I live in one of UK’s most scenic counties – going into town in August is impossible & getting a food shop lot is hard
NATASHA HARDING, 48, is a yoga teacher and freelance journalist.
She moved to Cornwall in 2020 with her husband Paul, 54, who works in insurance, 17-year-old Zak and Lexi, who’s nine.
She says: “In 2020, a lifelong dream of moving to Cornwall finally came true and, although I don’t regret it, it wasn’t as smooth as I expected and it certainly hasn’t been without issues.
If you’re expecting London by the sea, you’re going to be disappointed.
When you meet someone new, one of the first things they’ll ask is where you’re from and how long you’ve lived there. I’ve never been asked that before.
It is a very different way of living and there isn’t the 24/7 culture that you might be used to.
The shops close promptly at 5pm and if you manage to get a roast after 2pm on a Sunday, you’re winning.
The smaller shops don’t think anything of closing early if the surf is good, and pinning down a tradesman with an exact date and time to visit is mission impossible.
They tend to give you a two week-window and look aghast if you ask for a confirmed slot.
As expected, from July, the town is besieged by tourists and things such as driving in, trying to find a parking space or getting a table at your favourite restaurant aren’t worth the hassle.
If you do make the mistake of going into town on a sunny day in August, you’ll encounter hundreds of slow-moving tourists in full-on holiday mode – which is lovely, unless you have things to do.
The driving standards in the summer are awful and you’re constantly stuck behind slow-moving caravans and camper vans.
Drivers think nothing of stopping dead to take in the view, or pootling along a major road at 25mph.
Even getting an online food delivery in the school holidays is like trying to get tickets for Glastonbury.
I’ve got into the habit of booking well in advance.
Places with NHS dentists are like gold dust and current wait times in the county are between three and five years.
At the moment, potential new patients are advised to go to Bristol, over two hours away.
I’ve had to wait more than 18 months to get a wisdom tooth extracted.
But I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
The space, the low crime rate and the close proximity to the beach more than make up for the quirks and frustrations.
The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is you have to just go with it.”