Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask where is nice to live but doesn't get m/any tourists

175 replies

OptimismvsRealism · 26/07/2024 19:02

Need to find somewhere asap

OP posts:
leeverarch · 27/07/2024 10:58

OptimismvsRealism · 26/07/2024 19:04

Isn't Cambridge there??

Yes it is, but you don't have to go there, do you? I live about 15 miles away and I haven't set foot in the place for over 20 years.

PooHeads · 27/07/2024 11:00

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 26/07/2024 19:30

Chesterfield had nice areas. 30 mins to Sheffield, 30 mins into Peaks. Holymoorside area.

Im sorry but most of Chesterfield is grim. If you’ve got the pick of the country then there are many, many other places I’d choose first!

LinManuelMirandaIsAGenius · 27/07/2024 11:27

@hammering I was about to post agreeing with @Pandemonium123 when I noticed your question. The West Cumbrian main towns are Workington, Whitehaven and Maryport. All have their good and bad points, but my choice would be Workington. It has the best shopping (by a country mile) of the three, including M&S, an excellent Next and TK Maxx in the town centre, with other national retailers (Home Bargains, Dunelm, etc) a short distance away. It has two theatres and a really fantastic independant cinema. Schools are good/great. Employment is also good.
It has a train station that connects to Carlisle, which connects to Edinburgh/Glasgow/London. Good bus service to Keswick/Penrith.

The other West Cumbrian town is Cockermouth. Much prettier, lovely shops/cafés/restaurants. But it’s closer to the Lake District National Park, so does get its share of tourists that the coastal towns don’t really get. Housing is also much more expensive. It’s only a 10 minute drive from Workington and Maryport though, so very easy to visit for an afternoon.

Hope that helps!

AndTheyWent · 27/07/2024 13:15

Checkout Alnwick and surrounding seaside. Friend retired there. I would if I could.

Large shopping you really need to go to Newcastle (or an hour on train to Edinburgh).

PeterPedant · 27/07/2024 19:48

My brother just came back from a week in Bamburgh. He said Alnwick is packed with tourists on the Harry Potter trail.

Spinner12345 · 27/07/2024 20:17

Whitby is absolutely not the North East!

Another vote for Northumberland as your best option, maybe Morpeth or Blyth

PeterPedant · 28/07/2024 09:24

Whitby is absolutely not the North East!

It's on the east coast and it's a long way north of the central region of England. So, yes: it is in north-east England. It's not what people from Northumberland & Durham call "the north-east". However, they often include Carlisle in their definition of "the north-east", despite its being in the north-west.

Tartfullodger · 28/07/2024 09:33

West Essex.

LadyCrumpet · 28/07/2024 09:56

ManxDi · 26/07/2024 19:25

Come to the Isle of Man my dear, we have space and need more fellow hermits...

Can you elaborate please?

What's it like there? Is it about to built up and overrun with people like Kent is? Are there employment options?

ManxDi · 28/07/2024 10:33

LadyCrumpet · 28/07/2024 09:56

Can you elaborate please?

What's it like there? Is it about to built up and overrun with people like Kent is? Are there employment options?

Good morning, there are about 85,000 residents. Towns can be built up, but countryside is only ever a 10 minute drive. Lots of detached properties with land for around 500k.
Employment - we have zero rate unemployment so employers are desperate for staff all of the time.
We are protected from the 'extreme' heat and cold of the UK as the Irish sea acts as a 'blanket'. Rarely get ice/snow worth speaking about and rarely have temperatures into the late 20's C.
On my morning dog walks, I see buzzards, hen harriers, short eared owls, dolphins, porpoise, grey seals, diving gannets, yada yada. To me, it's a slice of paradise.

LadyCrumpet · 29/07/2024 08:16

@ManxDi Thanks, I've suggested it to my husband so we may visit and see if we like it :)

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 14:23

@ManxDi Is it easy to get a work permit? What range of jobs are there, and would it be difficult to get a work permit if self employed WFH?

Is the general immigration/beaurocracy/admin complicated or is it pretty much the same as being in England as a British Citizen?

Do immigration let anyone and everyone move there or is there some sort of cap?

If we moved there and had an accident or got ill etc, is claiming benefits difficult or would we have to sell up and move back to England? I'm only asking that as I don't intend to ever move again after this move so will (hopefully) be elderly wherever we end up. And I want to consider every possible scenario.

Is there any dislike of people moving in, like in Cornwall, Kent etc? Do people dislike English/Londoners?

Are utilities expensive, car insurance, council tax etc?

Sorry for all the questions, I've been googling but first hand is always better imo.

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 30/07/2024 14:25

TheGirlWhoLived · 26/07/2024 19:33

Worcester is lovely and certainly not overrun with tourists! No influx around summer etc. Malvern is close and sounds like it would suit you well

Malvern was quite touristy when I went but lovely.

Verv · 30/07/2024 14:28

Northumberland / Scottish Borders.
berwick, Tweedmouth, duns etc.

i love it up here. There’s so much space and comparatively few people.

ManxDi · 30/07/2024 15:28

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 14:23

@ManxDi Is it easy to get a work permit? What range of jobs are there, and would it be difficult to get a work permit if self employed WFH?

Is the general immigration/beaurocracy/admin complicated or is it pretty much the same as being in England as a British Citizen?

Do immigration let anyone and everyone move there or is there some sort of cap?

If we moved there and had an accident or got ill etc, is claiming benefits difficult or would we have to sell up and move back to England? I'm only asking that as I don't intend to ever move again after this move so will (hopefully) be elderly wherever we end up. And I want to consider every possible scenario.

Is there any dislike of people moving in, like in Cornwall, Kent etc? Do people dislike English/Londoners?

Are utilities expensive, car insurance, council tax etc?

Sorry for all the questions, I've been googling but first hand is always better imo.

What field of work would you be looking at?
Work permit - no problem, as long as you can prove you won't be a drain on the public purse.
We work for our own business and WFH - my partner is a 'come over', I am Manx by birth. He brought his first wife and young son here in 2005 and set up the business.
You will be considered a Manx citizen after 5 years and would qualify for the same benefits as me.
No dislike of folk moving here, true Manx people are open and honest and I have met no racism or xenophobia from the Manx. Folk who move here are 'come overs' and once they settle, they are 'stop overs'. I've never known it said with any hatred though.
Everything is much the same as the UK - but our government wear dafter outfits.
We are struggling to attract and keep all medical staff, including gp's, dentists, nurses etc. Our one hospital newly built and opened around 2010 is now unable to cope and we send a lot of medical problems to the UK - even basic pacemaker ops, are done in Liverpool as we can't attract and keep the expertise here.
There is no 'cap' on immigration and our current chief minister (like your PM) wants to grow the population to 100k. As we have negative unemployment, I can sort of see the thinking, but the infrastructure is crumbling around us as the public money isn't there is to make working on the Island that attractive.
You will be considered a Manx citizen after 5 years and would qualify for the same benefits as me.

Utilities - there is a monopoly for electricity, and another one for gas supply (don't get a house with gas heating). Phone companies, we now have two - it is much more expensive here for broadband/mobile. There are no '£10 sim only, with unlimited calls/texts/data deals'
Insurance - used to be much cheaper over here for car insurance, but as cars are now very expensive things and everyone has a brand new on lease (not me, ours are 10 & 20 years old), car insurance is now on a par with the UK.
House insurance is less - I have a 3 bed semi, with garage for £35 per month home insurance.
Council tax, we don't have that. We have 'Rates'. My house above, for the year has just come in around £1,800 for this year.
Supermarkets - we have recently acquired multiple Tesco's. A few small Co-Ops and Spar shops. We have no Aldi, Lidl.
Clothes shopping - the main street in Douglas is poor, there is little choice. We have no Primark/Matalan etc. We do have an M&S that has a food hall, clothes section and home store.
A government run airport and sea ferry company. In bad weather you can and will be 'stuck' here without anyway of safely travelling off Island for days at a time - it is more concerning if you have family in the UK, who may need you urgently.

It is a beautiful place to live and if you like the outdoors lifestyle, this is the place to be. The crime rate is lower here, in all areas. However, we do have our problems and we have always had a thriving drug problem (since I was young, I am now 51). It is easily avoided as we don't go to pubs etc and keep ourselves to ourselves, but we're aware.
Our brand new prison is also at capacity (it's been open maybe 20 years), so we do have criminals and crime. But few house breaking burglaries or robberies with violence, muggings, don't really happen here either. If your car is stolen (very rare), the police put out a request for folk to look out for the vehicle and registration - usually returned within 12 hours because it's a small Island and where are they going to go?

And breathe... apologies, it seems I get carried away! Please feel free to send me a private message if you need anything further. I will do my best to work out how to use that facility.
Good luck.

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 16:05

@ManxDi Thank you! That is very helpful.

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 16:30

@ManxDi Are the ferry prices this expensive for residents? I've just done a search and its given me 300 odd quid. It would be cheaper to fly! I'd assumed the ferry would be used like a bus/train crossing 😧

ManxDi · 30/07/2024 16:39

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 16:30

@ManxDi Are the ferry prices this expensive for residents? I've just done a search and its given me 300 odd quid. It would be cheaper to fly! I'd assumed the ferry would be used like a bus/train crossing 😧

Yep, it's that expensive for residents (government owned ferry company). Bit cheaper in winter.
Flying - not as reliable, the location of the airport is prime for low mist which prevents the small craft and small airport, safe take off and landing.

LadyCrumpet · 30/07/2024 18:57

Ok thank you @ManxDi

chipin81 · 02/08/2024 11:01

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

IggyAce · 02/08/2024 11:03

Yarm or Sedgefield

parkrun500club · 06/08/2024 21:17

I can answer this now. I went to Newark a few days ago as I was collecting my son from the railway station there and it was an interesting town with nice buildings, lots of history and a Costa which felt like an independent cafe.

Also went to Lincoln which is lovely but does attract tourists. Not hoards in the same way that York does, though.

parkrun500club · 06/08/2024 21:18

PeterPedant · 27/07/2024 19:48

My brother just came back from a week in Bamburgh. He said Alnwick is packed with tourists on the Harry Potter trail.

It's a long time since I went to Alnwick (I was pregnant with my now 21 year old son!) but I thought it was hideous when I was there. It was a bank holiday though, Full of screaming kids.

I can only think it's 100 times worse since Harry Potter!

Domoda · 06/08/2024 21:30

Shropshire and Herefordshire

yesyouknow · 11/08/2024 14:43

where did you head to op?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page