Going back to my roots

The urge to get back to North London is growing by the day.  Who'd have thought it?  I just have the tricky job of finding gainful employment now - a minor hitch in my plans!

Yesterday I took the 134 bus along a route which I'd taken many hundreds of times before - but not for at least 10 years.  For any bus geeks out there who might happen to read this, the 134 starts at Tottenham Court Road and finishes up in Finchley (I think).  This was a route that went past my old flats and into Camden so a pretty important bus all round.

There was a reason for me taking the bus - I wanted to suss out areas that I hadn't visited for a long time, areas I may or may not want to live in again.  I'd been considering Kentish Town and upwards towards Highgate but have re-thunk!  Neither Kentish Town nor Tufnell Park did it for me yesterday.  Tufnell Park was great to live in for a while after moving to London from the sticks but I've grown up & want somewhere a bit more "me".  My little studio flat in Tufnell Park saw a lot of people come & go - mainly the likes of Tina & Dawn who stayed pretty much every weekend.  It also saw boys come and go - great ones, swedish ones, and other ones.  It did the job for a while but then I wanted bigger & better - I'm talking about the flat here by the way!

Highgate felt positively posh compared to Fortess Road....well it is I guess.  I moved into a flat that was pretty darn lovely, apart from the odd old furniture that the landlord insisted I kept and the fact I had to share a bathroom, but it was lovely nevertheless.

I'm rambling again. Anyway, it's a no to Kentish Town & Tufnell Park, a vague possibility if it was great as far as Archway is concerned, but a definite yes to Highgate or Muswell Hill.  My wishlist is topped however by Crouch End.  Lee was a great font of local knowledge yesterday and told me lots about public transport etc.  which, although boring to anyone else, is a necessity to me.  I need to know I can get places.  So Crouch End it will hopefully be.  Crouch End with it's lovely little cafe's, boutiques, delis and interesting little shops.  I know EXACTLY where I want to live but that'll be dependent upon the job and availability at the time.

Now...if anyone could just find me the job that I need to help me achieve this new found dream.....I'll love you forever.

Streets paved with Gold.....allegedly

Big changes happening in my world....changes that have been forced upon me......but good all the same (I think).

Last Friday we got the (not so) unexpected news that our office will be closing down at the end of September.  Rather than sit in a corner sobbing, I'm going to take my severance money and my laptop, and move on to the next phase in my life.  I'll be very sorry to leave this place as it really is the best place I've ever worked (and probably ever will) but what will be, will be, and as I always say in times like this....no-one has died.

So that news has prompted me to think about all things financial.  Brighton salaries are generally rubbish.  I can no longer work for £25k and moreso, I refuse to!  My current salary is rare and one I will never get again in Brighton....or at least at the moment.  So.....after a lot of soul-searching, I've made the decision to move back to North London.  This wasn't an easy one - I'll miss the sea, I'll miss my flat, I'll miss the Laines - but needs must.  I don't want to struggle for money anymore and the only way I can avoid that is working for decent money in the smoke.  I'm only going knowing that I can come back to visit friends at weekends or on days off....and am only 50 mins away.

I've been in Brighton for 10 years now and for most of those 10 years I've said I will never move back to London....ever.  Oh how things change.  I guess things over the past year have made me like the place again (or least parts of it) - I loved doing Lipgloss in Chalk Farm (albeit with a very short shelf life), I loved going to South East London for illicit meetings, and I've fallen in love with Soho again.  So...rather than dreading this move.....I'm looking forward to it....and only wish I could go now rather than have to wait until October.  At least I'll have Summer in Brighton and all that goes with it, and when it gets colder and less appealing, I'll be off...MacBook in hand.

I'm looking forward to being a North London girl again so will be trawling the property websites for a 1 bedroom flat in Highgate, Crouch End, Tufnell Park, Archway.  I'm very choosy though and won't be living in some kebab-shop infested street above a laundrette or anything of the sort.  I will, of course, have to find a job first but I'm hopeful.  If nothing else, I'm resourceful and can market myself quite well when needed.

Any job offers or flat offers gratefully received.  See you in Bar Italia x