lousid

Hi there,
I'm very interested in where everyone is moving back to in the UK. Is it to be near family and friends or other reasons for location. I am asking this as we used to live in Cardiff however we would like a fresh start when we return in a different place. Where are the best places to raise a family?
Any thoughts??
cheers

Mummy in the foothills

I'm aiming for North Wales, but I really fancy a look at Cornwall, Devon and those kinds of places.
I quite liked the lake district too. and so many Yorkshire folk here make Yorkshire sound wonderful. I'm torn.

Tricky266

Its all subjective.... The problem with nice it usually means expensive! We live in the between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales and its pretty good...I can get on the M6 in 5 mins and I can get on a train to London or Glasgow in the same time...

sallysimmons

It really depends on your financial situation and your work situation - the Yorkshire Dales are my favorite place on earth, but most of that area is quite remote and no good for commuting - and the places that are good for commuting tend to be expensive as Tricky266 says.

If I didn't have to commute, I'd choose Swaledale in Yorkshire - best place on earth IMHO! - but if I needed to be near a big city and money was no object, I'd look at Skipton and Ilkley in Yorkshire, or pretty much anywhere in the Peak District. Of course, those are expensive places and it also rains a lot!

I've been eyeing up the south because of the sunshine - Norfolk appeals to me - but in reality it's probably just too far from family and friends.

Wow, I am green with envy!

islandwoman120

Over many years, and back in the 1970s, I lived in Exeter, in Bideford, and a tiny hamlet called Buckland Filleigh, all in Devon. The countryside is beautiful, lush foliage, lots of farms, tiny one-lane roads with passing places. Cornwall was somewhere I visited many times, and I loved the weather and the seaside. Little towns, white washed cottages, winding lanes. I also lived in Suffolk: East Bergholt, and Stutton, a village near to Ipswich. Artists paradise - John Constable country - Flatford Mill, gorgeous views. In the winter it could get dicey: some country areas get cut off each winter, hay and other items for the farm animals have to be airlifted in sometimes!

You can do a search for housing and jobs and see what you find. I have the links on a separate thread, so I will look for them and post on here in a few minutes.

My preference? For weather - Cornwall. For wildness of place and spirit (the population is Celtic in origin - I always felt they would erect a huge wall between Cornwall and the rest of England given a chance!) it would be Cornwall. For gentleness of place and people - Devon. Gorgeous cream teas, lovely villages. Exeter was a large university city, with all the shops in the world - if that is what you are seeking. For artistic interest: Suffolk.

Commuting: train from Norwich to London many times daily. From Devon and Cornwall I do not know.

Hope that helps. As I said, I will look for the job and housing links and post them soon on here.

islandwoman120

Places to live and the links to them:
http://www.lady.co.uk/
http://www.housingcare.org/vacancies...-cornwall.aspx
http://www.findaproperty.com/
http://www.gumtree.com/?hp=1
http://www.devonlink.co.uk/
http://www.visit-suffolk.org.uk/
http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/norfolk/default.aspx

Good luck, and have fun researching!

jugapper

Its got to be Dorset!

islandwoman120

I forgot! having extolled the virtues of Cornwall, here is the web site:

http://www.visitcornwall.com/

Mummy in the foothills

I just watched escape to the country where they were moving from Jersey to Dorset, it's gorgeous and holy cow it's expensive to buy a house there

fulwood

Mummy in the foothills. how do you get British shows on your telly in Cali? I told my brother the other day I wish I could just watch British programs all the time. All BBCAmerica is showing nowadays is Dr Who and Star Trek - give me a break..US tv with all it's commercials. You don't watch tv programs in US. - you watch commercials as main feature and program itself is secondary..

sallysimmons

BBC America just started showing 'Come Dine With Me' - that show is so much fun! I think it's on Thursday nights - check it out. I already saw them all because I download stuff from thebox.bz, but I'm rewatching. I also enjoyed 'The Choir' which they're showing now.

Mummy in the foothills

I watch using FilmOn.com if you download it and then hit cancel when it wants you to register it when you go to use it. It works, I see the evening shows in the morning. Worst is Coronation street you have to keep restarting, I think a lot of people must be on watching it. But I like to watch Kirsty and Phil on location location

fulwood

Mummy in foothills. will give it a try. sallysimmons oh yes I like the Choir it's just during day it seems like stuff is boring..

Bevm

Not sure about commuting, but there are decent trains from Exeter to London. They've cut back on the coastal direct that used to go from Torquay, Teignmouth, and Dawlish and on to London via Exeter. Have to change in Exeter for most trains now.

We're going to be moving down there from Whitby. Lovely place, but those north winds are too much for us.

I agree, that "nice" is very subjective. The Dales are lovely, but I'd not want to live there. I want coast and reasonable access to city life when I want it.

Bev

Bevm

In Canada the home and garden channels often showed the British TV programmes. Now we're here, it seems most of the housebuying programmes are years old. Anyone know one that's current? It could be Cash Buyer Snaps Up A Bargain.

Some places are selling, especially in the choice spots, but as best I can tell most just aren't. Having seen a sold sign go up around here in ages.

Bev