AIBU to consider moving to Wales for family and lower costs

I do recognise that, because I live in Cornwall. Where employment opportunities are patchy. And, obviously, the same is true in some parts of Wales. Duh!

I also live not too far from Brynmawr having relocated to Wales aged 7 from the north of England.

Wales has a lot of good points but also a lot of negatives- especially the further into the valleys you go, you said in a previous reply something like “the world has moved on alot since then” but the valleys actually haven’t moved on that much.
There’s so much depravation - more so now than I ever noticed as child. Child poverty is the norm and these are the children your DD will be growing up with in her key teenage years.
There’s also not much in the way of investment in services i.e public transport is laughable, the NHS is devolved and struggling hard, there’s hardly provision for elderly. Your DD would need to learn and be fluent in Welsh if she’s any hope of settling and working in Wales. It’s no Beirut granted and I can see why it would be appealing to someone from England but it’s not an easy place to live and the economy is only making things worse.
I’ve been made redundant twice in 3 years and in looking at now possibly having to commute into England for work. The rent may seem cheap to you (to me mine feels really high) but have you considered the quality of housing stock? Theres not much on the market and Wales has the renters right act in force. Also consider that wages will be much lower than you’re used to, I work with people from the south east (we have offices dotted around the country) and they get paid much more than Welsh colleagues. I haven’t sold Wales well and it can be wonderful and lovely and the people nice but also “valleys mentality” is still a thing - you may find people lovely when visiting but it’s a whole different kettle of fish living there. If I were you I don’t think I’d choose Wales tbh.

Aberdeenshire is nowhere near Wales, literally the other end of the country. And depending on where in Aberdeenshire there is decent employment available.

The only drawback for me would have been if the kids weren’t up for it. But they are, so go for it!
Best of luck.

I think you will find that Gardner's in Wales charge a lot more than £20 per hour . My friend is charging £40 per hour and another a little less. There are poorer parts in Newport where most people would not employ a Gardner, but there are many affluent areas where they would. Abergavenny is quite an affluent community.

I live in Monmouthshire and I pay my gardener £40 a hour. I had to wait 3 weeks for him. Monmouthshire is where you need to base your business.

I’m not offended. Your comments were divisive. You were pro Welsh. That’s fine. You were pro Welsh at the expense of others. Not fine.

I too live in Herefordshire right on the border with Monmouthshire. It is beautiful. Would that be too far away from family?

I grew up a 3 miles down the valley from Abertillery. Spent lots of time in Brynmawr. I’ll be perfectly honest, they are extremely deprived areas. Schools were awful then and haven’t improved so I went to a Welsh speaking school. Also went to crosskeys college - if you’re a motivated individual it’s a perfectly decent college. (Or was).

I moved away 15 years ago and you couldn’t pay me to move back. Family are still there and each time I visit is more bleak than the last. It looks scruffier every time and it’s only going downhill. Council services are depleting by the day. Gardening work I think you may struggle. The average resident just doesn’t have the money in the valleys.

There are of course some lovely elements, some nice people and everything is cheaper. But that just doesn’t outweigh the negatives in my opinion.

If you have the opportunity I would 100% consider trying to head more towards Abergavenny and Monmouthshire. Would you consider Herefordshire?
I only say so because I moved there recently (from the Cotswolds) and our living costs have halved. It’s not perfect but i love it. It’s more affluent on the whole, the countryside is beautiful and money goes a lot further. I don’t think I’ll ever leave here now. I also think gardening services would be much more in demand. Our gardener is fully booked.

We're English living in Wales never found the welsh unwelcoming at all.

Education - well secondary school went down hiull while they were there but area we were in in England secondary wasn't great.

AS level as 40n% part of A-levels have worked well for our kids - GCSE are in midist of change but should have settled by time your youngest gets there.

Health - not really had to rely on NHS much TBH - GP surgey was more accessible when first moved here - but relatives in England have had similar declines. One thing in our bit of wales no NHS dentists to be had for adults - lucked out and got kids under NHS but not us.

Kids have learnt welsh - I try - but it's not that common to hear welsh in our bit of SE wales in conversation at all. We're in a city not the valleys - so no idea what they are like to live in.

Probably on the lower side, but things are generally cheaper here. We pay our cleaner £15/hr. I would think £20-23 probably possible if you market well. A lot of people starting out here seem to go in with a lower starting point then hike prices after 6 months!

The only thing that would now stop me frlm
moving to Wales is the state of the NHS. It’s bad in England but even worse in Wales. Friend who lives 7 miles into Wales had to wait two years for a hip replacement, in the English hospital 7 up the road the wait is 20 weeks. She had to pay to have it done as there’s no way she could have waited that long. I know that’s only one story but there are many others.

From what you have described, to me the question is where exactly in Wales you should move to (which village or town).

Be prepared to learn Cymraeg as well.

Do we need the divisive comments?

I’m sure there are. But it felt very familiar, and reminiscent of a couple of my relatives and of being young in that area. Maybe more about who we mix with/are exposed to, in adult life.

I’m sure there are blokes like that all over England too.

Very small thing to point out- some of the valleys feel geographically very claustrophobic. You can find your house is permanently in the shade, because of the orientation and the mountains.

I wanted to move there- I’m from Newport- but we realised we wouldn’t find a house and garden we liked in a community we liked, because of the geography.

Also, remember with the gardening go allow enough time for travel from wherever you land.
And there are still some blokes there my age (mid 50s) who have attitudes out of the ark and think they are God’s gift 🤣😅 One was on our table on my last holiday and man it took me back.

If i had the choice to stay where i am or move to wales. It would be wales nearly every time.

Area dependent of course.

It’s where we spend a lot of our holidays. I always say I’m going home when we leave to go there 😅

That’s shocking, what happens to people who don’t have access to a smart phone? They may be in a minority but they do exist. My In laws don’t have one. I’d be contacting my MP to ask what can be done. It’s preventing people from accessing health care.

I wouldn’t send your daughter to school in abertillery. If crick is full, then go to king Henry, which definitely has places.