If you could live by the sea where would it be in the UK?

I lived in Brighton for 2 years and really liked it. Only moved back to London as that's where OH is. Never spent much time on the seafront when I lived near it, and now that I don't, I wish I had! It's really vibrant in Brighton and I often do more shopping when I visit friends there than I would in London with all the big shops on my doorstep.

Can you really just move anywhere you fancy? It'd be nice to be that flexible again.

The only place that I have actually lived by the sea in was Brighton, I really liked it there.

It would depend on what else you wanted - would shops be an essential or would travelling to a city for clothes be ok?

For us Plymouth is fab - we're so close to so many different things - we're ten minutes from the beach, the moors or shopping! Should also add that we've got lots of tourist bits nearby that are all within an hour - Eden, Paignton Zoo, National Marine Aquarium - as well as lots of National Trust places like Saltram, Cotehele and Lanhydrock. Beaches, well you're not far from plenty of really nice beaches.

Personally I would love to retire to the North Cornwall coast but that's a few years off yet.

I live by the sea down in South Wales, but the town as a whole is a dump.

I haven't travelled all that far so not really sure of where I'd like to live, though I love Cornwall.

I live in Whitstable, Kent and it is beautiful down here. But if I had to move and pick another place then I'd probably pick the Dorset coast, maybe Bournemouth/Poole way so I was also close to the New Forest. Or the north Devon coast.

My little sister lives in Brighton and she loves it there.

I would move to Bamburgh.

Bamburgh- small village, a few tea shops and a handful of pubs, wonderful walks, a castle, close to Holy Island, and you'll get to see puffins and seals. (Only 1 hour from Newcastle if you crave city shopping/living)

We're going on holiday to Bamburgh this Summer - we just adore the Northumbrian coast.

I would choose to live either in Whitby, North Yorkshire or somewhere on the Northumbrian coast - maybe Bamburgh or Alnmouth

I second Bamburgh. The beach is breathtaking and the people are really friendly. I do like Brighton too though although have only been there on holidays not lived there. You could probably buy a huge 4 bedroomed detached house in Bamburgh for what a decent flat would cost in Brighton though!

Ohh Whitstable is lovely, you lucky thing! I am only 30 mins away from there and always say we would like to live there if we were to move. Especially with the regeneration that the town has seen in the last few years. We were gonna go today ...but pants weather...so may well stay put.

I already live surrounded by sea in Guernsey. So I'd rather move where there are mountains and sea!

I live in Worthing, and it's fab - just about realistic commuting distance from London (where I still work), but a lovely little town that's still partially stuck in the 1950s (which JK and I both like). And we've got the sea, the Sussex Downs, various local llama farms, you name it.

Ok not on mainland UK but the north antrim coast in NI is beautiful, I would love to live up there but H won't leave Belfast?

I would live where I do now-Dorset. Amazing coastline and a World Heritage Site.

I grew up in a little seaside village called Mudeford in Dorset and loved it, I would move back in a heart beat if I wasn't so scared of it be completly different to what I remembered! We were a 5 minute walk to the beach and only a few minutes drive to the New Forest - I used to cycle into the New Forest during the summer holidays and catch the bus into Christchurch for shopping with my mates.

Then when I was 14 my parents moved to Brighton, I absolutly hated every minute of it, it's really tacky and full of foreign students who think they own the place.

I think it would depend on what I did for a living

Practically I think around Brighton is cool as you get the seaside and an easy commute to London, so long as you pick where you live

I used to live in Portsmouth and wouldn't have stayed living in the town but could happily live in the sourrounding area if I worked there.

I love Cornwall MrSc's parents have a cottage down there near St Austell and it's fab however god knows how you could afford to live down there permenantly.

I have always wanted to go to Devon/Cornwall. It looks gorgeous there.

I live in Sunderland in the North East. We have a beautiful beach and the coast line is rather nice. We have some good places nearby and we aren't far from Newcastle (unfortuntely ?) and Durham. Property is a lot cheaper than a lot of the UK. We aren't really classed as a seaside town so we don't get crowded with loads of tourist. I like living here but I think if I had the choice I would probably go for somewhere on the south coast purely because the weather is better.

Thank you, some nice ideas and some places I had never considered either.

I'd love to go back and live in Portstewart in Northern Ireland, it's on the North Antrim coast. It's lovely up there, beaches are beautiful and all the people are really friendly. I went to university there and loved it.

I love Mudeford. I drag MrQ there to go crab fishing.

I lived in West Wittering (near Chichester) for a year or so. It's a beautiful place, albeit tiny. Would be much nicer if the MIL wasn't there.

St Ives or Abersoch. Both for the surfing.

I'm a Bournemouth girl and wouldn't move anywhere else. I like the fact that it isn't a small seaside town and is quite 'happening' but we still have places like the New Forest and the Lulworth heritage sites on our doorstep. Swanage is also lovely.

Another vote for Poole here - we are going on Saturday for a week and can't wait!

<---------- right here.

Ok its not the mainland and there are not much doing here but the pace of life is so relaxed, I love it.

Brighton, most definately! It's only 45 minutes by train from where I am, but I don't go that often, although I have always loved it. Great atmosphere, a good selection of mainstream and quirky shops, The Lanes-plenty to see and do, plus easily accessible in terms of trips to London.

I grew up in Conwy on the North Wales coast, I'd happily live there again.

Another vote for the north antrim coast in northern ireland. I would struggle to find anywhere I would love to live more.

Its stunning and so lush.

(I miss northern ireland)

It would have to be somewhere in Cornwall maybe St Ives or Portreath. Mr jmc grew up there and we go back 2/3 times a year and he always goes on about how great it was when he was younger growing up by the sea, and how fantastic it would be to bring our kids up by the there.

I would have to chose one of the houses overlooking Saunton Sands. Close to Barnstaple and the view would be amazing.

Whilst at Uni I lived in Grimsby, the nearest seaside place was cleethorpes. Thankfully I left and now live in Hove next door to Brighton been here 9 years and love it. Our flat is 10 mins away from the seafront, there is so much to do here never a dull moment. Best place I have ever lived.

I would go for either Dorset or somewhere on the Isle of Wight.

I love living in Plymouth, but if I had the money and travelling to work was do-able, I'd move to Shaldon. Lovely village on the Teign estuary with local shops, pubs & restaurants, bigger shops in Teignmouth on the other side of the river, and easy to get to Exeter or Plymouth for 'proper' shopping.

It also has loads of local micro-breweries and the smallest zoo I've ever seen.

BTW, whereabouts are you, Melawen? We're on the Stoke/Stonehouse border.