Thinking of moving to Leeds - advice please

[crystaltips]

My DH is fed up with his job and thinking of moving to Leeds. He studied there as a student and really liked it.
The bonus is that it takes us away from his family ( Horrors the lot of them ) and closer to mine so I am not adverse to the idea.
What does make me apprehensive though is that it means moving the kids away from everything that they know : their school and friends etc.
I know that moving house is stressful at the best of times and we really don't need this - but my thoughts are that bearing in mind his family is the cause of most of the stress - perhaps this might be a good move?
Advise anyone a ) about moving and b ) about Leeds
Thanks

I can't give any pointers as to whether it's a good idea to move - your choice.

Being a long way from childrens grandparents does mean that visits turn into military operations, depending on the age of your children. Our trip to each set of grandparents is currently 250 miles each way. Not an enticing thought but has to be done.

Leeds is an excellent place to be. The amount of investment in the city is truely staggering. The town centre is lovely, and there are some wonderful areas to live in the nearby areas. Sure, there are some not so good areas, but every city has them. However, if you choose carefully there are plenty of great areas within an easy commute of Leeds/Bradford/Sheffield and even Manchester.

Yorkshire people are extremely friendly. I'm sure you'll meet people with no problem (through school organisations and such like).

If we could move from Surrey to Yorkshire, we would !. The pace of life is easier, people talk to you, shops have stock on the shelves and the places to visit are numerous. The Dales and Pennines are fantastic. Not to be missed and great for children.

I live about 10 miles away from Leeds in a reasonably sized town. I don't know where you live now or how much you intend to spend on a property. Are you wanting to move to somewhere fairly quiet with good commuting opportunities or nearer the centre in the hub of it? The train links are good to Leeds and there are lots of buses, but like cars you tend to get stuck in traffic jams at rush hour. I personally would hate to work in Leeds just because of the traffic issues but I wouldn't think it even compares with London traffic.

I don't really know much about the good and bad areas of Leeds but there are some grot spots as well as 'millionnaire's row'.

The wages up here don't compare with southern wages in many jobs but then the cost of living is probably less too. A nice, newish 4 bedroom detached house is around £200k in my town but slightly more nearer to the city centre.

I don't know how old your children are but I think the younger the better for a move and I personally think that it is unfair to move once children become teenagers as schooling and friends are much more important at this age.

Crystaltips - not very positive, so brace yourself. Re a) moving. We moved North last August as dh was unhappy in his job. He likes the new job and the new place, and dss have settled very well in their new school/nursery - they were 3 and 5 when we moved. But I am nowhere near feeling settled, and often feel that I never will do here. I admit there are some things that I do like about the place, but what it boils downto is if everyone was feeling the way I do, then we would be seriously thinking about moving again. But I am only 1 of 4, so up to a point my views don't count. ... Don't get me wrong I am not thoroughly fed up and miserable, it's just this feeling that everyone else has fared better from the move than I have.

What I am trying to say, in my long rambling way, is make sure that 'we' make/own the decision to move jointly for everyone's benefit. Otherwise you may end up resenting it later.

My daughter is at uni in Leeds and to get there we drive through Ilkley, which is about half-an-hour away and is lovely. There are also Otley (even nearer) and Keighley - not sure how far that is - all really nice places and not too big.

Don't know where you live now, crystaltips - city, town or country? It could make a difference to how soon you and the kids felt settled, or you might prefer a change. My DD loves Leeds anyway, FWIW (different for a student though, I know!)

but....but..... its in yorkshire...thats the wrong side o' the pennines

Yorkshire is a wonderful place to live, I lived there many years ago and absolutely loved it - busy, exciting vibrant cities plus beautiful countryside- and nice people. I think it's a great mix.

I think moving can be really great, we did it three years ago - to a place neither DH or I knew, we knew no one, it was wonderful to get to know a new area, new friends, places to go etc - I think I was quite stuck in a rut before, it did me the world of good.

But Custardo I was brought up in Yorkshire and therefore think that I now live on the wrong side of t'Pennines.

Leeds is a great city with plenty of beautiful villages surrounding if that's what you prefer. Decent rail link to London, ............I think people have said all I can add.

If it's what you all want to do, Crystaltips, then go for it! We've moved loads of times and I don't think it's had any detrimental effects on our children. If anything, it's broadened their minds and taught them to be adaptable and open to change. The teenage years are probably the hardest time, but even then, they'll survive the experience.

We have friends who live between Ilkley and Skipton - Busy Lizzies in Skipton is the best for fish & chips! We always really enjoy going to stay in the area, so much to see and do.

Really pathetic I know - but how do you go about makeing a totally new set of friends? I'd presume that their friendships are all well established? That's just insecurity isn't it?

custdy, I deliberately avoided that issue, you are naughty! (Anyway I only live here, don't come from here so I don't care!)

crystaltips, we moved to where we live now knowing nobody, I then had just one toddler (18 months) and it was a couple of months before a HV came to see us (not sure why as we had registered at the HC straight away). DD1 and I spent a lot of time walking round town and doing very sloooow shops at the supermarket to put the day in and it was very lonely - I did feel a proper Billy and was homesick too for the place we'd left.

Another thing is that this is Lancashire and I'm a Suvner so I used to get some funny looks...!

Anyway HV put us on to a lovely Mums and Toddlers group (there were no neighbours who knew anything about it) and from then on we were fine, although this is a place with a lot of incomers and I have to say it was much easier to make friends with them than with the natives who have hordes of native friends and family and can be a bit cliquey.

What age are your kids? I know you have at least one at school, do you have pre-schoolers too? beetroot's advice is spot on, you will meet people easily through them but watch the eager thing - I used to be so pleased to have someone to talk to I used to talk far too much - there were a couple of others the same - we all calmed down after a while!

Thanks for the responses -
Kids are 10 and 8 yrs old

OK, so it'll be the school gate for you + joining Friends/PTA. Do you work? If so you'll meet people that way, if not you could join a voluntary organisation, help in a charity shop or something? Church? Kids in Cubs/Brownies? Ops & Drams (backstage help if not a performer)?

Hopefully you'll have nice neighbours with kids too and in any case, however many friends people have already, nice people always have time for one more. From what you've said it does sound as if a move would be a positive thing for you all in the long run, and as lots of people have mentioned, Leeds and the surrounding areas are a great place to live.