Moving to Merville Barracks in Colchester

[Nessica]

We just found out today that we are being posted to Colchester in July. This will be the first time that I've moved with my husband (only married less than a year) as have always been lucky that its all worked with relatively local postings in the time we have been together (nearly five years).

Can anyone tell me more about Colchester etc? Especially keen to find out about the housing for us and my boys who will move with us. Are the houses nice? Hints and tips of best places to move to or avoid?

Also, I need School advice as my twins will be starting a new School going into year 6 - bar me going and looking at Ofstead etc can anyone give me personal info about the Schools?

I've not experienced life in an Army base before so please tell me it will all be okay? Is it easy to meet new people if you don't have babies/small children etc?

Sorry for the million and one questions but my head is racing!!!

I'm not sure on primaries (I teach in a secondary), but they relatively recently re-did the barracks I believe. The bits I ran through during the Colchester Paras 10 race looked lovely.
All the local schools are quite used to having army children, and there are quite a few primaries near the barracks.
If you have any questions re:secondary PM me.

I live in the married quarters in Colchester. There's 2 different patches, St Michaels and the Drury Estate. I'm on St Michaels. The Drury estate is quieter and the houses look nice but it's hard to get one of those houses!
St Michaels has some houses which are re furnished and are nice. However I'm in a house that's older but so much better in my opinion because it's got lots more storage inside and has a hallway and downstairs toilet which the re furbs don't have. I prefer the layout of this, but these ones don't come up often. There are certain bits I would avoid, message me for the details of streets that are good/bad etc. and I can give details of the different houses too.

There is a Facebook group for the wives but it's a secret group so someone would have to add you.