The Wonders of Village Life

The wonders of village life  

The definition of a village is “a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area.”

This may well be correct but it does not really do justice to what we all think about village life.

The definition of a community is “the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common” 
 
This may also be correct but we much prefer another definition we found: 
 
“You can define a community by the shared attributes of the people in it and/or by the strength of the connections among them. You need a bunch of people who are alike in some way, who feel some sense of belonging or interpersonal connection.” 

 
We think of village life as offering all of these lovely advantages;

Fresh air 

More space

A simpler life 

Less stress

Community spirit

Access to amazing local produce (and vineyards!) 

You can usually walk to a shop, a post office (perhaps nowadays in the same shop but still there!), a pub, a church and a primary school.

Your young children may get to walk to school and their friends are usually within walking, or a short drive away, allowing for plenty of play dates and sleep overs!

You meet mums at the school gates and develop a crucial and often longlasting bunch of friends, who go through the various stages of parenthood together – an invaluable support network.

You can walk home from the pub, saving a fortune on cab fares. No need for an Uber!!

You may be lucky enough to be on a milk round from a local dairy, and these days they deliver so much more than just milk.

You get to know people by name: the shop owner, the pub landlord, the postman, the milkman.  

You can shop in Farmers Markets – buying local, delicious, fresh food.  Knowing its provenance and knowing you are doing your bit to reduce your carbon footprint.  
 
 
You will feel like part of a community, because you are. There will be Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Guides galore with all the community events that brings…. 

Annual events become part of your social diary and every village will have their own. Most will have a village fete, many will get together to celebrate major national events – just think of any Royal Wedding or Jubilee.

Then there’s just the downright eccentric rituals, that have been going on for so long, no-one knows why they happen but love the fact that they do…. Rubber Duck races, Pram races, Gypsy Horse Fairs amongst others. 

And lastly…..  “The best thing about living in a small village is; when you are not sure what is going on in your life…. someone in the village usually does !!”