AIBU- really worried about moving to Northampton

[up1978]

we are looking to move to Northampton (Weston Favell area) or maybe somewhere else still not 100% sure from London. I have 2 children one going into high school in September and i am really worried that he wont do as well in school as he will be an in year transfer and I wouldnt really get a choice on where he gets a place as most good schools are oversubscribed. Just really anxious about it all. If any of you live in the area please let me know what its like living there with kids.

Market Harborough is lovely, good schools, good shops, lots going on & about an hour on the train to London.

Totally agree with what Reedskate and Oliversmumsarmy said.That's exactly my experience. They have described the experience of living up here perfectly.

Hi,
I live in Abington. You have to apply on county website. If you are looking at secondary’s you most probably be given Thomas Beckett or Weston Favell. As both these schools have places. Please inbox me.
Abington can be nice but I think East Hunsbury is a nicer area.

Regards,

Louisr

To add I am from London originally. Northampton reminds me of London in 80s

Have you not visited the are op? You need to use your own judgment here?

I wouldn't move there though. Lived there for a bit and wouldn't go back.

Also, to add. I did move to Mk which I found lifeless. I love Northampton and I really have had no issue making friends. Many ex-Londoners here.
It does remind of London when I was growing up. There are some lovely villages and some great places.
The history is amazing and the reason I would move is to be in a better area. As the part of Abington I live in isn’t nice.

Regards,

Louise

I could have been Reedskates friend

I am a naturally outgoing person.

I talk to everyone and anyone. I have friends from all walks of life, all major religions, all creeds and all colours and yet I could not in 12 years find a single person I could connect to.

I did feel like I had landed on a different planet.

I have lived in a lot of the major towns and cities across England and Wales over the years and I have never failed to make friends in any place I have been apart from this area.

I also have my own business and work from home and I nearly lost everything.
I did try to start a business that I thought was a brilliant idea.

I got precisely 0 customers.

The reason I was told was because people around there would only support local businesses.

To them I was an outsider

Still sticks in my gut that someone took my idea and copied the business model, pricing and structure and it is now something that I would guess most of the country has used at least once if not on a regular basis.

When we moved back to London we were in Negative Equity after 12 years. We had to remortgage the house because dp got made redundant 3 times and in the end could not get a job.
The jobs that were on offer in the area he was overly qualified for and back in London no one wanted to employ someone who came from that far away.

It was the biggest mistake of our lives.

The only reason we were able to move back to London was because we rented an address in London and dp managed to land a great job and the place we bought was falling to bits.

If I was to advise anyone, especially someone who works from home with senior school children I would advise to not do it.

Just from the POV of your dc. They are probably used to quite a bit of freedom and you are used to them having that freedom.

Now imagine having to run them everywhere and because of the distances and petrol money involved having to sit outside a cinema or in the local town waiting for them to finish for the return journey.

Also I doubt there are that many opportunities on offer in the area after they return from university, if they do come back.

Could you move a little bit out.

Still within commuting distance to London with tube and train stations etc but not quite as expensive.

Amersham is lovely and still has a tube station

I’m in a not too dissimilar position to the OP @Oliversmumsarmy and whilst my DC are only tiny your words are having a profound effect on me.

I live in Northampton. The Hunsburys are nice (east especially). People are friendly. The schools are good. People are complaining about the town centre but it has some good independent shops/cafes for a wander. It has a big new look/hm/next plus Debenhams (and others!). The public transport from there is pretty good I think.
There are other nice areas round there too: grange park, Wootton, hardingstone.
If you want to PM me OP then please do. I'm not really familiar with that side of town but I'll try and help if I can

Oh and for the record I'm not from here originally, I'm not pro-brexit, have a good professional job paying double the national average. It's not some shitty, racist town full of dead ends and no hopers!

PaulHollywoodsSexGut I have teenagers and both have said they couldn’t ever see themselves moving away to another part of the UK when they have children.

They have friends who live all over and they notice the huge difference of how much freedom they have compared with others.

They have both said how much fun it has been growing up in London.

It's not some shitty, racist town full of dead ends and no hopers

You are missing the point.

I never said the people were racist or the town was shitty or the people were no hopers it was just too different for me.

Others might not have a problem.

The people have a different out look that when you have moved around a bit it definitely felt for me off kilter with the rest of the UK.

I got to the point where the only people I spoke to were dp and friends on the telephone who lived elsewhere and for me that was purgatory. I am someone who likes talking with people face to face.

Public transport is a huge factor if you have dc and the distance between places is a shock.
I have a friend from Devon who I visit occasionally. Her idea of a 5 minute drive is a 1/2 hour trek down country lanes.

No one can say whether a place is good or bad because everyone sees a place differently.

You can only go on what other people who have experienced something from a place say and if you identify with those people then you might experience the same.

For dp, he was looking at jobs paying more like 5x the national average at the time. There were plenty of jobs paying twice the National average but with mortgage interest rates at 15-18% then twice the national average was not going to cut it.

@Oliversmumsarmy you aren't the only person who's commented on this thread. My post wasn't aimed solely at your comments

Also @Oliversmumsarmy when did you live here? Talk of interest rates at that level must be almost 30 years ago! 😂

Just remembered - on a more positive note, if this is of interest...There are loads of really cool pubs in the town centre. Little tiny independent ones. There's also a beer festival most years, in the grounds of an old abbey. It's really lovely. There is also well-established rock/metal scene and a few rock pubs and club nights; and one biker bar. The local music scene is good too - lots of local bands.

Could you move to Lamport/ Naseby/Maidwell/ Haselbech/Cottesbrooke instead? Northamptonshire is very beautiful and towns like Market Harborough are really lovely. Do you Have to move to WF? My friend did supply at a school there and said that it was horrible on every level. Feel free to ask me any questions about it.

Could you move to Lamport/ Naseby/Maidwell/ Haselbech/Cottesbrooke instead?

No,because they are all still in Northants. The more expensive the house still means Northants people as neighbours!!! As i have found! The problem here is the people. No matter how friendly and outgoing you are they are not!
As prev posters have said the locals stick to their own family and friends. They don't like in commers especially those from London and their fancy London ways/money. They live their whole lives in a 1sq mile radius! For all those recommending Kettering, Wellingborough, Corby and Northampton you know those areas are dives. They are universally known up here as been dives so why would you recommend them to OP? We have lived in both Kettering ( in a pretentious man made village but moved because god the residents were awful ) and then to an old stone thatched property in a village on the outskirts,as mentioned on here ,the same thing! Does not matter how much money you spend on a property up here the people are the same. Inward and unfriendly. OP, as others posters have suggested on this thread some have moved here and it has put a huge strain on their relationships. I for one fall into this category. I don't know how much clearer I can be but god this place is hell if you were not born here. OP, Devon,Cornwall, IOW, North Wales , Chester, Northumberland to name a few. All much better places. Believe me I've researched it, spent time in each and visited friends who have moved to these places and they all stand head and shoulders against this bankrupt, backward, inward,yokel of a county! Just as @Oliversmumsarmy said earlier, I will be flinging my belongings in that removal van to hurry our evacuation along!

Catherine we get it. You don't like Northamptonshire. Infact you have just insulted various members of my family and friends who are friendly, welcoming Northants folks. I would love to know what amazing utopian part of London you live in and what makes it sooo amazing and special.

I’m honestly not passing judgement @CatherineofTaragon (great name) but did you move to Northants from London?

@PaulHollywoodsSexGut yes, thru DH's work.
Having given it 8 yrs, DH is staying and me and DC's are going home!

@bookmum08 Ealing!

Can't comment on Ealing that much as I don't know that part of London well. Maybe I will have to visit to see if it is the amazing friendly place you say.

I used to live in Weston Favell village so very close to where you’re looking OP. Northampton isn’t my home but it’s where my DH is from and we’ve been here 10 years now. TBH the town centre really isn’t worth a visit at the moment, I maybe go there once or twice a year, but MK and to a lesser extent Rushden lakes provides all the shopping you need.
I now live out on the very Eastern edge of town towards Ecton village/Sywell and this is a perfectly nice place to live. It doesn’t sound like you’ll be looking at any of the big estates but I really would steer clear of most of the Eastern District.
Your money really does go a long way here and Northamptonshire gets some things right, we have amazing country park provision, much better than at home just south of Oxford. Our bins get emptied fine and other things like that that people are worried about.
I’d advise looking at Moulton village, Edgemont Road is nice, as is Great Billing on that side of town.