So OK we didn't exactly move to a country cottage in the middle of nowhere, but living here is the best of all worlds.

Any move has to be thought out, and although people would love to live in a remote village or hamlet there's a lot of practical reasons to observe caution.

You have to consider that these rural idylls have little or no public transport, especially on Sundays or in the evenings. Having a car is a necessity, and if you have children that means ferrying them to and from school, activities and the nearest town until they pass their driving test and you allow them a car of their own.

Secondly, most villages no longer have a shop or post office, so if you run out of basics such as milk, or need aspirin you have to get in the car and drive. Shopping is an excursion to the local town, so you need to be organised and know what you want. You also have to plan for the weather as many isolated villages can be cut off should there be snow or floods.

Thirdly, you need to be fit and healthy as getting to the local doctor's surgery is another trip in the car. As for emergency services, they will get there, but beware tractors, narrow lanes and the weather.

We took all this into account and moved to a small market town, with access to larger towns and Lincoln should we need to "shop" in high street chain stores. The fields and 5-10 mins walk away from the centre of town but everything we need to live is close at hand.

We've made a changes to lifestyle even with the move. We're less dependent on the main household named shops and have grown to love the local independent "been in the family for years" businesses. We buy less, and shopping is no longer a "pass time". We don't have Starbucks but visit the tea rooms or greasy spoon on the market place. And we don't go out to a themed pub which was once a bank, but visit our no frills local for real ale and pork scratchings.

On which note - a piccie for you to let you know what you may be missing:
The King\'s Head Horncastle