“We had to commute at first to make it work – but it paid off”
MONA AND ANDY STYLIANOU, BOTH 42, MOVED TO HERNE BAY IN KENT THREE YEARS AGO. MONA IS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND ANDY RECENTLY SOLD HIS HAIRDRESSING BUSINESS. THEY HAVE SIX CHILDREN,
AGED BETWEEN TWO AND 22.
MOVING TO THE SEA WAS A DREAM OF OURS. ANDY’S FAMILY IS GREEK BUT HE HAS ALWAYS LIVED IN LONDON; I’M FINNISH AND MOVED TO LONDON AGED 18 – I GREW UP BY THE SEA NEAR HELSINKI AND ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE BY THE WATER.
THIS IS A SECOND MARRIAGE FOR BOTH OF US. WHEN ANDY AND I FIRST MOVED IN TOGETHER 11 YEARS AGO, WE RENTED A BIG HOUSE IN LONDON TO ACCOMMODATE MY TWO DAUGHTERS AND OUR YOUNGER SON AND ANDY’S TWO SONS, BUT TO STAY IN
THE PROPERTY MARKET, WE ALSO BOUGHT A SMALLER INVESTMENT PROPERTY TO RENT OUT.
OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO MOVE TO BRIGHTON BUT AFTER LOTS OF RESEARCH VISITING AREAS, WE SETTLED ON HERNE BAY. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE THERE BUT THE REALITY OF COMMUTING WAS HARD. I’D LEAVE THE HOUSE AT 5AM AND GET HOME AT 10PM BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO CONDENSE FIVE DAYS’ WORK INTO THREE. I WAS EXHAUSTED BUT I KNEW IT WAS SHORT-TERM AND IN SUMMER I COULD
SPEND THE DAYS I WASN’T WORKING AT THE BEACH, WHICH MADE IT BEARABLE.
WE HATCHED A TWO-YEAR “TRANSITION PLAN” WHILE WE FOUND WORK LOCALLY. ANDY HAD BEEN RUNNING SEVERAL HAIR SALONS, WHICH HE’D INHERITED WHEN HIS FATHER DIED, BUT
HE IS A TRAINED CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPIST SO HIS PLAN WAS TO FIND LOCAL WORK WITH CHILDREN AND SELL THE SALONS.
LAST SEPTEMBER, JUST OVER TWO YEARS AFTER WE MOVED, I STARTED WORKING LOCALLY FOR AN NHS-AFFILIATED COMPANY. MEANWHILE, ANDY GOT A JOB WORKING WITH CHILDREN IN CARE.
IN THOSE TWO YEARS AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY PRICES MEANT WE COULD SELL OUR HOUSE AND BUY A SIX-BEDROOM, NEGLECTED GRADE II-LISTED TOWNHOUSE THAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH. WE ARE NOW SLOWLY TRYING TO BRING BACK TO LIFE. WHEN IT’S FINISHED IT WILL BE OUR DREAM HOUSE. I HAVE TO ADMIT I WASN’T VERY REALISTIC ABOUT OUR MOVE. I IMAGINED THAT WE’D MAKE FRIENDS REALLY QUICKLY BUT HAVING TO START AGAIN AND FIND LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE IN YOUR FORTIES IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE BUSY AND WORKING. WHAT CHANGED THAT WAS OUR LITTLE “KENT BLESSING” – OUR DAUGHTER, ANNI, WHO IS NOW TWO. SHE WAS UNEXPECTED BUT I’VE MADE LOTS OF FRIENDS THROUGH BABY GROUPS. AND THERE ARE SO MANY FANTASTIC THINGS ABOUT OUR LIFE HERE: WE’RE THREE MINUTES FROM THE BEACH, THE SENSE OF SPACE IS REALLY WONDERFUL AND EVERYTHING WE NEED IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, INCLUDING A FARMER’S MARKET OPPOSITE. THE BEST THING
ABOUT OUR NEW LIFE IS PICKING MY
SON UP FROM SCHOOL AND GOING FOR A QUICK DIP BEFORE DINNER!