Moses2013

I wouldn't get too stressed out now and you'll find pros and cons everywhere. There are also many great places in Devon/Cornwall and you always find areas that aren't that nice. It's not like the whole of Plymouth is rundown either, just because a few houses haven't been painted in years. Not everyone moving, or living in Cornwall has loads of cash and we all have different lifestyles too. Steve&Clare might only be happy if they own a house and others are happy to rent. If you're single it's not the same as a couple etc. Some people are focused on a specific career and if that area doesn't have jobs for them, they might find it bad, but other people can do any type of work.

maddie1959

Steve and Clare .
first I dont own a home here , I sold it years ago and bought my mum her council house in Hull.
I have very little money to return with as I have had to live off my saving twice in the last three years due to lack of contacts and budget cuts in the education field here. which is a part of why I am leaving here , to work in Montreal over the last five years as become very difficult if your not bilingual with any work to do with the public. politics and weather dont help, I have truly had enough of the winters here although summer is great its short lived in compare to winter 6-7 months .
But more then that I feel I need to be back home, dont know why gut feeling .
My family are in Hull but very small family and I have been gone 37 years so we are very different people now (or I am now) which worries me .
The best way to describe my job is to say a Beauvoir support specialist working in schools / social service setting with child youth family conflict .

Moses2013
Thank you I really do need to hear both sides , I am very happy to rent , my worry is I really have no idea what going on in England any more as I've been gone since I was 21 and am now 57 I dont even really know England . I'm looking at job web sites , very concerned its all done by agencies now makes it very difficult to take a trip to places I may want to live ie south and present yourself ,seems those days are over .
well I have 5 weeks to try and have a plan. I'm looking into house sitting hoping that gives me an opportunity to visit different parts of England and take care of peoples furry friends .I just joined three sites so fingers crossed .
talking of furry friends still having trouble finding best way to get my furry friend home (cat ) dont want to put him in cargo , so options are via France or Amsterdam , but very expensive to use company or cargo 900 eur min .as no animals allowed on bus ,train ferry unless in a car .

kevntrace

Precisely. Sure there are some sections of Plymouth that are not the best - but you will find that with any city, including Bristol, Swindon etc.

Parts of Plymouth city centre have been hit hard by the economic times. But they completely rebuilt Drake Circus (now an indoor mall) and that is where a lot of the newer shops are. I remember the old Drake Circus - I worked in the Tesco there as a summer job. The new Drake Circus is 100 times better than the old one.

In terms of careers, yes there are more limited options in Plymouth as compared to other areas. You still have all the common stuff such as NHS, education, services, council, farming & agriculture etc. A major local employer is still the dockyard. And of course you have tourism which is seasonal.

Is Plymouth the place for an IT career? Probably not, but there are plenty of other occupations. Its not all doom and gloom - far from it.

The doom and gloom thing certainly seems to be a British pre-occupation for some bizarre reason.

I have lived in several parts of the UK over the years - the Midlands, the Potteries, Lancashire, Swindon, Cambridge. Doesn't change my opinion of Plymouth.

Moses2013

You're right with all the doom & gloom talks. Sure, you might find some rougher estates in bigger towns, but where is that not the case. I've also lived in Germany and some Brits think everyone lives a life of luxury over there, because the media give you that impression. No, some people actually live in social flats, there's unemployment etc. Brits are also constantly negative about their weather and while I agree it's not the South of Spain, places like Plymouth would get just as much sun as Munich. Of course the job situation might not be great for everyone, but there are jobs available if you're willing to work. To me the house prices seem high (used to Ireland now), but if I take a closer look it's not all that bad and you can find some cheaper areas, or might have to live in a smaller property. Overall it's a great place and you have amazing beaches/walks around the corner.