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Original poster

Would we be ok as a mixed race couple in Winchester

21 replies

PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 12:07

hello, we are thinking of moving to Winchester. We are a mixed race couple, with two children, and we are really worried about whether our DC in particular would be subject to a lot of problems as they are mixed race. The source of these worries is that I come from another area of the UK where we would not want to go to as DH has experienced racisim there (not just once), and am pretty sure that the DC would experience it at school, esp since when I went to school there were children who experiences who just happened to have a slightly olive skin tone.

OP posts:
Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 12:07

experienced it sorry.

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mistressploppy · 04/09/2011 13:44

I live just outside Winchester and I think you'll be fine, absolutely fine.

Winchester IS a pretty white place (I grew up in Glasgow, it was about 50/50 white/Pakistani where I went to school, and it was a bit weird moving here!) but the mixed race families we know don't seem to run into many problems.

I suppose you get idiots everywhere though Smile

It's lovely here - do come!

Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 14:24

mistressploppy thank you

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Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 14:24

Where we live is pretty white too, but it is still effectively London, where we have never had any issue at all.

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mycatsaysach · 04/09/2011 14:28

i live just outside winchester - to give you some idea in dcs primary school there were only one mixed race and one asian family.not aware of any issues or problems but they were obv a tiny minority in a school of approx 600 children.

Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 14:31

mycatsaysach, I think that it is probably better to be one of very few, rather than a small group, as this would be more easily grouped together.

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Gonzo33 · 04/09/2011 15:12

I usually live just outside Winchester and as far as I know my son's school have had no issue with mixed race bullying or anything. Like someone else said though, you do get idiots no matter where you go.

Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 15:31

Gonzo33 yes I could not agree more. Thanks.

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Gonzo33 · 04/09/2011 15:45

Good luck with the move PANCHEY Winchester is a lovely place, I am quite jealous!

Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 15:55

Thank you so much.

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Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 15:56

So although a little off topic, where are the nicest areas to move to?

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peggyblackett · 04/09/2011 15:56

Winchester lovely - very envious :).

Sariska · 04/09/2011 16:03

At risk of outing myself, I'm half of a mixed race couple - with DC - and we live here. Love it and have not experienced any problems.

Ooopsadaisy · 04/09/2011 16:04

Can I just say - what a bloody sad world it is that in "enlightened Britain" in 2011, someone has to even ask this question.

Good luck wherever you go, OP. Try to ignore the idiots and don't let them bring you down.

thisisyesterday · 04/09/2011 16:07

wow.

I too am shocked that you feel you have to ask this question. it's really quite sad :(

Don't have any experience of Winchester myself, but I hope if you move there you're very happy!

southchinasea · 04/09/2011 16:17

I think you'd be absolutely fine- winchester's increasingly cosmopolitan these days, I taught at one of the schools in central winchester, and we had a fair number of children from overseas, with parents maybe working at the university or hospital etc, and children from a range of cultural backgrounds. Not to the extent of say southampton, obviously, but a reasonable mix. many people have moved out of london to live in winchester, and it has a more liberal feel than some more settled rural towns elsewher in hants/ wilts. Probably generalizing massively!

Original poster
PANCHEY · 04/09/2011 16:58

Ooopsadaisy and thisisyesterday, yes it is very sad, but at the risk of outing myself DH had to leave his own country as he belonged to the wrong ethnic minority. We are very aware that we do not want to put ourselves into a situation where our children are pre-judged in this way, so the best way to find out about these things is to see what mumsnetters have to say on the subject!

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mistressploppy · 04/09/2011 19:43

Nice areas - it's all nice! But Hyde and St Cross are probably the most sought-after parts of town centrally. Abbots Barton is very nice too. Badger Farm is a pleasant sort of city suburb (you'd probably need to drive/bus into town) but no 'hub' ie shops. Teg Down is similar. Kingsworthy is nice too - it is technically a village just outside Winchester but so close it's basically joined up. Other nice surrounding villages include Twyford, Littleton and Itchen Abbas (v tiny though)

I've probably missed out loads of lovely places so I hope I haven't offended any locals on the thread!

HannahHack · 04/09/2011 19:50

I moved to Winchester from Hackney and found it very white. However my best mate from Winchester is mixed race. It is fine tbh, however I have experienced some problems in shops when with mixed race friend. For example she was accused of shop lifiting in v posh shop as she was wearing scarf they sell in there and I got pulled over all the time when in the car of another mixed race friend when we were 17. That said, those are the only two incidents in a number of years, and you could get it anywhere I am afraid Sad

MrsDaffodill · 04/09/2011 19:59

My best friend grew up as a mixed race child in Winchester in the 80s and found it fine. Would imagine it is no problem now.

richardarmitageismine · 06/09/2011 22:37

I am one half of a mixed race couple, and we visited Winchester a couple of weeks ago with a view to possibly moving there. Beforehand we had the same concerns as you. On the day, I have to say some people were very friendly, much more so than in London. But I hardly saw any other ethnic minorities around, and whilst sat on a bench in Winchester high street, dh said that two children whilst walking past were staring at him and the dcs. He thought this was because of their race, obviously it probably was'nt, but the fact that he felt that put him off. We questioned whether we would feel comfortable there. If you have'nt visited go there and get a feel for the place, Winchester is beautiful and we had a lovely day out if nothing else.

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