to think it's grim up North?

[threefeethighandrising]

We are going to relocate in the next few years, and Manchester is a serious contender for DP for jobs.

If DP was to get work there then we would live somewhere semi-rural and commutable.

But ... the only experiences I have of Manchester and the surrounding areas are though my ex. He was an arsehole of the highest order, and the many people he introduced me to (his family and friends, in Manchester & Glossop) were the most painfully dysfunctional, damaged people I have ever had the misfortune to meet.

My opinion of the area is that it's the last place on earth I'd want to live, and my skin crawls when I think of the time I spent there.

But it can't all be like this can it? Surely IABU and my experiences with my ex are clouding my judgement? Surely there's a good (great?) side that I've just not seen?

Can you sell it to me?

what about preston? there is a small village just outside (beautiful) that has one of the top 5 or 10 schools in the counrty, the houses are beautiul and cheap and it has owd nells too!

i really miss preston :(

It's grim dahn sahf as well, people.

I live in Gloucester, work in Swindon, and grew up in Ilfracombe.

Inbred locals, poor people and lack of motivation are everywhere.

I would move to Manchester or Liverpool in a heartbeat.

The trouble with Cheshire is that parts of it (the parts some posters are saying are nice) can be very expensive - Alderley Edge etc. Can come as a shock to southerners who think they will get more for their money.
A friend of mine moved from Kent to Cheshire. Friends in Kent assumed she would get a mansion for her money, but she actually had to downsize! And this was Kent commutable (just) to London.

Knittedbreast-I have never understood the bitchiness about Preston, often by people who have never been near the place. It has a gorgeous park, loads of lovely places to eat and drink and is architecturally fascinating.

I live near Preston, Knitted - I like it. Nice enough town, quite nice villages around, excellent motorway access in all directions. Not sure what school you can be referring to though, TBH, and Owd Nells is tacky

cyber - do you mean Miller/Avenham park, Haslam park or one of the several others?

My parents live in West Lancashire - it's 30 minutes in to Liverpool, an hour in to Manchester, under 2 hours to get to the Lakes. Lots of market towns around and some good schools.

I'm from the NE and think it's a great place. Durham is gorgeous.
Sure there's grim bits, but you get them everywhere.

If working NE Manchester - i'd look saddleworth or Rawtenstall area.

Easily commutable - nice countryside.

oi you, owd nells is not tacky to a couple of university students who havent perfected how to cook a roast alone and are 250 miles away from home!

yorkshire whopper, oh the memories. ive lived all over preston, really miss it. ive never stopped thinking about it since we moved back. even goign food shopping used to make me feel all happy and special inside.

Last in Sunderland - about oh... a month ago (have most of my relatives there) but the state the town is in is shockingly bad - how many years has the Vaux saga been going on now? The riverside is an utter disgrace - absolutely knee deep in abandoned cans of lager and burnt out mattresses (oh and the perv waiting in the bushes for me when I was out walking the dog - shame I came back a different route you creep).

Like I say - it's an utter lack of aspirations killing the bloody town, and a collossal chip on its shoulder about Newcastle.

Out of the North-East there are two places I'd never live again willingly - Sunderland, and, out of football related principles, Newcastle.

It is a bit grim up there. My dh is from Manchester and we moved up there for five years. Lived in trendy Chorlton which was fab but moved back down south as soon as kids arrived. Now we live near Bath and DH says he could never live up north again. Rains too much in Manchester for a start!!!

As a southerner and one that lived oop north for 5 years I can tell you I'd never go back. Dire, anti Southerner, unfriendly and a hideous compulsion by all who live there to dress for hot weather as if they're going to Ascot...whne going down the local.

We were thinking of relocating to manchester (Beeb move) and there really are some lovely places, and if you have a london house the money goes so much further (sadly we didn't!).

Bits of Sale are really lovely and in an easy commute. A slightly further commute but nice is Altrincham, and some beeb types were going further out to Knutsford ( lovely and definitely a middle class area).

Over all I had some of my prejudices overcome. Manchester as a city is smaller than london so much much easier to get around, its a stereotype BUT people really were friendlier.

However we ended up moving back down to Dorset where we have family. I keep noticing the amount of rainy days my manchester friends seem to get compared to me.... and don't regret my decision!! Family played a big part in it to - I have elderly relatives down in Dorset that I'm not sure I would see again.

Don't rule it out completely though. There will be a lot of people moving up with the Beeb so you will find other movers too.

IDrinkFromTheirSkulls - are you talking PieEater / Woolyback country, or over the water ?

Grimma-meant Avenham park, not ventured to the others as yet, it is a pleasingly green place-spent a lovely day in that there `Preston t'other day-I recommend the spanish hot chocolate in Deli-Med then a cider in The New Continental pub feels fat

I live in tres untrendy North Manchester, but I think it's lovely. Near Bury as well, which has the best Market ever. Ramsbottom is near Bury, and I've only passed through a few times, but it's very pleasant.

I grew up in N. Bolton and it's beautiful there too, right near the moors. I get location envy every time I visit my parents. Bolton centre's a bit shit though.

Im in sunderland too. Its great, loads to do with children, some fab parks and close enough to loads and loads of beautiful and interesting places to just jump in the car and have great days out. Yeah it has its grim bits but doesnt everywhere? (Although i do tend to avoid the city centre if i can possibly help it!)

Lived very close to Glossop when small and around Manchester/Tameside all my life if you avoid areas that look rough then you'll be fine. I'd avoid Mottram and Hollingworth both due to the fact that the moor gets clogged up regularly. There are some nice places anywhere if you look.

ThinksYouCan'tReallyJudgeByTheExperienceOfACoupleOfPeopleTiggaxx

MrSpoc is talking bollocks through his/her arse. A rare talent. 'Glossop a rundown council estate in the middle of nowhere?' you have obviously never been
to Glossop.

baronet tiggy - am about to leave tameside and travel down the moor into Glossop! wish me luck.

i have always lived up north north manchester lovely scenery house prices reasonable good and bad areas everywhere but manchester [greater] is a great place to live and the city centre very cosmopolitan these days

hey mrs chemist i grew up in greenmount and now live in bolton

itsybitsy
I find it great for getting around by bus, there aren't that many places within a couple of miles of us that I can't get to easily. And when dh is with us and we have the car there are plenty of places to go.

emptyshell
Agree that the Vaux saga is dragging on too long, but then it's a tragedy that the brewery was ever closed in the first place. Tesco being awkward has just compounded things. What about the north side of the river though, it's a lovely walk along past the Glass Centre.

Forgot to say I actually like Sunderland centre. I hate shopping and it's just a nice size for me. Newcastle is too big and sprawly for my taste. :)

I live in a veh veh pretty market town in Cheshire, with 2 excellent state secondaries (and no really close private schools so there's a genuine cross section of the community in catchment). Crewe station is about 10 mins drive away, and trains to Manchester are frequent - journey takes about 40 mins. irritiating, self-satisfied emoticon