Isle of Wight
Oct 17th 2009, 9:10 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9
Isle of Wight
Hi there
I can get a job on the Isle of Wight and was wondering if anyone can recommend a specific town on the island in which to settle? Anyone ever lived there? Please share! It seems like a good place to raise a family?
I can get a job on the Isle of Wight and was wondering if anyone can recommend a specific town on the island in which to settle? Anyone ever lived there? Please share! It seems like a good place to raise a family?
Oct 17th 2009, 12:00 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 7,864
Re: Isle of Wight
I have friends who moved there about 4 years ago. The way she describes life, I'd think it was a sub-plot of "Hot Fuzz" 
It is unlikely she will feel settled nor accepted until she has lived there at least 35 years - maybe....
Other than that, parts are pretty, parts are run down and poor - like many other places I guess. The western side of the islands seems more 'au naturel' and untouched - the eastern side more tourist-ville.
The wages are not great, drugs use by teens is reportably high (hard drugs too, cocaine - not that namby pamby cannabis stuff) and the roads are unbearable in July and August as the hordes of grockles arrive (mainlanders). The island mentality is alive and well. Think long and hard if you want to run your own business.
The stores are 'baby' versions of what you might be used to - book day trips to Portsmouth or Southampton for retail therapy. Taking a car back and forth daily or even frequently is not financially viable unless you are earning a more than decent wage.
On the plus side (!) there are some stunning places on the island, a few really gorgeous beaches and if you are into watersports, sailing or paragliding, you can't fault the natural environment for providing a great playground. There are many, many places with a sea view and the weather is milder - snow rarely, if ever, settles there.
Other posters will regale you of tales of wonderful childhood holidays - and it is still a great place to take kids for a vacation but I personally think much of it is like many British seaside resorts and looks tired and scruffy and in need of a damn good injection of taste and cash.
My friend is moving to St Helens, near Bembridge and hopes for a better class of neighbour and friend - perhaps people who can look outside the island, or heaven forbid, actually be a mainlander themself I'm still not entirely sure why she is not returning to the South East, apart from cash.
On a good day she absolutely loves the proximity to a wind-blown walk on a fabulous beach. On a bad day, she wants to scream at the insular attitudes and lack of decent restaurants.
Where is the job based that has been offered. Nowhere is that far a drive really with Sandown being right in the middle, but budget on doubling the journey time in the summer.
The Education authority is having a massive re-think at this time with schools being closed and merged and a couple of new builds too.
Be wary of some homes and lack of availability of house insurance along some coastal areas around Ventnor.
HTH
It is unlikely she will feel settled nor accepted until she has lived there at least 35 years - maybe.... Other than that, parts are pretty, parts are run down and poor - like many other places I guess. The western side of the islands seems more 'au naturel' and untouched - the eastern side more tourist-ville.
The wages are not great, drugs use by teens is reportably high (hard drugs too, cocaine - not that namby pamby cannabis stuff) and the roads are unbearable in July and August as the hordes of grockles arrive (mainlanders). The island mentality is alive and well. Think long and hard if you want to run your own business.
The stores are 'baby' versions of what you might be used to - book day trips to Portsmouth or Southampton for retail therapy. Taking a car back and forth daily or even frequently is not financially viable unless you are earning a more than decent wage.
On the plus side (!) there are some stunning places on the island, a few really gorgeous beaches and if you are into watersports, sailing or paragliding, you can't fault the natural environment for providing a great playground. There are many, many places with a sea view and the weather is milder - snow rarely, if ever, settles there.
Other posters will regale you of tales of wonderful childhood holidays - and it is still a great place to take kids for a vacation but I personally think much of it is like many British seaside resorts and looks tired and scruffy and in need of a damn good injection of taste and cash.
My friend is moving to St Helens, near Bembridge and hopes for a better class of neighbour and friend - perhaps people who can look outside the island, or heaven forbid, actually be a mainlander themself
I'm still not entirely sure why she is not returning to the South East, apart from cash.On a good day she absolutely loves the proximity to a wind-blown walk on a fabulous beach. On a bad day, she wants to scream at the insular attitudes and lack of decent restaurants.
Where is the job based that has been offered. Nowhere is that far a drive really with Sandown being right in the middle, but budget on doubling the journey time in the summer.
The Education authority is having a massive re-think at this time with schools being closed and merged and a couple of new builds too.
Be wary of some homes and lack of availability of house insurance along some coastal areas around Ventnor.
HTH
Oct 17th 2009, 5:36 pm
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9
Re: Isle of Wight
Hi Ann
Thank you so much for your post! The job will be in Newport and I am actually coming from South Africa, so I suppose everything will actually be "wonderful" in comparison to here! Also a good point to remember - the holiday makers in July and the travelling time that doubles!
We love a more rural setting, so we will just have to explore a bit and then decide where to stay. I suppose the island mentality will be something that one will get there...but also I hope that one's own attitude will also help to make the adjustment easier.
I am a social worker, so I suppose I will soon enough find out about the drug problems there. Having worked here in SA I know that drugs seems to be everywhere! Maybe I can start to mail your friend - get some tips from her with regards to schools etc?
Thank you so much for your post! The job will be in Newport and I am actually coming from South Africa, so I suppose everything will actually be "wonderful" in comparison to here! Also a good point to remember - the holiday makers in July and the travelling time that doubles!
We love a more rural setting, so we will just have to explore a bit and then decide where to stay. I suppose the island mentality will be something that one will get there...but also I hope that one's own attitude will also help to make the adjustment easier.
I am a social worker, so I suppose I will soon enough find out about the drug problems there. Having worked here in SA I know that drugs seems to be everywhere! Maybe I can start to mail your friend - get some tips from her with regards to schools etc?
Oct 18th 2009, 3:49 pm
#4
poole ,dorset . love it
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,281
Re: Isle of Wight
I have friends who moved there about 4 years ago. The way she describes life, I'd think it was a sub-plot of "Hot Fuzz" It is unlikely she will feel settled nor accepted until she has lived there at least 35 years - maybe....
Other than that, parts are pretty, parts are run down and poor - like many other places I guess. The western side of the islands seems more 'au naturel' and untouched - the eastern side more tourist-ville.
The wages are not great, drugs use by teens is reportably high (hard drugs too, cocaine - not that namby pamby cannabis stuff) and the roads are unbearable in July and August as the hordes of grockles arrive (mainlanders). The island mentality is alive and well. Think long and hard if you want to run your own business.
The stores are 'baby' versions of what you might be used to - book day trips to Portsmouth or Southampton for retail therapy. Taking a car back and forth daily or even frequently is not financially viable unless you are earning a more than decent wage.
On the plus side (!) there are some stunning places on the island, a few really gorgeous beaches and if you are into watersports, sailing or paragliding, you can't fault the natural environment for providing a great playground. There are many, many places with a sea view and the weather is milder - snow rarely, if ever, settles there.
Other posters will regale you of tales of wonderful childhood holidays - and it is still a great place to take kids for a vacation but I personally think much of it is like many British seaside resorts and looks tired and scruffy and in need of a damn good injection of taste and cash.
My friend is moving to St Helens, near Bembridge and hopes for a better class of neighbour and friend - perhaps people who can look outside the island, or heaven forbid, actually be a mainlander themself I'm still not entirely sure why she is not returning to the South East, apart from cash.
On a good day she absolutely loves the proximity to a wind-blown walk on a fabulous beach. On a bad day, she wants to scream at the insular attitudes and lack of decent restaurants.
Where is the job based that has been offered. Nowhere is that far a drive really with Sandown being right in the middle, but budget on doubling the journey time in the summer.
The Education authority is having a massive re-think at this time with schools being closed and merged and a couple of new builds too.
Be wary of some homes and lack of availability of house insurance along some coastal areas around Ventnor.
HTH
It is unlikely she will feel settled nor accepted until she has lived there at least 35 years - maybe.... Other than that, parts are pretty, parts are run down and poor - like many other places I guess. The western side of the islands seems more 'au naturel' and untouched - the eastern side more tourist-ville.
The wages are not great, drugs use by teens is reportably high (hard drugs too, cocaine - not that namby pamby cannabis stuff) and the roads are unbearable in July and August as the hordes of grockles arrive (mainlanders). The island mentality is alive and well. Think long and hard if you want to run your own business.
The stores are 'baby' versions of what you might be used to - book day trips to Portsmouth or Southampton for retail therapy. Taking a car back and forth daily or even frequently is not financially viable unless you are earning a more than decent wage.
On the plus side (!) there are some stunning places on the island, a few really gorgeous beaches and if you are into watersports, sailing or paragliding, you can't fault the natural environment for providing a great playground. There are many, many places with a sea view and the weather is milder - snow rarely, if ever, settles there.
Other posters will regale you of tales of wonderful childhood holidays - and it is still a great place to take kids for a vacation but I personally think much of it is like many British seaside resorts and looks tired and scruffy and in need of a damn good injection of taste and cash.
My friend is moving to St Helens, near Bembridge and hopes for a better class of neighbour and friend - perhaps people who can look outside the island, or heaven forbid, actually be a mainlander themself
I'm still not entirely sure why she is not returning to the South East, apart from cash.On a good day she absolutely loves the proximity to a wind-blown walk on a fabulous beach. On a bad day, she wants to scream at the insular attitudes and lack of decent restaurants.
Where is the job based that has been offered. Nowhere is that far a drive really with Sandown being right in the middle, but budget on doubling the journey time in the summer.
The Education authority is having a massive re-think at this time with schools being closed and merged and a couple of new builds too.
Be wary of some homes and lack of availability of house insurance along some coastal areas around Ventnor.
HTH
Oct 18th 2009, 11:05 pm
#5
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: Isle of Wight
I'm fairly sure after being a social worker in SA, it will be a piece of cake (at least in UK the resources are there comparatively), the only thing I would dislike would be being stuck on an island...the UK mainland is an island but thankfully a much bigger one.
Geographical mobility is quite high in the UK with everyone gravitiating to the south east and London (often commuting in on trains from long distances) ..the advantage of this is that you don't get the same islander/wariness of outsiders mentality on the mainland that someone else has mentioned on Isle of Wight. I've only been there (IOW) once actually as a tourist many years ago but I know the English mainland south coast pretty well and it is where I feel most at home, despite having been born elsewhere in UK.
To research schools just go to the Ofsted website.
Geographical mobility is quite high in the UK with everyone gravitiating to the south east and London (often commuting in on trains from long distances) ..the advantage of this is that you don't get the same islander/wariness of outsiders mentality on the mainland that someone else has mentioned on Isle of Wight. I've only been there (IOW) once actually as a tourist many years ago but I know the English mainland south coast pretty well and it is where I feel most at home, despite having been born elsewhere in UK.
To research schools just go to the Ofsted website.
