Moving to the UK

I am moving to the UK in September for work.  The office is located in Hampshire county.  Any ideas on nice areas to rent in?  Looking for a place with some culture and some nightlife.  Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks.

Hampshire is a big place (and we don't use the 'county' when saying the name!).  Where abouts in Hampshire will you be?


Vicky

Sorry, about that...I will be working in Basingstoke.  So, anywhere within that area (no more than a 15-20 min commute would be nice).

  Thanks for the tip!

I'm afraid I can't help with suggestions for places to live in Hampshire, but just to add to the general background information about the county and the use of the name, you'll find that Hampshire is often abbreviated to "Hants." in postal addresses, which might seem rather odd at first. 

The origin is historical and there are two conflicting theories.  One is that is derives from "Hantshaving," another name for Hampshire which appears to have been used in the 19th century. 

The other is that it's from one of the Anglo-Saxon variations of Hantum + Scir -> Hamtunschire -> Hantescire (Hantum being what is now the city of Southampton and Hantumscir et al meaning "the area governed from Hantum" -- the origin of the modern -shire endings of our county names).