Calling anyone who knows BRISTOL

[Lonelymum]

Fill me in on the place. Dh has just been offered a job and we are moving to Bristol, but we have to decide some things very quickly. Dh has to start job in a fortnight and I would like to just pick up the kids and go with him. Work will rent us a house for 6 months so we have time to buy later but still need to know which areas to look at.

A lot of our decision is based on schools. From what we can tell on the internet, good schools are The Castle Thornbury, Marlwood, Cotham and The Ridings. We also don't really want to live in the centre of Bristol but in a smaller community to the north or west. Can anyone advise please? Nice areas? Not nice areas? We are going to look at the weekend. Where would you suggest we looked?

[poppy101]

Thornbury is quite a nice area. Used to work in the area. Not too bad. Frenchay is also a nice area, to the North near motorway

[Lonelymum]

Nice for what? Living? Shopping? Schools? Entertainment? Countryside? I need information!

[poppy101]

Thornbury is quite a nice area. I used to work for a large corporate company out there. Sainsburys right on the doorstep. Few small retail areas. Used to have Big W etc. out there, a few years ago. Mainly new houses on small estates out there.

I like popping over to Bristol, the outskirts, often go to Cribbs Causeway near motorway, brilliant shopping arcade with John Lewis in it. There are some quaint little villages to the north of Bristol actually around Frenchay. I would suggest that you take a little drive around the area. It depends how far out you want to live from Bristol city.

[Lonelymum]

Well dh has talked of going as far as Wotton under Edge, but I think that is too far from Bristol for me. I wan the city on ourdoor step so to speak without actually iving in it.
Will look up Frenchay and Thornbury. Thanks.

[poppy101]

Yes but Clifton is pricey as most people want to live there. In general though most of the housing is expensive in Bristol.

[Lonelymum]

I know Clifton of old (was a student in Bath and a fan of Isambard Kingdom Brunel so visited his bridge there a few times) I am sure Clifton is right out of our league. Dh thought Westbury on Trim was OK? Is he right?

[poppy101]

Don't know about that sorry.

[milge]

Westbury on trym is the otherside of the downs to Clifton, still very nice, but quite expensive i'd say. I have friends in St Andrews ( near end of M32) and it seems to be an area which is slowly being gentrified. The gloucester road looks full of nice, individual shops, and my friends had a bargain on their house. Could be worth a look. Big to your dh for getting a job so quickly lm.

[Lonelymum]

OMG Sobernow, that is quite damning (not saying it is not justified, I have no idea myself, but just shocked at how negative you were: most people say nice things even when they don't mean it). What don't your friends like about it? Quick quick! Before we make a move we will regret!

Thanks for comments re dh getting job so quickly. Actually, he was offered this job in August but had to turn it down as he was already committed to the job he has just been sacked from. So, he hasn't really been that quick at getting new job: the company just can't get anyone else! Not so much of a confidence booster after all!

[Lonelymum]

Oh Sobernow, I thought you meant Bristol! You were talking about Westbury, that sad little place in Wiltshire with a white horse and a big smoking tower? Yes, that is awful. No I meant Westbury, as in a part of Bristol!

Beetroot, I think Frome is too far for us. Dh will work in South Wales (Cwmbran) and need easy access to the M4 and Severn Bridge. We were thinking more of the north and/or west of Bristol. I am sure Frome is lovely though. Dare I say how much money we have to spend on a house? It is a bit like giving away who you voted for or what you did in bed with dh, isn't it? Suffice to say we want a five bedroomed house.

[Lonelymum]

Oh Sobernow, I have no idea which Westbury you are damning. Just explain it one more time for me please!

[Lonelymum]

Oh God what a dump that is. You feel poeple who live there must be wandering around detatched from real life like the souls of the living dead. No, no we don't want to live there. Phew! I thought you had it in for Bristol for a moment.

[FrenchGirl]

I live in Bristol too Lonelymum, and would recommend (apart from Clifton...), Redland, Bishopston, Westbury-on-Trym, Henleaze. But they're all in Bristol. Don't really know the outskirts that well .....

[Lonelymum]

Was a student in Bath and did teaching practices and school visits all over Wiltshire, Somerset, Bath etc. Somehow seemed to miss out Bristol though. Grrrrr! Would have been useful now.

[mrsflowerpot]

We're north of Bristol. If you're mainly going by schools people move to get into in our area are the Ridings and the Castle School.

The Ridings is in Winterbourne, which is basically a big village, with a few pubs, a Co-op and a few other shops etc. It does have quite a good community going on, and the transport links are excellent for the motorways (very close to the M32) and for Bristol Parkway. Nice houses too. But as I say, it's a big village, don't know if that's what you want.

Thornbury is a market town, quite nice shops, restaurants (including Thornbury Castle which is our favourite 'special treat' restaurant ever), plus better facilities including a decent leisure centre. Also good for motorways - going over to S Wales you can cut across country and get on the M4 just before the bridge, which cuts off the m4/m5/m32 interchange which can be heavy in the morning.

Neither place is more than about 20 minutes from Bristol centre either.

[Lonelymum]

Ooooh thanks Frenchgirl. In what way would you recommend them? Nice housing? Old? New? Good community feel? We are in a village now and I love the village community feel and the fact that I can't leave the house without meeting someone I know, but don't like to be cut off from amenities such as shops and leisure facilities. Do any of the ares you mention have a village feel or would we need to actually leave Bristol behind to get that?

[Lonelymum]

Thank you Mrsflowerpot, both sound the sort of thing we might want. SO the Castle and Ridings schools are both good are they?

[mrsflowerpot]

Only know of the Castle by reputation, but as I say people move to get in there. The Ridings I've actually visited in my previous life ( ) to see their computer facilities, and it did seem excellent. They have (or did 4 years ago) special technology status and the computer suite was state of the art. The school has a really good reputation generally and they're very involved in the local community, they do a lot of arts and drama.

[Lonelymum]

Sounds interesting. We do need something to hang our search on. Thanks for that info.