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Best relocation areas in the UK?

Best relocation areas in the UK?

Old Jul 8th 2019, 8:50 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by BEVS
I know that place . No . It was not.

That was a boarding house to Canford boys public school.

Back in the late 60's & early 70's . I sang an assortment of Handel , among other loadsa stuff, several & many times with a choir there alongside the boys & adults choir. Typical public school & typical boarding houses. Food was absolutely dreadful. Lads, typical public school. Wonderful grounds & really great historical references.



The area & surrounds itself is fine enough. I would say that. I grew up in the area from around 1963 onward , although not of the posh or even remotely semi-posh stuff. There is a golf course not too far away. My Dad was a member. Canford Magna. That was all within walking distance of where we lived. I doubt you would wish to buy our old house though, even though it is more than typical of the area in its own way. = real England
Bev

That's a really nice back story of the history to this home. Made me smile! Sounds like we have a similar up bringing. My kids are going to love all the history they will soon experience in their mother's homeland. Life experiences and memories really are priceless aren't they. Have to admit when you described your time singing at this school I did for a minute flash back to my days in primary school singing in my class school play

I like how real estate is not wasted in the UK and many former specific type structures are regentrified and given new life and purpose.
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Old Jul 8th 2019, 9:52 am
  #647  
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by BEVS
I know that place . No . It was not.

That was a boarding house to Canford boys public school.

Back in the late 60's & early 70's . I sang an assortment of Handel , among other loadsa stuff, several & many times with a choir there alongside the boys & adults choir. Typical public school & typical boarding houses. Food was absolutely dreadful. Lads, typical public school. Wonderful grounds & really great historical references.



The area & surrounds itself is fine enough. I would say that. I grew up in the area from around 1963 onward , although not of the posh or even remotely semi-posh stuff. There is a golf course not too far away. My Dad was a member. Canford Magna. That was all within walking distance of where we lived. I doubt you would wish to buy our old house though, even though it is more than typical of the area in its own way. = real England

Canford School is still there and going strong - co-ed now. As you say, beautiful campus and grounds.

Agree with what you say about the immediate area by that house - although I would also say it's very close to Wimborne which I like. Wimborne is a small market town with a nice range of shops/cafes/restaurants. It has a fun Folk festival each year and a few other smaller festivals throughout the year - literary/history that sort of thing.

UKWinds, you asked about Dorset. In general, I like this area of the south coast - very pretty countryside, nice coastline and well connected for transport links. Decent enough economy locally so job prospects are reasonable too.

There are plenty of activities for evenings out - music venues in many of the towns nearby - Bournemouth/Southampton/Portsmouth/Salisbury are not so far away and seem to be on the circuit for many tours. Poole has a vibrant arts centre for theatre and home of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

I suspect that pretty much every area of the UK will have similar prospects - what kind of stuff are you specifically looking for?
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Old Jul 8th 2019, 6:55 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by rebs
Canford School is still there and going strong - co-ed now. As you say, beautiful campus and grounds.

Agree with what you say about the immediate area by that house - although I would also say it's very close to Wimborne which I like. Wimborne is a small market town with a nice range of shops/cafes/restaurants. It has a fun Folk festival each year and a few other smaller festivals throughout the year - literary/history that sort of thing.

UKWinds, you asked about Dorset. In general, I like this area of the south coast - very pretty countryside, nice coastline and well connected for transport links. Decent enough economy locally so job prospects are reasonable too.

There are plenty of activities for evenings out - music venues in many of the towns nearby - Bournemouth/Southampton/Portsmouth/Salisbury are not so far away and seem to be on the circuit for many tours. Poole has a vibrant arts centre for theatre and home of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

I suspect that pretty much every area of the UK will have similar prospects - what kind of stuff are you specifically looking for?
You make the coastal area near Dorset sound very interesting and self sustaining. We definitely want to be in a place that is beautiful to the eye, and a location with lots of things to do for arts and outdoorsy activities. My wife and I enjoy jogging and playing tennis, going out to nice restaurants and she enjoy shopping. We truly enjoy living in, or the outside of a nice size city that has many of the advantages of a large city. It drives me mad to live in a place that totally shuts down by midnight.

I don't expect NYC where the city never sleeps, where I can still find a all night restaurant that sell a great lobster dinner. But, it would be nice to be with-in a short drive to find a all night pharmacy and maybe a all night gym and fast food restaurant. Maybe a simple eatery that sell gyros up to 3am. The family and I are going to spend a night or two in the Dorset area getting a feel for the place. More than likely we will drive the short length between Dorset and Brighton, figuring out what region of the UK feels like home. We're going to surgically attack this fact finding trip/vacation. Slicing up various regions of the UK on the road and stopping along the way to see as much as we can.

Our friends who just bought a house in Manchester gave some pretty good input how they drove through various areas of the UK.. We're going to circle the London area a bit then head west cutting through all the counties heading that direction. Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire then over to Bristol. Because of time limitations we'll skip places not in our plan of action for our move. Places like Devon and Somerset can wait for holiday considerations. After time in Bristol then we'll drive to Dorset then east to Brighton. And from Brighton heading north to Manchester to spend time with my wife's family.

After about five days of good food and family festivities then we plan to shoot over to Ireland for about three nights. Then off to Spain and Portugal and definitely a third nation yet to be determined. And at that point we'll see where we are in terms of time. It's going to move quicker than rush hour in midtown Manhattan.

Last edited by UkWinds5353; Jul 8th 2019 at 7:05 pm.
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Old Jul 8th 2019, 9:19 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
You make the coastal area near Dorset sound very interesting and self sustaining. We definitely want to be in a place that is beautiful to the eye, and a location with lots of things to do for arts and outdoorsy activities. My wife and I enjoy jogging and playing tennis, going out to nice restaurants and she enjoy shopping. We truly enjoy living in, or the outside of a nice size city that has many of the advantages of a large city. It drives me mad to live in a place that totally shuts down by midnight.

I don't expect NYC where the city never sleeps, where I can still find a all night restaurant that sell a great lobster dinner. But, it would be nice to be with-in a short drive to find a all night pharmacy and maybe a all night gym and fast food restaurant. Maybe a simple eatery that sell gyros up to 3am. The family and I are going to spend a night or two in the Dorset area getting a feel for the place. More than likely we will drive the short length between Dorset and Brighton, figuring out what region of the UK feels like home. We're going to surgically attack this fact finding trip/vacation. Slicing up various regions of the UK on the road and stopping along the way to see as much as we can.

Our friends who just bought a house in Manchester gave some pretty good input how they drove through various areas of the UK.. We're going to circle the London area a bit then head west cutting through all the counties heading that direction. Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire then over to Bristol. Because of time limitations we'll skip places not in our plan of action for our move. Places like Devon and Somerset can wait for holiday considerations. After time in Bristol then we'll drive to Dorset then east to Brighton. And from Brighton heading north to Manchester to spend time with my wife's family.

After about five days of good food and family festivities then we plan to shoot over to Ireland for about three nights. Then off to Spain and Portugal and definitely a third nation yet to be determined. And at that point we'll see where we are in terms of time. It's going to move quicker than rush hour in midtown Manhattan.
Where are your friends living? I lived in Bramhall and also near Macclesfield. Worked in Wilmslow where I met my husband. If we move back to the UK, hubby says we will buy in Prestbury, although I pref the Chester area.

Last edited by Jerseygirl; Jul 8th 2019 at 9:26 pm.
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Old Jul 8th 2019, 11:23 pm
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by rebs
Canford School is still there and going strong - co-ed now. As you say, beautiful campus and grounds.

Agree with what you say about the immediate area by that house - although I would also say it's very close to Wimborne which I like. Wimborne is a small market town with a nice range of shops/cafes/restaurants. It has a fun Folk festival each year and a few other smaller festivals throughout the year - literary/history that sort of thing.

UKWinds, you asked about Dorset. In general, I like this area of the south coast - very pretty countryside, nice coastline and well connected for transport links. Decent enough economy locally so job prospects are reasonable too.

There are plenty of activities for evenings out - music venues in many of the towns nearby - Bournemouth/Southampton/Portsmouth/Salisbury are not so far away and seem to be on the circuit for many tours. Poole has a vibrant arts centre for theatre and home of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
As you know Rebs, the entire area, it is my heart and soul. The very fibre of my being. I feel the twang of its life even from here. We are forever entwined.

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Born and bred in walking distance of Boscombe beach






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Old Jul 9th 2019, 12:31 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Where are your friends living? I lived in Bramhall and also near Macclesfield. Worked in Wilmslow where I met my husband. If we move back to the UK, hubby says we will buy in Prestbury, although I pref the Chester area.
Hi

I asked my wife and apparently they settled in a place called Didsbury. They seem very pleased with the choice and the schools in the area were a main selling point. I think they looked at Prestbury among other places. But finding the right affordable home in addition to good schools, made that township the one to go with. They are still trying to get us to move to Manchester. And no doubt it's a wonderful place but thankfully we don't need to factor into our move school options which opens up the entire country. We rather keep things not too far in driving distance to London because our adult kids will be living there.

So we'll see what area feels like home. And the UK is not a humongous country which takes days to cross by car. Which is going to be a new sensation considering we enjoy driving on the occasional long trip.

Some of your target areas(my wife says) is very nice.

I wonder, did my friends pick a good township?

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Old Jul 9th 2019, 12:41 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
Hi

I asked my wife and apparently they settled in a place called Didsbury. They seem very pleased with the choice and the schools in the area were a main selling point. I think they looked at Prestbury among other places. But finding the right affordable home in addition to good schools, made that township the one to go with. They are still trying to get us to move to Manchester. And no doubt it's a wonderful place but thankfully we don't need to factor into our move school options which opens up the entire country. We rather keep things not too far in driving distance to London because our adult kids will be living there.

So we'll see what area feels like home. And the UK is not a humongous country which takes days to cross by car. Which is going to be a new sensation considering we enjoy driving on the occasional long trip.

Some of your target areas(my wife says) is very nice.

I wonder, did my friends pick a good township?
Thanks. They live in Greater Manchester, I am not too familiar with GM. I thought perhaps they had chosen somewhere further south of Manchester.
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 1:07 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Thanks. They live in Greater Manchester, I am not too familiar with GM. I thought perhaps they had chosen somewhere further south of Manchester.
Sound like you were in the burbs which is definitely more our type of place. I look forward to seeing the surrounding area near our friend's home. They say it's on the outskirts of Manchester. There is nothing like a calm place to live but in driving distance to various options. Your target areas must be about 30 minutes to Manchester. That is idea imo.
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 1:25 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
Sound like you were in the burbs which is definitely more our type of place. I look forward to seeing the surrounding area near our friend's home. They say it's on the outskirts of Manchester. There is nothing like a calm place to live but in driving distance to various options. Your target areas must be about 30 minutes to Manchester. That is idea imo.
I would definitely choose Prestbury/Alderley Edge/Wilmslow, rather than be closer to Manchester. Depends if you have to be in Manchester each day. My husband used to commute from Chester, it was a grueling commute most days.
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 4:13 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
I would definitely choose Prestbury/Alderley Edge/Wilmslow, rather than be closer to Manchester. Depends if you have to be in Manchester each day. My husband used to commute from Chester, it was a grueling commute most days.
+1

I did my part as a friend! I looked for property left and right online and asked a million questions on this site to help them seek out the best options. The home does look nice in the photos I saw but if the area isn't the best for the budget they had, oh well....

As long as their happy then I'm happy for them. It's been several months since my search in Manchester but the homes that I remember liking for them were more towards the burbs. It's a general rule that money buys more space and amenities further away from a large metro area than living near that large city. The wife and I like amenities, clean air and open spaces with greenery. They are much younger and can later shift to other plans once their children get older if they need to.
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 5:40 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353

As long as their happy then I'm happy for them. .
Yes. That is absolutely the key.

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Old Jul 9th 2019, 6:19 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

This property is a grade 2 which dates back to the 1600s before America became a country


https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/de...6624e7f1815cb0
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 7:56 am
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What a interesting looking home. You would never see this in the States.




https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...tyId=61844325#
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 8:40 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by UkWinds5353
My wife and I enjoy jogging and playing tennis, going out to nice restaurants and she enjoy shopping. We truly enjoy living in, or the outside of a nice size city that has many of the advantages of a large city. It drives me mad to live in a place that totally shuts down by midnight.

I don't expect NYC where the city never sleeps, where I can still find a all night restaurant that sell a great lobster dinner. But, it would be nice to be with-in a short drive to find a all night pharmacy and maybe a all night gym and fast food restaurant. Maybe a simple eatery that sell gyros up to 3am. .
Jogging in nice areas, shopping and nice restaurants are things that would be pretty easy to do anywhere in the country, really. As for the late night stuff, all night gym etc, those are not really things I have sought out/have any experience of so I shall leave it to others to comment on how widespread those things might be
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Old Jul 9th 2019, 9:49 am
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Default Re: Best relocation areas in the UK?

Originally Posted by rebs
Jogging in nice areas, shopping and nice restaurants are things that would be pretty easy to do anywhere in the country, really. As for the late night stuff, all night gym etc, those are not really things I have sought out/have any experience of so I shall leave it to others to comment on how widespread those things might be
Thanks Rebs

It shouldn't be a problem finding many of the same activities in the UK that we enjoy here in the States. If there are Five Guys in the UK which there are, then many other American businesses will be available as well. I prefer Gold's Gym but a Anytime Fitness will get the job done, and I'm sure there are multiple options available on various topics. Probably the only thing I'll truly miss will be Nordstrom department store because they are the best example of one stop shopping. And for someone that don't have a lot of patience for shopping, convenience is a major plus. But even on that score we should be good because they do offer shipping to the UK as a normal service. Once on the ground over there we'll figure it out.
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