Contracting and working and living short term UP NORTH

[ladymuck]

Reykjavik is lovely.

it's on my to-do list!

[stek]

Could murder a rice and three...

[oliverson]

Having lived in Sussex for all bar the last three years, I find it interesting when people slate the place by basically saying it's not the same as another part of the UK and then claim to have had a nice time despite this.

The north downs run from Surrey to London to Kent (not part of Sussex at all). It's a ridge of low lying chalk hills and two parts of it fall within an AONB. The whole range is not an AONB. Apparently chalk downland is ecologically important.

The south downs run from Hampshire down to Beachy Head in East Sussex. More low lying chalk hills and none of it is an AONB but there are 37 SSSI's and a good chunk is now a national park to stop out of towners building on it.

There are 17 rivers in Sussex - 9 in West, 7 in East and one that is in both (the Ouse, not to be confused with the Yorkshire River Ouse). I'm sorry you weren't able to find any of them.

EDIT: and yes you can get a decent curry. The people can be a bit arsey but only to those who think they're superior. Boring depends on your expectations.

North Downs/South Downs. Fair enough the north is Surrey but I'm referring to the 'gap' between the two, an area of lowland that is featureless and barren as can be. You get a mole hill, it's an AONB.

Please tell me you aren't categorising the Susex 'Ouse' as a river? It's nowt but a tiny stream that almost runs dry in the summer. If you want to see the River Ouse, get to York, only not in the winter when it submerges a great City, the like of which 'royal tunbridge wells' (yes Kent) could only dream of becoming. On the subject of river systems, Yorkshire has the lot. SUNWAC. Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe, Aire and Calder, all feeding into the Ouse. Fantastic course fishing.

And no, you can't get a decent curry, I'm sorry. I guess it's all relative but I'm originally from Bradford, the curry capital of Britain several years running (sadly that's all it's got going for it, what a dump). Back to Susses and there's a place called Tirana at Turners Hill that has a good crack at it, but it is catering for the Sussex dead who'd rather watch some shipped-in Indian birds belly dancing at the expense of serving authentic food. Spent 6 months hoteling it in Brighton on a contract and the recommendation was Preston Street. Visited one place many times trying a different dish each time, only it was pretty much the same one with little variance, or spice. Top dollar prices to morons thinking they're getting the real deal while quaffing it down with 'vintage' red wine. Just doesn't work does it? A half decent place I eventually found on the outskirts near Preston Park. The Raj Pavillion I think it was called, but you'd not make a special visit.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble but aside from a very enjoyable time, food aside, over the 3 years I lived there, and meeting some lifelong friends, along with the better weather, there's precious little I miss from that part of the world now. I certainly don't miss doubling my mortgage for the same property. The saving enabled me to buy a holiday home in Andalucia where you truly do get better weather. Don't miss the 3 hour daily commute to/from Canary Wharf either.

[SueEllen]

If you were working in Canary Wharf why did you live in Sussex?

Anyone with sense in the SE knows if they take roles in certain parts it will take them a long time.

[BigRed]

Proper curries are Bradford and Birmingham. You have to go for at least a vindaloo to get any spice anywhere else.

[oliverson]

If you were working in Canary Wharf why did you live in Sussex?

Anyone with sense in the SE knows if they take roles in certain parts it will take them a long time.

I was contracting in Brighton at the time, sick of hotels and had one eye on London so mid-Sussex seemed like the best place to be and I found a couple of lovely villages (Staplefield and Slaugham). The first venture into London wasn't too bad as it was to London Bridge with a short walk and the one after that was a similar thing but into Victoria, but the next one was Canary Wharf and the hell of trying to get on the Jubilee Line at London Bridge in rush hour. Then they moved it to Tower Hill which isn't easy to get to unless you like walking. I don't think I could (would) do that again.

[northernladyuk]

Proper curries are Bradford and Birmingham. You have to go for at least a vindaloo to get any spice anywhere else.

I take it you've never tried proper South Indian food?

[LondonManc]

I take it you've never tried proper South Indian food?

I take it you didn't realise most of what's called Indian cuisine here is Bengali?
Obviously that stems back from the days of casual racism when the restaurant owners were worried that people would be wary of Bengali cuisine having had a curry established as "an Indian".

[northernladyuk]

I take it you didn't realise most of what's called Indian cuisine here is Bengali?
Obviously that stems back from the days of casual racism when the restaurant owners were worried that people would be wary of Bengali cuisine having had a curry established as "an Indian".

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution to the conversation.

[DaveB]

it's on my to-do list!

Do it. You can do the city in a day (to be honest there is not much there and it's not that big) and spend 2 or 3 days getting out and about to the Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, Glaciers, Volcanoes etc. Tourism has really taken off in the last few years and most of the hotels will happily arrange / book trips for you and the tour companies all run pickups from the city hotels as well.