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.

We're moving out to Harrow/Hillingdon borders (Ruislip). Pinner is lovely too. Nice parks,(Pinner Memorial, Ruislip Lido) good schools (state and private)very mixed ethnically (lots of Asians/mixed Asian/white British quite a few Afro-Caribbean/mixed A-C/white British families.
Also Waitrose, coffee places Pizza Express etc. Hoping Giraffe and Carluccios are not far behind!
One of the big factors in our move was that their will be other little people with a similar background to DS in his school. (I am of Asian origin DH white British)Coincidentally both of our closest friends are also mixed race couples (each of whom we knew before we met each other) but they have moved out of the UK 1 to Australia and 1 to NYC.None of our other friends/family have children of mixed race. We may be overestimating the importance of it completely DS is only two and obviously totally unaware of any issues and plays happily with all his little friends who are mostly white British. But that's what comes of growing up in the era of Enoch Powell. I'd like DS to feel that he belongs more than I did.

Chelmsford seem to come back as a ok place to live on this thread..Closeness to London also a bonus indeed. Any areas to be avoided? We know very little about Essex..

Keep this thread going more ~"accepting places" to keep an eye on outside of London really welcome!

We moved out of London 8 months ago to Hertfordshire and we love it here.

I have friends (her white, him mixed race) who live in Brightlingsea on the Essex coast. They've never mentioned experiencing racism and I know they know several other mixed race families in the area.

Me and my husband live in Leighton Buzzard. It has good schools, is only 4 mins by train to London and there are quite a few mixed couples and children around.
Have not expereinced any problems at all and don't feel stared at or anything

45 mins to London! lol!

we (DH white, me black Caribbean) are looking to move to Ruislip/Pinner soon. One of the big factors for me was the racial mix of the areas and that my son would not feel like the odd one out at school.

We are an Asian couple and sometimes i wonder if we would be stared at LESS if one of us was white- we often go to "the country" as we love hiking, and find ourselves having to explain how it is that our accents are so "posh". We also love the Opera- as do my other half's parents- oh the comments ..."Is this your first time ?..." The fact that there have been almost 4 generations of us here (all contributing to the NHS- and prior to its inception), or dying whilst fighting for the "Allies" during WW2 makes me smile/scowl (depending on my mood!).

We love London and all it has to offer- as soon as I leave it for other parts of the UK, I feel as if we are in a different land- and on returning to our road, are happy to see various shades of skin colour.

Your message made me smile FreakGeek I'm white, married to an Asian, with 3 lovely kids. His accent is quite posh as well & I know people are often surprised to meet him for the first time after speaking on the phone.

I'm from "Up North" and all my family have a strong northern accent. Anyone further south than Birmingham is Cockney! I do think they would have had a lot more difficulty accepting dh if he'd have had a strong Indian accent! I've lost mine as I've lived Down South for a long time & they all think I speak really posh

One thing I have to admit, however, is it still makes me & dh smile when we hear Asians speak with a strong Scottish accent - or any other non-Southern UK accent for that matter. It's great but for some reason it just sounds so funny - in a nice way. Don't ask me why!

Anyway, just carry on as you are - you definitely cannot please everyone!

I'm black and my 3 kiddies are mixed race. I moved from Cambridge to Lincoln ten years ago when the relationship with my ex partner broke down.

I would never look back..I absolutely love it and have really had no problems. some friends and some parts of my family have asked how can I live here and I tell them, quite easily. Have never really thought about people staring but I guess some peeps do it without even realising, including me

I wondered whether we, as a mixed race Indian/white family, would have problems with racism in Henley, Winchester, Marlborough or the Oxfordshire Cotswolds? Any good or bad experiences?

We're a mixed race Indian/white family and we moved out of East London a few months ago to Leamington Spa in the west Midlands. It's loads more diverse than it seems on the outside - large (well, not in London terms but relatively speaking) Sikh population. Minorities are definitely visible here - although I haven't seen any white/Asian couples I don't feel like we're an oddity. (And to be honest, I didn't ever see that many white/Asian couples in London).

Bit late on this one im afraid but i live in Hertfordshire and it is very Multicultral and i love it here - have you decided/moved yet?
I could never move into somewhere where we were singled out as a blended family.

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Just visited Maidstone for the first time last weekend and was impressed by the town and house prices! Currently living in SE london but for the first time seriously considered moving out of London. I'm black and my husband is white and we have 3 kids (one to start school next sept and another on the way) Anyone have any views on Maidstone itself, I can happily commute into London for work and hubby is self employed so no issues there. My only real concern would be for my kids, anyone have any views on what the schools are like, obviously I don't him being terrorised for the colour of his skin. Saw a couple of black faces but not many. Any views would be really helpful.

Joining the convo very late indeed!
I'm also looking for a place to move out of London, but not sure where.

I'm black and so are my children.

Romford, its full of mixed people.
Me and my sis grew up in romford we are mixed!

oh zombie thread

brown, romford!
im living in north london now but as soon as i save enough for a house im moving back to romford, gidea park.

I really need help and pointers on where to live.

I am from Northern Ireland and mixed race with a teenager. I have lived here all my life but I am more and more unwelcome and after a lot of careful consideration
hope to leave as soon as possible.

I know London would be ok and maybe Birmingham or Manchester however if there is anywhere else where we wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb would love to know.

We also will have to rent and the pricing in London is horrific.

Currently living in social housing here but our lives are sheer misery due to racism so basically keeping heads down and living like hermits. Again a lot of thought in giving this up as quality of life and not being the only mixed race person "in the village".

Would be so grateful for some pointers to landlords with large portfolios I.e. not chuck us out in 6 months!

Im black and Moved from London to west Hertfordshire, neighbours are nice, have made friends . People say hello when I walk the streets and people talk to me alot when I go supermarket shopping too. People here have seemed to have gotten used to me now lol. Does feel weird compared to London, but it is what it is .

One thing though, any time I go to any of the clubs or bars here, the women here have been absolutely all over me and the majority of them have been white. Have also found the bars and clubs to have a friendly environment.

A year on from my post and I'm still in West Herts , I have spent a lot of time in Bedfordshire area and couldn't believe how normal it feels there and people very friendly and welcoming. I usually hang around Dunstable, Luton , Leighton buzzard, Bedford, Woburn sides. I'm seriously considering a move into this county because you get more for your money, thing is my friends I have made in herts don't want me to leave looool . I'm single and pretty much self employed so can move out without too much drama, might choose Dunstable.