Moving from England To Wales

[SpiceMama]

Hi everyone! We're considering moving to south wales and have found an affordable house in Llanelli. I was wondering if any Welsh parents on here would recommend moving here?

We're looking for somewhere that is good for a young family. We want to leave london because of the crime mainly, then affordability and then pollution! We want to be like 10/15 mins from the shops but not on top of them either. Somewhere that has things for kiddies/families.

Does anyone recommend anywhere to look? Moving away from high crime is important to us. Literally only just started to look into it.

Depends on how old your DC are now. Late primary may be tricky as Welsh is not quite as easy to learn as some languages.
It's a beautiful part of the world but Llanelli does have some pockets of real poverty. Do your research, visit a few times to get a feel for the place. The Gower is stunning and has some very affordable homes in the catchment area of outstanding school.

[quote Lemonteanomilk]@whereamitoday
Why should a Welsh GCSE be a problem? If you went to France, would you also complain about your kids needing to learn French?[/quote]
Who here has complained about learning welsh? I NEVER said that so why are you moaning about it. I think it's good to learn the language of the country you're in!

I'd also learn to pronounce Llanelli correctly before moving there.

Bloody hell @SpiceMama calm down and learn how this site works.

I tagged the poster who complained about her kids needing to do GCSE Welsh in Wales (where of course it's an official language along with English).

@Lemonteanomilk asking a year 9 to suddenly learn a new language for a GCSE seemed such a huge challenge. It also seemed a waste of a GCSE. It's an incredibly difficult language and I'm totally fine with learning the language where you live, just not being made to learn it while facing so many other challenges with a move, in preparation for a GCSE in 18 months.

The school system horrified me in Cardiff with parents gaming the system and renting next door to Cardiff High School for the last year of primary. My children ended up having to get a train to the other side of the city to study in a condemned building at Cantonian as it was the only school with places.

It also seemed a waste of a GCSE.

Wow...

@whereamitoday Where to start?

• Welsh is more difficult to learn than most other languages, certainly easier than say, Cantonese or Arabic. And a reasonably bright year 9 wouldn't have any more difficulty with it than French for instance.
• A waste of a GCSE - lots of research to show how bilingualism develops the brain not only linguistically but in other ways too - eg music and maths and makes it easier to acquire 3rd and 4th languages. Also Welsh opens the doors to a lot more opportunities in Wales.

With an attitude like yours it's a good thing you decided to leave though.

People ARE coming in to communities, driving up prices and forcing families apart. Maybe not you but it is happening. And feelings run high as a result.

You see OP, it's only allowed to be one way. The reason why you can't afford London is because of people (including from Wales, like my lovely SIL) coming to London, pushing up prices, forcing families apart. The only difference is that with London it's been happening for several decades and nobody cared. Londoners who can't afford to stay in their communities are told to just move somewhere cheaper. It's all about double standards you see.

@Lemonteanomilk you're intentionally using my response to fuel division. My point is we all could have learned Welsh at a more reasonable speed instead of my teenagers suddenly being thrown into panic in a new city, a crap school environment etc. So they could have gained a more valuable GCSE while learning Welsh at a more reasonable rate. I taught in a University so I know you can survive perfectly without Welsh.

Your response demonstrates the fabulous welcoming culture of Wales. You're right it's a damn good thing we left.

[quote whereamitoday]@Lemonteanomilk you're intentionally using my response to fuel division. My point is we all could have learned Welsh at a more reasonable speed instead of my teenagers suddenly being thrown into panic in a new city, a crap school environment etc. So they could have gained a more valuable GCSE while learning Welsh at a more reasonable rate. I taught in a University so I know you can survive perfectly without Welsh.

Your response demonstrates the fabulous welcoming culture of Wales. You're right it's a damn good thing we left.[/quote]
With your attitude it probably is a good thing you left.

I taught in a University so I know you can survive perfectly without Welsh

You can survive perfectly without history, geography, french, art etc etc

Your total disregard of Wales and Welsh culture is offensive.

Wales is not part of England, it has its own cultural, historical and linguistic identity.

My child goes to a school which is closely linked to a cathedral. I'm not religious but I don't begrudge them having to do religious studies GCSE because - guess what - that's what we bought in to when we chose that school.

@Tealightsandd

People ARE coming in to communities, driving up prices and forcing families apart. Maybe not you but it is happening. And feelings run high as a result.

You see OP, it's only allowed to be one way. The reason why you can't afford London is because of people (including from Wales, like my lovely SIL) coming to London, pushing up prices, forcing families apart. The only difference is that with London it's been happening for several decades and nobody cared. Londoners who can't afford to stay in their communities are told to just move somewhere cheaper. It's all about double standards you see.

Big difference is that London is a money magnet with huge opportunities to access a variety of careers. The places with low housing costs currently attracting previous big city dwellers really don't. The locals don't have a chance at the best of times due to low average wages, throw in housing stock being bought up by folk downsizing their mortgages and it becomes impossible and friction causing. Lump in an antagonistic newcomer and it's definitely going to cause bad feeling amongst the locals.

This isn't specifically a Welsh problem so those trying to make it a chance to bash Wales/the Welsh again can sod off under their rock. This is an issue all over the UK in areas of low income, it just so happens that Wales and specifically Llanelli were the point of this post.

Arsebnb has a lot to answer for. People are renting out properties that could otherwise be rented out as family homes.

'This isn't specifically a Welsh problem' - yes and no.

The language adds another layer of problems in that those who actively oppose the culture and/or make no effort to learn are taking over Welsh speaking areas and bringing in more of a threat, pricing out local young people who understand and support the language and culture.

The OP says she supports multilingualism and she'd be likely be made welcome with an attitude like that, especially if her DC attend Welsh medium schools. Although it still doesn't address house prices going up because of the recent influx.

Those who don't accept the culture and language and then wonder why they don't fit in/encounter antagonism are probably best buggering off again.

Big difference is that London is a money magnet with huge opportunities to access a variety of careers. The places with low housing costs currently attracting previous big city dwellers really don't.

All the 'locals' from elsewhere come for the 'huge opportunities' streets not paved with gold- and push up house prices. Many many Londoners are on minimum wage or below UK average. London is the UK's capital of homelessness. 165,000 Londoners are homeless.

It's a fucking giant bloody cheek when locals go all insular on priced out Londoners...when the Londoners are only priced out because 'locals' from elsewhere have come to London.

It's not one way traffic.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

@SpiceMama sorry for the late reply but I have just come across your post and having just moved to Llanelli from England myself (in July this year) really felt the need to share my view.

I would say if you are moving from England that you should avoid this area (Carmarthenshire) entirely. Since moving here two months ago we have received an awful lot of racist abuse. From jobs disappearing because they “don’t employ the English” to being told to “go back to England” (but not so politely) or “get out of Wales with your filthy English germs”

My husband has been shunned and isolated at work, with people refusing to speak to him because of his English accent. He’s been abused in Welsh and told that people like us are diluting the Welsh language, despite both of us speaking more Welsh than the people criticising us.

From speaking to neighbours and other people who have moved into the area, it is clear this is not an isolated issue, our neighbours have advised they aren’t surprised we are receiving such abuse “as they are like that round here” and other English people have reported having to leave Carmarthenshire entirely because their lives were made miserable.

The most ridiculous thing is, my husband is actually Welsh, born in Swansea and spent a large amount of his childhood in and around the Valleys. This was supposed to be a move back home for him, unfortunately it has turned out to be a disaster and we will be moving back east towards the Valleys as soon as we can, where people don’t care if you have an English accent or where you are from.

It’s just our personal experience but we have done everything we can to integrate into the area and the Welsh culture, having spent a large part of the last 18 months learning the Welsh language. We came here to start a family, live in a beautiful area, contribute to the local economy and community and be around our family. Unfortunately, we have been made to feel completely unwelcome and it’s not something I would want our children to be exposed to. Not everyone has been like this, our neighbours have been lovely but when we are experiencing these issues day in and out, unfortunately the bad outweighs the good.

Best of luck with your move, hopefully if you do come to this area you won’t have the same issues we have. Our advice would be you’d receive a far warmer welcome in the South Wales Valleys, Bridgend, Cardiff, Newport areas or beneath the landsker line in Pembrokeshire

I think Carmarthenshire is great place to live.