spideyo

Hi people we are moving back to the UK and we are thinking about moving to Warrington due to some family being there, does anybody have any useful hints about Warrington is it a good place to live and what areas would people suggest have been thinking of Westbrook or Callands. Any information people can help us with would be great.


Cheers John

Droidling

John,
Surely you can set your sights a bit higher,especially if returning from NZ. I fear for your mental health !
I mean,without being too cruel it really is a depressing dump.
Why not try northern Cheshire,or the Wirral (just get some good locking wheel nuts). Within easy reach of the toxic dumps of W and Manc.

spouse of scouse

Hi John. It'd probably be a good idea to talk with your family members about Warrington, as they live there they'd be able to give you the most accurate information and also answer specific questions you may have. I haven't lived there, but the borough has a high percentage of owner occupier households (around 75%), schools that are well regarded by Ofsted, and a thriving town centre.

I live in New Brighton, so if you do consider the Wirral I'd be pleased to have a chat about living here. My husband and I love it!

Best of luck with your move back.

TrishP

My only experience of Warrington was observing the huge number of genuine trainspotters on the platform at the station, complete with cameras on tripods and anoraks. All quite content to stand in what felt like -35, while waiting for some express train or other to come shooting through

scot47

So if you go there you will be drinking the same tap water as these trainspotters. That would worry me.

spideyo

One of the main reasons as I think I said is moving to Warrington for family we are considering also westbrook area and great sankey are there any helpful people out there that can give us any advice about warrington, things to do and areas to live.

Jerseygirl

My sister and her family have lived in Warrington (Birchwood) for 30+ years. She was a high school teacher/deputy head in Warrington for 30 years. 4 years ago they moved to Culcheth. My husband was born and grew up in Runcorn and dislikes the whole area. Much of Warrington/Runcorn/Widnes is run down but a lot has been done to revitalize the area. I don't care for Warrington myself but some of the newer areas and villages around the town are ok. It is very conveniently situated...M6/M56/M62...and Manchester airport. We lived in Chester before moving to the US...I love Chester and the surrounding villages.

Richard8655

Per Jerseygirl's post above, we also very much liked the Chester area. I interviewed with Barclay's Bank many years ago. Their offices were located in nearby Knutsford, and I thought it was very nice, quaint, and livable. A historic village on a rail line to Manchester. Probably our first choice when moving back.

Jerseygirl

Knutsford is lovely...if we moved back we would probably live in Tarporley.

Sparkleydiva

I agree, Knutsford, Tarporley, Chester are all really lovely. I live in Altrincham and a lot has been done here in the years I have been away. Not keen on Warrington/Runcorn areas either. I used to work at Warrington ED many moons ago...not the greatest of areas imo...sorry

Droidling

You'll need deep pockets to live in Tarporley or Knutsford. As soon as you venture just outside either though it all gets a whole lot more affordable. There are some good places with a quality of life as long as you can put up with the perpetual sh*te weather. And there's always somewhere for a bistro pub Sunday lunch that's for sure (not a lot else to do except eat and supp ale). Places that immediately spring to mind are Tattenhall,Kelsall,Malpas and even Frodsham's OK IMO. Go further east and you'll get into pretentious-ville,Tennessee. Better make sure you've got that enormous waste-of-metal Chelsea tractor.

Richard8655

Yes, but I thought you advised us to set our sights higher!

John,
Surely you can set your sights a bit higher, especially if returning from NZ. I fear for your mental health !
I mean,without being too cruel it really is a depressing dump.
Why not try northern Cheshire,or the Wirral (just get some good locking wheel nuts). Within easy reach of the toxic dumps of W and Manc.

scrubbedexpat094

Westbrook and Callands are just soulless housing estates. Though very handy for Gemini retail park (I love M&S there). If you want to be in the Warrington area then take a look at Appleton Thorn.

I'm from St.Helens, my parents are still living in Eccleston. We were over in June and just went to Warrington Gemini to shop! Warrington is at least a step up from St.Helens, Widnes and Runcorn but I'd be looking further afield.

Whereabouts are you in NZ? We are on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, north of Auckland. We are planning to return home in March 2018. I wouldn't want to return to the North-west, nor to Staffordshire as that would be like trying to go back. We are wanting to look forward and have a new adventure, so no idea where we will end up.

How important is having family nearby?

spideyo

Cheers Guys we are in the wairarapa area, any advice is great will take a look at the areas suggested.

BEVS

We're top of the South outside of Nelson in the Tasman area.
Before we were bottom of the South in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Anyway. Good luck with this next phase of your life.
I'm always interested to follow the journey from NZ to the UK as it isn't a pop across a pond is it.