Commuter towns to London

dirtychinchilla said:
I think Woking is alright, but I live just outside. You don't move here to go into the town centre. Everything outside the centre is semi-rural, and if you want to do some posh shopping you go to Guildford. The A3 and the M25 are in spitting distance, so it's good for getting on the road. I like living her.

Nightlife is questionable. But then you just go to Surbiton on Clapham Junction on the train in 20 mins, so that's not a big deal.
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Clapham Junction nightlife is fine, less rowdy (****? wankerville) than Clapham proper.
 
Dialup said:
Erh, no, it isn't.

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OK but that's not a very used time, going back IN to London at 6pm.
 
jaybee said:
OK but that's not a very used time, going back IN to London at 6pm.
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I was just disputing that it takes 45 minutes. It can be quicker, I am sure it used to be even quicker than that but I concede I can't find any evidence now, happy to hold my hands up.

Still, 40-45 minutes into Waterloo direct isn't bad and they are very frequent. Just always delayed or cancelled.
 
Dialup said:
No you're right, I am sure they used to be faster but I must concede I was wrong.
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No things definitely got worse for real. After COVID, loads of 12 coach trains became 8, and 8 5 etc. They also changed time tables and added stops to some routes. Nothings got faster or better basically. Only worse.
 
tom_nieto said:
Lol I was a bit young for clubbing back then!

Guildford is nicer in every way I’m afraid.

The South West trains main line to Portsmouth Harbour is depressing. In fact that whole commuter corridor is depressing. There are nice bits of countryside for sure, but house prices remain eye watering and what you gain in countryside you lose in being more isolated with few amenities around the place. Be prepared to get in your car a lot.
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Guildford is good, I don't think the centre is particularly great tbh, not rough just a bit "run-down" feeling in places? It's very safe and posh though, certainly gets posher every year and you can see this with the Lib Dems becoming popular there. I grew up just a bit down the A31.

Farnham is quite similar. More quiet and posher I would say. Older but some good pubs but not much else "fun". If you drive Alice Holt is good for a walk etc.

Winchester is another goer, very nice and posh but again expensive.
 
jaybee said:
No things definitely got worse for real. After COVID, loads of 12 coach trains became 8, and 8 5 etc. They also changed time tables and added stops to some routes. Nothings got faster or better basically. Only worse.
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It's been on the downhill ever since South Western Failway took over. I commuted on the Alton line for a year and I only had the train arrive on time once.
 
Dialup said:
I live about 10 minutes away and have for years and that is not my experience. Where did you go?
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I'm going to edit my statement. Clapham is apparently posh! :O I think I just went to some Dive of a venue and had a rough night. Total unfair judgement on my part.
 
Dialup said:
Shocked, shocked that nobody has mentioned Aldershite! The embarrassing step brother of Farnham, which almost is Farnham but then quickly diminishes into ****. At least it has a good Cineworld.
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It has a rep for being rough but that's because it's an old army town and associated with squaddies, which you don't tend to see as much now. The town centre has had a distinct lack of investment since the 80s and therefore people label it as rough. The truth is that loads of houses have gone up locally and there are some nicer areas. The town centre is having loads of flats and new buildings finally being built now as well. It still is old and has some random weird/rough shops but that's literally the centre of the town centre. I think it's slightly unfairly judged just on that. Same as a lot of places really. People think of the high street and remember the most run down buildings etc.
 
Dialup said:
It's been on the downhill ever since South Western Failway took over. I commuted on the Alton line for a year and I only had the train arrive on time once.
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Yeah, Alton station still doesn't have barriers! Or Ash Vale actually. Brookwood, can't remember. Total lack of investment again.
 
jaybee said:
Yeah, Alton station still doesn't have barriers! Or Ash Vale actually. Brookwood, can't remember. Total lack of investment again.
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Neither does Bentley.

Brookwood didn't and then they made a big deal out of installing them so it does now.

Revenue inspection is now far more frequent too. So they charge more for a worse service and screw people over who don't want to fund their cartel.
 
Tom_ed1987 said:
How often do you need to commute?
Because I'd say if you're bothering to move out, don't go to the still expensive half way places.

E.g if on the SW Waterloo line, you could live in Woking or Basingstoke. Both arguably as good (or rather not) as each other. But the price of a 3 bed semi in Woking would probably get you a 4 bed detached in Basingstoke, for the price of...maybe an extra 30mins/day sitting on a train?
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Basingstoke :(

I guess it could be considered a good London commuter town, if you've given up on life and are an empty, soul-less husk of a human being.

Reading is on a faster line, only 35 mins to Paddington vs 45 to Waterloo from basingstoke. This was 15 years ago when I did this commute. There's also some actual life in Reading.
 
Dialup said:
It is utter **** except Old Basing which is nice. A miserable place known only for being a collection of roundabouts and having an Apple Store
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When I lived there (well, actually a village in between Basingstoke and Reading..... there was no Apple store.

Just roundabouts. And **** pubs.
 
I lived in Woking for a few years and then Brookwood then Worplesdon. Woking was almost really nice.... tennis club is brilliant and easy access to some nice bits of countryside in the north downs or ranges/ heathlands.
Very easy to get into Waterloo if you don't mind sardine life.
 
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