Yorkshire-born Ellisha Clapham spent almost 10 years living in London before moving back up north for a ‘better’ quality of life. She’s now shares seven things she’s happy to have left behind
Alice Sjöberg Social News Reporter
14:45, 06 Apr 2026
Yorkshire-born Ellisha Clapham shared the reasons why she’s happy she moved from London back up North (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
While many people dream of moving to London for their ‘big break’ or for the job opportunities the capital has to offer, one woman has revealed why she chose to move back up north after nearly a decade living in the bustling city.
Ellisha Clapham spent the best part of 10 years living in London before deciding to take stock and relocate back up north to be closer to her family. The Northerner is the founder of E.S Collective, PR and Talent MGMT, where she specialises in events, influencer marketing, and public relations.
At first glance, you’d assume the capital would be the perfect base for her to run her business. Yet she took to social media to explain why she is thriving even more since returning home to Yorkshire. “Why I left London as a Northerner who lived there for nearly 10 years,” she wrote in the first photo of the Instagram slideshow.
In the caption on the post, she explained that, following a previous post about her move back up north, many fellow Northerners had commented that they’d felt as though they’d taken ‘five steps back’ by returning home. However, Ellisha made clear she didn’t share that view.
“I hear you,” she wrote in the caption. “But moving back isn’t a downgrade, it just looks different. Different pace, different priorities, different opportunities.” She went on to share the seven main reasons why she doesn’t miss her life in London, and why she thinks moving back North was the best thing for her.
Cost of ‘existing’ in London
“ILY (I love you) London, but the sheer cost of purely existing is a bit dramatic,” Ellisha said. She elaborated that more than half of her earnings went directly towards basic living costs.
She added: “A night out with the girls would have me counting pennies for the rest of the month.” Meanwhile, she argued that life up north means you actually have the disposable income to ‘enjoy life’.
Living situation
For her second point, Ellisha expressed her dissatisfaction with the housing situation in London, claiming you can either find ‘reasonable’ accommodation an hour away from the city centre, or live in a ‘poorly decorated shoebox’ with numerous flatmates.
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“In most Northern cities, you can actually afford a nice apartment in the city centre with everything on your doorstep,” she wrote. “What a concept?!!!!”
No sense of community
“It goes without saying that there’s a huge sense of community in the North,” Ellisha said. Yet during her time in London, which she described as a bustling metropolis, she revealed she had never felt so isolated.
She added: “I didn’t realise how much I missed chatting with strangers in the street or when waiting in line etc. I don’t think I ever even knew who my neighbours were when I lived in London.”
Greater opportunities up North
While many may initially relocate to London for work, given that the capital typically offers more opportunities than anywhere else in the UK, Ellisha maintained she felt quite the contrary.
“In London, you’re a small fish in a BIG pond,” she said. “Strangely, it feels there are way more opportunities up North because the circles are smaller and more accessible.”
Always in a rush
There’s little question that most Londoners are perpetually in a rush, whether that’s because of the city’s high-pressure culture, fierce competition for space, or the desire to complete their lengthy, costly commutes to and from work. Ultimately, Ellisha came to realise that this was taking a toll on her nervous system.
“My nervous system was effed up 24/7,” she shared. “Like why is everyone in such a rush, there’s literally another tube in two minutes guys?” She went on to say that there’s a slower pace of life up north, which she’s really enjoying.
The time it takes to travel to the other side of city
While London stands as one of the world’s most iconic cities, boasting a legendary transport network spanning 272 stations, it is not without its shortcomings. One of the most common gripes among Londoners is the sheer amount of time it takes to travel from one end of the city to the other, which can place a strain on personal relationships.
“If your friend moves to the other side of London, it will take you at least 1.30-two hours to visit,” Ellisha said. Notably, that’s roughly the same time it takes to commute from a Northern city into London’s centre by train, which makes relocating up North seem far less daunting. She added: “It really isn’t that deep.”
The North is flourishing
Finally, while many Londoners may be dismissive of what the North has to offer, Ellisha made a compelling case that it is very much having its moment in the spotlight. “The economy is booming, it’s home to some cool new brands, we even hosted the Brits,” she said.
She went on to express her gratitude for her time living in London, acknowledging that moving there from her small hometown was ‘the best thing’ she’s done, having met ‘amazing people’, enjoyed memorable experiences, and gained a deeper understanding of herself. “That said, I am so much more grounded being closer to family and have 10x better quality of life here,” she concluded.