 at 2:31pm Toe Rag wrote:
Have often wondered what the views are of "true-blood" "anti-DFL" "locals" about folk who move to Lewes from places they perceive as being POORER than here.
How does the inverted snobbery work in that case, does it just become normal snobbery?
On 9 Oct 2012 at 3:26pm Kettle wrote:
Yes - and when they complain about their children being 'forced out' of town I do wonder if they spare a thought for the town that they have to move to. Surely the children of that town are 'forced out' by the influx of Lewes people?
You could say that I was 'forced out of brighton' where I grew up. (Not really, I'm far too old to live there 
On 9 Oct 2012 at 4:13pm Southover Queen wrote:
I have of course suggested this simple remedy in the past, and that is that all these proper Lewes people refuse to sell their houses for the market rate and only to sell to certified Lewesians of at least two generations of occupation. If only they wouldn't accept those offers from people from London then there wouldn't be a problem, would there? Nice little business for someone: drawing up family trees to show at least 100 years of family links to Lewes. You'd have to have some rules about people who marry out though: what if your grandmother married someone from Barcombe? Or worse - Haywards Heath or Burgess Hill! Imagine: you'd be scuppered by having a grandparent from West Sussex!
On 9 Oct 2012 at 5:37pm GhostBike wrote:
SQ - there are an awful lot of so-called true-born Lewesians who are descended from wartime evacuees. Then we get to all the people who came here when it was as port, probably from quite far afield, and the fact it was a county town and attracted people from all around Kent and Sussex. Not to mention that the houses on Grange Road and around there were built specifically for, and advertised to, those with 'business dealings in London' who were looking for more greenery. Londoners, and others, have moved here for decades, centuries even - it's why the accent round here, to my northern ears, is basically what we would call 'cockney' rather than old-fashioned Sussex.
But why let facts get in the way of prejudice?
On 9 Oct 2012 at 9:44pm Kettle wrote:
Tom Paine was from Norfolk. The DFN bustard.
On 9 Oct 2012 at 10:29pm Southover Queen wrote:
Ghostbike, it was a joke. I'm really not proposing that you should have to show a pedigree, honestly. I'm just fed up of the Lewes-fascists and enjoy poking them with a pointed stick on the forum occasionally.
People move to Lewes because it's a lovely place to live, it has great transport links, there's plenty going on, it's culturally exciting, good for families, excellent schools etc etc. It certainly isn't because it's cheap - house prices here are on a par with much of London.
I think most newcomers are welcomed wherever they come from as long as they want to be part of the community. I'd be surprised and sad if they encountered the nutty views expressed here.
On 11 Oct 2012 at 1:32pm brixtonbelle wrote:
We've been here over three years now and sometimes we're still not sure if it was the right move. We love the town, we like the cultural events (although I wouldn't call it cutting edge), we like the countryside, we love bonfire, and the schools are better than average. House prices are more expensive than the part of London we came from though, if you want to live pretty centrally and want to commute. The price of coffee and a sandwich and beer is more pricey too ! I guess there's more competition in London and more choice. Eating out here is more pricey too. It can sometimes feel a little too genteel and sometimes we get sick of the pointy elbow brigade who walk round town on a Saturday, heehawing loudly and being irritating.
I have to go to town three days a week and it can be gruelling. Trains are often delayed and after a while, despite reading or listening t music/ watching films or whatever, the journey becomes a drudge. The best bit is seeing the Downs rising up at Plumpton on the way home. I really wouldn't recommend a five-day a week commute to the OP. And you certainly couldn't have two of you doing it without it significantly affecting family life. You would never see your kids for a start !
On the whole though, it's been a good move for us. I can recommend it and as SQ says, we were welcomed and have made many friends, even amongst the locals !!