New to Harrogate!

[pennytee]

Having just left all the boxes stacked up in my new house, I am now sat in Starbucks as internet doesn't come till Saturday.
DD is in her new nursery and even though it is killing me when she screams when I leave, I know it's for the best.
So I'm here, in Harrogate, relocated from the big smoke to this lovely town and I don't have 1 friend here .
I welcome all responses from mums (or dads) that would like to offer me words of advice on where to go and what to do with 22month year old in and around Harrogate.

Hi to yorkshirepudding and lulalullabye.

Seems like Fridays are a good day. Anyone free this coming Friday?

Sorry forgot that this Friday is Good Friday.

But maybe Friday afterwards . . . .?

The friday after sounds good to me. I'll have dd with me as it's the hols, she can manhandle the twins while harrogatemum and I sip our drinks

I could do the Friday after - no classes....

Let me know where/when

Well hopefully nothing will crop up, I'm looking forward to it.

We'll just have to hope the weather picks up because I am so cold at the mo, but then again I have been sat infront of my computer doing work so I really should be more active . But broadband is now installed so I am up and running from home.

Friday afternoon? Valley Gardens? (Where do I go, is it obvious where to meet etc (sorry, not based in Harrogate!!)) what time is convenient for everyone?

Yes, Haven't yet been to Valley Gardens so could an expert suggest the easiest place to meet for us novices?

Is there any chance we could make it on Friday morning instead - my parents may be coming up for a visit next Friday, so if its the afternoon I probably won't make it!

Hi Pennytee . I'm not in Harrogate but bloody wish I was!!!
Stuck in London for the time being but trying to plan our escape. Did live up North for a long time before moving to London about 12 years ago Am really ready to get away again now and trying to talk DH into "OOp North". He's keen to get out of The Big Smoke but thinks going as far up as you are is too cold and wet. Not sure how to conince him otherwise as we spent most of Xmas up there sheltering from horizontal rain!!! Harrogate is a lovely place to live so am v. jealous of you. I'm self employed so could make it work whereever I end up. What does your Dh do to allow him to escape London?

Peasoup - it is colder - I always feel warm when I'm 'down south' now, even though I grew up there. However the advantages far outweigh the slight reduction in temperature: I work within walking distance of a very good City Centre; I park at the office (OK, office pays for parking space as I need car occasionally, but...); in the evening, at peak rush hour, I can leave the office after 5, travel to the other side of town and pick up dh outside his office (also walking distance to town centre), drive to nursery to pick up ds and get home, normally before 6pm; I can catch a bus into town 5 mins walk from my house; but I can walk out of the front door and be in proper countryside (complete with cows and curlews) within 10mins - and by car I can get to fantastic countryside locations very easily. Added to that, of course, is the very basic necessity of breathing - I am always under the weather for 2 or 3 days after visiting London just because of the level of air pollution.

Hi peasoup After being in London for 12 years I don't miss it. Dh is there at the mo doing a trade show and I do have to come down for business.

I was worried about missing my friends but they don't seem that far away because it is only a train ride and now we have moved we have room for friends to stay. When we were in London it was just so difficult. The commute to work, dropping DD off at Childminders, doing the shopping . . . the list is endless plus when we did see our close friends it was still an hour in the car across London (from North to South) at least this way we get weekends with them.

Loving Harrogate so far but still have it to really explore. I have expolred the shopping and it is as good as walking down Marylebone high street. They have it all.

Hope you manage to talk your DH into moving. I don't have any regrets, feel I have a better quality of life and even though the horizontal rain (snow at the mo) is more frequent, the scenery is beautiful and it never feels as grey as it did in London on a wet and windy day!

Let me know how you get on.

Mistlethrush Bettythebuilder Harrogatemum and anyone else? Is anyone still up for Friday am????? I now know Valley Gardens so anyone suggest a place and how do we recognise each other. Shall we paint the kids with green faces then there is no way we can miss each other Or we could just paint our own faces green.

Maybe I'll sneak up there on the train and surprise you lot on Friday morning! Just kidding am destined to spend the weekend in Sainsburys and a London park-yawn!
I didn't live in Harrogate but have been a few times and it is a good option for up North; I don't think many other Northern small towns feel like Marylebone High St!!! Burnley, Blackburn, Darwen, Preston
Harrogate might be an easier adjustment from London.
I definately think the friendliness of up there outweighs the slight nippyness in the weather. I'd still probably come to London for some jobs, but then it would be a treat rather than a daily grind.
Might treat DH to a weekend at a B&B up there and show him round; you lot let me know when it gets a bit springlike and I'll drag him up there; as I said this Xmas we spent in driving rain so did not really go far towards convincing him to move there.

Any boutique hotels you'd recommend?

There are some lovely hotels in harrogate and of course there is a spa (being a spa town and all .

I'm self employed to and still have clients in London but have branch out and have found projects in harrogate so I am adjusting the 9-5 work theme not 7-10 as I have done in the past.

it took me 3 years and having DD to convince DH to move here but we are both from the north but from near Middlesbrough and I wasn't prepared to move there (too close to parents).

I knew nothing about harrogate, only that it automatically felt like a lovely place to live and I am still yet to be proved otherwise.

Harrogate does seem to have a nice feel to it. Also seems like you could eek out a living there more so than in lots of bits of the North. More affluent I suppose.
My Dh does seem really obsessed by the weather aspect but I know from experience you don't even notice the difference after a while. He is open to a move if I found a particularly juicy property though with a bit of land. I imagine Harrogate is quite expensive, property wise, though. I think he would be up for swapping the London house for a fantasy farmhouse! He can be convinced; just got to be a bit sneaky, that's all

Friday morning is good for me. Not sure where in Valley Gardens to meet- if weather is decent, the childrens play area will be busy, so it may be better to meet in another part (eg near the little statue/water feature thingy in the middle?).

peasoup- there's a Hotel du Vin here in h'gate that seems rather nice

OK. Now really need to know how to get to Valley Gardens and the statue. Coming from Leeds, either through Panal or past the RHS gardens - and, from where I will park (with instructions please!), where do I head to get to the statue thingy?

Peasoup - haven't looked at property in Harrogate, but a friend needs to sell her 5 bedroomed Victorian house in Howarth - 5mins from the Parsonage and centre of the town...

If you come up to Harrogate to show your dh (on a sunny weekend) also suggest that you take him into Leeds - there is even a Harvey Nichols, very vibrant city centre, lots of solicitors and financial firms etc. May help to persuade him that the north isn't the back and beyond! You might also want to take him out into the Dales for a day - some great pubs and lovely villages and walks etc.

OK, worked out where the gardens are - where is the statue in the gardens? Is it obvious? What time can people get there by? (I'm up for any time after 9.30 - ds gets up at 6 every morning )

Great tomorrow morning near the statue. I will have to hunt it out but I'm sure it won't be too much of a problem.

Come wind, rain or snow I'll be there and hopefully by 9.30!

Thanks Mistlethrush and Betty Builder. DH doesn't mind back of beyond; actually wants to move somehwre rural-ish. LOL at DH ever stepping foot in a Harvey Nicks! Or any shop for that matter, unless forced. It's purely the weather that he's apprehensive about. Thinks it's dark, wet, cold, etc. Hard to argue with him on that one but it's not miserable grey drizzly (like London) it's fresh air, dramatic weather, no layer of grey dust on every leaf and blade of grass. Bright rainbows after mad storms, etc, etc.
He did like the Dales; thinks he can roar around on a dirt bike, bloody hell he's too old for all that but I guess if it gets him up there i'll humour him.

If you need an introduction to someone who has the bike knowledge for this, we have a neighbour who can assist. He makes bikes in his spare time. He has redesigned his house, partly to accommodate a Triumph bike which is in pride of place with special lighting in the new dining room/hall...

Pennyt see you at the statue tomorrow morning then. Not sure whether anyone else will be joining us, I will have ds (2.11) with me, so might not be able to wait around the statue - will keep coming back!

Great Mistlethrush, see you then, I equally have DD who is 1.10 so may also be edging towards the playground.. I'm blondish with chin length hair and no doubt look knackered!!

Bloody hell my DH has always gone on about having some particular motorbike hanging off a wall if we ever had a huge loft appartment! (I think it might have been a Triumph even ). I'm truely hoping he never gets on a motorbike again as I want him in one piece. It's been three years since his last bike and so far, so good, he hasn't mentioned getting another. I think The Yorkshire Dales was kind of an off road dirt bike fantasy for him. It does sound like he'd bond with your neihbour; oh well, if it gets him up North might be worth a try. I hope you ladies enjoy your blind date in Valley Gardens tomorrow