To want to move to Cornwall so badly

[Musicinthe00ssucks]

It's an impossible dream though. DH and I both live and work in London we have DDs 2 and 4 and grandparents around the corner. We have an average income in London (probably good everywhere else) and our own home. I just can't get the idea out of my head and I feel like we would have such a fantastic standard of living down there. Only problem is lack of jobs, too far from family etc.

Someone please tell me I am being totally unreasonable and that Cornwall is actually a crap place to live - please!!

StarfishandToffee - oh that's what people mean? Well for that matter the Old Vic in London has one price for people in the local boroughs, and higher prices for others. It's a thing, it's to encourage locals to visit more often...

I have had nothing but an extremely warm welcome from the people in the village I have moved to. Really have been welcomed with open arms.

Loving the happy Isle of Wighters on this thread.

apart from the sodding festival traffic this weekend, grumble grumble

poignant and realistic post from St Vincent I must say.

I was a Londoner from childhood, but gave it up gladly, though still love to visit and really enjoy it.

Where I've moved to I really miss the culture and the humour and general on-the-ballness of London folk, but nothing else. The day I had to queue to get in a car park to get into a London park to see a few trees was the day I knew I had to leave.

I agree with you StVincent about the inbuilt determination thing. I'm in the privileged position of being an old biddy age-wise (47), but due to the make up of the village I live in, and of course my sunny outlook (), a lot of my very good friends are a good deal younger than me. The 20 somethings/early 30 somethings around here have mainly got the get up and go to, well, get up and go. They realise only too well that there aren't any major opportunities around here, and a lot of them are in the larger UK cities making their buck, coming back here for some R and R whenever they can.

Just on that friends thing, that's another big plus I've found with village life. Although it can sometimes be suffocating (and I've learned over the years when to withdraw and batten down the hatches), I really like the fact that all age groups often socialise together, down the pub at some do or other. I'd not experienced that before moving here, and I love being part of that.

I also love the fact that my dc walk around the village and its outskirts and 99% of people know them and say hello. They are only 6 and 9. Lovely. Always makes me smile when we go to London to see them a little surprised and shy when they are surrounded by folk they don't know.

StVincent I know it is. My family and I always call/spell it Mowzel because we love the book so much and have pretty much conflated the place with the cat's name (Mowzer) for ever in our heads

Forgot to say, massively agree about the emmet thing being more jokey than anything else. Only absolute brainless fools (and yes, there are one or two around here) think that incomers and holidaymakers are bad news. Most people recognise how important holidaymakers are.

However, their driving....now, I could fill up a thread on my own about the driving habits of those holidaying in Cornwall....ohmygerd.

My husband was charge extra by taxi firms if he hadn't made it clear beforehand that he was a local and not a tourist. That is a two tier pricing system. When he moved down alone initially he would be made to stand outside the local shop till it opened at 7, whereas locals were allowed to come in, buy the paper and their cigarettes at any point. This was in St Ives (well Carbis Bay), not a little village in the middle of nowhere.

I don't think that all of Cornwall is bad at all (and would probably still be there if DH hadn't hated it so much - perhaps down to his early experiences of it) but there is very clear anti outsider feeling (for whatever reason), and casual racism is rife (really inappropriate jokes being told a lot) although worse in the West.

If you can get past that, it's lovely.

It's awful! Sorry to all of the Cornish folk but my MiL moved there ten years ago and she wrecked her family, her career and the relationships between her children (ten years between each and they now have virtually no relationship with each other). There's no work there, schools seem pretty bad, everything is miles and miles away - hospitals, shops, etc. She now has to work 200 miles away and lives away during the week. I wouldn't give up the support of friends and family for the world! We've only just got it back after being away from everyone for a year, you take it for granted when you've got it but life is hard without it!

Your right Cornish people can be very anti outsiders there very interested in everyone's lives to so best not to discuss your life with everyone I'm actually Cornish but lived in London for 8 years however I moved back after

Cornwall is beautiful but Devon and Dorset are even nicer IMO!

How long ago are we talking, user?

I think there is some cynicism about this unfair treatment idea because of things like this. Some people seem to think a) they can buy anything given enough money, which just isn't true if you have a small family business or b) people are being more difficult to them because they're not locals. IME some shopkeepers etc are just difficult bastards whoever the customer!

Yy st vincent a lot of my clients are shop keepers and they're not good at paying up.

We moved back 10 years ago.

I see that story as someone just complaining because as you say, they think they should be able to get get whatever they want straight away, when actually businesses move more slowly for a number of reasons.

Reminds me of the day we moved down and dh phoning to order a skip (which of course there was only one company, based about 45 minutes away), they asked him when he wanted it and he said tomorrow. They put him on hold but even so I could practically hear them all laughing down the phone and when they came back they said we'll get it to you d'reckly - it arrived a week later. To be fair as soon as he put the phone down he realised his mistake and we both found his naivety very funny so not at all cross about it but when it was as blatant as - you can't come in but these people that I know can while you wait outside, that is pretty annoying (especially because he was about to go and do a 14 hour shift as a nurse and had no other option to get nicotine into him!).

Greengoth, I take real exception to your comment about schools. The one at which I taught worked really hard with the kids, and we got some good results.

I was at my house in Cornwall today, and the shop is within walking distance. We have a couple of supermarkets a couple of miles away, and hospitals and health centres are readily accessible, much the same distance as they are where I live just outside Brussels.

I would suggest that the problems with your mil are down to her and not Cornwall!

Do It! Did so 10 years ago and its the best decision ever made. The local people are great as long as you integrate and get involved but don't try and impose you values. You have to look at work in a different way. Most have seasonal jobs and there are a huge amount of people who are self employed. Sold our place in the South east and bought 2 here. There are some lovely places inland that are cheap still like the Tamar Valley. So have income from second property. Have a job I can dip into and out of. Am good at it so employer is relaxed about me coming back and leaving for a bit. Character way of the world here. Do different jobs at different times of the year. Had a cafe for a couple of years built it up and was made an offer I couldn't refuse! As for family trust me you will see them! You will be inundated with them all summer as they visit for free holidays! But they won't understand that you have to work while they are there or can't come out with them to eat every night! It's wonderful to do things like pop down to the beach in the evenings with a picnic. The community is safe, kids wander about freely. And great community activities. Took up rowing Cornish Pilot Gigs and have rowed in World Championships. I have done lots of Am Dram here too as have time. As for the person saying the supermarket is 18 miles away. Please don't come here. We need people who support the economy by using local shops and businesses.

I live in a rural seaside location (not Cornwall) It is the best place in the world in summer, but winter, autumn and spring is windy, wet and grey. Not much frost or snow, but even that is horrid as crisp frosty mornings are lovely in winter. I always said if I lived near the sea, I'd walk on the beach even in winter, nope...not with the horizontal rain. It's insular, miles to the nearest decent shopping ( and I'm not materialistic or into shopping, but ...y'know...sometimes I just want to amble round the shops). DD has found settling into school here very difficult, the kids are a very insular bunch. DH unfortunatley loves it here.

I love the beaches in winter, but i really like being out in the elements - i know that isn't for everybody! Apart from being so much quieter it means we can park for free at some car parks, and can take the hounds for a run on the beach once the summer dog ban is lifted.

Floods Sshhh about the Tamar Valley please!!!! It also depends which house, there's a £1.7 million rectory in the Tamar Valley that I'd buy like a shot if I won the lottery, so not cheap.

Velvet - winter beaches are best. Sennen Cove is amazing in the winter, takes your breath away - literally!

St Vincent Very good points. I am not sure how far I agree about the anti-English racism being "joking" though. The thing is, as a kid growing up in the English Midlands, my experiences were not dissimilar. I went to 2 secondary schools because we moved house in the middle.

The first one was like a remake of the film Scum - it was huge, the teachers and head had lost control and the place was run by the hardest bullies. I then went to a much better school, but the extent of careers advice was asking if I wanted to work in the local furniture upholstery factory - when I answered no I was going to do A levels that was the end of that.

We've all had to leave to seek work - quite a few of us emigrated. I feel we have much in common with people in Cornwall (although I accept I grew up in a less deprived area) - and yet I get told I'm a "fuckin Emmett" when I go there?

One thing I've really noticed about Ireland is that if the people hate the sight of me they are at least kind enough to say it out of earshot.

I know Cornwall (and Ireland, Scotland and Wales for that matter) have been shabbily treated by Westminster - but so has my area - and I am certainly not taking responsibility for something not done in my name or that I had no control over.

No was, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not saying it's right for people to slag off tourists let alone to their faces, and there are arseholes everywhere. I was just trying to offer some explanations of why some people are angry. Doesn't mean you're responsible for their woes.

Although please don't buy a second home. :o

Sennen Cove in winter is second to none :)

Although please don't buy a second home. grin

No danger of that - I can only just afford the "first" one - I'd also feel bad contributing to the stupid high prices (although as I said it's totally moot - I like to think I'd feel the same if I won the lottery tomorrow)

We moved down to the Tamar Valley 20 years ago. I love Cornwall, and had holidayed here all my life, but living here is not the same. I wouldn't say I regret it, but if I had my time over again I'm not sure I would do it again.

My DH is from here, and when he was offered a good job down here we couldn't wait to move down here. We bought a beautiful old farm house and got a kitten and had a beautiful DS. Within 18 months the company my DH worked for had closed down and he has had to work away during the week ever since, coming home only at weekends.

I was spoiled for cultural events having lived in London, but I do really miss sheer range and scope of exhibitions, theatre and cinema I used to enjoy. There are some good arts events staged down here, but they are pretty slim pickings, and are not always on the doorstep.

If you live somewhere pretty and by the sea, you will get overrun in the summer. There are plenty of ugly parts of Cornwall, and there is an unbelievable amount of house building going on down here at the moment too - I think they are building 60,000 new homes during the next 15 years?There are, of course, unspoiled and beautiful areas, but they can be very rural and isolated. I certainly cannot get to any shops or other facilities without a car. When we had those two bad winters a few years back we were snowed in for days.

So many older people retire down here, and the pressure on the health service is huge. I live in dread of any of us getting ill or injured and having to go to the big local hospital

I find that going on holiday is much more expensive. The local airports offer flights to quite a limited number of destinations, and the bargain last minute deals always depart from Heathrow, Gatwick etc, which means a four hour drive before you even see a plane. There is the ferry from Plymouth, but it costs a fortune.

Finally there is DS. He is 17 now, he is away at boarding school, where he is quite happy. If you are an only child, living in an isolated rural hamlet can be pretty lonely. I really see no future for him in Cornwall unless there is quite a dramatic shift in the jobs market (and if there is, it won't really be Cornwall any more). I am sure that in time I will definitely want to move away to be nearer to DS and his family (warning there for future DIL!) rather than stay down here for ever, and that will be sad, but I don't think I will miss it.

It is a lovely place to bring up young children, but don't get too dewy eyed about how wonderful it is, there are downsides too.