What's life like in Wales?

[MadameSzyszkoBohusz]

Yes, I know it's a whole country and the answer will vary depending on whereabouts you are, but if you are Welsh or live in Wales, would you mind indulging my curiosity?

I'm asking because the current thread what do you wish you had within walking distance of you, and the most popular answer being "a beach/the sea" had me googling places to live on the coast, and noticing how stunning the Welsh coast seems.

I've never been to Wales, and now I'm wondering what life is like there. I've no plans to move, btw, we're very settled where we are, but I'm just interested to know.

*so many mistakes in that cause my husband was chatting me at the same time i was typing lol

Never lived in north or east Wales, but can confirm Pembs lovely. Teifi valley also nice, but different kettle of fish.

Pembs touristy in summer but less than English hotspots. Talk to many visitors and frequently hear Pembs like Cornwall 40 years ago. Accommodation dominated by holiday cottages and similar. Have to book well in advance - many regulars in places like Newport book for next summer as they leave - and not cheap.

Weather much drier and sunnier than north Wales (look at sunshine maps from Met Office for proof) but whole west coat of UK wetter than central and eastern regions - most rain in UK comes from over Atlantic so kinda unavoidable...

Pembrokeshire pop. density low, not much industry or commerce except tourism/agriculture. Peaceful, quiet, average crime rates very low. We seldom lock doors. Not good for those who like city life (Swansea, nearest large town, nearly two hours away by car). Train and bus services not great. Need car.

www.theguardian.com/money/2020/jan/31/lets-move-to-the-north-pembrokeshire-coast-a-place-to-escape-the-universes-ills

Traditionally not many opportunities to eat out, getting better every year but given low population will always be limited. Local produce fantastic - get all our meat, dairy, and most veg and fish locally. Good markets, e.g. St Dogmaels at northernmost tip of county.

undiscovered-wales.co.uk/2020/04/16/st-dogmaels-producers-market/

If in St Dogs, pop into Ceredigion, have dinner at Yr Hen Printworks in Cardigan, new entry to Michelin guide this year. Been there few times, never disappointed.

www.yrhenprintworks.co.uk/

Back on southern side of Teifi in Pembs, nowhere is far from coast, so beaches and walking are big locally. Landscape lovely & varied - coastal, hills, woodland. Fantastic footpath network including of course coastal path itself.

www.visitpembrokeshire.com/

Another thing visitors tell me repeatedly is locals very friendly/welcoming - no "local shop for local people" vibe. Rings true.

www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/26/pembrokehsire-out-of-sync-modern-times-unearthed-festival-tim-rees

Like most deeply rural places far from major conurbations transport is a pain. Otherwise would be far more people. Happy with that trade-off myself.

Anti-English sentiment not an issue here. Welsh a big thing in north Pembs, not in south below Landsker line.

I thought the recent Channel 4 documentary about the postcode lottery winners was quite an accurate depiction of Valleys life! I'm Welsh going back at least 8 generations, with an English husband who would never want to move back to England.

My biggest frustration as someone who commutes is the M4, otherwise everyday I wake up and thank God I'm Welsh 😂

My Dad loves it, and live in a costal town, which does get busy in the summer

He moved there with mum, but she died a few years ago, his friends really looked after him. He has a very active social life with the other, retired villagers, who have accepted him in (he's English) with open arms. They all check in on each other which has made a huge difference to us as I know he's got friends or people that will look out for him as we're 6 hours away.

He recently had a heart attack and had to have various operations and he was dealt with quickly and they really looked after him, plus free parking at all welsh hospitals

I'm in Pembrokeshire, it's a great place to live. This morning I took my dog for a run on the beach and this afternoon I'm going rowing in the sea, what's not to love!

There are a couple of new hospitals in the wider Cwmbran area that make healthcare far better than it was. One is known as YYM is something. Ystrad Mynach, maybe? And Llanfrchfa Grange?
I only know from trips my dad had in the ambulance, and where we went to get him back. He had excellent care across Cardiff and those two. Royal Gwent is on its knees but better with some pressure taken off by the newer hospitals.

And at David's hospice care was amazing.

@siucra absolutely! And as an English incomer, it’s one of the many things I love about Wales and am also slightly envious of: that sense of hwyl and hiraeth that all Welsh people I know feel, wherever they are in the world. I certainly don’t have that sense of my ‘Englishness’. I can feel my partner’s sense of peace and comfort that descends on her whenever we drive past the welcome to Wales sign after being in England 😂😂. And we often opt to holiday in Wales, in Pembs and Cerdigion, rather than trekking to the South West.

I lived in Bristol for many years, and holidayed on the Gower. When I made the move here, 20 years ago now, I swapped my small starter home in one of Bristol’s roughest areas for a large family home in one of Swansea’s best areas. I still enjoy visiting Bristol, it’s a great city, but Swansea is my home. Plus my children which have much more financial support to attend Uni than their English cousins!

My DH was dragged up on the south Wales coast between the valleys and Swansea.
It's lovely, but not somewhere I'd like to live permanently.

I get that- do you go down the A40 A449 @GoodbyeMrChips ? That's where I see it. The landscape changes, and I sigh happily.

It's the shape of the land and the voices that do it for me.

What's it like in Wales? Welsh, it is a different country after all and the south is different to the north.

Where I am it does feel like everybody knows everyone else as families go back generations and there are large employers where the majority of people work - nhs, schools, councils.

Not great wage wise suffice to say but people are content as they have family and friends nearby and people aren't particularly flash - due to the absence of old money/not many private schools/less of a class divide thing someone mentioned upthread.

Why the Tories don't do well in here, there is no old school tie network (just rugby club tie network) 😄.

Wakes is very varied, as are all countries. I live in very rural North Wales, several miles from the nearest village and love it. I have mountain walks directly from my door, a lake to swim in just 5 minutes walk away, and waterfalls next to my house. You get used to the isolation and remembering you can't just nip out for a pint of milk if you run out, but on the plus side I always have plenty of food in.

I learnt to speak Welsh as I think it is important to speak the language if my neighbours, but my husband never learnt. People treat me much better than they do him as a result.

I have had anti English comments thrown at me, but I secretly admire the passion for their country that the majority of North Waleans have for their country.

It is bloody cold, rains a lot, and we get snowed in regularly, but I wouldn't live anywhere else.

@JamBiscuitBun

A lot of people move to Mid Wales for retirement as in some other places in Wales. So old people move here but younger people move away for jobs. This has now caused a crisis in the care sector with people being left in very dire circumstances with no care at all. Views are great but there are many isolated people who are left quite stranded living in squalor as they can no longer manage their dream lifestyle and with no local family to help. That and the drugs culture among est some young people which would shock many “middle class” people. A culture of not airing dirty linen in public keeps this all under the radar as we don’t really like to talk about the bad things, only the good things.

Cardiff is a bloody brilliant place to live. So near so many other great places to go and such a fun place itself. Will never move.

Haven’t read the whole thread.

I saw the thread you’re referring to and actually found myself appreciating how lucky I am to live a five minute walk from the beach whilst also having a pub, shop, takeaway etc all in the village.

I love where I live. Beautiful, lovely community and chilled.

Downsides- full time jobs can be scarce. It’s hideously busy in the summer which isn’t always fun. And there isn’t a huge population which is particularly crap when you’re single like me.

I do love it though- Cymru am byth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

I actually work in the town where your dream house is.
Pembs is beautiful but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Happy to answer any specific questions you have

Lush!

Beaches to rival Cornwall and a different feel to England.

TroysMammy I live in Swansea too and I recommend it to everyone 😁 it's so close to 15 minut city 😁lived in London and Norwich previously Swansea has nice and dreadful parts but you also have city beach in walking distance (quality of water is hit and miss) parks including Singleton with plenty of events, amazing food market plus plenty of ethnic shops on St Helens road (Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Pakistani, Jamaican, African groceries) plus polish shops and plenty of Greek places to eat as well as recently Albanian. There is plenty of churches including language specific (Polish church) three if not four mosques, Hindu and Sikh temples so it's really varied and welcoming. Galleries and independent places, lots of things going on as it's student city and some interesting restaurants too. And Gower on your doorstep. Work wise I do work in NHS so no difference but Welsh is definitely needed in Pembrokeshire and actually anywhere behind Loughor bridge.

I was brought up in Wales and still have lots of family and friends there. I’ve often thought about moving back, but am out off my family and friends’ consistent reports of the dire state of the nhs in wales (I know it isn’t great anywhere but they are all saying the same), the amount of rainfall really limiting what you can do and enjoy (the rainfall is much higher than it was when I was growing up there), the poor transport system and lack of opportunities compares to many other parts of the UK.

That said, there are real draws to living in Wales. People are generally friendlier and more community minded on average IME, there is amazing natural beauty, I miss the accent and humour something chronic, there are more cultural
events now than previously like concerts and exhibitions and stuff, and housing/cost of living is more affordable than where I am now.