Monday, February 12, 2007

Why I love where I live

funmonday
Marnie has put forward this Fun Monday challenge:

In order to learn about different places and to get to know all of our blogging buddies, tell us why you love where you live.

I live in Buckingham on latitude 51.99561 ; longitude -0.986887 in the South East of England.
Buckingham is a small town of about 14000 people is home to the UK's first and only private university, the University of Buckingham.
Unlike other UK universities, most of its students are from overseas.

Buckingham has a variety of restaurants and pubs as you would expect in most towns of its size. It has a small array of local shops and the town of Milton Keynes is easily reachable by road.

The river Great Ouse flows through the town, which is centred on the historic market place and contains many 18th century buildings.

Why I love where I live:
Buckingham is a quiet and peaceful little town with a good mix of families, elderly and also young people. Everything you need is in walking distance, such as supermarkets, shops, swimming pool as well as several nice pubs. There is a nice park with walks along the river and many a summer's evening is taken up with sitting outside a pub with friends, sipping beer, laughing and staggering home with a Kebab from the shop or the van in the market place in hand.
There is hardly ever any trouble and crime is low.
Milton Keynes with its big shopping center, multiscreen cinema, theatre and snow-dome is 15 minutes by car and Oxford is only 45 minutes away.

In order to give all of you a more visual effect of the place allow me to show you some pictures I took on a nice morning in early spring:

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The Buckingham Church

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Along the river Great Ouse

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The small shopping area

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Near the old cemetery

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The old goal - now a museum

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The market place

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The White Hart pub

I'm sure you will agree that it all looks really lovely and that there are far worse places to live in.
The only handicap is that the nearest coast is about 2 hours drive away and I love the sea.
Well, you can't have everything! Or can you???

31 comments:

Beccy said...

What a beautiful place, it has a real olde worlde charm. I agree about living by the sea, we are a five minute walk away from the sea and I love it.

Anonymous said...

Charming! These photos create a WONDERFUL vision of Buckingham! Coupled with your description, I'm ready for a visit. I'm afraid I'm going to feel that way every place I visit today...which isn't so bad (apart from that terrified-of-flying thing of mine :) ).

Molly said...

I am ready for a visit too, Your pictures and description are grand. You have old world charm coupled with modern conveniences. I played Marnie's Fun Monday too. However, as a late entry, I am not on the list. Come over for a visit at Mama Said, Papa Said.

sallywrites said...

Beautiful!

I joined in, but was too late to be on the list!!

Sally

Amy W said...

What a beautiful place!

Yara said...

Oh Erik,

You live in a beautiful place, you are very lucky. I agree with what has been said, it definetely has an old world charm about it. Next time I visit England I'd have to have a peek at Buckingham!

-Yara

Bethany said...

Beautiful!

Cuppa said...

Absolutely delightful! Looks like you just about have it all!

Anonymous said...

2 hours? That is still wonderful. Your town looks so rich in history and culture I love it. All the photos are gorgous. It sounds like a truly wonderful place to live!

If I ever catch up again I am going to do a fun Monday with you guys!

enidd said...

lovely photos! enid used to live not too far from you, at high wycombe.

Anonymous said...

Your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Anvilcloud said...

The nearest coast seems pretty near to me. I guess I could get to the east coast in a day -- a long day -- but the west coast takes about a week's worth of driving. Mind you, I can get to a Great Lake in a much shorter time, and rivers do seem to abound.

Anonymous said...

Just makes me want to go to that White Hart pub for a frothy beer. But since it's only 7:00 a.m., guess I'll wait a few hours, come back a visit again, and tour your beautiful city again.
Only two hours away? I drive that far for good BBQ.

Pamela said...

The Great Ouse giggle!

makes me want to tap my toes to gether and be there.
Your pictures and description will have to suffice.

Spring pictures were very inviting.
I hopped in my car and just took old wintery dreary ones.

Tiggerlane said...

Walk home from the pub! TERRIFIC!

Your home looks absolutely lovely and endearing. I MUST travel there someday!

Desert Songbird said...

Stunning views, Erik! And only a two hour drive to the coast? I have a SIX hour drive to get to a beach!

Wish I could come visit you...

Anonymous said...

wow! i love your pictures. this week's fun monday is a good one!

ChrisB said...

These pictures really are beautiful and a good advert for Buckingham.

Anonymous said...

I'm exhausted from all this traveling, but I'm seeing some lovely spots!! Buckingham looks so wonderful. It's too bad they don't speak American...I fear I wouldn't be able to communicate.

Leann said...

Oh O I forgot about fun monday.Ill have to get on the ball.it may not show up for a few days cause I have the fun of going to see the dentis!!! o joy!!!well I enjoyed your intesting post and seeing the pic,s of where you livee pretty.thanks for sharing.I told the story of the turdle and the sand room on mine.well take care friend,God bless.

Max and Me said...

what a great idea this is! i love your photos...i feel as though i could crawl right into them and be there. i don't travel much (i am afraid to fly) so this is the second best thing. thank you for sharing a piece of your life with your readers.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a very charming town. Of course, me being American, find anything English charming and beautiful. I just love the "history" that seeps out of all the buildings and streets there.

Anonymous said...

Ok smartarse, so you live in a beautiful historic town. There's no need to rub it in!

Seriously Erik, those pics are spectacular. That's one thing (among many others) that makes the UK a great place to live.

On another note, I had to laugh at your beach comment, that's the difference between the British and the Aussies (and to some extent the Americans), while you say it's two hours to the beach, we say it's only two hours to the beach.

Pissedoffteacher said...

Beautiful pictures. I enjoy looking at your site. It's a nice change from the whining I do on mine.

The very nice man said...

Thank you, all you lovely blog friends.
I forgot how vast America and Australia are and 2 hours to the beach now doesn't seem too bad.
If any of you ever want to come and visit England, I will gladly look after you, so don't be shy! This offer is a serious one!
Bless you all! Erik

Brooke - Little Miss Moi said...

Dear very nice man. I would love to live walking distance from a swimming pool, church and a couple of nice pubs.

I found a town like that once, called Shepparton. But the only problem is that it's a few hundred kilometres from the coast and about 2000kms from all our family. And, like most Australian towns, it's very ugly, especially as it's in drought. No ye olde worlde charm there.

But I have found an area that's Australia's best stab at paradise: mountains, beach and hinterland. Here's a link to the town but don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Angelina said...

I love where I live, but darn it, I kind of want to live where you live now. Lovely pictures. It sounds like a fantastic place to live.

little things said...

I'm itching to move. After reading this post, I just may become your neighbor. It would be lovely to have a 'very nice family' as neighbors!

Janna said...

These are beautiful!
My favorite is the museum-- I love it!
Thanks for posting these.

SongBird said...

Lovely city and lovely pictures of the city!! If I'm ever in England I will remember your offer.

Anonymous said...

How quaint, lovely and perfect. All with a pub close by.

With Global Warming you may just have waterfront property in 10 years or so.

Vancouver will be the Lost City and we will all have to live in Winnipeg. Scary.