Can we move to Shropshire, as black people?

[StrawberryCreamCake]

Just that really - if you were black, would you want to move to Shropshire or would you be worried about encountering racism?

We're a mixed race family and I'm wondering whether we would feel safe and welcome

I find posts like this so sad. You should be able to move anywhere you like and balls to everyone else.

Oo Shropshire is lovely.

Whereabouts are you thinking?

I don’t know the answer to your question though, sorry. It must be really hard having to consider stuff like that.

It might be worth posting on Black Mumsnetters and asking.

If there's one thing the country's waking up to, its that racism is more prevalent in this country than many believed.

I wouldn't have thought Shropshire would be worse for it than any other county, but I'm not in a position to say how much race be factor.

*would be a factor

Telford area, yes.
Shrewsbury is ok.
Oswestry and North Shropshire maybe not.
South Shropshire, nah.

@Finfintytint

Telford area, yes. Shrewsbury is ok. Oswestry and North Shropshire maybe not. South Shropshire, nah.

I’d say this is pretty accurate.

Shropshire is a rural county - it’s beautiful, there are lovely places with great communities, but it’s not hugely diverse so in more rural parts you would certainly be a more visible minority than closer to the cities. I don’t think it’s necessarily more overtly racist than anywhere else and I think you’d be safe, but whether you felt welcome might be another issue? I’m not black so can’t say but it’s not ethnically diverse as a county, no.

@StrawberryCreamCake I’m so sorry that this is even a question that you have to consider 😓

[quote MM321]@StrawberryCreamCake I’m so sorry that this is even a question that you have to consider 😓[/quote]
Me too, it makes me feel ashamed that there are areas in which some people are not welcome.

Thanks for all your replies.

@AndeanMountainCat We have been looking at Shrewsbury and Telford (although it seems some people say Telford is a bad area?).

We were also thinking of Ludlow or Oswestry but we do need fairly easy access to an airport.

We've just recently moved back to London from Switzerland and are missing the countryside and beautiful landscapes. One of the reasons we moved back to the UK is because it's not as expensive as Switzerland but house prices in London are ridiculous compared to earnings.

My dad (white British) grew up in Shropshire and always talks so fondly of it. My mum (black Afro-Caribbean) has never wanted to live in the countryside (I think she experience enough racism in the cities in her job as a nurse to not even want to think about the countryside).

@Finfintytint and @NoSquirrels thank you, it is useful to know about specific areas. Do you think no for North Shropshire and South Shropshire just because they are more rural and less diverse or because they are more overtly racist?

@RoseRedRoseBlue @MM321 @TaraR2020 Thank you, yes, it is really sad that we have to consider it and don't feel free to move where we would like to - black people like fresh air, affordable house prices and beautiful countryside too but often feel reluctant to move to (or even visit) rural areas as there's a feeling it's not "for us".

I don't want to assume that people in Shropshire are racist just because it is rural and not very diverse. We have lived in rural places in other countries and never encountered any overt racism

I experienced overt racism growing up there in the 70s, lived elsewhere for 30 odd years then retired back there for a while. It’s more covert and casual now ( with crap transport links).

Hullo! I’ve got friends in Shrewsbury who have mixed race kids. They’re very happy there. They haven’t mentioned whether racism is a problem or not, but they wouldn’t be happy if it was!

Although am really ashamed that you have to write this post (and that I’ve never thought to ask my friends about this!). Good luck!

Shrewsbury is really nice, and historic.

Telford is purpose built. It has Ironbridge though.

Do you think no for North Shropshire and South Shropshire just because they are more rural and less diverse or because they are more overtly racist?

Because they are less diverse (because they are more rural). I don’t think people in Shropshire are any more overtly racist than people elsewhere but rural communities are - unfortunately, due to being less diverse and having less population movement in and out - usually more casually, unthinkingly prejudiced.

Ludlow has quite an arty community, quite lefty liberal and you’d be very welcome there I bet. It’s on the tourist map so that helps too. Some of the smaller places like Clun, too. Shrewsbury I think I’d go for if I were you - it’s all beautiful. Transport and access to airports is generally poor!

I've lived in Shropshire all my life except for uni. 30 years ago there were 2 or 3 mixed race families in my rural primary school but my children's schools are much more culturally diverse. They have friends with Asian, Indian, Jamaican, Middle Eastern, Spanish, Polish, French and Russian parent or parents (many mixed race) who have moved here in the last 10-15 years. Those are just the friends I can think of.

Shrewsbury is a lovely, historic town and you would not 'stand out' here. Telford is a 'new town', it's ok and Ironbridge is beautiful. Oswestry is quite run down if I'm honest. Ludlow is lovely but I'm not sure how multicultural it is. South Shropshire has a high percentage of retired people living there and isn't very diverse.

Good luck if you do decide to move here, it's a lovely place to live. As others have mentioned, transport links are more limited but there are four airports within an hour and a half so not that bad. Seaside in Wales for day trips!

Sounds like Shrewsbury would be good from what everyone has said, thank you.

I’m curious as to why people aren’t so keen on Telford. I keep reading that in different places.

@AndeanMountainCat @littlemisslozza Is it because it lacks charm and character? Or because it’s depressing/run-down/neglected/unsafe? I don’t mind new and modern as long as it’s not depressing.

@StrawberryCreamCake Pretty sure it has a higher crime rate, higher unemployment etc (pre-covid). Growing up round here it's always been considered rougher, although I'd avoid much of north Shrewsbury if you can for entirely the same reason. Telford has a mixture of what were villages and newer housing estates joining them together and lots of roundabouts that I get lost at! Town centre is literally a shopping centre so it lacks charm. Having said that, individual places within it are nice, and Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge are beautiful. Newport is a good small town not far from Telford and closer to transport links than Shrewsbury. Also has the only grammar schools in the county if that's a consideration.

I spent the first year of my life in Newport! Mother felt quite trapped there because no train station, so we moved to a town where we were right next to one, which was super handy.

Yeah I think of Telford as a bit soulless. I used to like the ice rink though. Things might have changed a bit since the 1980s.

Manchester airport is quicker on the train from Shrewsbury, compared with from Telford.

HOWEVER, I haven’t lived in Telford or Shrewsbury, only visited, and had a reasonably pleasant time in both places.

Bridgnorth is very nice, and has the Severn Valley Railway.

Hi OP

We are a minority family and had a bad experience in the London suburbs. The only point I would add is try renting not buying first to get a feel of the street and surrounding areas before buying so you can move easily if you want to once you have a better idea.

Telford is not really 'a' place, there is Telford town centre and no-one really lives there. Really its a collection of small towns/old pit villages - some are very deprived, others are new build type places others have a bit more character.
I am team Shrewsbury as a place to live, great for bringing up children, lots of lovely restaurants/bars, gorgeous walks on your doorstep.

To your question, I am white so not well placed to respond really but would imagine of all the places Shrewsbury would be best, we are a predominantly white county & there certainly is racism but as other posters have said not necessarily more I think than other rural counties which too are predominantly white. Shrewsbury is a tory town but with quite an alternative & liberal streak.

Hi OP. Shit that you have to consider this. I grew up in Telford. It's culturally diverse and whilst there's bastards everywhere, I can't imagine anyone of any ethnicity feeling out of place there. There's good and bad to Telford; some lovely places and some not great areas.

I've family in Church Stretton, South Shropshire (known as Little Switzerland, so hopefully you'd get what you came for!). Yes, it is pretty white, but it's a touristy place in easy reach of the West Midlands conurbation, so the locals regularly mix with people from lots of different ethnicities and you wouldn't get a second glance in the co-op etc.

Your DC might be the only Black child in their class, though, so it depends on how you feel about that.

Through family, I know some of the locals and whilst I've never heard anything overtly racist (though they probably know better than to say anything in front of my ma), some of them are definitely small-town, small-minded and suspicious of anything 'other'. There's more who aren't like that though so I guess it's more about how you'd feel living somewhere that's not very diverse.

Ludlow is very nice but quite monied and snobby in parts. I suspect you'd fit in well if you're posh, regardless of skin colour. I'm decidedly not posh so maybe biased!