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Original poster

Calling anyone who knows BRISTOL

141 replies

Lonelymum · 26/01/2005 18:44

Fill me in on the place. Dh has just been offered a job and we are moving to Bristol, but we have to decide some things very quickly. Dh has to start job in a fortnight and I would like to just pick up the kids and go with him. Work will rent us a house for 6 months so we have time to buy later but still need to know which areas to look at.

A lot of our decision is based on schools. From what we can tell on the internet, good schools are The Castle Thornbury, Marlwood, Cotham and The Ridings. We also don't really want to live in the centre of Bristol but in a smaller community to the north or west. Can anyone advise please? Nice areas? Not nice areas? We are going to look at the weekend. Where would you suggest we looked?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lonelymum · 02/02/2005 14:57

Brilliant!!!! Thanks so much WCL. They have one 4 bed property which might be OK. Will let you know.....

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Original poster
Lonelymum · 02/02/2005 17:05

Oh for goodness sake! When rung up, the letting agency could not show us around the house until Monday - has no staff available tomorrow,Friday os Saturday! What an agency! Glad I am not the property owner employing them to rent my property! Sorry, just have to vent somewhere!

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WestCountryLass · 02/02/2005 17:55

Oh that is crap, most people must want to view on a weekend!!!!! I don't suppose you can do Monday?

Original poster
Lonelymum · 02/02/2005 19:24

Probably could - it is a three hour drive minimum to get there but... Just need to sort some rented accommodation very soon as dh starts work the following Monday. If we don't get something in a place we want to live in, I won't be able to join him until we sell our house and find a new one and have bought it: that might be months from now.

BTW have checked all the Ofsted reports for the primaries in Portishead and they mostly sound pretty good so that is something.

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WestCountryLass · 02/02/2005 23:08

Oh I do hope something turns up, i'll keep my eyes peeled

Original poster
Lonelymum · 04/02/2005 09:32

Looking at Thornbury now. Portishead didn't really seem suitable. Rapidly sinking into a mire of despondancy.................................

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Azure · 04/02/2005 10:16

I went to Marlwood School in Alveston, which was always a rival for Castle School in Thornbury. It was over 20 years ago, though, and my parents moved from the area a year later. There are a number of villages which are in the catchment area for Marlwood, and the school used to have a good, comprehensive coach service to transport the children. I don't know if I would recommend Littleton-Upon-Severn, where we used to live, as it was 3 miles to the nearest bus stop. Not great for a teenager, although it did encourage everyone to pass their driving tests as soon as possible.

WestCountryLass · 04/02/2005 13:46

Well I am a Thornbury girl born and bred, born in Thornbury Hospital no less! I went to St Marys primary and the Castle School, both were good schools. It is nice area, quite a lot for smaller children, not a lot for teenagers (hence I moved to ristol as soon as I could).

Original poster
Lonelymum · 04/02/2005 15:54

WCL, was it possible to get into Bristol at all when you were a teenager? eg buses. Dh and I don't want the city life, but I want to be close enough to the city for the children to have access to it if they want when they are older. I thought Thornbury looked the ideal location in that respect.

PS St Mary's is full at the moment but I have found places in three other schools so I hope that will be choice enough.

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WestCountryLass · 04/02/2005 22:10

Yes, their were buses to Thornbury from Bristol and also buses from Gloucester and Dursley to Bristol that went via Thornbury, from memory they were about every 30 mins. Found you a link:

www.southglos.gov.uk/public_transport/busTimetables.htm www.southglos.gov.uk/acrobat/busServices/309_310dec.pdf

HTH

emsiewill · 04/02/2005 23:14

I can't believe no-one has been on here yet and stuck up for Newport! There's loads of lovely villages on the Bristol side of Newport, and for £400,000 you could have a mansion.

What about chepstow

Or any of these

There are some truly beautiful areas around here. If you want to be near a city, you could go more towards Cardiff - which is fab!

I'm not a native of these parts, I moved here 7 years ago, and think it's great (and I live right in the middle of Newport, not one of the picturesque villages) but I just can't believe you're writing off a whole country without even looking at the area.

Sorry, I feel quite about this. I have to go away and calm down.

If you need more info about the area, or even somewhere to come for a cup of tea when you come and look around (being optimistic), give me a shout.

WestCountryLass · 04/02/2005 23:24

Yeah but no but, LonelyMum said she wants to be on this side of the bridge because of family and she didn't think Newport was very nice

WestCountryLass · 04/02/2005 23:27

PS. That house at Easter Compton is pretty wicked! My husband would love that, shame we can't afford it eh?

emsiewill · 04/02/2005 23:44

But my point is that Newport may not be very nice, but a/ how can she know without even looking, and b/there's more (so much more) to South East Wales than Newport.

And would it be so awful if the children had to learn Welsh?

I promise, I don't work for the tourist board, and I'm not on commission, I just don't understand why you would write off whole swathes of the country without even giving them a chance.

emsiewill · 04/02/2005 23:46

And really, if you're in this area, you're only 20 mins further down the M4, so "nearer to family" is not really a convincing argument.

Original poster
Lonelymum · 05/02/2005 13:16

That house in Easter Compton is disgusting! I drove past it the other day just in case it was OK. The huge glass window is right on the main road and everyone would be able to see in. Honestly WCL, you don't want it. It has been reduced as well which tells you a lot about it.

Well, emsiewill, you speak very convincingly of Newport and I must admit that it would be nice for dh not to have to pay the toll every day and for us to be able to live in a mansion (those links don't work BTW) but I don't want to feel a foreigner in my own home town. I know a whole load of Welsh people will deny this and I want to say right here and now that I LOVE the Welsh, but I would feel a bit of a foreigner. Also, we have not written the area off without trying it. Dh was originally offered the job in August and we checked out the Welsh side of the Severn then. Also, dh would not like the childrne learning Welsh and I can't see the point of them doing so, especially as my children are more science orientated than language IYSWIM. But I am not decrying Wales at all and we are genuinely looking forward to being close enough to visit it frequently.

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emsiewill · 05/02/2005 17:29

Well, it looks like I'm never going to convince you . But I just can't let it go without having a last word. Living in Newport is not like living in Wales really - you will only come across people speaking Welsh at Welsh lessons around the city (including in the English-speaking schools), and at the 1 school in the city that is exclusively Welsh speaking. Try Welsh on anyone else (well, anyone over 16) and they will look at you as if you are an alien.

I'm not Welsh, and I certainly don't feel like a foreigner here - found it nothing but welcoming after 8 years in the South East of England.

One thing that I found strange at first was the way that people always shorten everyone's names - even when they've just met you. So I've been "Em" to everyone here from day one. Previously, only my family called me "Em".
Oh, and they don't ask where something is, they say "Where's it to?".

Wherever you end up, I hope you and your family are happy.

Original poster
Lonelymum · 05/02/2005 17:33

Thanks. I have a friend here in the south east who is Welsh and his accent is very endearing I must say. But then, so is the West Country drawl...
One other point (because your post did make me wonder if we had made the right decision) we did think dh would be better of this side of the Severn because his work is not very secure and if he is made redundant again (has been twice in last 15 months) he would be able to work in more places from Bristol than from Newport, if that makes sense.

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WideWebWitch · 05/02/2005 17:35

Lonelymum, how's your search going then? Have you decided where yet? Tell me your criteria again (if you've time) and I'll have another think.

emsiewill · 05/02/2005 17:35

Weeeell - if you're in Newport, you've got Cardiff and Bristol to choose from.

I'm sorry, I just can't stop myself . I've come over all patriotic to my adopted home!

WideWebWitch · 05/02/2005 17:36

emsiewill, (sorry, hijack) how's your job? Any better?

emsiewill · 05/02/2005 17:38

www - thanks for asking. Will resurect (sp?) my old thread rather than hijack here.

WideWebWitch · 05/02/2005 17:38

OK, thanks!

Original poster
Lonelymum · 05/02/2005 18:04

Anyone left to talk to?
WWW are on the brink of moving to Thornbury (I think!)
emsiewill - dh can get to Cardiff, Newport, Bristol, Swindon, Reading, Birmingham, Oxford, etc from this side of the river. Need to keep every option open!

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emsiewill · 05/02/2005 18:06

OK, I admit defeat! And I see your point if you're concerned about job security / getting another job.

I bet you'll be sorry when you have to live in a 2 bed terrace in Bristol, rather than a 6-bed mansion in Usk.

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