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Original poster

How is life in Norfolk? Can anyone share their view?

34 replies

bellbottom · 09/11/2009 09:54

Hey there everyone,

I've lived abroad for 10 years. Lately I feel a crossroads ahead and feel the need for change.

A man I like talks of moving to norfolk to open an antique shop by the sea!

Im a single mum so this would be a massive step. I'm not at all considering it yet as we're not even in a relationship yet!

BUT, it has opened up the need for me to explore other options, and has made me curious to find out - what would life be in Norfolk?

Does anyone live there? How is life there? Is it child friendly? Is it exciting? Whats the age group there? What's the atmosphere? How is the cost of living? What's the general quality of living? Are people nice to one another? (I come from south London, where the vibe these days consists of general disrespect and bad-foul mouthing. I hate that!)

Hope someone can help! Thankyoooooo!

OP posts:
SoloSparklyCatherineWheel · 09/11/2009 23:07

One of my friends moved there in August in order to give her two Dc's a better future. She loves it and keepstrying to get me to move up there too.

bronze · 09/11/2009 23:10

I'm in Norfolk. I guess it depends where you are looking at... Blakeney is lovely, Yarmouth not quite so.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 09/11/2009 23:11

SIL lives in North Norfolk and loves it. She doesn't have children yet, but her DP's whole extended family is there and I know that sense of family-friendliness has contributed to her wanting to settle there and put down roots.

My only issue with Norfolk is that the transport links are pretty crap and it takes ages to get anywhere else.

Floopy21 · 10/11/2009 09:48

You should probably be aware of the Doctors' acronym used to describe some patients: N.F.N. (Normal for Norfolk )

Floopy21 · 10/11/2009 09:50

DISCLAIMER: I am from the rival county of Suffolk though!

bronze · 10/11/2009 10:02

normal of course meaning outstandingly brilliant

Norfolk folk all like Stephen Fry in intelligence and Mylene Klass in body didn't you know

PandaG · 10/11/2009 10:14

I'm from N Norfolk. MOved away for university and wouldn't go back to live, but very frequently visit family there.

MY DC love the sea and beach, and the time their GPs spend with them.

I wouldn't want to live there permanently, as said further up the thread, public transport really not good, as a teen I had to depend on parents for lifts or to borrow the car when older. During the winter couldn't even getr back from the next town after the cinema by public transport.

Is different in NOrwich, but in N nOrfolk, (and pretty much the rest of the county apart from the city), it is very caucasian. I have come across (in my own family as well as in others) much small minded thoughtless racism.

My attitude is lovely to visit, but I couldn't live there after having moved away.

FreeTheGuidoOne · 10/11/2009 10:18

Well, like any county it does very much depend on where you are.

It depends on your wants and needs. Yes, transport is difficult. Even the A roads are often single carriageway and with a low speed limit and instead of being able to drive from A to B, you have to go via C, D and E. I think this is a positive. It's unspoilt in a lot of places, quiet, beautiful, steeped in history. But if you want shopping or nightlife and museums etc, then you need to choose carefully. Norwich has everything any other city does but is also rather pretty. Bits of the coast, particularly the North East part are very rural, windswept and not teeming with things to do. But if you yearn for walks on the beach and cliffs, running out the dogs, hiking etc, it's perfect. North Norfolk coast, Wells and Holkham sort of area is a nice little mix and then there are some nice towns inland that are fairly bohemian with cafes and galleries and antiquey places. Swaffham and that area is good if you have children as family services there are brilliant and very proactive but the nearer you get to King's Lynn, the less desirable you might find it imho.

I do think, and it's important to mention it, that in some areas there can be a suspicion surrounding people moving here (particularly if there's a sniff of a London accent) and buying up places, hoiking up prices, opening up little cutesy shops. Rightly or wrongly it's there and there's one other MNer on here that can tell you more about it. Generally, it's a lovely and welcoming place but it does struggle with a lot of commuters moving here and spending money that people who have been born here don't have. That's life though and it makes Norfolk more interesting to have a good mix of people but I think some people are a bit cross that we're seen as a suburb of London in some respects.

I live on a farm in central Norfolk, train services are good, buses are okay, we have an airport, cost of living is reasonable and there's some lovely beaches and wildlife.

4andnotout · 10/11/2009 10:30

I live in West Norfolk between Swaffham and Fakenham and I love it. The village where I live is very picturesque and the people are friendly, the school is good and there is a good preschool. Transport links are ok, a bus into Lynn every hour which is much better than some of the villages round here. My dp's family live in Essex and everytime we visit I thank my lucky stars we are raising ours here!

bronze · 10/11/2009 10:41

you even have a doctors

We still haven't met up

4andnotout · 10/11/2009 10:49

I will have to meet soon, I'm sure I saw a picture of you on K's fb though

and yes we do have a doctorsalthough whether you can get past the receptionist is another matter

bronze · 10/11/2009 13:55

See I just had to go and look and can't see one (thank goodness)
anyway back to Norfolk. I love it. I love bringing the kids up here and for me the only thing I miss are hills

MitchyInge · 10/11/2009 14:16

am from Norfolk originally (nr Swaffham) - now living all the way over the border in Suffolk

there was v little to do (apart from mating with own siblings obviously) but, and have never lived anywhere very urban to compare, it was a great outdoorsy life and property seems very cheap there still

watch a few old episodes of League of Gentlemen to get you in the mood for your new life

FimboFortunaFeet · 10/11/2009 14:23

I live near Norwich although I am originally from Scotland.

A11 - summer time, horrendous. It is one of the main routes into Norwich/North Norfolk and parts of it are still single carriageway. You can be stuck for ages going nowhere.

North Norfolk is lovely - fine for holidays but I wouldn't like to live there full time.

Where I am is ok, but most of Norfolk is geared up for summer/warm weather and there really is not a lot to do when winter sets in (apart from shopping!).

We do visit London a lot though, mainly Greenwich.

Hullygully · 10/11/2009 14:24

Flat.

bronze · 10/11/2009 14:25

though not as flat as the fens

throckenholt · 10/11/2009 14:28

Norfolk is a place to stay in - not travel to or from !

Particularly the coast - it takes a long time to get to and from it.

It is generally friendly, can be expensive along the north coast. Schools tends to be small, particularly in the villages.

It can be very cold in winter, hotter in summer, but cooler near the coast where the see breeze is dominant.

Exciting - hmm -no - wouldn't say that. Quite cultured in places - totally not in others probably.

MitchyInge · 10/11/2009 14:29

it's not flat, it's flet

Hullygully · 10/11/2009 14:30

Windswept.

Hassled · 10/11/2009 14:33

I've lived in Norfolk for some years now - it's an odd mix of real pockets of urban and rural deprivation, and then the much weathier London-By-The-Sea bits (mostly North Norfolk). Fimbo's right that there's little to do other than bracing walks during the winter but the summer sort of makes up for that. Beautiful coastline, some lovely towns - Norwich is great for shopping.

The OP's friend is not going to be alone with his antique shop by the sea, though - there are hoards of the things. Mostly the shops in North Norfolk sell either crabs or antiques - little else .

throckenholt · 10/11/2009 14:37

its not flat (says she who grew up in the fens) - it is mostly rolling countryside like much of southern England. No real uplands - but plenty of hills (certainly if you are cycling).

MitchyInge · 10/11/2009 14:37

it's a great place to grow up though, I could drive competently by the age of 11 (from towing tractors and also bombing around in disused old bangers) and ride a motorbike off-road, and you can still hack (horse) through great chunks of Thetford Forest if you don't have any land of your own

although I seem to remember parents and friends' parents and local policeman all driving home drunk on regular basis which has probably warped my views on road traffic safety

FimboFortunaFeet · 11/11/2009 15:54

Scotland has hills, Norfolk's are mere bumps in the landscape

throckenholt · 12/11/2009 08:18

well yeah - there are hills and hills - and Norfolk ones are different breed from the Scottish ones (which are baby mountains) - but it isn't flat (we not everywhere !).

throckenholt · 12/11/2009 08:19

that would be well not everywhere.