Not sure if this is the correct thread? Moving to Essex coast as a mixed race family

[yuckymummy]

Hi, I am mixed raced (Black/WI/White Brit) my DH is White/Brit our DS (8 mths) is MR. We want to move near to Essex coast, Leigh, Shoeburyness I am really concerned about people's general attitudes. I was raised in East London in the 80's so really diverse. My DH does not really see this as an issue, but I do. Anyone live in or around the area and can help!

Thanks

I was brought up in Westcliff,just up the road from Leigh.

It was a very very monoethnic part of the world 30 years ago. I am not sure if it has changed that much. There may possibly be more asian families now, but not much in the way of afro/carribean community.

It was not a very liberal minded part of the world either. Very very conservative unfortunately.

On the plus side, Old Leigh is quite pretty really and there are some good schools.

Ihope I haven't painted a too grim a picture. It could well have changed

Hi yucky - I was brought up in Thorpe Bay in the 70s and 80s (between shoebury and southend) and we were the only mixed family (enlgish and asian) at my junior school - the teachers were shite to be honest (some really hair raising stories I could tell you that my df only told me after I left) but the kids great - it's now a very asian area so must have changed.

Secondary school - fab no issues - there were some black and mixed race kids there and my perception that all was fine actually. My best friend who is of mixed black and asian origin still lives there and is very happy and her son also.

But watch the schools (from my experience).

Anywhere you go you'll come up against ignorance I'm afraid - people are people - some OK, some not so OK. Essex no different.

Oh, and I'd avoid shoebury (from my viewpoint - and I've just spent a week in Thorpe Bay) - Thorpe Bay is much better and also Leigh.

I grew up in Clacton and am mixed race (Iranian/British) and I was one of the few mixed race children in my schools. To be blunt, I never came across anybody black until I was in high school and there were two black boys out of a thousand children in my year group.

Very predominantly white area and though it has changed in the past few years, it hasn't by much. Nurseries have more multi-cultural kids in than ever before though and the nursery I work at has a good amount of kids from elsewhere. Though Clacton is still full of very ignorant people unfortunately

Oh and I'd aviod Westcliff - so rough - I have friends trying to leave and their properties are almost unsellable.

Leigh and Thorpe Bay and you'll no doubt be commuting to London.

Schools in the Thorpe Bay and Leigh areas are fine and they've got grammars galore there.