dunroving

Wow, those Lancashire folk are fertile ....

Pistolpete2

Highest fertility rates are in:

Blackburn, Boston, Corby, Luton, Barking & Dagenham, Brent.

Wales, South West, South, South East (excl London) are way behind. Migrant percentage issue??

WhoFan63

Or just nothing on the telly?? LOL

Pistolpete2

Best TV is in Bath, Oxford, Cambridge and Westminster.

Perth

Not counting out Cardiff yet!

Almo

Wow, I'm a little surprised by how high the salaries are in Devon, not so much in Topsham (it's a wealthy place historically) but the rest are higher than I might have expected.

Pistolpete2

Been too long since I lived in Cardiff but even with the passage of time it does seem that the Pontcanna and Cathedral Road areas, leading to Llandaff are still as attractive as they were when we moved-in in 1956.

We actually lived in Lisvane then, which is now one of the more desirable areas, and not that easy to train in and out of from Llanishen Station.

As for prices to buy or even to rent, I just can't tell.

Perth

Getting back to Exeter for just a moment. Looks like there may be a run on the place (hence keeping Cardiff on our backburner). But it is no doubt our 1st choice. Hope that in 3 years time it hasn't become everyone's choice! http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/p...cle3713536.ece

Pistolpete2

Since we are both likely to be looking to rent there are still possibilities in properties which do not specifically lend themselves to being let to students or younger folks. These seem to be the groups likely to cause a general surge in demand in the area in spite of retired folks .

I think, that most retired demand will still tend to be in Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, for the time-being.

Note that The Royal Marines main training facility is at Lympstone, down the road. If these guys were to move out - what with the endless defence cuts - to amalgamate with a facility elsewhere, such as in Poole, things could change slightly in our favour too.

Tel8

Hi Brissybee!

I haven't found London crowded in terms of housing, in fact, I've seen loads of flats to let (I'm in South London). It's true that it's expensive around here though, which is why so many are on the market for ages. Seconding that it depends on where you go- if you move outside London, it's nowhere near as crowded.

Pistolpete2

This seems to be a decent and reasonable apartment and I can vouch that the area is nice, particularly so if you like to fish and there is access to countryside, which is rare with the sprawl of Cardiff and the boundary that is the M4.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37615285.html

Can't really tell much about this:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-38061793.html

Station is handy, just up the road.

I find this rather encouraging, looks lovely:

(station is actually .7 mile away)

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-40849451.html

Service to Downtown (Queen Street) is frequent and just 8 minutes (Cardiff Central 13 minutes)

Queen Street Station to the main University of Wales Building is just under a mile.

Not necessarily an ideal property but this is in the area I suggested, near Cathedral Road and Pontcanna.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-37734547.html

and this, looks better:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-38138017.html

Perth

Wonderful, Pete. Thank you

Pistolpete2

Poking around the King's Road / Sneyd Street / Pontcanna Street / Plasturton Avenue / Severn Grove / Romilly Crescent on streetview I see some very nice leafy residential areas. Shops, cafes, restaurants at some junctions.

National Cricket Centre (test matches etc.) is less than 1/2 a mile away.

Public transport about 1/2 a mile away to take you into the City centre.

Perth

I have only seen 2 negatives about Cardiff so far - although my Brit friend over here, who is from Chesterfield, would argue I should count the Cardiff accent - but that's her problem not mine
a) the rain, b) Rugby match days (when I will stay indoors, even though OH thinks it would be "fun" to go out and mingle ) We will definitely take in some cricket though.

Pistolpete2

As a kid I used to go and watch Wales at Cardiff Arms Park and if you went in the direction of the Arms Park, in fact anywhere near the Angel Hotel on Castle Street, you would be carried along by a sea of people.

The Millennium Stadium looks to be the same kind of deal but no real concern of the masses spilling into residential areas.

That said, I was on trains that happened to be in the Cardiff area a couple of years back, on international rugby days - one from Swansea and the other from London - and it was impossible to move in any carriage for the mass of supporters heading to the games, so much so that on the journey from Swansea in spite of attempted moves towards the doors while the train was still moving it wasn't clear how I was going to get off before the train left my chosen station in Bridgend.

Definitely crowded for major sports events.

Same deal for the British Open Golf in 2011 - sardine standing room only, but loads of fun!

Not that much difference in average annual rainfall between Vale of Glamorgan and Exeter area but big difference when compared with Thames Estuary and North Kent, for example.