Community

When I think about why I would want to upsticks from the city and move to the country, the one word that always comes to mind is "community".  I always had this idealistic view of living in a community like the tv soap, Coronation Street, so when I moved to the UK I thought I would finally have that local pub culture where I could turn up, prop at the bar and make loads of friends.

Well that idealistic view of life in the UK was far from reality especially in London where you were lucky if you knew your upstairs neighbour!  In complete contrast to the UK and Melbourne, in the few months that I have been spending the odd weekend in Stawell I already know well over 50 people!  I am of course lucky that I had my sister running the pub so anyone to do with the Publican is welcomed with almost celebrity like status, (perhaps i've now had my 15 minutes of fame!), but even still, the community spirit that is inherent in country towns is something to be valued and admired and for that reason, I think that country living would never be quite as lonely as city living!