Londoners Lack a Getaway Plan
Residents Only Leave Capital Six Times a Year
Weary Londoners fed up with the hustle and bustle of the city may be promising themselves they’ll escape this weekend – but new research reveals that people who live in the capital only manage to go beyond the M25 an average of six times a year.
The findings by train companies show that while Londoners love nothing better than to move around within the city in their leisure time, they rarely travel outside the M25 – with the average city dweller making a weekend trip away just once every two months.
And even when they do get away for the weekend, they only go 42 miles on average, which wouldn’t even get them to the capital’s nearest beach at Southend, Essex – which might explain why nearly half of Londoners (45%) haven’t even been there.
The survey also reveals:
- The London celebrities people would most like to travel out of London with is Stephen Fry followed closely by Lily Allen...while they would LEAST like to travel away from the capital with Peaches Geldof
- 60% of Londoners say the main reason for getting out of London would be to visit friends and family they haven’t seen in a while
- The main reason for not leaving London is due to cost (45%) and 20% said they simply can’t be bothered
The research into city dwellers’ leisure travel habits also identified different types of ‘London tribes’, depending on what they do and where they go at weekends:
- Commoners: These are outdoor types such as ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, who likes to visit London parks for picnics, playing sport, walking and general fresh air – and are the most likely to leave the city to get away from their stressful jobs.
- Perkies: 20-30-somethings like Daisy Lowe, in a tight social clique with whom they spend all their leisure time - like a constant episode of TV classic ‘Friends’ (‘Perkies’ are named after ‘Central Perk’, the meeting place coffee shop in their favourite sitcom).
- Pubwallers: Like fun-loving Johnny Vaughn, Pubwallers are those who spend most of their time propping up the bar, watching the match and putting the world to rights.
- Westies: Bargain hunters such as fashion conscious TV favourite Fearne Cotton, whose urge to shop is stronger than any addiction; they spend their days combing Oxford Street and Westfield for an outfit to wear that evening.
- Sohoistas: Fashionable types who like to spend their days in Soho coffee shops and restaurants watching the world go by, such as London’s very own Jude Law.
- Twitterati: Media types whose lives depend on tweeting every action of the day, no matter where they are or what they are doing, much like celebrity DJ, Chris Moyles
According to the research, Sohistas are the least likely to leave London at the weekend with an average of just five times a year and nearly two thirds (63%) of the Twitterati London tribe admit that they should get out of the capital more. The London celebrity that Pubwallers would most like to get out of the capital with is Lily Allen - while Perkies would prefer to be accompanied by Stephen Fry and Westies would much rather hop on a train out of the city with Prince William.
August 3, 2010
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