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Forces sweethearts

If you have a family member in the Royal Navy, RAF or army, find support from other Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Posted to RAF Leuchars...

27 replies

pinkem · 08/05/2012 19:00

We are posted to RAF Leuchars in August can anyone give me some information?
I have a 5 year old so need to know about schools, and will be expecting baby in October so which hospital should I head to?
Also which quarters should we try and avoid (officer) plus anything else you think I need to know!

Thank you in advance Grin

OP posts:
Saltire · 08/05/2012 19:02

V jealous. I loved it there. The local primary school is good.

ginmakesitallok · 08/05/2012 19:02

Don't know anything about the RAF base - but there's not much in Leuchars! Saving grace is that you're not far from St Andrews and Dundee. Hospital wise I would advise Ninewells MLU - it's fab!

Original poster
pinkem · 08/05/2012 19:22

Great, Thank you. I like positive things! I will look up hospital and school now.Grin

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prettybird · 08/05/2012 19:22

When is your 5 year old's birthday? Scottish cut-off dates are different. If he/she was 5 since March then will start P1 (=c. Reception) in mid August.

Original poster
pinkem · 08/05/2012 19:50

Prettybird: He was 5 in January so started reception here Sept 2011, will he go back into reception? Confused

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prettybird · 08/05/2012 20:42

Not sure what the case is if he's already in school, but if you'd been in Scotland, you'd have had the choice of starting him in P1 last August or deferring him and starting him in P1 this August (in Scotland we do real deferrals! Grin).

So it would be up to you. Suspect that as he's already had a year of school, he'd probably be best going in to P2.

On the other hand, if he's been struggling, you might want to take advantage of the flexibility and keep him in P1 - but it could cause problems if you later move back to England (as I think happened to Saltire's when her family was posted down south Sad)

Original poster
pinkem · 08/05/2012 20:59

Thank you. We would be heading back into the English system so having him go into p2 would be the best option for us. I think I will be making some phone calls tomorrowGrin

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prettybird · 08/05/2012 22:10

Probably best. Just be aware that from being in the "older" half of the year group, he'll become one of the youngest.

Original poster
pinkem · 09/05/2012 13:53

The local school will let him join P2 Smile I'm hoping he won't mind being one of the youngest, most of his friends out of school are older so he should be fine!

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Scorchio · 16/05/2012 20:06

Oh you lucky, lucky thing! We just moved from Leuchars in September, and it is a terrific posting. Halfway between Dundee (for high street shops) and St. Andrews (for small independent shops) and with a station on the main East Coast railway line (so Edinburgh and Aberdeen easily reachable).

My elder DS went to Leuchars Primary and his teacher, the deputy head and the after-school club were great, but to be honest the rest of the school was a bit meh! Most of the kids on the officers' patch went to Guardbridge Primary this past year and I've heard lots of good things about it.

The patch has older style houses and 'newer' (Wimpy-ish) houses. We were in a newer one on the outside edge of Beaufort Crescent - the view over the fields to Tentsmuir forest were lovely and a real highlight of our time there. The houses were absolutely fine and most had new bathrooms in the last couple of years.

I had my younger DS at Ninewells Hospital and would really recommend it - he had a difficult start in life and the staff in SCBU were wonderful.

Have a wonderful posting. I would go back in a heartbeat Smile

Original poster
pinkem · 19/05/2012 10:06

Thanks scorchio, I'm glad there are lots of positives. I am still looking into schools, I like the idea of walking to school but 'good' teaching is much more important, I will keep investigating! Grin

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IHateLivingHere · 12/06/2012 09:50

Pinkem not sure whether you have been allocated now - have just found this thread. But, if not, I would ask for one of the Hunter Crescent houses and avoid the Beaufort Crescent ones, which are fugly, grey, pebble dash boxes! You can see the estate on Street View.

Also, was there 5 years and my name on here was about the way I felt...

Good luck, hope you or your husband are Scottish Grin

Original poster
pinkem · 13/06/2012 21:57

IHateLivingHere - We haven't had our allocation yet so thanks for the info. We are from Yorkshire so hopefully they will except us Grin

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Original poster
pinkem · 13/06/2012 22:00

*acceptBlush

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CountDuckula · 01/07/2012 13:07

pinkem, I'm in leuchars at the moment. There is a facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/136047066440138/ if you want any advise.

It's hit and miss here, some people love it, some people hate it. I've been here several years and most of my friends are now not RAF, just because the RAF ones have moved away.

The area is lovely, the facilities are good, yes the village is quiet but you are a quick bus/car/train journey from other stuff. There are a lot of new families moving in at the moment so you should be just fine.

Original poster
pinkem · 03/07/2012 18:28

Thanks CountDuckula I have joined the facebook group. We are meant to be moving at the beginning of august but there are currently no houses, I'm hoping someone will be moving soon so we can have their house!! Smile

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Saltire · 03/07/2012 21:56

Good luck, hope you or your husband are Scottish

What do you mean by that Ihatelivinghere? I didn't think you had to be a Scot to live on a Scottish airbase (or army/navy base for that matter)

BigusBumus · 06/10/2012 13:45

Saltire, did you move there yet? My dad was a phantom pilot in the 1970s and we lived at 42 Beaufort Cresent from 1976 to 78. I was 5-7 yrs old and I loved it there, going to the beach and playing on the dunes. Mind you the summer of 76 was the hotest ever which helped. My mum loved it too and we have nothing by happy memories of the place. I went to the school round the corner and was taught to read aged 5 by a very fierce lady who seemed to live in a cupboard under the stairs and was called Mrs Mole. Happy times.

Forgive me for crashing your thread and reminising....

Original poster
pinkem · 10/10/2012 22:25

BigusBumus - Yes we have arrived, we live just round the corner from your old house.

The area is gorgeous and we have a long list of places to visit. At the weekend we went to tentsmuir so my ds was playing in the dunes and then onto the beach (and into the sea fully dressed little monkey!)

I bet the quarters haven't changed since you lived here Grin

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Berniebennett · 11/10/2012 05:58

My husband was posted there before we were married, so I never got the oppertunity to live there, but I always said I wished he had that posting, once we had settled and had kids because I absolutely loved it!x

Adviceinscotland · 11/10/2012 20:17

You MUST head down the coast to Anstruther and get fish and chips from the famous chippy!

Hope you enjoy it there, I would love to go back.

Original poster
pinkem · 11/10/2012 21:27

Adviceinscotland - I will add it to our list, it will probably go near the top though as I really want fish and chips now!! Grin

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polkadotsrock · 15/04/2013 15:55

Just hoping some of you ladies are still around... We are moving to Leuchars next month and will be having our second wee one in October, I have heard mutterings of a good MLU on the Leuchars side of the water- is this true or is it in Dundee? X

SoggySummer · 15/04/2013 16:03

No local info I'm afraid but we just turned down a posting to Leuchars (despite wanting to be back in Scotland) because most squadrons are moving out (mostly to Lossie) at the end of this year and most of the base being handed over to the army. We wanted to avoid 2 moves in 12 months because we have school age children.

Just thought I wouldnt mention it incase you were not aware - you may not be affected if you are army or one of the lucky few RAF to remain.

I envious and it took a lot for us to say no this time because its number 2 on our list of pref postings.

polkadotsrock · 15/04/2013 16:06

Hi Soggy, I'm actually from Lossie so we're thrilled to be heading that way, but thanks for thinking to let me know :) Hope you get your 1st preference instead!! X

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