IF THE THOUGHT OF QUIET RURAL LIFE APPEALS TO YOU, BE WARNED: ACTRESS ANGELA GRIFFIN, 31, TRIED IT, BUT COULDN’T WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE CITY

I'D only been in the country for six weeks, while I was filming the television series Down To Earth, but I was instantly hooked.

As I sat in a fairy-tale country cottage, I knew that when I had children, we’d leave London in favour of a rural life.

Fast-forward six years and my partner, actor Jason Milligan, 37, and I made the dream a reality.

By then, we had our two-year-old daughter Tallulah.

So we sold our Victorian two-bedroom terraced house with a 20ft garden in London, and bought a beautiful 18th-century detached five-bedroom cottage in the Oxfordshire countryside, complete with nearly three acres of land.

Driving up the tree-lined drive to our dream home on that day in 2006 felt wonderful. And it was. For six months.

But then it slowly dawned on me what a terrible mistake we’d made.

The house had bewitched us and, as Location, Location, Location’s Kirsty Allsopp would say, we really should have thought with our heads, not with our hearts.

We hadn’t researched the area well or thought about what it would be like living in the middle of fields and farms.

There was only one supermarket within a 15-mile radius, and if we fancied an M&S Tarte au Citron, we had to head down the A40 to get it.

There were a couple of lovely local pubs but they were miles away so we could never go for a spontaneous drink.

We either had to fight over who’d be the designated driver, or book a taxi hours in advance because the chances of seeing a black cab were nil.

I felt strangely stressed by my idyllic existence and I yearned for city life. I missed Starbucks, Whistles and Selfridges. I missed my friends and the rudeness of folk who’d rather rip their heart out than look you in the eye.

Everyone was so friendly in the country! I even started to wear make-up during the day and put on a nice dress just to go to Tesco, in case someone stopped me for a chat.

I remember the moment I knew I’d had enough. I was doing promotional work for Waterloo Road last year and I was driving to London all the time.

I was five months pregnant with our daughter Melissa, now 10 months, and I was always stuck in traffic. After the fourth week I burst into tears, called Jason, and told him we’d made a huge mistake.

Last Christmas, Jason, who loved living in the country, finally gave in and said we could move back to the city. The relief I felt was just amazing.

Now we’re just waiting for someone to buy our gorgeous country cottage. I can’t wait to get home to my dirty big city again.

For me, at least, the grass wasn’t greener – even if there was acres of it.

Angela uses Rescue Pastilles to combat stress. Visit www.rescueremedy.co.uk.

 

Have you moved house and regretted it? Would you tell your partner if you were unhappy with moving? Would you consider moving abroad? Would you be willing to sacrifice living somewhere you didn’t like for the sake of your partner?

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As told to Claie Wilson; Photography: Justin Canning/Stay Still/Photoshot, Nicky Johnston/Camera Press/Alamy