Scrolling through the comments underneath an article about Worthing in West Sussex, I felt a prickle of doubt. ‘Probably the blandist of the Sussex seaside towns,’ one commentator complained.
‘So, it’s like joining the afterlife a little early?’ another wag asked. And honestly? A small town with a ‘retirement-home feel’ didn’t sound like the kind of place I could grow to love.
By the time Covid hit in 2020, I’d lived in London for over 20 years. I’d spent my 20s and 30s making the most of its pubs, restaurants and theatres, pursuing my career in journalism and making friends along the way (many of whom were, like me, child-free and able to wring every drop of fun out of London life as we hit our mid-40s).
But when lockdown arrived, and with it a dramatic drop in the pace of life, I decided it was time for a change.
My fiancé Don, who works in the music industry, had applied to work from home permanently, and didn’t much care where he lived as long as he had a good internet connection.
Meanwhile, I dreamt of writing novels by the seaside and was starting to tire of the frenetic pace of life in the capital, so it seemed like the ideal opportunity to make the leap.
I’ve always had a huge soft spot for Brighton – AKA London-on-Sea – but as house prices soared during the stamp-duty holiday and we struggled to sell our tiny, gardenless one-bedroom flat in Walthamstow, we quickly found ourselves priced out of my dream location.
Although we put our flat on the market for the same price we’d paid for it in 2016, just before the property bubble burst, we’d paid off enough of the mortgage and had garnered enough savings to afford somewhere a bit more expensive when we moved. But in the two years it took us to sell up, house prices in the area we had our eye on soared by over £100,000, until we simply couldn’t afford the extra cost.
Rosie Mullender (pictured) dreamt of writing novels by the seaside and was sick of London so made the decision to move to the seaside town of Worthing in West Sussex in 2022
With increasing house prices, Rosie and her fiancé Don found that Brighton was no longer affordable and so chose ‘God’s waiting room’ instead
Rosie said she constantly has friends flocking from London to visit and enjoy the seaside and quiet away from the noise of the city
It was when I was bemoaning the likelihood that Brighton was now fully out of reach that a friend asked if I’d considered Worthing. My first response was, ‘Umm… who?’ I’d literally never heard of it.
Located ten miles west of Brighton, Worthing is a quiet seaside town known for its award-winning pier and for being a thriving holiday resort – back in the 18th century, that is.
More recently, it has become a place where retirees flock, earning it a reputation as ‘God’s waiting room.’
As I did some digging into whether it might suit us as our new home, the slow pace of life and ‘disintegrating’ town centre sounded a world away from the vibrant city atmosphere I hankered for. But if we wanted to upgrade our poky, 550 sqft flat to a house with a spare bedroom and a garden by the sea, I realised we might not have a choice.
Slightly reluctantly, I booked a clutch of house viewings, headed to the town dubbed ‘a seaside relic,’ and waited to be thoroughly underwhelmed. Instead, it was love at first sight.
As we walked from the station down to the front, seagulls cawing overhead, the briny smell of the sea gradually got stronger, triggering welcome memories of happy childhood holidays – one of the main reasons I’ve always wanted to live by the coast.
In between house viewings we wandered the town centre to take in its independent shops and the big M&S, walked up the beautiful pier to soak up the view, and watched people making the most of one of the mobile sauna huts on Worthing’s pebble beach.
We ate next-level goat birria tacos at a cheerful little Mexican place called Saltio, stopped for craft beers at a tiny micropub called Anchored, and bought an ice-cream from one of several vendors dotted along the seafront.
Rosie loved the town centre with its independent shops and big M&S, as well as the beautiful pier and the the view
After Rosie revealed Worthing was such a magnet for retirees her parents followed them there from Essex in 2024
Although the houses we viewed that day weren’t quite right for us, we decided that Worthing definitely was.
So in June 2022, we moved into a rental flat while we continued our hunt for a place to buy, and in April the following year we moved into our new home – a four-bedroom, semi-detached house with a big garden that’s a five-minute walk from the sea.
Although it’s three times the size of our London flat, our new house cost just over £100,000 more than our flat to buy, and was just within our budget. And two years on, I’m still marvelling at how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful place.
Yes, Worthing might be a magnet for retirees – including my parents, who followed us here from Essex in 2024. Like any seaside town, it can feel a little bit drab out of season, and the town centre has suffered from its fair share of shop closures over the years.
As neither Don nor I drive, we feel a bit more isolated than when we lived in London and could hop on a train to anywhere in the UK (although with five stations, Worthing is relatively well connected), and I do miss having some of the world’s best restaurants on my doorstep.
But those niggles pale into comparison when you consider Worthing’s wonderful, welcoming community, its vibrant arts scene, its ever-changing menu of innovative bars and restaurants and the joys of living by the sea.
As well as writing novels here, just like I dreamed (signed copies are dutifully stocked in our local branch of Waterstones) I’ve started painting, too.
After chatting to the owners of a lovely independent shop on the seafront called Inspired I’m now, very proudly, one of the local artists and makers they showcase.
The former Londoner prefers the cheaper living and the beautiful views but confessed she does sometimes find it the location isolating as neither she nor Don drive
There’s plenty to keep us entertained, from the annual Pride event, food festival and fireworks nights, to the once-a-year opening of an ancient fig-tree garden in Tarring village.
Life is cheaper here, too – I can buy a cinema ticket, a packet of sweets and a glass of wine for about the same as the price of the ticket alone in London.
Whenever we meander into town – perhaps to watch the sunset with a drink in hand at our favourite beach café, Coast – we always notice how spotless Worthing is compared to London.
There’s always someone freshly painting a wall or mowing a grass verge, and the promenade and beach are completely free of litter.
Living a 20-minute stroll from town means my social life has blossomed. I’ve made some great friends through the local book club, taking part in pub quizzes, craft nights and carol singing.
And when my London friends visit (you’re never short of guests when you live by the sea), Worthing is never quite what they expect.
They marvel at the beauty of the pier and the promenade, the fantastic food and the friendly vibe, coupled with a peaceful atmosphere that’s a world away from London’s frenetic pace.
Worthing might be known as God’s waiting room – but for me, it’s a slice of heaven.