To hate living in Manchester (and North in general)

[ILikeMilk]

Moved here four years ago to be with DH, and I still cannot get used to it. We are in a nicest area of Manchester, and it is still feels very provincial and boring. I dream about living in London, but DH does not want to look for a new job. I feel like there is no point and don?t want to decorate the house, make friends, etc, I just fantasise about being in London every single day. There is not much to do here, no nice streets or galleries, not much to do on the weekends as a family. I went to London this weekend, it was so painful to come back. Does anybody else feel this way?

glances around furtively and whispers 'i quite like living in Stoke'

Ha ha ha, Cheshire set. Love 'em.

alittlebitcountry - have you ever lived anywhere else??? I was born in Stoke-on-Trent and I didn't rate it much at all. For most things surely you need to travel the 30 miles to Manchester anyway?

I actually live in Manchester, in a shitty bit and we are quite happy. I guess I just don't have the problems of living in a suburban mansion with too much money and time on my hands.

Suggest to the OP that there are 3 trains an hour from Manchester to London - take a cheap day trip out to Fortnum and Masons or whatever.....

Ive been too busy out having a life round this 'dull grey' city of Manchester but now trying to catch up on this thread. Feel I have to post to defend Hale mums, not stuck up with more money than class IME, Ive been lucky enough to meet Hale mommies with newborn dc same as mine and they are down to earth and lovely. Appreciate that you may have a different experience at the school gates OP but what makes you think that you wont find women just as 'stuck up' in glorified London?

So today I went to a baby class in Sale, and met friend for lunch at Trafford Centre, tomorrow I go for lunch in Chorlton, next day I meet (supposeddly stuck up , but not) Hale mommies at a nice pub in Bowden for lunch, coffees and general baby chit chat, and just in case you think Im not hip I spent my weekend hitting some of the laid back student bars before they are inundated with students back for the new term... not my choice but surprisingly good fun - trendy, ecelctic, chilled.... Im not saying its better than London... but it aint bad :) Agree also that we're never going to compete with the capital, but with the right friends and when you know where to go Manchester is great fun

Ah, now see it is only yer incomers wot call it the Ees. Us native Chorltonians all call it the Meadows.

No, really - the Hat Museum is really enjoyable. (At least for teenagers / adults with an interest in fashion and history - I don't know if small ones would enjoy it.) The machine that makes felt for the hats is definitely cool.

And actually, Stockport station is now loads better than it used to be. So there.

And for £3.50, there's a senior citizen's Tea Dance twice a month with a real Wurlitzer Organ in the beautiful Stockport Town Hall. So beat that, Hackney.

Hmm, so the Hat Museum is interesting for grown-ups who like hats!

Actually, as a southerner, I didn't have any problem with my accent being accepted in Wilmslow. But then, as DH always says, Wilmslow is a little bit of Surrey that floated north under the weight of its bling!

Now down on the South Coast and I have actually met someone who looked frightened when I said we'd moved down from the North.

Snort. I also moved for DH benefit. Try living in a field on the west coast of Ireland for provincial! Particularly when it pisses rain for 85% of the time....

I lived in Manchester for 8 years and loved it; in fact would be more than happy to live there again though I doubt that'll ever happen. Some family there these days so still visit as much as we can via Bogger Airlines; with raingear to counteract the 85% rain Manc enjoys an' all!

Get out more and make an effort OP.

Hale is not the 'nicest bit of Manchester'. It's barely in Manchester.

I think the point is, it could be anywhere, the nicest place ever. If you don't want to be there and long to be elsewhere it's bloody hard to think of anything else. You can give suggestions of places to go until you're blue in the face, it's missing the point.

Agree with all those who say that this is nothing to do with where you live but more the phase of life you are in. At home with small children is very different to at work with interesting adults. Don't beat yourself up, the life of a SAHM is not for everyone.

For the record I have lived in London, Manchester and Liverpool and have loved them all but not because of what there is to do but the people I have met.

Pleased to see other Cumbrians on this thread - Babyheave and Apocalypse!

For me Manchester is where I go for my culture and nights out ! Its the highlight of the year ...

OP I think this is more about your annoyance at having to live where DH needs to be and the fact that you feel you haven't made a free choice. You probably wouldn't be happy anywhere. Its not Manchester that is the problem, it is your state of mind/frustrated wishes.

Personally having lived in London and Cambridge for most of the last decade, every day I wake up now I thank my lucky stars I am no longer in the South East where it is so busy, so expensie and where there is SO much traffic. I do miss the galleries/concerts - but then in an hour I can be in Manchester! Which I think is a great City and how it has changed over the last 20 years ...

Impugned, Wilfshelf! Born and bred in Chorlton, went to Chorlton Park and Oakwood-as-was!

Ees by gum!

PS to Ensure - Cumbria is really great! I don't like to harp on about it too much but each day I wake up look at the fells, chat to the friendly neighbours, and think I am living in the BEST place on earth. Holidaymakers walk down our lane - we are lucky enough to be here all the year round.

No traffic
No crime
Beautiful environment
Gentler pace of life, leading to
Friendly chatty people

And Manchester just down the way when you need a lattucino in Harvey Nicks or a concert at the Bridgewater Hall ...

Back to the topic now!

God, I love Manchester - we moved to Warrington seven years ago, and I go to Manchester as much as possible with the kids, there's so much to do there. Chinatown is brilliant. I think the OP should try Chorlton. We lived in a town in Cumbria for five years where no-one spoke to us, it's much nicer here. But then I've never lived in London - too bloody expensive.

Thanks bumpsadaisie and babyheave, I'm feeling ok about it really. I think it'll be a nice place for DC to grow up. :)

people who live in london seem to think that there is nothig outside of london. but everyone else knows there is and many of us mock the fact most londoners pay through the nose to live in a filthy rip of place with no school places and high levels of crime. How much of london did you atually use when you lived there?

not much il imagine

I fricking HATE Manchester and have just moved there vowing never to return. (I am from there though.) For all its faults though you can't say there's nothing to do and it certainly isn't provincial. I just found it too grey and dismal and tied up with lots of horrible memories that I don't want to be faced with every day.

Where are you living, OP? (Or has that already been covered? Off to the start of the thread to read through...)

I love Manchester and I also love Liverpool which was criticised further upthread.

Put me south of Birmingham and I get a bit homesick :)

I'd hate to live in London and I don't go there unless it's for work nowadays. Even then I race back to Euston as soon as I can to get back to 'civilisation'. I do realise that I'm unusual

'The South' isn't just London Town, y'know.

aw yes I have a warm spot in my heart for Liverpool. Has it been bashed as well?! Sure you cannot leave your car unguarded for half a minute in some places but still I like it.

I live in Altrincham not to far from you. My wife and I would be willing to show you all the wonderful things to do locally if you like. We have two small kids (boys aged 2.5yrs and 8mths).

The problam with hale is that its full of rich snobs who would not give you the time of day. (similar to parts of London)

Let me know if you would like to take us up on the offer.

just wading through this thread but...

yes please move out of Hale - i live near there and dont really want to bump into you

Hale is not a shithole, in fact if you are a mother i am surprised you havent formed a Cheshire yummy mummy set!

I swapped Trof for Slatterys

Also Adele's pregnancy yoga class in Bowdon provided me with lots of mummy friends! Why dont you get preggers?!