North East or North West?

[ShangPie]

Moving back to the UK after a long time away, and looking at places to live online before we return and can visit in person.

We’re seriously looking at Lancaster and Harrogate / Ripon.

Tell me which one you’d prefer and why!

p.s. do Ripon and Harrogate count as the North East?

We are also looking at Whitley Bay, which is definitely NE but now I think I’m getting muddled up.

My geography is hazy

Hopeful bump

Hexham or, if you have money, Corbridge. These places are pretty, safe, peaceful, reasonably close to Newcastle and onto the A1, easy distance to the Northumberland coast, surrounded by countryside and Hexham has a Waitrose. Corbridge is next to Hexham. You can get to Cumbria and on to Scotland very easily from both places.

East, it’s drier! I never realised how drizzly the north west is until I moved further east!

Harrogate and Ripon are North Yorkshire.

If that’s the sort of place you are looking you might like Tynemouth more than Whitley Bay if you want the coast.

East, it’s drier!
Well they say it always rains in Manchester!!! The rain does seem to get less as it meets the Pennines.

If you ask people in Harrogate/Ripon they would definitely say it was North East, but ask someone from Newcastle they probably wouldn't agree (about Harrogate/Ripon)

I've never been to Lancaster, but have Ripon and Harrogate so can't compare of those choices, but as I live in the NE I'd say towards the East. Especially as both Ripon and Harrogate are in gods own county (North Yorkshire - best there is )

I love Harrogate but houses are expensive and the traffic/parking can be awful.

Harrogate and Ripon definitely not north east!

If you want north east I would go Hexham or Tynemouth. But would definitely go north east not north west.

Harrogate and Ripon, both in North Yorks are pretty good.
Whitley Bay is supposed to be nice.
I didn't like Lancaster when I visited (for a few hours, 20something years ago).
I think I'd go outskirts of Harrogate.

We looked at Ripon before we moved to Hexham. We didnt like the school situation in Ripon, so many children ending up busing out of town (may have changed now). Also, sink holes!!!

I live in the North East, near Tynemouth. Harrogate and Ripon are 'darn sarf'

I'm obviously biased but NE is better than NW.

Ripon and Harrogare are north Yorkshire, you seem to be covering a huge geographical area here! I tend to think of Yorkshire as East, as in East side of the Penines but it is a huge area!

I live in Yorkshire but in West Yorkshire so I may be biased. It depends what you are looking for but I really am not a fan of Harrogate (basically like the home counties in the north, pretty dull). I love the North East but like everywhere is is pretty changeable from town to town. l have been in Leeds for half my life now and would not live elsewhere in the UK. It is an amazingly vibrant city, easy to get to the coast and countryside and also has several fast trains north and south so well connected. Like any city it is full of differing neighbourhoods so depending on your budget, most people find somewhere to fit. Although on mumsnet Leeds seems to be confined to Horsforth, Chapel Allerton, Roundhay and Ilkley/Otley.

Not in Leeds, but if you want quirky/alternative Hebden Bridge usually takes 3 posts to be suggested!

And 1 more to mention the flooding !

Thanks all! I grew up on the South Coast, so literally everywhere is north to me. I had to be seriously persuaded that Oxford is not in the Midlands

My DH is from near Durham, so he has the same view as @Tequilamockinbird that everything is Dahn Sarhf

@Hoppinggreen interesting about flooding and sink holes (!) in Ripon and Harrogate - will definitely look into that more closely.

@Disfordarkchocolate One of the reasons we like Ripon on paper is the schools. it’s interesting to hear your comments about the schools and bussing out of town. Do you mean for primary or secondary?