Pros and Cons of Chesham? / Mums & Baby classes in Chesham?

[MumOnAlma]

Hi local Mums

We've decided to move out of SW London to be nearer my in-laws in Bucks (Chalfont area). My DH is keen on being somewhere close to Met line tube stops to make his commute to Farringdon easier. A fantastic house has come up on the outskirts of Chesham, but he is rather negative about the location, as feels it is the poor relation to Amersham / Chalfont / Gt Missenden. However, as we have 2 v small kids (just gone 2 yrs and 5 months), I feel if I am likely to be home a lot still, I would rather get a bigger house/garden for our money, than put up with yet more years crammed in small house without playroom / space to entertain etc because we have paid through the nose to be in a more gentrified town/village - got enough of that going on round where we live at the mo, thanks!

The house is Edwardian, so appeals to us as we're used to period properties where we currently live. According to the agent that's quite rare in the area, given many houses are the more suburban metro style (ie: built during the era when the tube was expanding). Or is that just a bit of sales patter, and I can live in hope of finding something similar in the right area?

So can anyone offer advice re Chesham please? I notice it has a Waitrose (plus Costa and Cafe Nero) so surely can't be that down market? Are these shops/cafes fairly recent and therefore an indication that the town is on the up?

Also are there many mother and baby groups that I would be able to go to to meet local mums or would we be better placed in Amersham for that? (Although I'm not against jumping in the car to go to such classes if they're not actually on the doorstep.)

(Schools is another factor to consider - but will post separate query about that!)

Many thanks

I love Chesham lived here for 35 of my 40 years! My kids are now teenagers but I have lots of friends with little ones so feel free to message me with any questions

I'm more over the Chalfonts way but was in Chesham this afternoon and do really like it. You'll certainly get much more house for your money. The town is more mixed socioeconomically than the places your dh mentioned but it's still vv different to London.
Good luck!

Hi. If you're still considering Chesham - I can assure you it's packed with mother and toddler groups - there's a choice each day, depending on which part of town you're in! I moved here from London, and found them really helpful for getting to know other mums, finding out about schools etc.

On that note, the schools here are generally considered good - my dd's infant school is "outstanding" Ofsted-rated.

Your dh is right really - Chesham is the poor relation to Amersham, Chalfonts and G Missenden - it's much more mixed socio-economically. It does have a few dodgy areas, but then don't most places (other than G Missenden and the Chalfonts!). It's also - which personally I consider a plus, for my dd growing up - more ethnically diverse. But - being a small town I did find it hard to get used to, moving from London - another plus is that you can get back to London within an hour when the urge takes you!

Hope you did go for your Edwardian house - it sounds lovely!

Thanks theliverpoolone. Just revisiting my post after far too long. Sadly by the time my husband came round to my way of thinking (a whole month later) someone else had also gone back for another viewing too and made an offer we couldn't compete with. That was mid/late Nov. The house it still showing as under offer (I check almost daily, living in hope) but the agent told me yesterday that now Xmas is out the way they expect the exchange to go through any day now. I'm heartbroken - it is/was such a beautiful house - I could really picture us living there and knew that all our furniture would have worked perfectly etc which would have made the move in so easy. My husband is far less emotional than me (typical male!) but I feel like I have been ditched by a boyfriend and won't get over him/it until I meet someone/somewhere else.

I agree with you - a bit of diversity is good for kids. Part of the reason for moving from where we are and not putting our kids in the local private schools is that I don't want them spending their formative years surrounded by overprivileged white british kids and turning into over confident brats who take it for granted that family life is full of skiing holidays etc.

hiya.... as someone who has moved into Chesham in the last 10 years, I can say yes, it's mixed but I see that as a good thing..... but in general (and having lived in both), I prefer it to Amersham and the Chalfonts.

We live in one of the villages so we do have to drive to get anywhere but it's not so bad. Run the area you're looking at by us and we can always tell you if it's hideous!! LOL

Baby & toddler groups - there are blinkin' LOADS! (sadly, as I run one of them so less would be WAAAAAY better for me!!) when you DO move here, check out Hartbeeps. We run out of the Guide HQ (HP5 1HX) on the edge of the park. there are classes for newborns up to pre-schoolers. If you fancy it, just give me a shout on [email protected] and I'm happy to offer you a complimentary session.

Offer extended to anyone who is reading this also of course! :o)

hope that you get sorted soon and look forward to seeing you around our leafy little area.

Hi i know you posted on her ages ago i wondered if your still onhere to possibly tell me what a certain area of chesham is like please as we are movkng jnti the area I've been looking online and havnt seen a good word says about chesham yet thanks

Said** sort autocorrect