Moving to Bournemouth

[mapofeasterireland]

We live in London and my husband is from the south coast. He is desperate to move back and start a new life but I just don’t know how I feel about it.

I’ve worked really hard to build a network of amazing friends for me and my kids and he’s done nothing. He puts no effort in to his life and is now saying he’s unhappy and want to be by the sea. It doesn’t feel fair.

We have lots of amazing friends where we are. Our kids have play dates and sleepovers and there’s always something to do. Granted our local area is a bit rough but im nervous we will move and have absolutely nothing to do and it will be impossible to meet new people.

AIBU?

@DialsMavis secondary schools are a massive problem across the whole conurbation. So many schools are poor around here. You have the grammar schools, and some select good/outstanding ones (Twynham, Glenmoor and Winton etc....) the rest are really bad. Avonbourne, St Aldhems, et al. All very very poor schools. With the new Livingston Academy opening that may give some hope, but that will take a few years to see how that is going.

@DialsMavis my husband is from lymington.

I’m concerned about a schools overall to be honest.

Shall I pm you my experience of schools here vs London? Although, if you are not up for moving you shouldn't have to justify it 😊

I live literally on the border with Bournemouth and Poole.

Its full of londonders anyway.

Beautiful place to live!

Happy to chat about schools too!

Poole High and St Edwards are good secondary schools too

St Peters too

I used to live in Dorset...it is very expensive but a beautiful county...im shocked at the amount of posters who say they prefer London....dirty...noisy ....rough ...crime ridden place....no way on gods earth would i bring my kids up in London.

I am from near lymington and used to live in Bournemouth. My partner is from the same area too. Neither of us want to move back there, but we do want to move somewhere more affordable. Bournemouth is a nice place to visit but I find living there is different. People can be quite unfriendly, for example if you dared to park outside someone’s house there is uproar! I guess it might be the same in a lot of places though.
The beach is lovely but it gets way too busy to go very often in the summer. I struggled to fill my weekends with things to do during the day unless the weather was good but I didn’t have a young family so it might be different for you.

[quote mapofeasterireland]@helloxhristmas I live in Croydon so it literally couldn’t be worse[/quote]
I used to live in Croydon, I think it might be.

@Redredwine2020 @DialsMavis I’d love to chat schools if poss

Also what i find lacking around here is wet weather activities with young ones. In the summer holidays there is only so much soft play, littledown swimming, russel Coates museum, cinema you can cope with. We end up travelling far and wide during wet summers. The BIC used to have a fab pool but that made way for more conference space. We don't have a permanent ice rink. Museums are very poor locally.

You sound very friendly, I'm sure you'll have no trouble making a new social network that your dh won't get involved with

I think I have messaged you!

I wouldn't want to live in London, but wouldn't want to live in Bournemouth either. We used to live in Christchurch next door which was lovely.

We are looking in southbourne so not far from christchurch. Is Christchurch better? I always get the feeling it’s a bit of an older generation vibe, less diverse etc.

@mapofeasterireland

We are looking in southbourne so not far from christchurch. Is Christchurch better? I always get the feeling it’s a bit of an older generation vibe, less diverse etc.

If you are looking for diverse than Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole are really not that diverse.

I used to live in Christchurch and I preferred it to Bournemouth. Yes the general population is very much older (I think it had the oldest average age in England a few years ago. Top Gear did a feature on it) but I always found a better community in Christchurch than Bournemouth. There are some rougher areas in Christchurch (like everywhere) to be avoided though. Also make sure you are either in school catchment for Twynham or Highcliffe Secondary Schools. Avoid The Grange catchment area at all costs.

I grew up in Christchurch, lovely place but very elderly population. None of Bournemouth Poole or Christchurch is diverse. My DD has 630 children in her school and two are not white.

@Redredwine2020 @ramblingsonthego Christchurch appeals for the twynham school catchment. Which areas would you avoid. I also called the local schools and they basically said we’d never get in. I’m not sure whet people do in that situation?

I guess I may have to let go of diversity if I want to live in the area but Bournemouth as a bigger place did seem to have all sorts of people knocking about.

@mapofeasterireland Somerford is the big one to avoid in Christchurch. Its easy to avoid though as its not central.

Twynham is where I went and would happily send my children. You may struggle more with your school age child but provided you live in catchment then you should be OK for normal admissions.

Also I wouldn't worry too much at primary level within the entirety of BCP but I would make sure you are in a good secondary catchment as there's big differences at secondary level whereas there's no real major issues at primary

@mapofeasterireland as above Somerford is one to avoid, also a few roads in Mudeford are not the best but not the worst. Rutland Road just off of Fairmile Road is also to be avoided.

My eldest went to Christchurch Junior School and then on to Twynham School. Check the catchment areas as they may have changed but make sure you are in either Twynham or Highcliffe. If you are a church goer St Peters is a great school. Just avoid any houses within The Grange catchment area.

It all depends on your budget and how many bedrooms etc.... you need, but I can help if you send links to ones you like and tell you what the area is like.

If diversity is a big priority for you, I do think you may struggle. We have big polish and Eastern European communities around but BAME families are very very much part of a minority. That is another reason we are moving further away.

I don't know Bournemouth at all well, but I wouldn't hesitate wanting to bring my kids up well outside London, in a nice rural or seaside place.
I was born and bred in London, and the changes are totally negative.
When I grew up, we were out all day playing exploring etc, it was a community where I lived, now, no one knows there neighbours, kids can't play safe.
I live on the outskirts of London, well for the last 20 years now and its getting just as bad here, but when we are up at our place in the lakes, children are out on bikes, swimming etc....Same as where my sister is on the coast , her children have grown up with a childhood like ours.
I love London, but wouldnt want my boys to be brought up there now.

@mapofeasterireland I would never move back to Bournemouth. Personally I found it to be a painfully culturally vacant place. It's dead in the winter, and full of tourists in the summer. Also I found it difficult living there as a left leaning Labour supporter, it's Tory through and through. We moved there from London when I was a kid to be near to my grandparents and we always regretted it.

It was fantastic when I was there as a student because the University has its own little bubble but living there as a teen was mind-numbingly awful. All the kids I grew up with have left and the ones that stayed are pretty unhappy in their lives

I moved back to the south coast from London. London’s great but having the beach on my doorstep trumps everything. If you don’t want to though I understand that. Tricky situation.