Norwich
Apr 14th 2012, 2:18 pm
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire, England
Posts: 1,494
Re: Norwich
Well, Noel Coward did say, in one of his plays - "Norfolk.....very flat, Norfolk!" True enough it is, but it makes up for it in other ways - the Broads, the wonderful coastline all the way along from Hunstanton and round and down to Great Yarmouth - long sandy stretches of beach and the fantastic birdlife all the way along and further inland.....home to avocets, bitterns, nightjars and bearded tits and other birds not as common in other parts of England.
Norwich has one of the largest open air markets selling just about everything under the sun six days a week - in a large open space in front of City Hall and between the ancient Guildhall on one side and the Church of St Peter Mancroft on the other. It also has a large, square Castle set up on a hilltop overlooking the city centre.
It has some good theatres and other places of entertainment, depending on whatever it is you like to do.
The Cathedral is really beautiful with a magnificent spire, and it is in the Cathedral close that you will find the grave of Nurse Edith Cavell, a very brave woman shot by the Germans in Belgium in 1915.
Norwich does have one really nice "hill" -this one......Elm Hill, multicoloured walls and a shop selling only local mustard......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oC6JTE6uIw
Norwich has one of the largest open air markets selling just about everything under the sun six days a week - in a large open space in front of City Hall and between the ancient Guildhall on one side and the Church of St Peter Mancroft on the other. It also has a large, square Castle set up on a hilltop overlooking the city centre.
It has some good theatres and other places of entertainment, depending on whatever it is you like to do.
The Cathedral is really beautiful with a magnificent spire, and it is in the Cathedral close that you will find the grave of Nurse Edith Cavell, a very brave woman shot by the Germans in Belgium in 1915.
Norwich does have one really nice "hill" -this one......Elm Hill, multicoloured walls and a shop selling only local mustard......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oC6JTE6uIw
Apr 14th 2012, 2:28 pm
#34
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Norwich
Well, Noel Coward did say, in one of his plays - "Norfolk.....very flat, Norfolk!" True enough it is, but it makes up for it in other ways - the Broads, the wonderful coastline all the way along from Hunstanton and round and down to Great Yarmouth - long sandy stretches of beach and the fantastic birdlife all the way along and further inland.....home to avocets, bitterns, nightjars and bearded tits and other birds not as common in other parts of England.
Norwich has one of the largest open air markets selling just about everything under the sun six days a week - in a large open space in front of City Hall and between the ancient Guildhall on one side and the Church of St Peter Mancroft on the other. It also has a large, square Castle set up on a hilltop overlooking the city centre.
It has some good theatres and other places of entertainment, depending on whatever it is you like to do.
The Cathedral is really beautiful with a magnificent spire, and it is in the Cathedral close that you will find the grave of Nurse Edith Cavell, a very brave woman shot by the Germans in Belgium in 1915.
Norwich does have one really nice "hill" -this one......Elm Hill, multicoloured walls and a shop selling only local mustard......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oC6JTE6uIw
Norwich has one of the largest open air markets selling just about everything under the sun six days a week - in a large open space in front of City Hall and between the ancient Guildhall on one side and the Church of St Peter Mancroft on the other. It also has a large, square Castle set up on a hilltop overlooking the city centre.
It has some good theatres and other places of entertainment, depending on whatever it is you like to do.
The Cathedral is really beautiful with a magnificent spire, and it is in the Cathedral close that you will find the grave of Nurse Edith Cavell, a very brave woman shot by the Germans in Belgium in 1915.
Norwich does have one really nice "hill" -this one......Elm Hill, multicoloured walls and a shop selling only local mustard......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oC6JTE6uIw
Apr 14th 2012, 2:45 pm
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Okotoks AB
Posts: 259
Re: Norwich
I dont know i have friends who have kids that go to the Hewlett and they havent had any issues! it used to have a bad name but i think it has got better.
Apr 18th 2012, 1:21 pm
#36
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: norfolk uk
Posts: 1
Re: Norwich
Compact city Yep. Train link to London Yep (under 2 hours) Housing reasonably priced. Good rowing club in Norwich Yep (racing sculling etc) Nice small city, very safe environment for shopping. I live 20 miles to the east of Norwich after moving from London 11 years ago.
Apr 18th 2012, 2:17 pm
#37
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 20,711
Re: Norwich
I am from Norwich well born in Salhouse on the Norfolk Broads and family now live in Thorpe St Andrews......it's a nice place, very clean and plenty to do every time I go back its changed so much, I don't like the UK as a whole but Norwich area would be a safe bet if moving back to the UK.
Depends what you are looking for there are great schools and recreational activities for family's, Gt Yarmouth and the coast is less then 30 miles away,wonderful country bars and restaurants, still very unspoilt and old fashioned for the most part, I would look at the little villages outside Norwich...Brundall, Blofield, Salhouse,Wymondham.....its farming as you know and a hub for the north sea off shore workers.
Depends what you are looking for there are great schools and recreational activities for family's, Gt Yarmouth and the coast is less then 30 miles away,wonderful country bars and restaurants, still very unspoilt and old fashioned for the most part, I would look at the little villages outside Norwich...Brundall, Blofield, Salhouse,Wymondham.....its farming as you know and a hub for the north sea off shore workers.
Norwich was my first home, born in St Stephens Square, parents married in St Peter Mancroft.
I can endorse all the recommendations. Norwich has everything.
We now have a family holiday cottage in Wroxham where I don't worry if I forget to lock the front door. Just 15 minutes train from Norwich. Easy access to the coast; Sea Palling, Cart Gap my favourites.
A late paternal uncle had a small-holding in Salhouse in 1940-50s. In those days they still didn't have electricity. It is much different now.
Apr 18th 2012, 3:21 pm
#38
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Norwich
Just noticed this thread in the Forum Index; (as a refugee from the Goa Forum).
Norwich was my first home, born in St Stephens Square, parents married in St Peter Mancroft.
I can endorse all the recommendations. Norwich has everything.
We now have a family holiday cottage in Wroxham where I don't worry if I forget to lock the front door. Just 15 minutes train from Norwich. Easy access to the coast; Sea Palling, Cart Gap my favourites.
A late paternal uncle had a small-holding in Salhouse in 1940-50s. In those days they still didn't have electricity. It is much different now.
Norwich was my first home, born in St Stephens Square, parents married in St Peter Mancroft.
I can endorse all the recommendations. Norwich has everything.
We now have a family holiday cottage in Wroxham where I don't worry if I forget to lock the front door. Just 15 minutes train from Norwich. Easy access to the coast; Sea Palling, Cart Gap my favourites.
A late paternal uncle had a small-holding in Salhouse in 1940-50s. In those days they still didn't have electricity. It is much different now.
Apr 19th 2012, 6:57 pm
#39
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 398
Re: Norwich
I've lived in Norwich on and off (with spells in Australia and the NE where we are now) since 1986. I met my oh there, did my nurse training there and two of our daughters were born there. It's definitely my 'home' in the UK and I'm sure it's where we'll end up again!
It's a good city to bring children up in. It's easy to get around (on foot - the one way system can be a be confusing until you're used to it!), so they can be independent quite early. My older two got to the point where they could get the train to Cambridge or London with friends for the day which they loved doing. The city has a good 'feel' to it and most of the time there's something happening - they're gearing up for the Norfolk and Norwich festival in May at the moment.
The coast is close and lovely in summer and winter - there's a great cafe at Winterton for bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate in winter and Horsey is one of our favourites in summer (lots of seals around). We also like Southwold (Suffolk) in summer too. Pretty town, nice beach, Adnams brewery, a lovely pier with old style arcade on it and fish and chips at the harbour to finish!
Some of our friends sail at Brancaster and quite a few at Wroxham too. Our girls used to do courses at Whitlingham (flooded gravel pit on the edge of Norwich) when they were younger - there's always lots going on there.
Those are the good points for Norwich. There are a few downsides - it takes ages to get anywhere else, especially north because the roads aren't great (the final bit of dualling of the A11 should be underway by now though, to get to the M11 and A14), so it can feel a bit isolated. It can also be a bit claustrophobic sometimes too - I'd only been in the county for 15 minutes this time and seen four people I know! My children couldn't go anywhere without someone telling me they'd spotted them (great for me though!).
Public transport is also not that good and quite expensive for teenagers. Plenty of park and rides into the city, but rural bus services are limited.
There are some good schools, private and state. Our lot were at Norwich High which is an independent girls' school and they were really happy there. There's another girls' school just south of Norwich, Hethersett Old Hall which is much smaller and coed in the junior dept. One of my friends has her two there and is happy with it.
Norwich School is coed and quite a few friends have kids there. It's in a beautiful setting in the Cathedral Close. There's also Langley which is a few miles from Norwich, but served very well by buses.
If we didn't move around so much, the state schools I'd look at would be Wymondham (College, which is also a state boarding school and the High school, which has just become, or becoming an academy. The Head there used to be Head at the College). They both do very well in public exams, but more importantly they seem friendly schools with lots of extra curricular things on offer.
I have friends who have children at Reepham High, but that may be too far north for you. A few years ago there seemed to be an influx of teachers to the area in order to get their children into school there. It's had a sixth form built too which has been open for a couple of years now. My friend's children have had some fantastic opportunities there - one has just come back from some competition in China (or somewhere!) and immediately went off to France on an exchange trip.
Another one to think of maybe Framingham Earl. I know a few people whose children go and are happy with it - I don't think it has a sixth form though.
CNS (City of Norwich School) is another to consider. The only thing that used to put me off about it was the kids smoking outside school and the language they used when they were walking past our house morning and evening, but I know people who have children there and they're all perfectly polite, articulate kids. One used to babysit for us!
Personally, I wouldn't think of the Hewett, but another friend of mine used to teach there and said it was improving all the time, so my thoughts may well be out of date now. I know the GCSE results are improving.
Good luck! I think Norwich is a lovely place to live.
It's a good city to bring children up in. It's easy to get around (on foot - the one way system can be a be confusing until you're used to it!), so they can be independent quite early. My older two got to the point where they could get the train to Cambridge or London with friends for the day which they loved doing. The city has a good 'feel' to it and most of the time there's something happening - they're gearing up for the Norfolk and Norwich festival in May at the moment.
The coast is close and lovely in summer and winter - there's a great cafe at Winterton for bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate in winter and Horsey is one of our favourites in summer (lots of seals around). We also like Southwold (Suffolk) in summer too. Pretty town, nice beach, Adnams brewery, a lovely pier with old style arcade on it and fish and chips at the harbour to finish!
Some of our friends sail at Brancaster and quite a few at Wroxham too. Our girls used to do courses at Whitlingham (flooded gravel pit on the edge of Norwich) when they were younger - there's always lots going on there.
Those are the good points for Norwich. There are a few downsides - it takes ages to get anywhere else, especially north because the roads aren't great (the final bit of dualling of the A11 should be underway by now though, to get to the M11 and A14), so it can feel a bit isolated. It can also be a bit claustrophobic sometimes too - I'd only been in the county for 15 minutes this time and seen four people I know! My children couldn't go anywhere without someone telling me they'd spotted them (great for me though!).
Public transport is also not that good and quite expensive for teenagers. Plenty of park and rides into the city, but rural bus services are limited.
There are some good schools, private and state. Our lot were at Norwich High which is an independent girls' school and they were really happy there. There's another girls' school just south of Norwich, Hethersett Old Hall which is much smaller and coed in the junior dept. One of my friends has her two there and is happy with it.
Norwich School is coed and quite a few friends have kids there. It's in a beautiful setting in the Cathedral Close. There's also Langley which is a few miles from Norwich, but served very well by buses.
If we didn't move around so much, the state schools I'd look at would be Wymondham (College, which is also a state boarding school and the High school, which has just become, or becoming an academy. The Head there used to be Head at the College). They both do very well in public exams, but more importantly they seem friendly schools with lots of extra curricular things on offer.
I have friends who have children at Reepham High, but that may be too far north for you. A few years ago there seemed to be an influx of teachers to the area in order to get their children into school there. It's had a sixth form built too which has been open for a couple of years now. My friend's children have had some fantastic opportunities there - one has just come back from some competition in China (or somewhere!) and immediately went off to France on an exchange trip.
Another one to think of maybe Framingham Earl. I know a few people whose children go and are happy with it - I don't think it has a sixth form though.
CNS (City of Norwich School) is another to consider. The only thing that used to put me off about it was the kids smoking outside school and the language they used when they were walking past our house morning and evening, but I know people who have children there and they're all perfectly polite, articulate kids. One used to babysit for us!
Personally, I wouldn't think of the Hewett, but another friend of mine used to teach there and said it was improving all the time, so my thoughts may well be out of date now. I know the GCSE results are improving.
Good luck! I think Norwich is a lovely place to live.
Apr 19th 2012, 9:06 pm
#40
Location:West Van, BC
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Gloucestershire UK
Posts: 132
Re: Norwich
[QUOTE=CEM;10015251]I've lived in Norwich on and off (with spells in Australia and the NE where we are now) since 1986. I met my oh there, did my nurse training there and two of our daughters were born there. It's definitely my 'home' in the UK and I'm sure it's where we'll end up again!
It's a good city to bring children up in. It's easy to get around (on foot - the one way system can be a be confusing until you're used to it!), so they can be independent quite early. My older two got to the point where they could get the train to Cambridge or London with friends for the day which they loved doing. The city has a good 'feel' to it and most of the time there's something happening - they're gearing up for the Norfolk and Norwich festival in May at the moment.
The coast is close and lovely in summer and winter - there's a great cafe at Winterton for bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate in winter and Horsey is one of our favourites in summer (lots of seals around). We also like Southwold (Suffolk) in summer too. Pretty town, nice beach, Adnams brewery, a lovely pier with old style arcade on it and fish and chips at the harbour to finish!
Some of our friends sail at Brancaster and quite a few at Wroxham too. Our girls used to do courses at Whitlingham (flooded gravel pit on the edge of Norwich) when they were younger - there's always lots going on there.
Those are the good points for Norwich. There are a few downsides - it takes ages to get anywhere else, especially north because the roads aren't great (the final bit of dualling of the A11 should be underway by now though, to get to the M11 and A14), so it can feel a bit isolated. It can also be a bit claustrophobic sometimes too - I'd only been in the county for 15 minutes this time and seen four people I know! My children couldn't go anywhere without someone telling me they'd spotted them (great for me though!).
Public transport is also not that good and quite expensive for teenagers. Plenty of park and rides into the city, but rural bus services are limited.
There are some good schools, private and state. Our lot were at Norwich High which is an independent girls' school and they were really happy there. There's another girls' school just south of Norwich, Hethersett Old Hall which is much smaller and coed in the junior dept. One of my friends has her two there and is happy with it.
Norwich School is coed and quite a few friends have kids there. It's in a beautiful setting in the Cathedral Close. There's also Langley which is a few miles from Norwich, but served very well by buses.
If we didn't move around so much, the state schools I'd look at would be Wymondham (College, which is also a state boarding school and the High school, which has just become, or becoming an academy. The Head there used to be Head at the College). They both do very well in public exams, but more importantly they seem friendly schools with lots of extra curricular things on offer.
I have friends who have children at Reepham High, but that may be too far north for you. A few years ago there seemed to be an influx of teachers to the area in order to get their children into school there. It's had a sixth form built too which has been open for a couple of years now. My friend's children have had some fantastic opportunities there - one has just come back from some competition in China (or somewhere!) and immediately went off to France on an exchange trip.
Another one to think of maybe Framingham Earl. I know a few people whose children go and are happy with it - I don't think it has a sixth form though.
CNS (City of Norwich School) is another to consider. The only thing that used to put me off about it was the kids smoking outside school and the language they used when they were walking past our house morning and evening, but I know people who have children there and they're all perfectly polite, articulate kids. One used to babysit for us!
Personally, I wouldn't think of the Hewett, but another friend of mine used to teach there and said it was improving all the time, so my thoughts may well be out of date now. I know the GCSE results are improving.
Good luck! I think Norwich is a lovely place to live.[/QU
Many thanks CEM .. we too have moved about a bit,several places in Canada and NZ .. Norwich sounds very much like Christchurch with the isolated feel and knowing anyone and everyone .. Norwich is definitely on our list with Bath area,Evesham and Gloucester ... i sort of know the flat countryside as i was sent to school in Bedford,firly bland landscape ... many thanks ...
It's a good city to bring children up in. It's easy to get around (on foot - the one way system can be a be confusing until you're used to it!), so they can be independent quite early. My older two got to the point where they could get the train to Cambridge or London with friends for the day which they loved doing. The city has a good 'feel' to it and most of the time there's something happening - they're gearing up for the Norfolk and Norwich festival in May at the moment.
The coast is close and lovely in summer and winter - there's a great cafe at Winterton for bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate in winter and Horsey is one of our favourites in summer (lots of seals around). We also like Southwold (Suffolk) in summer too. Pretty town, nice beach, Adnams brewery, a lovely pier with old style arcade on it and fish and chips at the harbour to finish!
Some of our friends sail at Brancaster and quite a few at Wroxham too. Our girls used to do courses at Whitlingham (flooded gravel pit on the edge of Norwich) when they were younger - there's always lots going on there.
Those are the good points for Norwich. There are a few downsides - it takes ages to get anywhere else, especially north because the roads aren't great (the final bit of dualling of the A11 should be underway by now though, to get to the M11 and A14), so it can feel a bit isolated. It can also be a bit claustrophobic sometimes too - I'd only been in the county for 15 minutes this time and seen four people I know! My children couldn't go anywhere without someone telling me they'd spotted them (great for me though!).
Public transport is also not that good and quite expensive for teenagers. Plenty of park and rides into the city, but rural bus services are limited.
There are some good schools, private and state. Our lot were at Norwich High which is an independent girls' school and they were really happy there. There's another girls' school just south of Norwich, Hethersett Old Hall which is much smaller and coed in the junior dept. One of my friends has her two there and is happy with it.
Norwich School is coed and quite a few friends have kids there. It's in a beautiful setting in the Cathedral Close. There's also Langley which is a few miles from Norwich, but served very well by buses.
If we didn't move around so much, the state schools I'd look at would be Wymondham (College, which is also a state boarding school and the High school, which has just become, or becoming an academy. The Head there used to be Head at the College). They both do very well in public exams, but more importantly they seem friendly schools with lots of extra curricular things on offer.
I have friends who have children at Reepham High, but that may be too far north for you. A few years ago there seemed to be an influx of teachers to the area in order to get their children into school there. It's had a sixth form built too which has been open for a couple of years now. My friend's children have had some fantastic opportunities there - one has just come back from some competition in China (or somewhere!) and immediately went off to France on an exchange trip.
Another one to think of maybe Framingham Earl. I know a few people whose children go and are happy with it - I don't think it has a sixth form though.
CNS (City of Norwich School) is another to consider. The only thing that used to put me off about it was the kids smoking outside school and the language they used when they were walking past our house morning and evening, but I know people who have children there and they're all perfectly polite, articulate kids. One used to babysit for us!
Personally, I wouldn't think of the Hewett, but another friend of mine used to teach there and said it was improving all the time, so my thoughts may well be out of date now. I know the GCSE results are improving.
Good luck! I think Norwich is a lovely place to live.[/QU
Many thanks CEM .. we too have moved about a bit,several places in Canada and NZ .. Norwich sounds very much like Christchurch with the isolated feel and knowing anyone and everyone .. Norwich is definitely on our list with Bath area,Evesham and Gloucester ... i sort of know the flat countryside as i was sent to school in Bedford,firly bland landscape ... many thanks ...
Apr 19th 2012, 11:31 pm
#41
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Norwich
Funny Norwich must throw us guys to other shores, I have lived in Australia and Canada as well as Asia and Europe 
Umm CNS must of changed it was the roughest school in Norwich when I was a kid but that was 30 years ago 
Apr 20th 2012, 7:17 am
#42
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 398
Re: Norwich
Was CNS rougher than Earlham or Blyth Jex?? Must have been bad!
Apr 20th 2012, 7:25 am
#43
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 398
Re: Norwich
"Many thanks CEM .. we too have moved about a bit,several places in Canada and NZ .. Norwich sounds very much like Christchurch with the isolated feel and knowing anyone and everyone .. Norwich is definitely on our list with Bath area,Evesham and Gloucester ... i sort of know the flat countryside as i was sent to school in Bedford,firly bland landscape ... many thanks"
You've got some lovely places on your list. I've lived in Bath too (a long time ago). I think the the SW is my favourite area - it does seem to rain more there than East Anglia, but I don't think it gets the freezing easterly wind Norfolk has sometimes. I love the stone houses down there too.
Good luck choosing!
You've got some lovely places on your list. I've lived in Bath too (a long time ago). I think the the SW is my favourite area - it does seem to rain more there than East Anglia, but I don't think it gets the freezing easterly wind Norfolk has sometimes. I love the stone houses down there too.
Good luck choosing!
Apr 20th 2012, 11:09 am
#44
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,217
Re: Norwich
In fact the lenght of TIME of commute is very similar to the commute people living around the london suburbs have to get into work, tubes are often slow, and you may need to change lines, busses are very slow and, again you often have to change. People commute from Lincoln and Grimsby as well, the cost of the season ticket being less than the premium costs of living in London
Apr 20th 2012, 1:12 pm
#45
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Norwich
Yes it was the bad boys school especially used to place the kids that he been naughty and taken into care, its in a nasty area as well.