What is it about the South East? Everyone piles in, paying top whack for homes and businesses, dedicating their waking lives to the hamster wheel. If you can make it work, great. But making it work, when you’re running a business and bringing up a family, doesn’t leave much time to go to the Tate, does it? Be honest.
Why is it, then, that dentists seldom consider the option that can give them more time to enjoy life: moving to a small regional town somewhere cheaper, like the North East? With that question in mind we spoke to Greg Miller at Bridlington Dental Studio on the east coast of Yorkshire. He’s looking for an associate for four days a week. It’s a lifestyle proposition.
Greg, what’s good about the lifestyle this associate role offers?
You can still earn a good salary and enjoy a significantly better quality of life. In my head our ideal candidate would be someone who has a family and wants more time with their kids, and wants to be able to take them everywhere they need to go easily, rather than spending an hour driving this way for swimming lessons and an hour that way for music. I know from having my three kids that in Bridlington you can get anywhere within five or 10 minutes, and you can be on the beach with no hassle.
How did you end up in Bridlington?
I came for what was supposed to be one year 20 years ago and never left. I grew up in Johannesburg in South Africa so I’m familiar with city life, and I want people to open themselves up to the possibility that they might also enjoy small town living rather than the city. My wife, a dietician, found work here first. We earned some pounds, went travelling, then came back because the opportunities were good for us. Eventually we bought a house, had kids and bought a dental practice 10 years ago. If you had asked me 20 years ago if my life’s goal was to work in Bridlington I’d have said no, but once you get to know the place it’s pretty good.
What are the lifestyle perks?
Low house prices; you can get a five-bed detached home for £300k to £500k. You’ve got the beach and surrounding countryside, with bike rides and quiet country roads. Really there’s everything you need here. There’s a nice spa, a theatre, a decent leisure facility. I love my sports and there’s nothing that I miss: we have three golf courses in a 10 minute radius, squash courts, a cricket club, rugby club, football club and tennis club.
And the professional perks?
You’re joining a 100-year-old practice that was renovated and extended last year. It’s 100% private and we have no local competition, so your patients are appreciative and loyal. Our nearest competition is in Scarborough and Driffield, so we play a community role. We won Outstanding Business of the Year 2018. We have a three surgeries, a consultation room and an acrylic and porcelain lab in the same building, which is handy, especially with dentures, because the technicians like to get heavily involved and come to see the patients. We have me, a full time hygiene therapist, an associate, four nurses, a practice manager and a receptionist. We’re 800 metres from the beach.
What are the downsides of living in a place like Bridlington?
There’s more going on in little towns than people think, but it takes longer to find your thing, and you don’t have as much choice in terms of live music and shows, although we do get decent stuff. Oasis did their last ever gig here. But once you start raising a family you don’t have a lot of time for that anyway, and maybe it becomes less important. Here’s a rough video I made showing the practice and surrounding area.
If you’re interested in the associate role at Bridlington Dental Studio contact Greg on [email protected]
