Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Talk to me about Wolverhampton

177 replies

1981fishgut · 16/09/2018 21:26

Talk to me about Wolverhampton looking to move in 3-4 years time when older one buys a home

We’re a mixed family so want to move to a diverse but nice area we will have about 300k to spend

OP posts:
NorthernRunner · 17/09/2018 22:17

Combermere pub in chapel ash was always our favourite, still is whenever we are in wolves 🐺

LtGreggs · 17/09/2018 22:21

The Dorchester was where it was at Grin

I also remember the cowboy, Ezra, and the guy in the tent on the ring road.

I also always liked the look of the houses on the roads around West Park. Always wondered why that hadn't become a 'posher' area, tbh. Have a look there OP.

Years back, the lively churches were a big baptist church in town, and the one on the top of the hill in Penn.

NorthernRunner · 17/09/2018 22:23

Where was the Dorchester? I don’t remember that!

MetalMidget · 17/09/2018 22:25

I went to uni at Wolverhampton, and absolutely lived for gigs at the Wulfrun and Civic. Fear Factory, White Zombie, Sepultura... those were the days.
Bizarrely only ever been to the Planet once or twice though, always went to Birmingham for XLs and Eddie's.

Wolves is rough around the edges, but the following...

It's a depressed shithole, with a burgeoning gang problem, visible rough sleepers, drug addiction , beggars and general antisocial behaviour.

...can sadly be said of a lot of towns over the last 5-10 years. I live in a town that's often labelled one of the UK's happiest, one of the best places to retire, etc, and it's got multiple rough sleepers outside the shops every single day, and people with obvious drug issues, I had my bike and my scooter nicked in broad daylight in the space of a week... and there's barely any decent gigs. Pfffft.

Both Wolvo and Brum have lovely areas, as well as the proper industrial shithole areas, much like any big town or city.

LtGreggs · 17/09/2018 22:27

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/caitlin-moran-wolverhampton-this-stuffed-8720768.amp

I can't exactly remember how you got there - I think it was above a parade of shops??

Obviously a classy celeb hangout though, as above 😂

Spanglylycra · 17/09/2018 22:31

Wolves has good and bad areas like many but I think it's time is yet to come... there is a lot of investment going in and it will benefit (indirectly) from HS2 when it already has great connectivity - really easy for Birmingham, London, Manchester, Liverpool and Wales. You could do a lot worse. Not sure what a hipster church is but am sure you can find one! The demographic in Wolves is a lot more mixed than neighbouring Dudley borough (that includes Stourbridge and Halesowen but only has 10% BME) but clearly less than Birmingham. I know you have commented that your kids will get school places due to being looked after and their are some good options and great schools in Wolves including the Royal which I think is a free school now.
Alternatively I'd consider Bearwood, Quinton, Kings Norton or the Sutton side of Erdington.

zenasfuck · 17/09/2018 22:33

Anyone want to do a wolves meet up ?

ToddlerIs2 · 17/09/2018 22:42

@1981fishgut have you considered Walsall? Similar links to Brum. The central parts are very diverse. You could afford something like m.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/48573420?search_identifier=de79f924ead0e40cb5afb9a0f60dad82

Goingalonenow · 17/09/2018 22:45

zen I'm up for it

zenasfuck · 17/09/2018 23:26

@Goingalonenow let's do it ! I'll keep bumping this thread for others but where and when ??

ICantBelieveIDidThis · 18/09/2018 00:44

A large portion of the places you've all been reminiscing about have closed down.

Varsity, Faces all gone.

ICantBelieveIDidThis · 18/09/2018 03:00

This article about Kipp's is from 2006

www.expressandstar.com/news/2006/08/21/thugs-hit-trendy-centre-wine-bar/

It's now The Dog & Doublet.

The Lord Raglan is a big Sainsbury's

Canal Club's gone

Many of the houses around West Park are now houses of multiple occupation and are fly tipped dumps.

The council is incompetent, has made the decision to go to fortnightly bin collections and has mismanaged derelict and empty buildings around the city.

gilmoregal · 18/09/2018 07:16

Icantbelieve I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make? Many of us reminiscing seem to still live in Wolverhampton and isn't the point of reminiscing remembering things that are likely no longer there or no longer the same?

I doubt the OP is planning to pick where she lives based on a good indie disco or emo night (as it's no longer 2006)

I'm pretty sure you could find a similar article to the one you've posted about Kipps' about a bar/club in every city in the UK - as these issues aren't Wolverhampton specific they're everywhere if you want urban/city living.

ICantBelieveIDidThis · 18/09/2018 08:52

Big up for Civic, Wulfrun and Slade rooms, btw, if you like your gigs.

The Civic and The Wulfrun Halls are closed for the forseeable future as the city council have mismanaged the refurbishment and they are currently structurally unsound.

The last big gig was for the darts and they charged ticket holders for a seat on a bus to the alternative venue, the Aldersley Leisure Centre.

I've got a ticket to see Sarah Millican in November and that too will be at Aldersley.

Wolves is too small not to remain unaffected by any closures.

When people find alternatives to something, they tend to stick with the alternative, rather than come back.

It's a city in name only and there aren't enough people coming in to keep shops/pubs/nightclubs open.

Yes, there are major advantages.

The train station is on a major route between north, south and west, it's close to motorways and a large amount of money is due to be spent on tram and train links.

A new train service between Wolverhampton and Walsall is being planned with a station in Willenhall.

Looking forward to this as the fastest bus route, the 529 crosses Junction 10 of the M6 and any delay is purgatory.

There are plans for lots of new houses on derelict sites.

However, we are so used to hearing about plans which never get off the drawing board and seeing snazzy artists' impressions about what the place could look like, it's easy to become cynical.

The city botched a new shop and entertainment development called 'Summer Row' which decimated shops and never came to fruition.

The excuses for why the new Westside development hasn't been started have already had their first airing.

This is after the old market building was reduced to a 'temporary' car park.

The Royal Hospital site is going to be developed by one government quango after another government quango had previously stepped in to buy the place from Tesco and failed to find a buyer.

I've spent over 12 years in an area blighted by The Royal saga and watched as the place deteriorated from dump to shithole.

DGRossetti · 18/09/2018 09:12

Speaking as a Londoner, it never ceases to amaze me how parochial the cities outside London are - which is why they get shat on from a great height every time there's anything up for grabs. If all the cities of the West Midlands (forget the West Midlands "mayor" as he's a twunt) could actually, and really, and wholeheartedly work together, there's so much that could be pulled from London.

But as long as every city feels they need to have their own bid on whatever it is, it just dilutes the effort to nothing, and London wins by default Sad

Having lived in Birmingham for over 20 years, I am well aware there are loads of distinctions between the various towns and cities of the West Midlands. But to people outside the region (from "that London" for example) it's generally an amorphous mass.

Goingalonenow · 18/09/2018 09:18

icantbelieve Is it so shocking that they're closed considering we're talking about 12 years ago?

Try this.

Boho is great for cocktails. Hogs is good for sport and does cracking pizzas, plus the cider selection is lovely. I still go to The Royal London. Dog and Doublet is ace. Giff is still there. Want me to carry on?

ICantBelieveIDidThis · 18/09/2018 09:46

There's a huge difference between a business changing management and simply being closed down and allowed to become derelict.

sashh · 18/09/2018 13:37

OK so when and where for the meet up?

I think we should arrange with the OP so we can take her (and maybe family) on a tour.

zenasfuck · 18/09/2018 16:09

@sashh that's a great idea. @1981fishgut come and visit us and we can show you the sights

zenasfuck · 18/09/2018 16:09

How about a meet up at Bilash followed by gin at the grain store ?

sashh · 19/09/2018 08:07

@1981fishgut

When are you visiting?

Are you driving or getting the train?

Will you be alone or have family with you?

zenasfuck

I think OP needs to see more than a curry house and a pub/cafe.

I'm thinking we could tag team her to our own bits of wolves, we all know the bit we live in best and the pros and cons. And yes there are pros to everywhere and I say that as someone living in the Scotlands.

zenasfuck · 19/09/2018 15:18

@sashh yeah but it's the best curry house and gin bar Grin

sashh · 20/09/2018 08:32

LOL but the OP might not want to live in a gin bar

Goingalonenow · 20/09/2018 09:43

sashh don't knock the scotlands! I've lived all over, spent some time on 5th ave as a child. There are worse places!

sashh · 20/09/2018 11:24

Going

I'm not knocking it, its reputation is far worse than reality. Although why no one told me about the shops on the broadway is a puzzle, I have only discovered McGinty's butchers a couple of weeks ago.