do you live in kingston in surrey?

[zebramummy]

have recently starting to consider moving there and would be v grateful for some advice.

how cut-off it feels from london and which zone it is in (if any at all?)

i originally considered barnes though I was put off by the aircraft noise - does kingston have a similar issue?

what are the state primaries and secondaries like (ds is 4) and are catchment areas v tight?

is it all chain stores or are there some nice independant shops too such as cafes, ethnic food shops?

which areas or roads are a safe bet in terms of schools and moving away if i absolutely hate it?

i considered parts of surrey and herts (you may remember some previous posts) though i was put off by the whole 'white middle-class' thing. i want ds to grow up feeling that he is in a multicultural society and for him to be able to hold his own amongst the london kids!

many thanks

I live near Kingston.

My understanding from a friend of a friend who moved there 20 months ago is that the school catchment areas are very tight indeed. She ended up HE her soon for 5 terms until any place at the 3 schools he was on the waiting list came up. In the end he was offered a place but then his younger sister (going through reception entry) got a place elsewhere but they appealed and now they are both at the same school!!!

As you have missed the closing date for Sept 2010 then this is something I would very seriously look at, ie where are the spaces in the schools - I have a feeling from half read local press there is generally a huge shortage of infant & possibly junior places in Kingston itself.

It's def more multicultural than Weybridge and the likes but not massively.

Since concord retired I can't imagine that plane noise is much of an issue.

Not sure about shops, such a nightmare to get into Kingston to shop I avoid it

thanks cargirl -i remember you from the weybridge thread - still sitting on the fence down here - i don't actually mind HE for a couple of terms but not indefinitely. would the plane noise be similar to barnes for instance? i was there only a couple of months ago and it shattered many dreams i had of it being the perfect next move

I don't think Kingston feels much like London but it is quite multi-cultural compared to most parts of Surrey.

Shopping wise it is fairly standard high street fair, nothing special and a few independent shops.

It's in zone 6. School situation is like most of Surrey I think, the good ones have very small catchment areas but they are looking at improving the situation, saw this article posted on twitter last week about it. It's good for secondary though with Tiffins Grammar for boys, although hard to get in.

Never noticed aircraft noises!

Only been to Barnes once so wouldn't like to comment.

Dh and I can't recall having noticed plane noise in Kingston, I really don't notice them here.

Is there somewhere that shows you the flight paths as Barnes is more or less direct East from Heathrow whereas Kingston a lot more South so perhaps completely different in terms of noise?

From memory I think the school spaces came up because 1 or 2 schools have had to add extra classrooms and increase PAN!

I think the things with schools is that getting around Kingston if you're not at your local school is a bit of a nightmare. The whole of Kingston grinds to a halt on the run up to Christmas with shoppers etc!

I don't think the aircraft noise is particularly noticeable in K, at least not over the roar of the traffic It's not directly under the Heathrow flight path in the way Barnes, Mortlake, Richmond are.

I like Kingston - very multicultural for a suburb, great for shopping, proper 'town' feel, lots of cinema/theatre.

Don't know about schools in much detail, but LOTS of church primaries and yes, think you have to be very careful about catchement areas, ie try to live on doorstep of the school you want.

I don't think it feels multi-cultural at all. Everybody is so totally homogenous. All 30 something, all Guardian-reading, university-edcuated, libdemish, cycling, recycling.... arghgh

That's not a criticism exactly, but multicultural,,, nah.

Primary school placement allocation created some stress for me. Hauled my weary carcuss on to Father m's pew once a month for two years.

Cargirl, with shopping, the answer is to just live IN kingston, and not ever leave it. Taht way, traffic problems not an issue!

You have to pay to park outside your own house though.

Maggie I think the multi-culturalism is all relative, have you ever been to Weybridge

There must be some areas that are more culturally mixed than others though as it covers quite a large area!

The school place thing does sound horrendous though.

What's Wimbledon like?

I have! that's where Kingston people go ten years after they're bursting out of their house in Kingston, and their thinking, hmm New Malden for girls??

it's so white around here! I don't live in Weybridge btw could never afford to!

It's just occurred to me I'm SO mumsnetty that I forgot all about south kingston.

why is south kinston I bit more multicultural? Dh and I have both noticed that you see far more "non-white" out shopping in Kingston than Woking/Guildford and Staines - they must live fairly local?

Well, it's a bit grittier, in parts.

That's true actually, in the bentall centre it is diverse, but staunton avenue or Durlston Road..... nopey nope.

Wimbledon's fab, lots of green space, no real aircraft noise, great local primaries (but v tight catchment) children's theatre, cinema, shopping, etc etc

Come & join us

thanks -hope to visit this week; i saw that there are two sushi places which is also v important to us!!! had a look at wimbledon online - i am a bit confused as it appears to be split between several areas and the one i fell upon seemed a lot cheaper than i imagined would be the case (based upon what i have been told by people who live there). not sure what the nice parts are etc.
i am more desperate than ever to leave my area but i am still trying to find that special place

Hi we live in Ham which is in between Richmond and Kingston. Moved here from Twickenham and really like it. Ham is not mulitcultural at all really unless you count German?

Kingston is a lot more multi cultural than Richmond or Kingston. Have a careful look at where you buy in KIngston though there is a large area near the cambridge estate/villiers rd which I wouldn't fancy moving to. Apologies to all those I've offended with that statement..

may thanks girlsy - dh is almost german (from a nearby country) i suppose so he would like it there.

i have heard that there is a korean community in kingston?? i worked with an indian lady who lived in ham many moons ago though we never discussed such issues

maybe i'll pick up a copy of the local paper while i am there to check this out

btw what was twickenham like? i have heard that st margarets is lovely??

The Korean community is centred on New Malden IIRC

If it's the planes you're worried about in Barnes I wouldn't too much. We live in Putney and sometimes the planes go right over. You really do get used to it and it doesn't bother us at all. Only hear them early if happen to be up with babies anyway.
(although if it's multiculturalism you're after I don't think Barnes would fit the bill .

Very big German community here as there is a German school here.

I'm from Twickenham and originally lived in Strawberry Hill which is v nice and villagey with nice schools close by. Moved to Ham as after 3 places in Twic I had to give in to DH who is from Ham.

Centre of Twickenham isn't what it used to be quite run down now- even McD's has shut!
Plane noise far worse in Twic than here or Kingston. Friend of ours moved from Twic to kingston mainly due to plane noise.

St Margarets is lovely but VERY pricey. Also streets get quite congested for parking and it's mainly residents permits which you pay for. Nice little shops pubs and restaurants and a Tesco and Superdrug. The main shops have to paint theur facade to fit in with the 'look' of the high st though.

From St Marg you can walk into Twic or Richmond and also walk to two big parks and Richmond pool.

tvfriend i believe you re the planes - we started becoming less aware of them after only a few hours in Barnes.

when i say multicultual, i suppose what i really mean is mainly white middle-class lefties with a smattering of well-educated people from 'other nationalities' say 70:30

sorry that was really not very pc tho' i am hoping for someone to have a eureka moment and direct me to the community of my dreams

thanks girlsy - just trying to imagine those horrible planes tearing through the sky above st margarets. is twickenham multicultural?

Haven't really thought about whether a place is or isn't multicultural tbh. Where are you from? What kind of a community are you looking for?