Hicksville > London ... right or wrong?

[spacemonkey]

Rather than hijack the other thread, I'll start one of my own.

I'm thinking about moving to London from the provincial town where I now live. My children are nearly 13 (dd) and 10 (ds), so if we moved in the summer ds would start Year 6 at a new primary school and dd would start Year 9 at a new secondary school. They'll both be going to state schools.

I don't like the idea of uprooting them, BUT there are lots of good reasons for the move, for them as well as me.

We're looking at moving into Camden LEA, and I am told the schools are very good. I also think as the children get older there will be many more opportunities for them educationally and socially in London. My sister and brother both live in north London and I would dearly love to be nearer to them, and so would the kids. Plus my mum wants to move in with us on a trial basis - she is very close to the children and more importantly is very good for them, and would be my general factotum in terms of childcare.

And of course the work opportunities for me would be stratospherically better than they are where I now am.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has made a big move with kids at a similar age, and what impact it had on them. Of course a lot comes down to personality, and I know it would be hard for them to adjust at first, but any advice or experience would be most welcome.

Thanks!

Best of Luck Spacemonkey

How could you leave behind the Fabulous Hippodrome and Chicagos ???

cackle slinky!

i can bear to leave chicagos/hippodrome, but Roberts and Valentinos will be a wrench ...

Lots of luck, SM, it will be wonderful.

I was refused entry from Roberts a while back - can you believe it????

My brother found it highly amusing

I think it was because I looked under-age LOL

So was I slinky, because I was dressed inappropriately.

I take it as a compliment from that pit.

being refused entry to roberts is, frankly, a compliment

all those horrid sweaty medallion men

not to mention the comedy arabs

Were you offered a change of clothes Lou???

I was offered a choice of delightful skirts to wear for the evening - yeah right, as if I'm going to wear something that's been round some s**ers arse all night

No i was refused outright

Sm was chased around the dance floor by a man benny hill stylee on the one occasion we ventured in. I was standing in the middle of the dancefloor with tears of laughter streaming down my face.

he was later spotted snogging an ancient crone

did my self esteem the power of good

LOLOLOLOL at Benny Hill Stylee........ Fortunately, as I was turned away I've never experienced the delights of Roberts.

Last time I went to Chicagos, I was overcome by the amount of shaved heads, muscles and tattooed arms - and that was just the women

LOLOLOL SM.

Hope your house exchange person doesn't read this - she'll be put off from coming to Colchester

We frequent the arts centre on a 70's and 80's night dont we sm?

this is making me so sad to leave colchester

i may have to change my mind

We found a bar on north hill that is open til 12 last weekend didnt we sm?

Muttley

yes the arts centre is good

the hole in the wall is good too, and we recently discovered twisters on north hill

Sm, there are SO may places with wonderful men open until three.

Awwww, the Hole in the Wall - my alltime Fave place, although I did prefer it back in the 80s when it was dark and dingy and had the permanent fragrance of dodgy substances

where are these eye candy venues of which you speak sykes?

do you remember the colne lodge slinky? that was colchester's all-time best ever bar

Doesn't ring a bell - where was it?

It still is like that slinky, with the youngest looking punk barman ever. He looks no older than 12.

it was on crouch street, right at the end near the hospital arms ... sigh for the old days

it's an old peoples home now though

the cups was another fav haunt in the 80s wasn't it lou