Abbie outside her clinic in Poundbury
(Picture: Handout)Living in London always felt a bit like a game of sardines to Abbie Lawson; with four flatmates (and just one bathroom) getting ready for work presented serious logistical challenges, and that was before the daily crush on the tube began.
Leaving London has given Abbie, 34, room to breathe and a far more affordable lifestyle. Although she misses London’s vibrancy and culture, she does not miss its long-hours working culture or regret her decision for an instant.
“I had started to look around and I realised that I was never going to be able to afford to rent somewhere on my own in London, or to buy somewhere,” said Abbie, a physiotherapist (@thephysiomum_). “It was out of the question, which was just demoralising.
“I also started to feel quite stressed out with being in London, everything being so crowded and so expensive. The traffic stressed me out and I was working very long hours. Although the pay was good compared to other places it just wasn’t worth it.”
Abbie decided to take a step back and in 2013 she moved back to her family home, in Dorchester, Dorset.
From there she began job hunting and found work in Bournemouth where she stayed for a couple of years. Then in 2015 she found what she really wanted, a job back in Dorchester, and decided to live in Poundbury. This new suburb west of town is the brainchild of King Charles, who dreamed of creating a traditional model village as an antidote to high rise, high density modern development.
“I love it,” said Abbie. “I can walk everywhere, I love the architecture, it has got a really country feel which I like, there is lots of open space, and it is quiet and chilled.”
The other big change is in the sense of community. “In London everyone is very private, and keeps themselves to themselves,” she said. “It is hard to make friends because everyone is in a rush. Here if you go out for a walk people will stop you for a chat.”
Abbie, who has a four-year-old daughter, rents a two-bedroom coach house close to the centre of Poundbury, with a garage which she has converted into a home gym.
It costs £1,200pcm. “In London the rent would be astronomical,” she said.
Although she wouldn’t live there again Abbie still enjoys visiting the capital. “Whether it is for work or for social there is more opportunity there,” she said. “There is always something going on. I like visiting, but when I’m back on the train again I always breathe a big sigh of relief to be going back to normality.”
