NEIL ALLISON has a motto -work to live, don't live to work.

He spent years working in cities such as Manchester and Leeds after he graduated from Sunderland University.

He said: "I just felt that I had to get out. People lived their life at work and wasted hours of their day commuting. There was no community feel in the cities, there were problems on the streets and the kids had no respect."

The 33-year-old took drastic measures to escape the hectic city life by flying to Canada to train as a snowboarding instructor -but he has been tempted back by a North Yorkshire company.

He said: "It was absolutely great but, after a while, I had to come back to reality, and getting a job with thecitysecret was the perfect answer.

"The people are great, the town is fabulous and I have time to get out and do things I enjoy, like mountain biking."

His story is not uncommon among the 17 workers at thecitysecret, in Dundas Street.

Ian Mitchell spent most of his career working in the US as a software engineering consultant and, in his spare time, enjoyed scuba diving and taking part in the extreme sport of underwater ironing.

The 37-year-old has left behind his US lifestyle to live in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Likewise, Jonathan Heitler worked in London for investment banker Morgan Stanley when he decided he had enough of the expensive city life, its unfriendly people and the lengthy commutes.

His decision to work with computer software design company thecitysecret was a drastic one -taking a 50 per cent cut in salary and buying a house through the Internet without viewing it.

The 49-year-old senior programmer said: "The quality of life here is far superior to what I had in London.

"I used to travel to work by train, which sometimes took over two hours, and in the whole nine or ten years I lived down South, I think I knew one neighbour.

"Now I walk to work, the people in Richmond are friendly and I am involved in amateur dramatics and music here.

"You cannot put a price on that."

With modern technology and communication links better than ever, companies no longer feel the need to be in the heart of the capital.

Award-winning IT company Highlander left its London office for York in search of a better standard of living and cheaper costs.

Managing director Andy Gardiner said there were many benefits, including cheaper rent and rates, stunning countryside, affordable housing and good schools.

His reasons for moving the company north echo those of thecitysecret founder and managing director Martin Worner.

He said: "I got into banking and IT and worked in London, New York and Switzerland. I had an enlightening moment one day on the Tube when I thought 'I don't need to be doing this -I need to get out'."

He set up thecitysecret in Richmond in 2002 and has never looked back.

The company has expanded rapidly - from having two staff at the start to now having 17.

Turnover has risen from £200,000 to more than £675,000 in two years, with a projected rise this year to more than £1m.

Mr Worner said: "We have a lot of highly experienced staff who have done the whole commuting and city life thing and just want to have things a bit more easy.

"I think the location factor plays a strong role in the happiness of the workforce and, likewise, the success of the company."