Torfaen - what is it like and in particular St Alban's School?

[twinsetandpearls]

Have seen a possible job there but what is it like for employment generally, Dp is a CAD designer would he be able to get work near there.

What is the area like? Some people at work have said it is lovely but my google research has proven to be inconclusive. It is also near some areas we would not like to live and as we are currently living somewhere that makes us very unhappy we want to get it right.

Also what are the schools like both St Albans, primary schools ( preferably RC) and independant schools?

Hi T&P. I've drafted about five answers to this and fear incurring the wrath of the people of Torfaen! Suffice it to say that Torfaen is an Objective One area and therefore one of the poorest in Europe. And poverty brings a variety of problems.
But, the housing is cheap, the people friendly (except when Wales playing England ) and towards the north of the area, there's some lovely semi rural houses.
Sorry, I don't know the school at all though. DH worked for a lovely school in Torfaen once, but not that one.

Really depends on what you're looking for.

What's a CAD designer?

I thought that may be the case, we are moving from an area like that and do not really want to move to somewhere similar.

The school is supposed to be very good, so I could commute in.

Computer aided design.

I suppose it is one less application to fill in.

Is it like ( ducks and whispers to avoid offending anyone) Newport or Merthyr Tydfil?

independent schools in Torfaen! or rather make that hysterical laughter. the independent sector is tiny in Wales, much less significant than in England, and in South Wales the fee-paying schools are concentrated around Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

As a result, fee-paying is very much a niche market and there are tons of good state schools in S Wales if you pick the right location. You'd probably want to live somewhere else and let your dh commute, anyway, frankly. It's not the kind of place where it's easy to be an incomer.

dunno what a CAD designer is either, sorry

I'll be shot for this. Yes, nearly as bad as Merthyr. Newport's posh in comparison.

Come to Cardiff though, you could commute from here!

Even we have independant schools and this is an area that is supposed to be one of the most deperived in Europe!

The school is listed as Pontypool, forgive my ignorance is Torfaen the district and Pontypool the town?

At the risk of being shot we visited Newport for half an hour and thought is was the worst place we had ever been, and coming from Blackpool that is saying something. Whenever times have been hard here Dp says well at leats we are not in Newport.

I was thinking that perhaps dp could work in Cardiff.

right my mind is made up have just read the wikpedia article which is boasting that its town centre has a wilkinsons and peacocks! I don;t think it is me.

Yes, Pontypool's in Torfaen.

My DH is from Rhondda (a couple of valleys across). I've just told him there's someone here looking at a job in Torfaen. He said "oh feckin hell no! She doesn't want to do that".

He thinks he's posh, he does

So what sort of companies do CAD people work for?

All sorts really, he designs buildings things like car show rooms. But he could do others things with he qualifications.

Am a bit gutted as the school looked nice, although perhaps its impressive 73% A-C rate was made up from lots of NVQs.

Should have known there was something up if we could afford a decent house there!

Have you ever lived in Dorset, could do with an honest opinion there as well!

Seriously though, couldn't you commute from nearer Cardiff? 25 mins by car?

Possibly, would have to check houseprices.

I kind of think though that I may be leaving the frying pan for the fire.

possibly not have just asked dp what he thinks of Cardiff and he said

" I don't like Wales, well not to live" Grrr men why not say that before!

Re independent schools, it is not just about whether people can afford them - they are just not part of Welsh culture in same way that they are normalised in England. I grew up in Wales, have lived in England all my adult life, and still find the whole private-schooling thing quite perplexing, tbh.

Cardiff is lovely, and certainly commutable to the valleys. Would think your dh could probably get work there. Not specially cheap though. But a million miles preferable to Blackpool, IMO.

He has No Idea what he's missing!!! Fool!

most places are preferable to Blackpool, except perhaps Torfaen!

We love Wales and visit often which is why I am surprised at dp reaction. I won't repeat what he said about the welsh! Although he was talking about the welsh who visit blackpool, if we judged all areas by its residents who holidayed in Blackpool I think they would all rate fairly low.

Well as a fellow northerner, i can very much recommend it. But then you've gathered that, haven't you?
And the beaches are ssooooooo much better than Blackpool.

Am confused Califrau? Is he from Torfean?

Cali, I'm soooo confused too. What does "voice of America" man have to do with Torfaen?

Ok!