Anyone live(d) in Guernsey?

[TracyK]

Good things? Bad things?
me and dh in 40's with a 9yo son and dog.

We've been here for 18 months now and I hate it. Desperate to leave. I lived all over the place and never ever felt this bored, lonely or isolated anywhere. I feel so guilty for bringing our children here. There's a real local / non-local tension and they have few friends. Nor do we. Pretty much everyone we hang out with is also desperate to leave which doesn't make for cheery conversation. I actually think my DH is bordering on clinical depression.

The schools are nothing to write home about. Our local state school is huge (like 100 kids in each year group) so we've opted to pay but the private schools are just crap compared to their UK counterparts. They're also selective - from pre-school age. And by selective, I mean snobby. It's the parents that are being selected, not the kids.

3 people I spoke to recently told me they'd been to the garden centre at the weekend because they didn't know what else to do. The winter is deathly dull.

We've just put our house on the market but I'm expecting it to take years to sell; the market is dead by our estate agents own admission.

Sorry but I wouldn't recommend moving here to anyone. It seems to be good for the very young, the elderly, tax exiles, fitness fanatics and dogs....so unless you're one of them...

Anyone taken the plunge and moved there my partner lives there and is a local I'm currently a full time mum to 2 on benefits and really want to move there if anyone has any advice to give me. And to reply to anyone's doubts the island is beautiful I've met loads of locals the past few months all very welcoming and lovely the restaurants are beautiful and the night life isn't huge to but it's the most idyllic place to bring up your children the crime rate is low and it's overall just simply gorgeous

I know it now 2016 and your message re: living on the island of Guernsey was 2013, but I just wanted to thank you. I have the chance of a permanent job on this island and was checking out via my own research what living there might mean. We are originally from Cornwall but moved to the top end of Australia (Northern Territory) work wise again approximately 5 years ago. We have lived remote/out bush for 3.5 years with literally only 1 shop, and 1 pub for 650k (approx 300 miles), no daily postal delivery normally fortnightly if a wagon passed we would get an extra delivery, no internet and during the wet season very often the power and water would be off for several hours. No medical services, although the flying doctor and air ambulance could be used if a dire emergency. Various forms of wildlife that either want to eat or kill you. Then the weather during the dry season a daily temp of upto 35 degrees and during the wet season as high as 50 degrees. I used to plan monthly visits to Darwin which is regarded as a city but believe me is a small town only. I would visit just to get a feeling of civilisation. After literally not seeing another person for weeks on end apart from Aboriginal people walking the land.
Anyway to cut a long message short, I was worried about a possible move to Guernsey but your comments were refreshing and sounded so much like Cornwall. Apart from the sudden drop in weather temp. I think it sounds glorious. My only concern is if my other half can find work there. This I feel is my only concern.
Once again thank you 😀😀😀👍

Good God it's awful. I'm desperate to get off and back to civilization.

Bad things: Locals in general, Local government, Travel operators, Cost of living, weather in the winter, 1970's Racism, 1970's Sexism, Arrogant rich people, Arrogant poor people, Ferry Service, the Hotels which are dire!

Good things. Beaches, Views, The French market once a year, Herm, Jersey and being able to move off.

Hi I live on Guernsey and have done for 4 years. Moved here from UK. 2 children 14 and 11. Son boards in the UK and daughter is at school here for now. She will board eventually or we will move back for a few years until both at Uni.

Its a small island but that means its friendly - our experience is that locals welcome you as much as incomers and because there is such a large finance and Open Market community here people come and go all the time. Because it is a Finance centre it has all the advantage that go with that. good restaurants, infrastructure, decent transport to the UK and the best bit is educated interesting and interested people to socialise with. There is little crime and no stranger danger so kids have great freedom. Nice pace of life and of course 20% tax and no CGT/IHT so thats nice. Also moving here is easy - no call centre mentality, its just sorted by someone who gives you their name.

The downside - I think its harder here with teenagers as they get bored - we try and get off the island most holidays except the summer when its gorgeous here. So for people with young children its great and for empty nesters its great. And the travel can frustrate when the fog comes down and planes don't land. So you have to get off 24hrs ahead of UK events and be prepared for things to go wrong. There is no NHS and you pay to see a GP but if he/she refers you its all then free and paid for by your social security payments.

We have a place in the UK and I like both places. People here do like a winge about petty stuff but i guess you get that in any community. There is a big world out there and its nice to live here but to be able to head off as well. Good luck

I would echo Morgan's comments. My wife and I have loved our move to Guernsey. It is more expensive than living in the UK but the taxes are low enough to offset the difference. We have had no problem integrating into social groups and the people are generally friendly and accommodating. It's a small place, and so having a young family I really like that it is small enough to walk to work, a 5-minute drive to the beach, and has lots of kid-friendly community events. To avoid island fever, we every so often jump on a ferry to one of the other Channel Islands, or do a long weekend to Britain or the Continent. Considering Guernsey's small population, I find it remarkable that there are more than a dozen daily flights to the UK and several to Europe.

Just reading through the posts as I have been offered a job on the island and I am so confused what to do.
As a nurse in London I can barely afford to eat, is it much more expensive on Guernsey? I know there arent any Lidl's or other supermarkets. Is it really that bad?
All of the people I met when I attended my interview were incredibly friendly and welcoming.
Thanks :)

I'm local, 47 years old and whilst I enjoy 'getting off the rock' I would not want to live anywhere else. The island is beautiful, safe, lots of,things to do if you can bother to get off your ass and go out and do them. Yes, there are some locals who are not friendly and seem to live in the past but I suspect that happens everywhere.

Guernsey is expensive but if you're coming as a nurse, would you be in nurses accommodation? This might make it more affordable for you. We have Waitrose as our main U.K. Supermarket but we also Iceland and lots of local supermarkets, one of which brings in Tesco products.

I've just had a stint in hospital, it's a brilliant hospital as a patient. My husband was in Southampton hospital last year, you can't compare the two, the standards in Guernsey are vastly higher. As an employee for the health service, I'm not sure how good this will be. It has its good points and bad points.

Oh and we have 3 M&S food halls so plenty of supermarkets!

I love being able to go on cliff walks on nice days, finishing work at 5pm and being in the sea at Cobo by five past where, incidentally, there is no sewage. I swim there practically every day in the summer and quite often in the shoulder months. You can get fish and chips and sit on the beach watching the sunset. Buses are currently £1 per journey so really cheap to get around. The downside is the the buses don't run late at night and taxis are expensive.

Internet shopping is relatively easy these days. There are still some places that don't deliver to the Channel Islands but there are ways around this or you shop somewhere else.

I am well travelled and I think Guernsey is incredibly friendly. People will talk to you, if you look lost they will offer to help. Lost phones, purses, wallets etc get handed in to the police station, maybe not all the time but most of the time. I can leave my bag on the beach and go down to the sea to swim and when I come out, my bag is untouched.

We have amazing restaurants, no fast food chains like the UK but I personally like this. Yes some of them can be expensive but not all and you get what you pay for.

Oh thanks for the reply, I hope you are both recovered?
I would need to rent as I have a dog. The staff i met ay the hospital seemed so nice. Much more patient focused than in London. And the pay is better than over here but i am guessing the cost of living evens it out.
I was a little concerned as M&S didnt seem to sell any gluten free products as i have food allergies but looking online it seems Waitrose do.
I would spend everyday at the beach if I could but in London the closest is hours away. Thanks for the info :)

Both fine now, thanks :) The patient care in hospital is incredible, I couldn't fault anyone. I think we are incredibly lucky with our hospital.

Cost of living is probably not that different to London in a lot of aspects. I have a friend who lives in London and we both moan about the cost of things which seem to be comparable. My step daughter moved back to guernsey after living in London for many years and wouldn't move back.

Renting is expensive but you may be entitled to a housing allowance which will have been discussed with you at interview so this might help. Great place to have a dog. You are never more than fifteen minutes from a beach, usually less. I think you can take the dog to all of the beaches during the winter months and then some become dog free in the summer so it limits you but not all of them so the dog can have a lovely swim! And you'll meet plenty of people walking their dogs on the beach.

I'm sure Ive seen gluten free ranges in the shops, we have plenty of GF people here and they don't starve!

jessiecar I moved to Guernsey in October and it's been good so far. I fly back to London once a week for uni and I've only had 2 bad delays due to fog; given the horrendous train delays I had commuting into London I'm not sure it's that bad.

It is small compared to London but our quality of life is much better, food is a bit more expensive but we save on commuting costs and have more time to batch cook.

I'm GF and it's easy here, all the restaurants are excellent at catering for it and M&S, Alliance, Co-op and Waitrose all have Gf products, the only one which doesn't is Iceland but I think that's the same here.

Feel free to pm me if you want to know anything else, obviously I'm still very new but I remember the move well

@Sparklyuggs Thanks so much for the help. I am looking forward to it but worried about how small the island is. Not such much in everyday living as I am guessing it's like living in a village, just in the being trapped sense. I am sure I will be fine when I am over there, it's just daunting,

I am just trying to find somewhere to live at the moment, does anybody have any tips? Everywhere I am looking at is so expensive and almost everywhere says no pets. Probably the same amount say no children :/

I was worried about that but it really hasn't been too bad so far, I think it just makes you plan a bit more.

In terms of housing have you spoken to any local agents? Or I think there might be some Facebook groups? Guernsey press website?

Feel free to ask anything else, I'm happy to help

Yes I have registered with 4 but the only place they had was £1450 a month :/ :/ :/

Have a look in the Guernsey EBuy group/ GSY EBuy on Facebook. Both have properties to rent in there. Maybe a more general Facebook selling group search?

I think there's also a Guernsey properties to rent Facebook page as well.

Good Luck!

I am viewing my new house tomorrow :) thanks for all the advise

Hi Jessicar, sounds like you are getting on well. I live on the island and work for the health service.

it's a fantastic place to live. Not cheap but an amazing place to be. Great places to walk and relax and ideal for dog walking!

I hope you settle in really quickly. Which department will you be working in?

Hi Jessicar, sounds like you are getting on well. I live on the island and work for the health service.

it's a fantastic place to live. Not cheap but an amazing place to be. Great places to walk and relax and ideal for dog walking!

I hope you settle in really quickly. Which department will you be working in?

Well London isnt cheap, the housing prices are the same plus council tax, so work out more expensive. But I should be slightly better off there, maybe an extra £200 a month.
I am going to A&E, Where abouts do you work?

Hi all
I'm considering applying for a social work post and have been reading your posts which appear to be very mixed. Has anybody any experience of working within this sector? Any advice wekcome

Kazrack if you PM me I can try to help, I've been working with a few charities since moving here.