[tommytwotone]

This one's for my London homiez, some beta required.

I'm sacking off the bright lights of Derby to move down to London where apparently the streets are paved with gold. Or was that shotgun-toting 12 year-olds? I can't remember.

Hey, either way I'm off very soon (as soon as notice worked out) and need to sort everything, the most pressing need being a flat. I'm gonna be sharing with a mate so want a 2 bed place, preferably within decent distance of Canary Wharf.

Any help / info greatly appreciated!

For the record, I am aware that this move will significantly compromise my climbing lifestyle but hey, London's closer to Font that Derby and it's nearly autumn!

[cowboyhat]

Get the beta off Dylan. I would say, based on rudimentary knowledge having only alighted myself two years ago, Hackney. There are some ok bits and some where you shouldn't live. But thats like anywhere. Its close to Canary wharf and to the all important Castle. shouldn't cost too much either.

[Yossarian]

if you don't mind not being near a wall then either wapping, surrey quays, bermondsey, greenwich might be the answer...

[tommytwotone]

want to be near Canary Wharf for work, and Limehouse as that's where my housemate-to-be's girlfriend lives.

Think our combined rent budget's gonna be round the £750 - £1000 a month region, am I in cloud cuckoo land if I think I'm gonna get anything decent for that??

Also, what's the scratch with letting agent's fees and ting? I get the feeling we're going to end up going through and agency cos we'll be pushed for time, so don't wanna get too stuffed.

[cowboyhat]

750 a month for a two bed flat should be fine. If you can go to 900 you'll be sorted with a pad. Limehouse is inbetween the wall and the wharf...

[Fiend]

Goodbye climbing, it was nice knowing you!

[AndyR]

Looks like you'll be contributing to the southern sandstone thread soon then TTT.....

[Bubba]

Why you movin' TTT ?

What's the job?

[ian h]

get down to high rocks , dont listen to what they say and keep an open mind, you will not be dissapointed

i have shown a few different groups of northerners round this season they all climbed well and all loved it .

[SA Chris]

Looks like you'll be contributing to the southern sandstone thread soon then TTT.....

I'd rather be including for a load of pins for my eyes in my monthly budget.   :wink:

[tommytwotone]

in reply to, well, pretty much everyone...

I'm currently a Business Analyst - the job I'm going to is what I'm doing now, but working for a much more forward thinking, interesting and most importantly private-sector firm.

I started off working in a Derby-based online bank, then went to a small local authority in Nov '04 and let me tell you, since then I've discovered it ain't the place for anyone under 40!

Additionally, the fact that the new role will increase my (already pretty decent) salary by a third, so I've decided to take it.

I guess if I don't experience London now, when I'm single and independant, I'll never do it and I have always wanted to give it a shot.

There are some other more personal (woman-related) reasons why I want to leave Derby as well, but I won't go into them here.

I am aware that this will funk up my climbing good and proper but hell, there are walls about, they'll get me strong and they'll be a good way to meet people I hope. Also the Derby posse will still be up here if I wanna come visit for a weekend or whatever.

Plus the fact that at the moment I'm pretty much dividing my time/energy 50/50 between climbing and kickboxing, the latter I'm assuming I'll find it more easy to keep up!

I could indeed go to the dreaded Southern Sandstone but IMO if I'm going that far from London, I may as well carry on over the channel and get to Font!

[dave]

more to the point, what last-minute gritstone ticks are on your list before you bail, and what you gonna do to achieve them? FUCCUS JOHN FUCCUS

[tommytwotone]

blimey - have considered this, especially when I might get a couple of crisp autumn weekends before I go (I hope). Off the top of my head...

Bouldering:

Banana Finger Direct
Razor Roof
Jerry's Arete
Deliverance
That 7a+ arete thing in Burbage South Edge Quarries

Oh, and still wanna onsight solo Long John's Slab and all.

Meant to mention - I have pre-ordered the DVD of Nathan Barley so I can fully prepare for my move. Keep it chopped out.

[cowboyhat]

You'll never look back.

[Bonjoy]

What happened to your plans to move to Sheff?
 Don't wan't to be a party pooper, but wont a third extra on your salary get more than swallowed up by the mad cost of living in the smoke? I mean we're talking £10 per trip to the climbing wall here!
 If you do got to get the dirty London thing out of your system, make sure you live near Mile End, it's better and cheaper than the Castle and you will be nearer to the Southern Sandstone too.

[Bonjoy]

You'll never look back.

 A bit like Royston Vasey.

 Sadly you are right though. Most peeps who get sucked into London loose the will to leave.

 Sorry guys. I've just spent too much time in London when I was working on the ropes. It's fun for a week...

[tommytwotone]

What happened to your plans to move to Sheff?
 Don't wan't to be a party pooper, but wont a third extra on your salary get more than swallowed up by the mad cost of living in the smoke? I mean we're talking £10 per trip to the climbing wall here!
 If you do got to get the dirty London thing out of your system, make sure you live near Mile End, it's better and cheaper than the Castle and you will be nearer to the Southern Sandstone too.

I was indeed checking out Sheff, but sadly my area of expertise is the world of retail banking and that's an industry that just doesn't exist up there.

Plus I know what you Sheffield mafia types are like, you wouldn't let an outsider into your midst, I'd probably have to quote "the real thing" verbatim backwards and recite grades out of Ru's guidebook while doing one-armers in the Foundry or something...or is it worse than that now? :wink:

On the money thing, I'd agree if it was just me moving down on my own but I'll be sharing with a mate who's been down there a few years now and he's been getting by on about half what I'll be on so unless I go mental I should be alright.

Indeed, £10 a wall session ain't cheap, extortion in fact,  but then again my fuel / running costs of car / cobs from Hathersage bakery currently puts my average Sunday on the Peak at about that anyway.

Plus the fact that I'm pretty tight, so perhaps if I'm shelling out a tenner it'll motivate me to train like crazy so i feel like I'm getting value for money!

Defo keeping in Eastside on the flat hunt, think it'll be the best all round. Was thinking about south of the river, but have heard bad things about it - gangs, not being able to get taxis, scant LU service...

Did have one more thing to ask - what's the dillio with finding somewhere?

I'm using rightmove.co.uk at the mo but that's all pretty much agencies and I reckon we'll get boned for "fees" if we wanna take something. Is there another way? A site that only does private landlords? Is it better to go through an agency cos of the potential for dodgy landlords in London?

[cowboyhat]

If you do got to get the dirty London thing out of your system, make sure you live near Mile End, it's better and cheaper than the Castle and you will be nearer to the Southern Sandstone too.

By his own admission, he once spent a week here up a rope. Driving to the peak is less hassle, will take about the same time, and is ten times more gratifiing than visiting the sandstone. You can judge that for yourself though.

Southern sandstone blog:
Stuck in traffic near catford
stuck in traffic near bromley.
can't find the crag.
need a wee been in car 2hours.
someone described this awesome sounding problem but all i can find is some caves kids have set fire to...etc
I apologise for this not being in reverse order. I only discovered what a blog was from Maddox.

South east has no tube and generally shit transport. Zone 1-2 south or 1-4 south west are fine though.

With all your new money buy yourself a decent road bike.

[clm]

is there no banking centre in manchester or leeds.  both within reasonable pissing disatnce of good crags - hell you can do wales ina day from here.

[erm, sam]

Fuck it. Why not move to London for a bit? It has its pros and cons of course, but where hasn't?
I lived there for two years, I loved it and hated it simultaineously pretty much the whole time.
Lots of people end up staying, oh jeez, because they must like it. And lots of people leave again.  Ok, a few people leave again.
It certainly is 15 times the "cityness" of any other town in the UK and has a pretty high "cityness" rating compared to anywhere in Europe. It should be experienced.
I lived in Brixton, cycled to Mile End A LOT. 40 mins to and hour (each way) on a bike 5 days a week got me a lot fitter than I would have been in MCR or Sheff. Getting gobbed on occasionally by youths only added to the Urban experience. As did getting knocked off my bike, and witnessing that bloke have CPR after being hit by a bus.
I enjoyed cycling to work (other job) past the houses of parliment. And if you havent cycled round Trafalgar square at rush hour, you will forever be a two wheeled punter. No matter how extreme your DH decents or drop offs are.
You will learn to walk very fast and become very good at ignoring people.
So all in all London if fucking ace, especially if you have a decent wad. However. If you ever find yourself considering buying a house in Catford or Chingford, maybe it is time for a quick reappaisal of what you want out of life....
Hope you enjoy it.[/list]

[erm, sam]

oh, and don't buy a road bike. I think a courier style mountain bike/road bike cross is needed for the varying demands of urban cycling. Streamlined riding position for covering long distances, easy gears for maximum acceleration away from lights, medium fat semi slicks for shitty roads, kerbs and parks. narrow bars for cutting between gaps and cars etc etc

[tommytwotone]

yo yo, am up in the big smoke, representing with an E1 flava. And I don't mean the grade, that's my postcode shamone.

Paid Mile End a visit for a look round, it looks alright but was way too hungover to consider climbing, only 10/15 mins on foot from the crib, not too bad, though I don't fancy walking through Mile End and Stepney on a dark night...

Think I'll go to the Castle to see if it's worth the trek on a regular basis.

Any of the London hommes gonna be at a wall or owt, feel free to gimme a PM.

Peace out.

[Fiend]

Mmmmm the weather's starting to get fresh for the grit up here  :wink:

[cowboyhat]

But it must be dark by 5pm. Weekends in the peak for you too then...?

[Johnny Brown]

Will still be light enough for evening bouldering for a week or two. I, however, choose to spend most of my evenings inching through glossop in a white van.