A capital affair: London v the regions

Thousands of civil servants face being relocated to regional centres as part of Gordon Brown's money-saving drive. How does London see the rest of the country - and what do the regions think of living in the capital?

David McCandless feels for the 20,000 civil servants faced with relocation, arguing that if they are anything like him, they'll have to be dragged kicking and screaming from the capital. Full story

Rebecca Sandles has made just such a move to Manchester. She now can't imagine moving back to the South East, having discovered what is on offer beyond the Watford gap. Full story

LONDON CALLING

I am a typical Londoner. The only time I've ventured outside the M25 in the past two years has been on a plane. For me, anywhere beyond Watford is "the country". I'm not exactly sure where Birmingham is, but I believe it to be near Manchester. Right?

When I've visited the regions in the past, I've been every inch the obnoxious Londoner. You've seen me. I burst giggling into parochial bars. I demand absinthe, and talk in an overly-loud voice. Only the incredulous amount of change I get from a tenner can shut me up.

Not from these parts, are you?

I'm not suited to being anywhere else. Not because anywhere else is boring. Or inferior. It's just that I'm tuned into the sensory avalanche of metropolitan life. I'm over-stimulated, over-worked, over-charged and over-wrought. And I love it.

Whenever I stray beyond the inner city, I am gripped by a powerful dread. The fear of missing something - I'm not sure what, just something.

That's why I feel sorry for public servants being threatened with relocation to Norwich, Northampton, Ashford and Exeter. The thought of just one main shopping street, one football team, one railway station fills me with rising sense of panic. These civil servants have spent their lives adapting to London. They're going to be climbing the walls.

I can't say the countryside doesn't tempt me. Like many Londoners, I secretly covet a rustic existence. I tune in ravenously to TV stories of those who've made the break to Tuscany, to Australia, to Zone 4.

Urban tribes

But what would I actually do? Drink cider, weave baskets, and smile all day and all night? That sounds OK, but what if I want a packet of crisps at 4am? Or a lamb tagine delivered to my door? Everything shuts at 11 - and have you seen how dark it gets out there?

Oh, for a place in the sun

Most of all, I'd miss the people.

Londoners are more interesting. Or rather, London forces you to be an interesting person. To survive this shambolic metropolis, previously unseen qualities must be tapped. The resourceful you. The tolerant you. The super-thrifty you. And, in light of recent terror threats, the fearless you.

My friends are all adventurers. I belong to several sets of interlocking, multicultural chum networks, built up over years of jobbing, house parties, and night bus encounters. They're my family now.

London is tolerant. You can do, say, wear anything you want. No one judges you. No one even looks at you. Outside, outlooks narrow. Daily Mails are read openly. People notice if you're different.

Gordon Brown hopes to save £2bn on this relocation. He's gambling that most civil servants won't move, and they'll be able to re-hire in the regions for lower salaries.

It's a sure fire bet. I couldn't leave. I'd be leaving a part of myself behind. Like everyone who's lived in this great city, there's a part of me that will be forever London.

WHAT LIES BEYOND WATFORD

Friends and family often ask when I'm moving back to London. For some, it's with a sense of wonder, others a more blatant incredulity that after two years in Manchester, I still choose to stay away.

Initially the move was work-related. I'd already been in Thailand a year, so I was hardly spending my hours listening to Bow Bells ringing even then.

Now, I can't see myself rushing back to Bermondsey. I still have a flat there and visit regularly, but move back? I feel like a stranger - it can be a very anonymous city.

And the appeal is what, exactly?

Londoners see the city as where it's all happening. They're the movers and shakers. Ironically, they might discover more room to move and shake outside.

But when you break free from the city's field of influence, you realise the gravitational pull that emanates from within the M25 is all in the head. It's actually Londoners who are missing out, on easier access to the sea, mountains, lakes and pubs with real fires.

There are even theatres and art galleries outside the capital. Front row seats for Full Circle at the Lowry go for £18. You can reach out and touch Joan Collins from there.

Many who flee the capital give transport as a reason. There are traffic jams in Aberdeen and crowded trains trundling across the Pennines, but nothing helps boost stress levels like the Tube on a Monday morning.

It isn't just transport that makes living outside the capital easier. You'll probably be paid less, but rent's cheaper, drink's cheaper and people are friendlier. Passengers actually thank the bus driver when they get off. Worth trying in London just to see people wonder at your mental state.

Free time

There's something about being away from the capital that lifts an invisible weight from one's shoulders. It certainly frees up your day. My daily commute once took up to two hours. Now it's two delightful 15 minute walks.

Rebecca returns for Charlton games

But despite the cost, the packed trains and the often unfriendly shop staff, I am, and always will be, a Londoner. There's football. Certain northern football clubs are famed for having fans that commute from the Home Counties to games. I go the opposite way, as a season ticket holder at Charlton Athletic.

Most of my family live in London and I miss them. My Mum's a tour guide, showing the city's delights to the millions who visit each year. That's what London is for me, a place to holiday. I had a great weekend recently playing the tourist, with a West End show and an open-top bus tour. That, a football match, and then the train back north.

On one such journey, a fellow traveller asked in a distinct Mancunian accent, "how long are you visiting for?" "Oh no," I replied, attempting to disguise my south London lilt, "I'm from Manchester."

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Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

It may be nice to relocate but what about children's education, friends and relations? It is not easy to go to a new place and make friends and leave loved ones behind.
Bobbi, London

I have heard Americans described as short sighted as only 5% have ever travelled out of their country and don't really know what happens beyond their borders. It seems that Londoners are the same about their domain within the M25.
Simon , West Yorkshire, UK

I love London. I moved down from Sheffield 2 years ago and I'm happy to stay here for at least the next two! I love the diversity, the culture, the free museums and the endless options for entertainment. Summer in London is my particular favourite as the parks just fill up with humanity having fun.
Hannah, UK

The downside is the poor public transport, rarity of open police stations and the loneliness. But we Londoners somehow manage.
Ray Gray, England

Gordon Brown is quite right to look to move parts of the Civil Service to the regions - how can such small-minded attitudes properly represent or implement policies to the greater proportion of the nation?
Harry, West Midlands.

The best thing about London is the variety - the idea that the whole city is noisy, bustly and unfriendly is a bit blinkered. Venture a few miles out of the West End and you'll find some beautiful parkland as well as close knit local communities.
Nicholas O, London, UK

I've lived in London. In the car, it can take an hour to get from one part of the city to another one. From where I live, in north Lancashire, in an hour I can be in working or shopping in Manchester or Leeds; or walking in the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District. My pint of bitter costs me £1.20 and a large scotch £1.50. A spacious three-bedroomed semi costs £150,000. The civil servants should be paying the government to come and live in places like this!
Hedley, England

It's about time things were decentralised, the private sector has been doing it for a while now. There's simply no need for most businesses to be London-based (other than City type jobs which could otherwise be lost abroad) and it makes far more sense to balance out opportunities across the country.
Paul, UK

I'm originally from London; now I live in a little village in North Yorkshire. I love London, always have, but I would never want to live there again - its too expensive, noisy, dirty and it seems that no-one has time for anyone. On one visit I was horrified to see an elderly lady fall over at the bottom of some steps in a tube station - people just walked past. I helped her up - she was ok but so surprised that anyone was willing to help her.
Jane, North Yorkshire