mixed race family - where to live outside of london?

[expecting]

Having a real dilemma so please help me out. Want to leave London so we can afford a house but want to stay South. Don't mind so much if area isn't multicultural so long as it's inhabitants are liberal minded. Been considering areas by Essex coast such as Leigh-on-sea or Westcliff but open to suggestions.

Sally but it sounds like it is seeking out a ghetto a parcel of UK with folk of your choice based on colour, race, creed to get comfort.

I find it all very sad but I hope you will find a comfy niche somewhere here all the same.

Well, very interesting debate im off to see what BB is up to.

QOQ... Erm... I don't complain about my area, neighbours are lovely, most of them have travelled a lot or are very educated, it also helps that many of my neighbours are academics/doctors/nurses which also make them very caring, but still... being this place a small city my life intersects too often with people who is not happy of having us, foreigners, around. The guys who threw the eggs followed a freind of mine from other street, the teenagers that beat my lovely neighbour did so at the city center, and yes the shop staff that follows me around every time I enter into a store I'm sure do not live around this area.

I wouldn't say UK is particularly racist, quite the contrary, now, small monocultural societies are bound to be a problem, everywhere, in any country.

I found the use of the word "ghetto" rather strange as well especially as it came from Tena who usually posts in an intelligent and educated way. Hopefully this is just us looking into it too much.

Oh and I think that their is racism every where you go and throughout all communities against all races.

DH and I live very happily in a very nice area and don't have any trouble at all, in fact DH has commented on how much nicer people are to him now than they ever where in London.

I'm sure she can explain for herself, but I understood Tena to mean that she is sorry to hear that racism means than many people have to seek specific areas to live in, based on their demographic, and that, ironically, that is a little like the 'ghetto' process.

Hi I am new to mumsnet so apologies in advance for any inadvertant faux paux's. I have not read the whole thread yet so may be repeating someone else's comment but my Dh and i moved to Grays in Essex ten months ago .
The reason being that it was cheap, we knew nothing about the area and have been pleasently surprised at how multi cultural the area is.

So far we have been made to feel very welome by neighbours, schools seem to have a healthy mix of "ethnic" kids, we can buy whatever foodstuffs we need . only problem nowhere nearby selling Black hair products but as we are only 45 mins by train from central London not major problem.
Hope this helps

Hi all

I am new here but I just could not resist adding my bit to this thread. I am black and my partner is white. We have 2 mixed race children. We moved to green street green near orpington in dec 2005 from beckenham in south london. I am, as far as I know, the only black in the village. People do stare especially the zimmerframees. I am not keen on the place and cant wait to find work in London. Partner loves it and I do think it is good for the kids. Good schools, parks etc. So it is one huge compromise. A friend in the neighbourhood would be nice but I don't hold out much hope.

I have two mix-race girls. Altho that is not a term I use. Because the whole idea of race is silly. i could never figure out what set of characteristics defined could be used to describe one race that couldn't be used equally accurate for another group.........anyway that is not the topic of this thread.

Just to say my girls have enjoyed growing up in Swindon. We have just adopted a baby with a Mexican parent so I would define my family as multi-cultural. Our friend come in all colors and religons.

Funny now I think of it, the children from a family that moved from Scotland suffered more teasing and stero-typing. Not funny really, sad to remember these lovely boys were targeted because of their scottish accent.

Kids are less influenced by race, color or 'culture' than one might suspect.

I grew up in Southend ( origins of thread) and moved to London at 18 have lived here ever since. I am asian and my husband is white american. Whenever I go back to southend, it feels very "small town" and narrow minded. It is mainly white. We will be moving out of London in the next year or so but will be bound by work rather than choice of places. I think it will be a shame is my ds has little exposure to diversity but we have little choice. Mind you, Leigh on sea is only 50 mins from London on the train!

Anyone living in Folkestone? If so let me know what its like please -I went down there today and the vibe was good. But you can't really tell from a day trip definately will be going back again to check it out. I might consider the move out of London (if I can find myself a job....)

It didn't take long for me to learn that if you have kids you have to live outside london if you're going to get them a good education...without mortgaging your life or praying they are geniuses. So, we live in Bishops Stortford. It's good to get into London now and then to get a quick hit of diversity and urban energy. B/S is growing on me despite my NYC/DC background. The kids love it!

multicultured areas .manchester.birmingham,london.brighton

Hi, I'm white and my husband's black, so son's mixed race. We've lived in small villages in Cheshire, Yorks and now in the Chilterns, near Henley on Thames and never had any bother. We're not the only mixed race family in the valley, there's a pop star in the next village and another senior executive type down the hill. In other words, i suspect that one of the reasons we don't get any hassle is because we're in a very affluent area where people tend to be liberal and educated. If anything, I'd expect it to be worse in a poorer area where you get the BNP element feeding on less well off white peoples prejudices. The advantages of living in beautiful countryside, but only 1 hour from London are great. I hope that you and your family are happy wherever you end up.

I suspect the other reason you don't get hassled is because there are so few people of colour in your area, legalmom. BNP is making a push in B/S here and Hertfordshire in general because more people of colour are moving out from London and white people are noticing them more...we got one leaflet through the mailslot...that asked if we didn't like the changes to the traditional British population in the area. Of course, for me, I like seeing the odd brown face on the high street.

Wow I'm amazed this thread has been so popular (formerly known as expectingsummerihope). We're very happy in South Croydon. Thanks for all your advice and hope you all get to live in an area you're happy in. Tena, I thought your posts portrayed you in a negative light. Perhaps you could redeem yourself?

Tigermama - hope this improves. moved from london with dd when she was 3 to kent. felt very lonely but then slowly slowly made friends through her social network at school. adults are very poor at extending friendship and kids much better. area is not very mixed in terms if 'colour' but have loads of friends who are greek, spanish, iranian and turkish, english, and so on, so the backgrounds of our social circle is wider than when in london.

Hi Alicerose i noticed your from swindon i am as well i have two boys jamaican dad.

We are in the same boat, want to move out of London but not too far. Will be watching this thread Main objective is a safer environment for our 2 kid's to grow up in!! Any suggestions? Looked at Camebridge but it is as expencive as London....I assume one gets the good and bad in reg to mixed families anywhere there is people? not beeing ignorant..

I'm white and my dd is mixed race. We live in Chelmsford, Essex and although it's no way near as multicultural as London, it's certainly becoming much more diverse. There are people of all races and ethnicities living here and a growing number of dual heritage families. I haven't noticed any 'funny looks' or anything and people seem to be generally very accepting. There's also a good afro hair shop in town, and a London-style shop selling a more 'exotic' range of food! I'd definitely recommend here if you're thinking of moving to Essex.