Relocating to Lancashire

[werekitty]

Help, in the next couple of months I'm probably going to have to relocate from Surrey to Preston/Blackburn.

Which areas should I try and rent in and where do I avoid?

Thanks in advance

Come back for a visit.....it is guild year!!

Clitheroe is lovely. Independent shops, a castle, a lovely park, very child friendly. Outstanding children's centre and primary schools and very good high schools and a grammar. Miles of empty unspoilt countryside on your doorstop. Some great characterful pubs, a state of the art arts centre. Very friendly locals and very low crime rate. Easy commute to preston and hourly trains to blackburn and manchester. I love it and i'm very fussy! Lovely surrounding villages aswell, if you have the money. Try chatburn, waddington, west bradford and grindleton

be aware that if you live much of a distance from any motorway in Lancashire it takes bloody ages to get anywhere

there's a Waitrose at Walton-le-Dale now (there is also one at Formby but that's one of the places it takes bloody ages to get to & from)

haha DS visits a lot I visited at christmas.

The guild is good (only weird prestonians get the guild)

I love where I live now its better here sorry

Clitheroe has more than its share of charity shops these days, sadly

And I 2nd Bobbinogs Clitheroe (I forgot about Clitheroe)

do you own property where you are, werekitty? if so you'll be quids-in

Do you use the expression 'once every Preston Guild' for something that doesn't happen very often? For example 'DH made the packed lunches, which only happens once every Preston Guild'.

People down here look at me funny.

I haven't used that one but I have used others that people look at me strangly for. I don't why, these are the people that use the word sen for self for goodness sake

As in 'Frame this'sen'?

(Also used to live in N.Yorks!)

As in "do it your sen"= do it your self

They also say sheck for shake??

I was laughing at that guy on BGT on Saturday.

someone was once taking the michael out of us repeating everything and I never realised how much it was done till that guy did it loads on Saturday.

It's true there are more charity shops and chainstores in clitheroe than there used to be but Dawsons and Byrnes are both a wonder and we've kept Macdonalds out on the bypass.

Cowgills & Cowmans both excellent too

I miss Kaydee though

How could I forget cowgills. I spend half my salary there. Kaydee was the one stop shop for obscure european novels, bejewelled fountain pens and silk scarves. At the moment my favourite place in town is the alice in wonderland inspired cafe with the vintage shop upstairs and a map of our favourite east lancs market town printed on the floor. Has MN ever had a clitheroe appreciation thread, I suspect not...

I use the once every Preston Guild line but mostly under my breath as no one would know what I meant.
It's every 20 years OP.

Thank you for all the suggestions, Clitheroe sounds promising but will look at other areas mentioned as well.

Also appreciate the translations :)

If you do end up in Clitheroe ( and there are lots of other lovely places in Lancashire, though I agree steer clear of Darwen if you can ) beware of the accent. As a committed northerner myself even I had a few confusing exchanges when I first got here. I still find the phrase 'mars bar' in an east lancs accent unaccountably hilarious. Look forward to seeing you in the New Inn......

loads of non-Lancs immigrants in Ribble Valley though

you're as likely to hear RP as anything else

I once tried to persuade my dad to move to Clitheroe, but he ended up in Burnley instead. His main gripe against Clitheroe was the cement factory. Does everything actually get covered in cement dust or was he exhibiting some of his notoriously bad judgement.
Ps. Don't move to Burnley...

Clitheroe is lovely. I used to save my pocket money to spend in Kaydee :)

he was right about the cement factory (but wrong to move to Burnley instead )

it's not as bad as it used to be, they have better filters (but allegedly take them off at night )

the prevailing wind takes most of it over Chatburn, but everywhere is dustier than the average, & I hate housework, so it makes me look even more of a slob than I really am. windows usually look dirty, esp after rain (which is frequent).

not trying to put you off btw, werekitty!

Great Harwood, Clitheroe, pleasington, bowland, mellor, Chorley all lovely

oh yes, Chorley is nice - we went to a show at the Little Theatre & had a meal beforehand, it seems extremely pleasant and is a lot handier for motorways (not that I'm obsessed but I hate the A59 with a passion)

Chorley would be a good location for either Preston or Blackburn

clitheroe has a backwards stream -it flows the wrong way!

Chorley has the best ice cream shop in the world but you may need a translator

hair and care both rhyme with fur
book cook and look sound like the typhoo advert as in you only get an ooooo with typhoo

Another Prestonian here...live on the outskirts...lots of good schools and nice villages nearby....also can just hop on the train to Manchester if you want great shopping and a decent night out :)