Moving to Norfolk???

[womanwholivedinashoe]

hello Ladies,

My husband was recently made redundant and we saw this as the ideal opportunity to search for the lifestyle that we've always wanted. We are seriously looking into Norfolk and I have 4 boys 19 (& Autistic), 14, 8 and baby 6 months and need to know where might be best to bring up kids.
I'm a nurse so will be looking for work and hubby said he would do almost (lol) anything for work. We would prefer to live out of a large town, we like the seaside but not a large beach area more quieter resorts. But in the same respect love the countryside too, so generally just a nice area but facilities within a drive for the kids to not get too bored?
Can anyone help??? We are so far considering Acle and Loddon? Shouldham and Marham although they are quite far from the secondary school is there a school bus service that operates?

Many thanks wwlias

Wroxham
Aylsham
Holt
Sheringham

That's ok! My parent's live in Hopton so I regularly get the bus to visit and go through those villages too! FWIW, I rather like Gorleston, had my DS' birthday last summer at Pops field on the seafront!

Gorleston

To be fair there are 2 good things about Lowestoft - the beach is brilliant and there's a great smokehouse on Raglan Street.

yy - lived in Blofield Heath - was nice - kind of village lite. Felt rural but v convenient IYKWIM. Not hard core.

Agree - DON'T go to Lowestoft / Great Yarmouth.

Live near Norwich (if you can) - nice City, good schools (state or private) and a fair bit to do.

Alternatively, come to BURY ST EDMUNDS. It's fab!

Yay! Another gorleston fan! the more the better

I like Great Yarmouth in a guilty pleasure kind of way, liking it makes me feel naughty.
Cromer used to be rough but it seems really nice now.

I lived in Postwick for 3 years (next to Brundall). Beautiful area. Near enough to the city, coast and country that you're spoilt.

Until a couple of months ago I lived in Stoke Holy Cross, lovely village just 4 miles south of Norfolk. Was no good for me because I don't drive but has outstanding village school, playgroups etc and very handy for the city.

There are so many nice places really, so hard to chose. I'm now in Diss and also think that's lovely.

Lowestoft and Yarmouth awful! I like Wroxham and Hoveton - the secondary school has an excellent reputation. Also Aylsham, which also has a great school. Holt a bit up its own arse.

Holt - a bit poncey but nice. V. pricey tho
Aylsham - still a bit poncey but cheaper
Sheringham - one of the best seaside towns
Wroxham - convenient and has a MacDonalds

blimey i'm going to be busy researching tomorrow, after the wedding of course lol, thank you ALL so much.

Gorleston and Lowestoft bit too big for us and have heard some awful things about Thetford and Ipswich but otherwise in general the area appears to be great for us.

As for the teenagers, as long as I can get my ds (14) into a football team anywhere he'll be happy. And he's a bit of a maths geek so a school that can help him continue his obsession with fractions lol.

Have seen THE most wonderful house in Marham but also heard that the RAF might be moving out and if that happens all facilities will go from the area. Probably why lovely house is so inexpensive.

Will look into all other areas tomorrow, but lots of food for thought.

Have looked into EDP, joined both news and jobs so hopefully we'll see a few things that we can do. Hubby works in freight at the airport now so will also need to be in driving distance of Norwich for the airport.

Broadlands winning at the moment for areas, we're over Mon/Tues so will be driving through as many areas as we can.

I liked Cromer when it was rough.

does wroxham no longer have a mcd's??? MissBeehivingCorgis??? lol

womanwholived etc etc * pity you have to be near Norwich airport.

I could use some new friends

We're just west of Norwich. Feels very rural (well we are int he sense that you have to look hard to see another house) but at the same time it's 5 minutes from here onto the 47 and then straight in Norwich from there or the other way into Dereham.
Prior to this we lived further North near Fakenham which was also good with easy access to Lynn with the hospital and city shops

And N rwich people have meetups with nice cake

There's a mcd's in Roy's of Wroxham!

gorleston is lovely but if its too big what about the nearby villages? Lound, Hopton, Browston etc Somerleyton being my favourite.

Me too Missbeehiving! But it was rough though wasn't it!

There's a norwich people meet up?

I live in Norwich, I think I'd find living in the rest of Norfolk a little slow. Norwich is very cosmopolitan.

Notpeanut
Theres the start of another one here

Are you on fb because theres a mn norwich page on there too

Lovely cake at Norwich meet ups and lovely MNers

Teddy - I worked at the Melbourne (aka The Pit) during my summer holidays before going upmarket as an usherette at the Regal and on the deli counter at Safeway (now Morrisons).

Loads of close family live in Norfolk.
Aylsham High might suit your Maths-geek boy.
Sheringham is a lovely town, has good access to Norwich by train, but would be a schlepp to drive to in and out every day.
The secondary school at either Sheringham or Cromer is better, but I can't remember which.
Holt is full of fashionable shops, but not good for public transport, no secondary school (wells, Fakenham or Sheringham), no pool, no cinema, no teenage-freindly facilities whatsoever.
I would look at somewhere with a good secondary and good transport links to Norwich. Unless you think you might base yourself handy for King's Lynn hospital?
Loads of v beautiful small villages in lovely areas, but can be isolated.

Bronze, I'm taking a FB break for a week or so. but will look into the page when I go back. Thank you :)