Manchester - where to live - is Hale too posh?

[Bazyboots]

Hello all, I'm new so please bear with me as I don't really know what I'm doing....we are looking to move to south Manchester as DH needs to be close to the airport for work. Been driving around various areas including Sale, Timperley and Hale and so far Hale is favourite. BUT is it just going be too posh and stuck-up for a simple lassy from Lancashire like myself? I know you get the good, the bad and the ugly everywhere but there seems to be a general consensus that it is a little pretentious. Any thoughts and advice much appreciated - thanks!

Have a look at my Moving To Manchester thread (sorry on phone so can't link it). It was 2/3 years ago now, but loads of information on there. We moved two years ago to Sale which suits us. Hale was a bit over-priced and a bit posh and swishy for me. We got more for our money, great schools and have a tram nearby.

Thanks foxy.....think I am maybe already watching it and accidentally posted similar question on it....Tis all a little confusing!

Have you looked at Wilmslow/Alderley Edge/Bramhall? Nice areas with good local schools. Wilmslow in particular is handy for airport and has a train station etc.

Another vote for Wilmslow; good transport links and it has its own identity rather than just being a Manchester suburb. I have lived in lots of places and moved from Liverpool a few years ago. I have had no problems settling and have found there is a good mix of people.

If I could live anywhere in Manc I'd go for Didsbo or Chorlton.

We haven't looked around any of the above mentioned areas (except a quick drive around Sale, which looked nice - like Bel-Air next to Wigan! ;)) so will definitely do so....any parts to avoid? - btw, thanks all very much! Are the schools decent in Chorlton and Didsbury?....

The thing what attracted me to Hale was that nearly all the primary schools have an outstanding Ofsted. Then of course there are the grammar schools (and if they didn't pass their 11+ the local comp seems good too.) Also, seems very leafy and I like the food at Picolinos!

Chorlton Park is outstanding, but you'd have to be ruthless about getting in the catchment. Secondary comps in Chorlton decent but not outstanding. They compete for the middle classes with the local independents like MGS, St Bede's.

Oh, duh, William Hulme has gone state. It's the highest performing state in Manchester.

I don't know about the schools in Chorlton and Didsbury,but as princessfifi said, they are more like Manchester suburbs than separate towns IMHO, so if you prefer that look at them, but if you'd rather be in a definite town, look at Wilmslow, Prestbury, Alderley Edge, Bramhall. I grew up in the area, and have relatives who teach at primary schools in the area. Wilmslow in particular has very good schools at primary and secondary levels.

Go altrincham. Look there as that's where people tend to want to move for secondary school all their primary schools are brilliant. I lie Cheadle which is near airport and my kids go to a excellent school. But alot of parents are moving to altrincham. So my advice would be go there and the people are nice. Not stuck up. Plus people in Hale try and want to be someone they r not (fake comes to my mind)

Thanks all very much....interesting, plenty food for thought and lots to research :)

Just been looking at Wilmslow on Rightmove - you certainly get more house for your money than in Hale...but you see my problem is I sound like a female version of Paddy McGuiness (No lighty - No Likey!!). Still, there's always elocution lessons :/
trys and fails to do a sceptial smiley

Hi, we moved to Hale about 3 years ago having lived in Bolton for 7 years. So I feel I can comment as a Lancashire Lass (at least for a while) and a Hale "resident" now! I love it - oh my god yes there are pretentious people about and yes, chances are you'll spot a minor celeb or a footballer if you walk around the village for long enough, but there are lots of "normal" people who live there too. I wanted to "put down roots" so make lots of friends, have children settled at an outstanding primary school with lots of friends (and potential to go to very good secondary schools), live in a "nice" area, be able to walk to the shops / library / cafe / school / children's activities, feel part of a community, have good transport links etc and its ticked all of those boxes.

Its extremely family oriented - lots and lots of baby / toddler groups going on, the village is quite a focal point so you'll bump into people all the time, has been so easy to make friends. Schools are brilliant although as other posters have suggested, lots of people move to Hale / Altrincham specifically for the grammar schools so it is unbelievably competitive to get in these days. Lots of lovely bars and restaurants within walking distance, Dunham Park on your doorstep, it really is lovely. There are some people who move to Hale because they have family there but the vast majority seem to move there because its a nice part of Manchester / Cheshire to move to - so there are lots of things like babysitting circles / nannies / good after school / holiday clubs available as they know alot of people don't have family to fall back on.

The downside is that unless you have pots of cash, you might end up feeling a bit like you can't keep up with the Jones' but once to get to know people, you'll realise that whilst there are people like that, the vast majority of people are lovely. I think house prices are very expensive, but we've seen that they've held their value pretty much throughout all of this.

Email me if you want any more info.

Awww, that's incredibly helpful- thanks Mandy! Now then, how the bloody hell do I send an email.....
Hang on

If you are the trendy/edgy sort then didsbury. Otherwise Wilmslow/Cheadle Hulme/Bramhall - great schools, nice villages, restaurants but still close enough to Stockport to keep you grounded. Hale is a bit erm.... posh. Altincham can also be a bit erm.... unposh dependent on which bit you buy in.

Cheadle Hulme 4 bed estate detached - 325k, 4 bed nice leafy road - £395kish

Touch higher for Wilmslow

Urmm....don't know what sort of person I am really, but unfortunatly not a posh one!.....we drove round altrincham once and as you very diplomatically put it Sherbetpips some parts were rather unposh.....regarding Didsbury, it that not just as expensive as Hale is (really have no clue). Ta!

I used to live on the Hale / Altincham border and I loved it. I would move back there like a shot. The old mantra used to be choose a B road (names begin with a "b") or a tree road (road names are trees).

Hale is a bit posh but it has a lot going for it in terms of shops, restaurants, bars and Bowden is uber-posh but has Dunham Massey on it's doorstep.

Depends how rich you are! I don't like Didsbury and Chorlton. a bit too trendy and the schools are a bit unpredicatable. Trafford schools are generally pretty good. Flixton iis nice.

I'm not posh either, Sale is right up my street with its money shops and mobile phone shops it has a leisure centre.

The Alty Grammar schools are very competitive and pressured when they get there. Sale Grammar seems less so, and the two high schools are good. Lots of good primaries. A choice of faith schools at both levels too. Really depends on what you want.

Either side of the A56 in Sale are some leafy streets. Ashton on Mersey has an excellent high school, nice little village.

Sale has good access links, close to M60, 20 minutes to Picadilly by tram, 15 into town. Deffo more house for your money here.

Bramhall/Wilmslow/Hale to swishy for me. Dont get the same sense of space in Didsbury or Chorlton but the tram goes there now so nice to visit (but overrated IMVHO).

Feel free to PM me if you like

Like others have said, it really depends what you're after. I live in Poynton which is near Bramhall, and although it's lovely, tbh it's a bit 'posh' for me. The schools are all excellent though, and dd is happy. We like living near the country, so maybe in a few years we'd consider moving 'up the road' to somewhere like Disley, New Mills or Marple.

Trafford definitely good for schools - both primary and secondary. Sale and Timperly are both nice and not too "posh". Chorlton and Didsbury good for primary schools but not so good for secondary. Both nice family places with lots going on. Word of caution though - I have a few friends in Didsbury who have had a nightmare with primary school admissions this year as schools have been heavily over-subscribed.

Lymm?

I've never ventured as far out as Poynton or Bramhall so will have to have a gander. And not too fussed if he doesn't go to a grammar school, as long as it's a decent comp ( have taught in some secondary schools and it's just been riot control so cautious of this for the future - if though DS is not yet 3!)

And think I've made myself sound like a proper clampit!....not sure how posh is too posh for me. Will have to have a wonder round some of these places to get a feel for them. You can be posh but down to earth - it's the pretentious, stuck-up and condesending type that do my head in. Mind you, you get some common-snobs in Wigan - they ARE the worst!!

Yeah, have had a google at some of the secondary schools in Chorlton and Didsbury and the secondaries at least don't seem as good as those in Trafford.

Lymm - Again, don't know much about it, other than I've heard it's nice and countrified. Does that come under Warrington? I bet it's a little closer to Liverpool airport as well, which could be handy....

Thanks very much for all your fab feedback!! Love this site me :)

Hello, I am new to the website and using the medium for the first time to seek your advice, support & help.

I am in the process of relocating to UK, Manchester to be precise, with my wife, daughter who is 17 and out pet Labrador who is 8.

I have visited UK a few times this year and several times over the last 10 and visited Manchester couple of times this year to make up my mind. ( I am trying to say that I am not a complete stranger to UK and Manchester )

I am looking for a suitable place to stay in Manchester and I need your views on the best places to live. I have shortlisted Didsbury, Wilmslow, Sale, Hale, Cholton and Knutsford.

The things that are important to me are, proximity to good schools for my 17 year old daughter ( she is currently topping the school ) not very far from Springfield / Desnsgate where my office is located and good social life ( read cafes, pubs, restaurants and shopping - yes, I still need to enjoy my life )

Seek your views, advices, opinions, ideas on the schools I need to look at and the locality I need to look to rent ( I am looking for 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom house ) with some open/ garden space for my not so little 4 legged baby

Your priority needs to be finding a school for your daughter. If she is 17, that is quite an awkward age (educationally) to move. You probably know this but children do "A levels" for 2 years between 16-18 (sixth form). If she is 17, she is likely to have missed the first year of study for those A levels and may need to go back a year. As far as I know, the schools that offer sixth form places require certain exam results - usually GCSEs so you'd have to check whether your daughter has the equivalent required results. So I would contact the secondary schools in the area first of all to check where your daughter is likely to get a place, and then search for a house closeby.