So where *is* the best place to bring up children?

[BananaSkin]

Following on from the thread on Parenting about bringing up children in London, where do you think would be a good place to bring them up? Is there anywhere that is safer, interesting, has cultural richness, good schools etc?

DH and I once rented a cottage in Connomara (sp?) on the western tip of Galway. Stayed there for most of the summer (which was wet)drinking, eating, walking and being generally loved-up. I have very fond memories of that summer.
Stunning beaches too!

Ireland does appeal to me. After we'd been on holiday there with 6mo DD, we were mad keen to move there but obviously we never did anything about it and actually, I'd want to be in a city.

If you like the country, Guernsey would be a great option. If you have a skill (plumber, carpenter, electrician etc) or can get a skilled professional job there in the financial industry, it's easy to get local status and the schools are excellent, the beaches are beautiful, it's safe and friendly and perfect for small children. My little sister and brother grew up there and it was wonderful for them.

Yorkshire a thousand times over!

Harrogate in particular, but SW Sheffield is nice, too...

I have lived in birmingham, warwickshire, west london - central and suburbs, coventry, wales and france.

Wales is safer, is culturally rich and has good schools and fresh air.
London is more interesting, is culturally rich but much less safe though and good schools are generally to be paid for.
The midlands is far from the sea, is flatish and I found it quite boring. Great if you like shopping and curry.
Warwick has Shakespeare obviously and there are some good museams but not huge amounts of culture washing around.
France has good schools, food, culture and family life but obviously you have to speak the lingo and may miss Britain.

Sheffield (but I'm biased). It's great because it grows with your children.

When they're young it has good quality theatres, great museums and art galleries, a high proportion of green spaces for a city and a great urban feel for shopping. You can shop indoors, outdoors, locally and it's all good.

When they're mid range, teenagers, it has great facilities on the door steps and lots of activities in the city. The fresh air angle is handled by the Peak District which is just on the doorstep.

When they're late teens, early twenties, it has a buzzing nightlife and is great for gigs.

It's a place where lots of students come and lots decide to settle. They move to Sheffield and never leave! I'm not born and bred myself, being a Midlander, so I'm not biased by birth.

When my dd was little I used to stand her on my living room windowsill (we have great views across the parks and cities) and tell her how lucky she is to live here. She's now 7 and I've never heard the word bored leave her lips. We're both looking forward to the summer hols here, because there's so much to do. I LOVE it!

Sorry...I waffled a bit. But I love Sheffield. South/South West especially!

Sheffield (but I'm biased). It's great because it grows with your children.

When they're young it has good quality theatres, great museums and art galleries, a high proportion of green spaces for a city and a great urban feel for shopping. You can shop indoors, outdoors, locally and it's all good.

When they're mid range, teenagers, it has great facilities on the door steps and lots of activities in the city. The fresh air angle is handled by the Peak District which is just on the doorstep.

When they're late teens, early twenties, it has a buzzing nightlife and is great for gigs.

It's a place where lots of students come and lots decide to settle. They move to Sheffield and never leave! I'm not born and bred myself, being a Midlander, so I'm not biased by birth.

When my dd was little I used to stand her on my living room windowsill (we have great views across the parks and cities) and tell her how lucky she is to live here. She's now 7 and I've never heard the word bored leave her lips. We're both looking forward to the summer hols here, because there's so much to do. I LOVE it!

Sorry...I waffled a bit. But I love Sheffield. South/South West especially!

Sorry for posting twice. Lord, is there any way to shut this woman up???

I live in Newcastle.

Don't know too much about schools as DD still very young, but the lifestyle would definitely be hard to give up if we moved.

House prices are low, there is always something going on, loads of art galleries, museums etc, nearly all of which are free. Plenty of kids activities. I could take DD (20 months) to a different activity every day and spend around a tenner a week (in theory!).

The city is the right size for me - big enough that you never get bored, but small enough that you can walk everywhere. You occasionally bump into people you know, but not too often!

People are generally friendly (and I'm a southerner). There is of course crime, but that's part and parcel of living in a city. It doesn't feel like a scary place to be.

I've never had any problems being a southerner in Manchester, in fact was a little scared by how friendly people are when i moved. obviously all cities have areas of trouble/deprivation but we have great parks, shops, culture, peak district, and motorways to anywhere. i still miss london but trying to find a decent affordable babysitter for when we are down there and the nightmare of prams on the tube makes me think it would be difficult to make the most of it with kids.

DH and I both grew up in North Wales, I have to say neither of us liked it and would never move back there. Probably just the areas we were in, but no jobs, drugs, crime, run down, I got bullied at school for being a 'swot' ie actually working rather than preparing to drop out at 16...

We live in Bath now, and though we don't have any experience of what it's like for kids yet (24 weeks pregnant and counting) we really love it. It's got lots of city stuff without being too big, lovely walks around Widcombe etc, parks, playgrounds. Jobs-wise is actually the reason we moved here, I work in magazines and most jobs are in London, but there are several publishers in Bath, and in Bristol as well if I ever fancied a small commute.

We used to live in Exeter (I commuted to Bath for 2.5years, so now the ten-minute walk into work is bliss!) which I also loved for similar reasons. Bath's just smaller and more expensive!

Message withdrawn

btw custy doesn't live in Brighton

We're in Edinburgh which I think is a good place for children. I'm born and bred here (well suburbia) but spent my 20s in London and one of the reasons I moved home again was that I didn't want to settle in the big city.
Thank god we live centrally as I'm on mat leave and being able to walk everywhere - cafes, John Lewis (my 2nd home), art galleries, cinemas, child friendly pools museums, shops etc - has been a godsend. Can't imagine how new Mums cope if they are in an isolated village somewhere.
Primary schools are good but state secondaries in the city really vary. THere are loads of private schools here which really annoys me as I think it impacts on state schools.

I've lived in London, Kent and Glos, Somerset, Devon and now London. Somedays I would love to be in the Orkneys for the fresh sea air, wildlife, shores,little traffic and simplicity.

I'd say the small towns and villages within a half hour commute around swindon are pretty good bets. Cirencester is lovely, very good schools, nice soft play..., Marlborough is nice. Secondary school is not as good as others (such as Ciren or Chippenham) but a nice enough place. I also like Chippenham, not a pretty town, but a nice community, two fantastic secondary schools (one is reckoned to be the best non selective in the country - at least that's what they claim, but even if not true, still a pretty good school) and a lovely park. Used to live in Newbury - again some good schools, quaint little town. I very much liked living there. Wouldn't recommend Oxford. Lived there too. Schools are not particularly great and it looks lovely but as pps have said, there are some quite rundown areas, and its quite rough on a saturday night. The crime stats are not great. Where I live doesn't have the nice reputation, but the crime figures are sometimes half those of Oxford (particularly for muggings etc).

So I'd vote for any of those... Cirencester, Marlborough, Newbury, Chippenham .. but then I do like small towns - a greater sense of community!

Do you know, before I even opened this thread I knew the consensus would be Surrey?

How in God's name could you bear the accent though?

How in Gods name can anyone live in Surrey- i USE to

Glad you agree, VanillaPumpkin, Suffolk's just great for all the reasons you mentioned. StarAnise take note! I found a job here relatively easily & DH is happy to do daily commute to London.

not heard brilliant things about Suffolk -

My mate was asked if she had ever had a curry on a night out recently - she is 43

in a twon with cities nearby

I grew up in the countryside of Northampton, now on the south coast. Beautiful to be surrounded by the downs and a short wander to the beach (not a fan of living in the town though), but now with my first gorgeous small one (16 mths) am starting to hanker after some of my own childhood jaunts, and to be nearer to my family. Is this normal behaviour for first time parents? Do I actually want to move back there or do I just want a bit hug from my Mum and Dad every now and again?

surrey. good schools, close to london, safe(ish) lots to do.

Daftpunk- i think Surrey has;too much traffic,too much pollution,too many people and the small mindedness of earning loads of money makes you happy

notasheep.. it's not all like that, and not everyone in surrey worships the god of money.

it has some beautiful open spaces, plenty of activities for children, close to london for museums etc, some of the best schools in the country, and is relatively safe.

i guess it's what you're used to. iv'e never been "up north"

agree with nigella, iBundle and Dottoressa- Harrogate!

Lots of green, open spaces, beautiful Valley Gardens park, an RHS garden, great shops (nice independents, too) it's in Yorkshire (major plus ) good schools,a theatre,conference centre for trade shows/ decent concert venue, beautiful countryside, Leeds 13 miles away for all the shops/cricket, York a short trip away for culture.