This is in no way a ‘why West Berks is better than Kent’ post but more to do with the unexpected but obvious differences between the locations. I figured everywhere in South England was pretty similar. But no. There are 3 particular things I have noticed here that mark it out.
1. Wildlife
I guess where I lived in Kent was technically suburbia, and where I live now could be considered slightly more remote and certainly more ‘country’. After a year living in South East London, though, I definitely prefer it this way.
Urban foxes were common as muck. Just a shame Sevenoaks council didn’t cotton on to this and actually provide residents with proper wheelie bins.* There wasn’t a Thursday morning that went by without garbage being strewn across the road.
Since moving to Berks, however, I couldn’t tell you if there were foxes or not. What I can tell you is I SAW A WILD HEDGEHOG FOR THE FIRST TIME AND OMG IT WAS SO CUTE AND OMG IT WAS JUST THE CUTEST LITTLE THING EVER!!!!!!
*Ahem*
2. Chinooks
As in the double-bladed helicopter. I see/hear them all the time both at home and at work. I guess this is what I get for living in a place heavy with military bases.
I swap helicopters for racing cars as my old patch was close enough to Brands Hatch to get a faint buzzing every weekend.
3. Expensive Cars
I’ve been to Knightsbridge a few times, so it’s not like I’ve never seen them before, but they seem to be very dense in popularity here. Seeing a Bentley or a Rolls is an everyday experience and the most common type of car I end up following are BMWs.
Not everyone drives them, mind you, but sometimes my C3 does stick out like a sore thumb. Ah well, at least it’s cheap!