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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To abandon London and move to Diss in Norfolk???

68 replies

Beachhairdontcare · 04/05/2017 21:16

Mortgaged to the hilt in suburban London with debts coming out of goodness knows where. DC are 12, 10 and 3 months.
A move to Norfolk would mean we are mortgage free, but would mean uprooting the kids from everything and everyone they know. DS (11) is in an Ofsted outstanding school and will soon be starting to think about GCSE's.
I don't know anyone in Norfolk, but I'm sick to death of all the money worries and it seems like it could be a good option, but it's just so far away and I already feel guilty about even considering taking DS away from his social network. It would be a fresh start for us as a family, but it just seems like such a huge step, I'm not sure that I'm brave enough!

OP posts:

justaweeone · 05/05/2017 07:41

Just- it was Aylesbury we lived in. I did have happy times there and both Dc where born in Stoke M hospital. However I feel moving to Norfolk has been great for them. Dd is now at uni about 5 hrs away and loving her uni city but loves coming back in the holidays.

NicolaMarlowsMerlin · 05/05/2017 08:17

I used to live in Norwich pre-kids. I enjoyed it - all very accessible on a bike, lots of cultural stuff to do, lots of history, pretty houses. But it's a long way if you want to see friends back in london - 2 hrs on train and a dreadful car journey once you get into Norfolk on single lane a roads. Diss had nothing to speak about when I was there although it might have changed. I might look at Suffolk as links are better, I guess it depends where you can find work.

Whenwillthesunshine · 05/05/2017 08:48

I love the North Norfolk coastline and imagine retiring there.
I live in Suffolk,lots if beautiful villages,good schools,Ipswich hospital is a good place to work,the beach is nearby and just over an hour to London from Ipswich.

If you are going yo do it,do it now before your oldest starts thinking about GCSE's.

Ohyesiam · 05/05/2017 09:38

Norwich is fab. Vibrant, good restaurants and shops, small, pretty, plus it's got the uni, so lots of young people, but not too raucous. 40 minutes drive to idyllic beaches.
Only know about the cathedral school, but they do scholarships....

highinthesky · 05/05/2017 09:40

Norfolk - you coudn't pay me enough money to go there.

Why not Suffolk / North Essex / Cambridgeshire instead?

Merrylegs · 05/05/2017 09:43

They've duelled the A11 now NicolaMarlows - no more single roads. It's 1hr.50 on the train to London (although Greater Anglia are v fond of cancelling trains due to 'technical faults')

SpiritedLondon · 05/05/2017 09:50

My husband and I are planning on leaving London in a couple of years but haven't yet decided where we will go to. One of my concerns is the lack of diversity that we've encountered when visiting different places over the last few years. I don't just mean diversity in the population but food choices, restaurants, entertainment, culture etc. I've also encountered prejudice towards issues that I've not encountered in my community here. Before anyone gets on their high horse about snobbish Londoners Im actually from a small town in the Midlands so I know all about small town attitudes. This is the main concern that I have and something I guess you need to consider. Living somewhere is not the same as being on holiday there

babybat · 05/05/2017 10:09

We've been contemplating a move to Norfolk (currently renting in London), and the thing that's holding us back is jobs. Norwich is a Fine City, the countryside is lovely, but so far there just haven't been the vacancies coming up that would enable us to make a move. We may end up moving to the commuter belt as I just don't think we'll find work. If that's not a problem for you, I'd say go for it - Diss is pretty small and quiet, but if that's what you're after, and you can make the money work, why not?

MrsJamesMathews · 05/05/2017 10:18

I wouldn't want to be cut off in Norfolk that's right, because you have to hike across the fields with your passport in hand to get in or out. FFS

Unless you are desperate for the shortest train ride to London I'd also agree going closer to Norwich. There are plenty of lovely suburbs or villages within easy distance of the hospital, train station and general city type services.

I know so many people who have moved here from London (my parents included) and they never look back. It's rarely, rarely special. [norfolk dialect joke].

Feel free to PM me. I offer a free, no obligation and independent Norfolk Advisory service (in MN world, not RL)

Riversleep · 06/05/2017 09:57

Most of my friends pop into London on the train regularly. I go into central London more often now than I did when I lived in the suburbs, because the train goes right there. They run every 30 minutes. It's hardly the back of beyond! The car journey is dull and long, but as PP said, the duelling on the A11 has made it much faster.

I do agree the jobs was a worry when we moved here, but it does depend on what you do. We had no problems in education. Unemployment in general is amongst the lowest in the country but I suppose if you are in banking, then you really need to be in London, as you could really only try and get a job at Aviva!

felinewonderful · 06/05/2017 10:35

Much of Norfolk is boring with few amenities in lots of places, you will need to be a taxi service for dcs when they are older and want to go out and do activities etc. However Norwich is nice so living near the town centre would be nice ?

Have you thought if moving anywhere else that's significantly cheaper than London? Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield?

PancakesAndMapleSyrup · 06/05/2017 11:13

Norwich is lovley. We moved 4 years ago from london to a really small village in suffolk as needed to commute into london. But the kids love it so much more freedom, i open the curtains onto views of fields and it is lovley. You will spend a lot of time in the car driving to places but a 20/30 min journey is no issue out here. My experience of the NHS is brilliant too as a patient. Its much better served than in london access to services etc. Pace of life is much slower and took us about 18 months to really settle in. If you can be mortgage free by doing it Id do so in a heartbeat!. Also look at towns/villages between Bury St Edmunds and cambridge, west suffolk hosp or addenbrookes for work. The coast is only an hour away!
Bar cambridge there is much much less diversity here so a different sort of bubble. The only thing i miss about london is being able to walk to the end of the road and hop on a bus/train. But i wouldnt move back ever. Also my mum has asthma and she moved up too and breathes sognificantly more easily!

ihearttc · 06/05/2017 12:15

I live in Diss. It's a nice place to live but I think if you are used to living in cities etc you might be better to move to Norwich or Bury St Edmunds.

Feel free to PM if you want to know anything in particular.

ihearttc · 06/05/2017 12:19

And to the poster who said its 2.5 hours by train to London...no it's definitely not! DH worked in London for years and did the commute every day. He could do door to door from our house to his office in under 2 hours (We live right next to the train station in Diss).

Also completely agree about the High School. DS1 is currently in Y7. We looked at Old Buckenham and Hartismeree as well as thats where he originally wanted to go and Diss outperforms both of those schools with results. Yes they may not have a snazzy uniform with blazers etc but the teaching itself is excellent.

HolditFinger · 06/05/2017 12:23

As someone who used to live in Diss, I highly recommend it. It's a lovely, friendly little town with everything you need. Norwich is 10 mins on the train, The Spice House is the best Indian I've ever eaten and there's regular events at the Corn Hall. I'd move back in a shot if I could.

Notonthestairs · 06/05/2017 12:37

Grew up in Diss. Very outdoorsy. I loved it. OK ish for teenagers - train to Norwich for nightlife (and in those days the mecca that was TopShop!) and close enough to go to London easily (although at the weekends there is inevitably work on the line and you have to get the bus part of the way.) But it will feel small and quiet.
Norwich is a lovely city - lots going on at the Sainsbury Centre and the university, nice variety of restaurants and a good dollop of culture - but agree that the N&N has a fast turnover of staff which maybe be worth invesitgating.
Dont write off Suffolk - Ipswich isn't bad (I feel guilty even writing that!) and some of the surrounding areas are gorgeous. It has some good schools in the area too.
I would suggest renting for a bit to get used to it first - the transition period might feel a bit odd.

teaandcakeat8 · 06/05/2017 13:22

I'm from Norfolk but moved away for university and wouldn't go back. It's a nice place but be prepared for closed mindedness and a serious lack of cultural diversity. Oh, and everyone knowing all of your business. Difficult to find jobs and the general lack of amenities is frustrating e.g. Poor mobile phone reception, being 'the last' place to receive any technological advancements.

NannyRed · 06/05/2017 13:48

Mortgage free, that means you're financially very secure, just find a new home near a great school. Kids are very adaptable to change, then don't compare your new life to your old life, things will be very different. Change is nothing to be scared of.

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