I'm considering moving to Northampton; yay or nay?

[Shirley1006]

Hi,
With house prices soaring in London, my husband and I are considering making a move to Northampton. I have a lovely 22 month year old who will need a good environment to grow up in as well as access to a good school, and activities.

So far I've been looking in the Upton and Duston area, but I have no idea if these are good areas or not.

Any advice from those who have made the move or live in Northampton, any history to share, or anyone with current information about Northampton i.e. good areas, areas to avoid, that would help a family considering a move would be most welcome!

I do wonder what happened to the man that ran it for a short time. The new manager is lovely. The old manager runs the sizzling pub near my work.

I've also never had a bad meal here. I think a lot of it was hyped to be honest.

Sometimes I'm unsure on the staff as one seemed to fancy my married friend but he would have been leading her on as he's a cunt. Sometimes they're a bit off but mostly lovely. No complainTs at all.

I grew up in northampton. The town centre is a hole, although the surrounding villages are lovely.

There's a real dearth of good secondary schools, though. NSB is good for boys, and Bishops Stopford in Kettering is good, but the central northampton state schools are pretty dire overall. If you're considering private school then Northampton High Girls' School is good - I knew a lot of families with sons at NSB and daughters at the High.

I was born in Northampton and have relatives still there but I wouldn't live there. I hate shopping there so avoid if possible. We live in Daventry which is 12 miles away. Long Buckby is a large village nearby which has a train station that's direct to London. Towcester is also a nice town too but def not Northampton itself. The stabbings just lately put me off. X

@itssquidstella yes agree, some of the schools are excellent. My DC's lucky to have attended 2 diff schs in the county and both excellent. Staff exceptional and my eldest DC now thriving in the workplace , building a career having received a fantastic education here .

Staff at all schs here are fantastic and understand the limitations on the kids ,given rural nature. Opportunities for kids are there, if parents engage and expand their kids horizons. Cannot fault the sch's and the staff who work so hard and diligently with the children. But , you must engage and help as a parent also. Schools cannot do alone due to budget cuts and rural nature.

Just wish the community here had more , the infrastructure had more and people/natives were more embracing. A cup of tea every now and then and a knock on the door is so powerful. Local playmate/s for my kids would have been fantastic. A knock on the door and a reciprocation of the multiple hospitalities from me would have been welcomed greatly.

This county could be so much more ,if it welcomed incomers. We are planning our exit now, so sad as we had so much left to contribute.

As expected, not seen a soul all day and wont now until Mon. Village passes by outside our door, people meet and greet and call in on each other. Swerve my house... have not got a clue what is happening in this village... i arrived home from shops earlier at same time as my neighbour. She sat in her car, engine running, with her kids until i went in with mine. All that effort on her part just to avoid saying hello! She is not alone, they all do it. I suppose its difficult to face people when you ignore them all the time. Must be awkward! I waved but didn't appear to have been seen. Maybe the mist we had here earlier obstructed her view.

@WingingItSince1973 Daventry FB page does make good reading!!! Neither does Long Buckby TBH!

@StayClassySally your link just says Badby, we were hoping to retire inBadby, Staverton, Newnham or Hellidon we also like the Brampton's. The other side of the county. Would someone be so kind as to post or even PM me if you have been miserable there?

The house link I posted??? No it's still east hunsbury. I'm not from round here so no idea where badby is.

I'm from a small Derbyshire village which is full of the same issues as all small villages whether they are north or south. That's why I moved to a suburban and anonymous location.

I describe my hometown as a place where you can't breath without all inhabitants knowing the exact intake of breath and all intricate details regarding breathe before you have got the print out from the doctor.

The worst thing is though it's like you are in an anonymous location in that no-one talks to you but people think they know you and your business - they don't think to TALK to you like a human being. Or care about you in any way that's meaningful.
I'm glad I live in the suburbs of a medium city since at least I know some people and those I don't don't care.

You’ve all done it now! I’m looking up gorgeous 5 bed houses I could get and still have change. But I just know I could never settle there and it would be a life changing move because we have so much more available to us here in London.

@pinkkoala and @StayClassySally I met my DH in there when I was the barmaid!

@ElizabethQueeniofEngland3rd I'm still trying to work out where you are! If you were in my village I'd come and knock on your door and invite you for a cup of tea and a chat.

@Alwayscheerful i would steer well clear of the Bramptons. In fact i would put a healthy 65 mile circular radius plus , ( north or south) of both Brampton's if considering where to live if i were you.

#Just saying

@MillieMoodle knock on my door lovely!

@Evilmorty ❤️. Stay put girl! x

The Bramptons are very pretty and very well-off, but my impression of them (from elsewhere in Northants) is that they could be exactly as @ElizabethQueeniofEngland3rd describes her experience of Northants. I wouldn't want to live in either of them!

@StayClassysally- Most recent manager has moved to the Red Lion at Elstow, taking my eldest son with him for weekend shifts. I am now a part-time empty nester!

Is elstow near here? Was your son the one who wanted to be in the army/marines/raf?

Elstow is in Bedford. No, well he has never confided that particular ambition to me! He is the one who was unmercifully shaved at the fundraising evening earlier this year. He raised in the region of £1400.

@millie .. me either !!

Noooo. He is a bit older than I assumed you to have meant. If he is who I think he is then I am devastated. He is the best Barman I have ever met and my DP agrees. He puts our drinks ready before we get to the bar and we have great conversations with him. His name is a nick name and he goes to the gym a lot?

That's my boy!

Abington park is the nice bit of Northampton. We used to live in Northampton and to be honest it's really gone downhill in recent years. We moved to Olney for schools. Great sense of community, easy access to MK and Bedford train stations. Fab place to live with a young family!

Honestly, I cannot express enough how amazing he is. My DP likes no one and he loves him. We are the ones that swap any kind of carbs for peas. Well him, not me. He wasn't there today and now I know why. Genuinely sad about his departure.

@StayClassySally - thank you for your kind words. I will pass them on to him. Obvs we think he is fabulous! (Brilliant singer too.)

We leave before any live entertainment because 1) we have DD and it's not appropriate 2) I struggle to stay awake past 8, especially when it's this dark.

You must be great parents.

The problem with Olney is that there’s absolutely nothing to do for the teenagers. If you want them to get involved in anything you’ll be driving them to Milton Keynes or Northampton anyway. Great for young families, crap after that. And the traffic is an absolute nightmare.

Yes, I used to live there. Now live near Northampton where the kids have the best of both worlds.