Anyone living in Cornwall?

[jennifersofia]

We are thinking about moving there, but are wondering how to make it work. Do you live in Cornwall? Which area do you like? How do you find the schools? What do you find difficult? Any advice appreciated really.
TIA

i do,cant really answer now but will try and get online again later-sorry!baby calling!

great, thanks! Anyone else too?

Hi jennifersofia, i live in cornwall - have done all my life. Don't know where to begin with recommendations for where to live. Have you visited any areas you like? My experience of schools are that there are good and bad - probably like all over the country. My two go to a lovely primary school with about 210 pupils - probably about the average size around here. The only bad point is the volume of traffic from May to September - it can make it extremely maddening to go about every day life. But apart from that it's beautiful here, you're never that far from a beach and there are so many lovely places to go. Hope that helps you a little.

We might be moving to cornwall next summer, so will be watching this thread with interest. DP has lots of family there at moment, and they all say that tourists in the summer are the main problem!

Thanks Lmmcrean. We were just in the St. Ives / Penzance area and loved it. Have also been to Padstow, which is nice enough but too small and Stein-ish, and St. Austell, which we weren't that keen on. To my surprise I liked the cut off-ness of the southern tip. I liked St. Ives, but again, a bit small and also I think the tourist glut in the summer would drive me mad! Also prohibitively expensive I imagine. Presently considering larger towns eg. Falmouth, Truro or maybe Penzance. Things I am concerned about are: 1) if we would be able to get employment (I am a teacher, dh owns his own business) 2) the expense of houses vs. local wage 3) that it would feel isolated at times.

Where are you, if you don't mind my asking? People felt very friendly to me and relatively open. It also felt a healthier more outdoorsy lifestyle for children (am I in la-la land here?). Someone told me that it was difficult to get a job as a teacher there because some schools are closing because there aren't enough young people. Have you heard anything like that? Is there a good population balance between young and old? Are some areas known as having an older population?

'scuse me for asking lots of questions - there is lots to consider. If you are able to answer any of them, I would be grateful!

Oooh sorry! I meant thanks to cornishpasty!

jennifersofia, i live in one of the bigger towns you have mentioned.

traffic can be a nightmare if you want to get anywhere fast in summer.i find it ok getting about,public transport good, but i dont drive and still manage with 2 small children. my children go to a local school with a fab ofsted report,fab teachers,etc.you getting a job shouldnt be too hard-especially if you are a primary school teacher-theyre are loads around.The schools that have to shut are very small schools of under 50 pupils!

i do feel so safe here,little crime,etc.kids go to the beach/woods/etc every weekend, lovely outdoor activitys all the time

as for young and old population,its hard to say.some areas of my town have lots of elderly people, other areas only 1 mile away are mostly young people (under 50).

if you want anymore help,maybe leave your email address here and i'll contact you?or just on here is fine,although i dont normally hang around here!

Hi again, i'm just outside St Austell - which you're right about - at the moment it's a real mess. Hopefully when the rebuild of the town is finished it'll be better. I think bigger towns especially Truro (our only city) is a good option if you're used to busier life. Don't think you'd have a problem with employment as a teacher, as our area needs more schools - people fighting over school places. Why not have a look at Cornwall County Council website - that's where teacher vacancies are advertised. Here .
Housing is getting stupidly expensive and wages are generally lower than other areas of the country, have you looked at any estate agent websites to get an idea of what you can get for your money?
Can't say i've noticed a mainly older population - there's plenty of all ages around. Hope that helps.

And i have never felt isolated - but its all i've known.

I have moved from Hampshire and live in a village just East of Truro, been here 6 months so far. Plus side - beautiful countryside, compared to Hampshire much less crowded, including the roads, but haven't experienced a summer so far! sea nearby wherever you live - we've just all been to the beach after I came home from work. Truro has good shops and a nice atmosphere though no big dept stores, gets very busy in summer. Negative side- found it difficult to meet people (downside of fewer people being around I think, fewer professional people around)Probably easier if you have children starting in reception class, mine are a bit older although still primary. House prices where I am are expensive. Sense of isolation can be a positive or a negative - much less bothered about all the trouble on the news as I feel so far from it here, on the other hand sometimes just want a bit more life around me! Also depends where you have moved from. Several people I have talked to have moved from northern England and absolutely love it here, I had a good life in Hants and miss it quite a bit (sorry about massive generalisation). Haven't really quite made up my mind what I think. As always, can't have everything and depends on why you want to move.

Thank you so much for posting, I really appreciate it! Got to go because dh is confiscating the computer, but more later. Anyone else with other experiences?

My friend moved to Falmouth from Canterbury three years ago and she is very happy there. If you need to know anythin about that area - I could ask her for you. We were there last week and I love it. Not the same as living there thoug - but what's not to like about a town with an enormous Trago Mills.........

Have you thought about Devon?? We were going to go for Falmouth (where my dh family originally from) but have compromised with a move to Exeter which has worked brilliantly. We are not so cut off from our families and friends in the rest of the UK but can still get to the coast really easily. also you notice tourists in summer - but its not half as crowded as Cornwall. Obviously its still a bit of a culture shock after London BUT a brilliant place for family life.

We moved from Liverpool to Plymouth, and then Plymouth to Helston in Cornwall. I thought Plymouth was the end of the earth, and was initially devastated when I found out we were moving to Helston (DH in the Navy), but I have really loved it here.

We rent, so can't really comment on wages vs. house prices, but I know it is expensive round here. There are cheaper areas though, if you're prepared to live in the not so nice areas (although many are up and coming).

I do feel we have an 'outdoorsy' lifestyle. We tend to go with the weather, and when it's nice we go to the beach, or National Trust type places. When it's not so nice, there are other things to do because the attractions are there because of the tourists.

Yes, the tourists are a pain - half an hour to get to Tescos when you do it in 2 minutes in the winter, but you live with it. We've had to get used to staying in Cornwall. Previously we would go and visit people most weekends (when we were just a couple / just had DS1), but now we stay at home. It's a long way to get anywhere when you live here.

The isolation does get a bit much. The nearest airport is Exeter (unless you count Plymouth and Newquay), and that isn't great. It takes two or three hours to get to the M5, and has taken a lot longer on bank holidays (11 hours is our record )

Having said all that (and feeling very sad that we're moving in a week and a day), I have really loved it here, and am very glad that we've had the chance to do so. I keep thinking that people pay money to come and visit here, and we get to live here all the time. Right, best get the DS's ready.... what shall we do today... beach again? (DS1 spent three hours in the sea yesterday!)

Oh BTW, there would be a lot of difference between east of Truro and Helston. It takes an hour to get to the St Austell side of Truro from here, so you'd be a lot closer to civilisation living round there.

Cornish miles are different to anywhere else in the country

i love living here,i live in camelford which is north cornwall.agree with everything everyones already said,busy in summer,bad public transport!but the most frienmdly beutiful place on earth.i couldnt imagine bringing up my children anywhere else.i also remind my children often that the reason its so busy in holidays is because people pay to come here and were lucky enough to live here.

theres a cornwall thread somewhere on meetups,might be worth posting on there too incase they dont see this.

I have thought about Devon - at one point we were considering Exeter, but somehow it just didn't do it for me. I like things a little 'wilder' (nature-wise). I do worry about it being far away from everywhere - my parents are in the US, so for visiting purposes it would be even more of a mega journey. However - as you say, sanae,can't have everything - just got to make some decisions.
I just had a look at that website for Cornwall County Council that you recommended, cornish pasty, and it has cheered me up as it seems that there are quite a few teaching jobs, so that might be possible. V. useful link, thanks again for that.
Another thing I feel a bit concerned about is something that I felt as a teenager growing up in a relatively remote place - that there wasn't much going on, and couldn't wait to get out. I mean, obviously I am not going to escape teenage angst wherever we are, but anyone have any teenagers in Cornwall, or any impressions of them? Sorry, can't seem to word it properly..

jennifersofia, i have not long finished being a teenager in cornwall

So much to do!loads of summer festivals, beaches, i was never bored anyway!

Especially if you live in one of the bigger places, you/dcs wont be bored at all.its not as far away as you might think!