Glos, Wilts and Oxon - where to live!?

[Sassyk]

Advice from people living in the area. Due to recent (jacked in my job) change in circumstances we have to move to be close to DH's job in Swindon. We live in London now and I'm scared shitless about this move. Ideally want to be in a town where there are shops, cafes and restuarants, reasonable housing cost (renting) and good schools. We don't have to worry about getting a place in a school yet but will need nursery etc. I've identified Cirencester, Stroud, Witney (which I know well), any others we should consider? DH isn't in Swindon every day so we don't have to be very close. Any advice would be appreciated!

I live Painswick/Witcombe/Birdlip.

Right in the middle of glos, chelt and Stroud, right on the A417 for ciren and Swindon.

Would never move. There is literally nothing missing.

My dh is a Randwick boy.

And my 6 year old DS did the cheese roll this year. I shit myself

King of the stupids - I bet we know each other! I was there from 1983-1993. Went to Randwick primary school, was a princess at the wap twice and then a Lady in Waiting. Can't believe how idyllic a place I grew up.

monkeyface - kids' cheese roll is up the hill isn't it? I know the winner of this year's womens' race [friend of the stars]

I was at the primary school for a year in about 1985. I can remember the dinner lady smacking my bum for playing in the water from the spring in the playground

I was never a queen or princess but my dog did leave a steaming heap of vomit in the road just as the parade was about to come through one year. We had to beg a carrier bag to pick it up before the Morris men trampled it. My friends mum who was a bit sad she was going to write a poem about it and send it to the Times.

I miss living there a lot. I'd love my children to be able to grow up somewhere as lovely as the Stroud Valleys.

I find Cheltenham flat and very cliché. I like how earthy and edgy and whacky stroud is and how it sits in the most stunning hills. The stroud valleys do have lots of wealth but it's not central. I also like the rolling landscape around Cirencester. Cirencester is horsey and has amazing shops on tiny back streets. I'm very comfortable letting my kids rome around the streets or take themselves off to the open air or inside pool. It feels the safest of all three towns for kids.

If you lived Cirencester, Swindon is very close, the train to London is very close (Kemble train station), you have lots of cities close by for employment (Oxford, Cheltenham, Bath, Bristol, Swindon, Gloucester)

Yep, kids cheese roll is uphill. Except, I didnt consider that once they had scaled it, they had to get back down. And I didnt explain to my 6 year old that he wasnt to copy the older teenagers and throw himself back down....