to be freaking out about moving from London to Wales?

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Long story short: lived in London for twenty years, married a Londoner, have Londerner kids, love London, have great London friends. Now DH has been offered a job in Cardiff and its a great job. So we have to move. But Gosh I’m scared.

I know nothing of Wales. I went to Cardiff once with work and I didn’t love it. I’m thinking if we have to move maybe we should go the whole hog and live in the countryside but I can’t even work out what is commutable to Cardiff.

Are we going to hate it? Is it ever right to leave a place you love just for career reasons?

And if you are Welsh where would you live that is commutable to Cardiff and lovely and friendly and beautiful? We will also need good schools, maybe private but I’m open minded to state as well.

Cardiff is much less Welsh than North Wales. It would be essential to learn where I live as there is no English medium primary education.

Cardiff is a massive city to me so we're coming at it from very different angles bit it does seem as though it's going to be a culture shock for you. Will you be able to spend some time there before you actually move to get a feel for the place?

It sounds like you have some money to play with. I'd move a bit further out of London rather than do such a drastic move with a teenager, free up some money that way. If your DD isn't keen it'll be a hard move for her.

Forgot to add to the end of my last post, definitely take a week off work and go explore the different areas to get a feel for the place - it will be a huge move (when is moving 300 miles easy?) But you'll find it a little easier if you know what you're getting yourself into.

I moved to Penarth from West London 43 years ago when I was 23, mainly to escape toxic parents. My flat mate in London was from Penarth so we moved back together. Never regretted it for a moment. Nowadays most people are 'incomers' and very few people have a Welsh accent.
Schools are brilliant and most high schools have a high % of students who get to Oxbridge. Cardiff has everything you need but without the zillions of people. People are very friendly.

OP - I’m Welsh and went to University in Cardiff and lives there for 5 years. I’ve also lived in London so hopefully can give you some perspective. Cardiff is a pretty small city, it’s very lovely and the Welsh are a very welcoming lot but, it’s really nothing at all like London, the differences are stark.

If you didn’t want a long commute I’d recommend Penarth, the Bay or Llandaf. There’s a fair bit to do in Cardiff and as other posters have suggested it’s very multicultural and has a good vibe. The learning of Welsh IS compulsory which I feel is rather ridiculous (i’m Welsh by the way) but I believe it’s a hour here or there so won’t impact your children’s education.

In terms of schooling there is good private ad public schools in Cardiff/Cowbridge and I certainly wouldn’t say that the kids are ‘insular’, not in the City anyway, in the Valleys I’d absolutely agree.

You’ve mentioned Bristol as a possible option, it would likely be a 45 minute commute - so not bad and I think it has far more to offer than Cardiff imo. I’ve spent a fair bit of time there and was actually looking to move there in the Summer, if you were considering Bristol the nicest areas imo are Clifton and redcliff. We found a beautiful Victorian in Clifton and schools are exceptional.

I’m actually taking the plunge and moving my baby and I to London as I think it has far more to offer than where I am at the moment but, Wales or Bristol aren’t so bad.

I have lived in plenty of places around the UK and Europe and have to say Cardiff is one of my favourites. I found it a safe, friendly place to live with plenty going on. (Moved from the city up to a village in the valleys but still work in Cardiff now). Radyr, Lisvane and Rhiwbina, whitchurch are very nice. Rhiwbina has a lovely feel about it in particular. I've always found the Cardiffians friendly. I lived in Bristol between stints in Cardiff and hated the city. The positives to Cardiff are plenty of lovely restaurants, close to the beach, stunning coastline less than an hour away to explore in the Gower, 40 minutes and you're in the Brecon Beacons. There is loads to explore, albeit in a different way to London.

Could you sell and either downsize so you don’t have the mortgage or take on a much smaller mortgage in London or move slightly out to Home Counties/London borders and buy a small flat for dh for during the week.

If my dc had thought they were going to move out of London in year 8 I think they would have moved in with friends and refused to visit.

The culture shock for teens taken out of London would be too much.

Not being funny but why did your dh apply for a job in a place that the rest of the family would not want to move to.

Did he actually consider the consequences if he got the job.

I’ve read the whole thread op. Can’t dh hold fire and continue to apply for jobs? There can’t just be one good job out there. If he hadn’t been offered this one what then? It sounds like you have too much to lose, and Cardiff may not be a great fit. I can’t help thinking that even if you do move away you would be better served by Birmingham or Manchester.

@picklepickle123 I liked the rental property you linked to. First I’ve seen that I’d consider. Is Old St Mellon’s a nice area?

We will definitely visit the area this week, before he formally accepts the job.

I think we would educate privately for at the eldest two who will have a big transition. What are the best private schools in Cardiff? The five year old will be fine at a local primary school.

Wales doesn't have the theatres or museums that London has to offer but, really, how often do you go to these places? A weekend in London can take in a few museums plus a show. You don't need to live there.

I commuted from north of Bath to Cardiff for years. It takes about 1/1hr 15 depending where in Cardiff. It is tiring but will be cheaper once tolls scrapped. I would happily have moved there but for various complicated reasons it wasn’t an option for us.

It's regularly in the news that school in Wales underperform those in the rest of the UK. Not sure if that's improved in recent years but it was a big thing for quite a while. Not all the schools are "brilliant". Of course they're not all brilliant in London or anywhere else either. Most high schools don't have a high percentage of pupils getting into Oxford or Cambridge either - not noticeably so. You'll have to do your background research.

You're hearing good and bad. It's up to you to make your decision. Better to hear both sides to know it can be risky making moves like this. If a bigger house, more of a country/beach lifestyle is what you want then it might be a good move as you'll get more for your money here but if you're happy in London there's a lot to give up.

No one makes a move like this without going into it with the best attitude. You want to make it work of course and you focus on the positive but sometimes it just doesn't work out. As in my case. Cardiff has got some good things going for it. It'll be more of a suburban lifestyle if you don't mind that. I miss things about London that Cardiff can never give me.

@Didiusfalco - sadly DH works in a very niche area. There won’t be other jobs in the UK out of London or Cardiff. We could move abroad but that would be more disruptive I think.

For those saying can we downsize in London, I guess we could, but to release equity we’d have to go to a new neighbourhood and that would be hard. Maybe less hard than 300 miles away but I was hoping this thread would convince me that Wales was a great idea and a real adventure, something more uplifting and exciting than downsizing in London.

Your DC wouldn’t have to do Welsh GCSE if they went to a private school.

There’s a few choices - Cathedral School, St John’s College, Kings Monkton and Westbourne are all co-ed. Then there’s Howell’s which is girls only until 6th form. All of them are 3-18. It’s worth having a look at their ESTYN reports to get an idea of what they offer.

Cardiff is a fantastic city. You will be very lucky to live be here! If you are looking for large houses in a nice area try Radyr, lovely village community spirit. As a lecturer I have never encountered racism. Welsh language is only compulsory to GCSE level nothing to worry about!

Welsh person here who lives in London and would not return if you dragged me by the hair. I can’t believe no one has mentioned how terribly dismal and depressing the sodding weather is there. It rains and rains and when it’s not raining it is damp and drizzly. If you really must go , check out Llandaff Cathedral school and the heritage coastline beaches. Cowbridge is snobby.

You're limited with private schools. Old St Mellons nearest private school is probably St John's which is catholic. There's the Cathedral School which is religious in general and there's a girl's school Howell's even though it takes boys in the sixth form. There's also King's Monkton but it's very small and in recent years almost went bust I think. There's school buses for all the schools commuting in from a range of places.

The positives to Cardiff are plenty of lovely restaurants, close to the beach, stunning coastline less than an hour away to explore in the Gower, 40 minutes and you're in the Brecon Beacons

But these are for older people.

Young teens who are used to London are not going to be frequenting nice restaurants or thinking that exploring the Gower Peninsular is a thing that looks really fun to do so let’s move to Cardiff.

I am old and it sounds deathly boring to me.

Not really selling the place.

And I lived in Cardiff for a few months back in the late 80s.

I've not lived in South Wales for about six years now but st Mellon's can be very nice our very... Not so nice! There's also this which is a bit more central
www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/56145306

Or
www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/76504796

Both in fab areas.

And if you want to go a little further out

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/67016182

Old st Mellons is lovely but its quite a way from the centre. oliversmummy I'm sorry but culture shock? We have free museums and theatres! It will never be anywhere near the cultural experience that London offers but its a young, vibrant city that offers different experiences.

I had to get a car when I moved here and drive my DC everywhere pretty much which was a pain. Going by bus or train takes planning depending on where you are - not just turning up at a bus stop or tube station as in London as there'll be one along in a minute. Timetables usually have to be checked the further out you are.

Lizzie1970a
I think you would never settle anywhere that isn’t London
From the increasingly rude comments you have posted on this thread about Cardiff and Welsh people It’s clear to me that you are the problem, nothing compares favourably to your beloved London and you probably piss people off with your attitude

Why are people going on about museums? What museums? There's the main Cardiff one which really isn't that big. There's St Fagan's which you can do the odd time but what else of any major importance or interest? There's Techniquest. You can do these things the odd time but there's not enough to do something new every weekend or every month.

Shopping is pretty good.

lizzie I don’t think you can criticise a city because you needed a car.