Is anyone from Exeter?

[AngelF]

Hi,

Is there anyone around from Exeter? I'm 26 and have a 15 week old daughter, so I've just come out of the exhausting newborn stage and would love to meet up with some other mums

no you're not Walnutshell. I have friends who lived in Nottingham (the Meadows?) and have many stories about it.

and coming from Manchester, we have the advantage that absolutely anywhere in Devon seems quaint and adorable and crime free.

Some people will think St Thomas is a bit rough. It's got lovely old houses at fairly cheap prices as it's not des res.
St Leonards is smart and central. Many consultants live there, and that's where the private schools are concentrated around. (there's a St Leonard's mum on the thread, she can tell you more.

Topsham is 4 miles south of the city centre, it's the most expensive village in Devon, as it's on the estuary and a quaint historic port with trains into Exeter (and cycle routes). we considered it, as you can do watersports easily from there and that's something which made us move to Devon. But it's very pricey and squashed. small gardens, little roads, cramped, with lots of parking isssus.

Alphington is in the SW and is mostly new houses with a very lovely Eco school where my dds went for the last 6 months. we've just moved them as it was too hard travelling there from our new house but I would recommend the primary school there (other mumsnetters recommended it to me).

ok i live in Ide (am not good at being secretive) which is a pretty little village just on the west side between Exeter and Dartmoor.

Exmouth is good if you want to be by the sea and yet with good train and road links into Exeter. great for watersports and beaches. doesn't seem to have the cultural life of Exeter (though people who live there love it). (we considered it, again for the watersports).

Those are the 5 or 6 areas we considered the most seriously. That's why I posted our thoughts on them.

But different areas are going to suit different people. That's why we rented for a while first as we couldn't tell just by quick visits, or by other people's opinions.

Yes, you understand what I mean and I'm really not being a snob - can't afford to be with our house budget!

Thanks for all of those details. Now I know why I like Topsham, I must have (unrealistic) expensive tastes - also Exminster. OK, I prefer the reason 'a bit squashed' to 'a bit expensive' so I'll scratch that one for now.Alphington and Ide def sound worth a look...

Apologies if I'm sounding distracted, ds attempting to empty bin, eat mobile phone, type on keyboard etc. Now grabbing my arm, sorry, back soon x x x

Hi everyone, as a st leonards girl I would actually say - avoid it! Hope Im not offending anyone but we moved here 6 months ago as it seemed like a lovely family area and I didnt want to rent but get stuck right in! It is lovely and its nice to be walking distance from town and the river etc BUT i find it v unfriendly and clique-y and have ended up driving to other places for toddler gps - like the lovely 1 in Exminster where Ive been this morning! Oh well, I'm slowly meeting more local people but a great deli is little compensation for being ignored at the local gps. And so ends my rant! Actually - move here - you sound nice!!!!!

That's interesting Baysmum. We moved St Leonard's off our "maybe" list because so many of the houses just had courtyard gardens and we wanted a "proper" garden.

my BIL is about to start working as a GP at the St Leonard's practice. He's a nice guy, he wouldn't ignore you.

if anyone wants a slightly different toddler group, we have been a bit to one on Friday mornings at the One world centre (Exeter community centre, St David's hill). it's called the Calabash club and does "stories and activities from around the world." not everyone's sort of thing but it's a bit easier to talk to the parents at that than at the local toddler groups. I promised the group leader I'd advertise it a bit for her!

Hi Baysmum! I would love to move to St Leonards although I'm not sure it's within my budget, but that's only after a quick peek at rightmove - although house buying season is definitely fading away at this time of year.

Nope, it's gonna have to be somewhere not too expensive or, let's say, 'compact and bijou'. Ahem. Looks like I'm going to be trying to get a job ASAP when we are there which is not ideal as I didn't really want to put ds into nursery just yet. Decisions, decisions...

Maybe renting a possibility. But that's still pretty expensive I think.

Gonna have to win that lottery this week.

hi walnutshell! just got your message! dont worry i understand, i have been manic too! i am a childminder and got problems with one of my mums!! Glad to hear you are now looking at places down here!! When are you thinking of relocating? h27

Hi h27,

well it all depends on dh job transferring him and then of course getting the house sold at the right price and finding the right property, but we are planning to put house on market right after Xmas so hopefully 6months+, or am I being too optimistic??

Definitely fallen in love with Devon, have been visiting since childhood and really feel we would settle there which isn't a feeling I've ever had in Nottingham (been here about 7yrs).

Main prob is limited budget as I will be leaving my job (which is pretty good salary even though pt) and wasn't planning to work straight away in Devon although I have recently started a Mary Kay business which should help a bit, but not in terms of getting a m/gage. I guess like everyone, we want a 'nice' area, near a 'nice' school and for a 'nice' price - but I do know we will have to compromise somewhere along the line!

Dh has colleagues he is quizzing about the area and they are being helpful but I get the impression most live in £250/£300K type bracket and we really aren't that flush so some of their suggestions a bit pricey, eg Bovey Tracey.

I'd welcome any help and really appreciate everyone's support as I'm normally a reader rather than a writer on MN and now I'm feeling a wee bit selfish asking for advice!

Cr@p, I'm doing it again - H27, I hope your probs with childmindee mum not too serious.
Sorry, I don't normally spend all my time thinking about myself, honest! [mega-blush emoticon]

see, I need to collect my energy and go to that fishmonger, I don't drive and need motivation...
It's interesting to hear fennel etc opinion about exeter areas... we used to live in st leonards (in the boho part....) and then we moved two years later, but found impossible to find a house in that area, they were either not much bigger than the house we were selling or huge with scary price tags. so we moved to another part of town, still v. central, as I don't drive, I'm quite a city person and already exeter is not enough city for me.
I have also heard that secondary schools aren't that exciting at the moment (the CoE is supposed to "perform" well but you need to prove you are going to church, and don't think I'll do that, however it's gonna be ages before my first child is going to go to secondary school that things might have changed)
st leonards primary school (central) is supposed to be good, however I have the same impression as baysmum about cliquiness, though the deli is great, and the fishmonger, but I want to try the one in st thomas!
Again I do think that as far as primary school are concerned exeter does pretty well.
sorry to hear about essbee's little boy,I hope he feels better soon
fennel calabash club sounds fantastic!

walnutshell i live in ashburton and it is great for schools and preschools

walnutshell i live in ashburton and it is great for schools and preschools

Happyhippy, that is good to know. I do like the look of Ashburton very much although I think I will have to really hunt to find a property I can afford. But I will not be detered!

There's a 3-bed on Rightmove in Higher Roborough actually... Needs a bit of modernising maybe.
Also one in the centre St Lawrence Lane... I'll keep searching... The right house is down there somewhere

Oh God! After reading this thread not sure if I should be depressed or not with tales of difficulties of making new friends in Exeter, finding good baby groups and affordable houses. Please someone reassure me that moving to Exeter from London 2 weeks ago was a good thing to do!!!!
I have been to the P&T group at St. James church hall with my 20month old dd and though it was OK, though I have only been twice to date. Has anyone else been to this? Is there any hope for a (young) 36 year old to find happiness down here?

Lesleyworm, I have just been gushing to Walnutshell on email about how much I like it here! We moved in March and think the whole area is fantastic.

I have found people friendly and fairly easy to make friends with. I haven't bothered with toddler groups loads as I am on my 3rd toddler and there's only so many toddler groups you can go to in life, I think.

I did try the St Thomas toddler group at the methodist church in Cowick street, it was ok but I didn't go back more than twice. I found the one in Alphington friendlier, no waiting list or quotas, but again I only went about 3 times. But I did quite like the Calabash club, mentioned below. Maybe because it tends to attract outsiders, and new people, because it's not a local group.

Hey lesley - have had same thoughts as you - also from London - been here almost 6 months now and getting more used to it - be honest everywhere is different from London!!! I am 34 and have 15month old son - keep in touch and let me know what gps you're trying etc - will probably be at same ones!!!

fennel, I used to go to the methodist church toddler group on Cowick Street - went for about a year!

I've probably met you

Gushing much appreciated and very contagious IMO Fennel x x
Lesleyworm, can't wait to post that I have moved to exeter (or thereabouts) 2 weeks ago.. hold that thought!

ohgodohgod, I wonder if you'll ever be back at toddler group again ho ho

um.

But taking it all seriously really.

I've no shame, me

I feel I am hijacking and leading post astray again but having to say, no shame can be very appealing!

Who is ohgodohgod and why is Greensleeves blushing? are you the same person?

I went about 3 times in May/June to the Cowick st toddler group. The first two times wer fine, people were friendly and chatty. And the third time I went noone particularly talked to me and I couldn't be bothered to try and butt into anyone else's conversation and just didn't go again. That's toddler groups though, if I had felt like it I'd have stayed and persisted and got to know people properly.

Greensleeves we are bound to meet sometime. West Exe is not that big. I have a suspicion your ds goes to pre-school at the place my dd3 goes to nursery.