Possible move to Frome - any thoughts?

[Brubberduckies]

I need some honest opinions please... I am a lone parent, currently living in a big city, gainfully employed, but I look at my life stretching ahead of me and all I can see is struggle whilst bringing my kids up here. I privately rent and the rental market is ridiculous... I earn pretty well, but the housing market is booming here and so expensive, there is a bunfight over every rental property on the market and my landlord keeps putting my rent up every year. It is looking increasingly like the only areas I will be able to afford to live in soon will be the dodgy areas.

I am thinking of moving to Frome - a family member has just moved there so I will have some support with the kids and I will be close enough to my home city to visit often. I can get so much more for my money property-wise and think my kids would have a better quality if life.

I have two questions - I currently work part time in the 3rd sector earning around £26k prorata - honestly how easily am I going to be able to pick up a job within easy commute in the public / charities sector earning a similar amount? From posting this in chat I have had responses about how great / rubbish Frome is, but am still unclear on job prospects in the area. I think commuting to Bath / Trowbridge would be okay, but any further afield would be hard being a lone parent.

On a lighter note - will I go mad? grin I am a bit of a city girl, a bit alternative, and even though I want somewhere nice for my kids I still want somewhere to live with a wee bit of an arty \ sociable scene.

We've recently moved to Radstock (not far from Frome) and have been to Frome a couple of times recently - and I think it seems really nice and has a lovely alternative vibe. We went to the independent market on sunday which was great.

Will you have much opportunity to spend time in the area before you take the plunge? Or could you line up work before you move? There are lots of other lovely towns close by too. How big a move is it (which city currently?)?

I am in Bristol, so not a massive move, but big in terms of changing schools, moving away from a good group of friends and support network, and in the opposite direction to other family, who live north of Bristol. I am going to go and stay in Frome over the summer holidays to get more of a feel for it. I have been to visit a couple of times, but only for a few hours and didn't wander around much.

I would line up work before I move as I wouldn't get a tenancy without a job, but from what I have seen online there don't seem to be many jobs in the area.

Ah ok. We moved from bristol too, and i do miss it a bit. I think for jobs it would mostly be commuting to bath perhaps chippenham/wells. There seem to be a lot of freelancers out this way too. Sorry not much help, don't know much about 3rd sector jobs specifically!

No, thanks for the feedback it is all very helpful.