Query about attitudes in Weston-super-Mare

[supplyteacher53]

We are seriously considering moving from London to WSM. My concern is whether we may encounter any prejudice or racism, as I am white and my husband is black (a previous message dated several years ago mentioned that some people demonstrated racist and violent attitudes). I am aware that WSM is a pretty much completely white area. Am I correct? I hail from Bristol, so am familiar with the general area. Now we would like to live in a cleaner (fresher air) environment than a big city. Please reply, as we would really appreciate your honest comments. Thank you.

Do you need to be within easy reach of M5 for commuting? If not, have you considered heading further west along the A39, there's some really lovely towns/villages along that stretch and it's a much nicer bit of coast!

Weston is a hideous place and unfortunately for 170k you'll not be able to afford anything in the nicer areas (milton, worlebury etc.)
I lived there for 30 years and thought edin was the best place on the planet. After having my child I realised how truly awful the secondary education is and then evaluated why we actually lived there and quickly made the decision to move away.

Moving was the best decision I ever made. We go back at least once a month to visit family and every visit I wonder more and more why I thought the place was so wonderful.

The comments people make about everywhere having drug users just doesn't wash with Weston I'm afraid. Look up the stats and you'll be shocked just how many of the countries drug rehab places are in Weston. So many people drop out of these programmes and then obviously don't 'go home'. They stay in Weston.

I was shocked when I looked at the drug rehab stats and that was one reason we didn’t last very long in Weston. Budget is very tight, just been having a look and not at all what and where you asked for but if you have flexibility what about this :

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-55512363.html

Cardiff much more multicultural, that’s a mile to the station. Lots of parks and the Taff trail good for cycling and getting out of city. The Bay is nice Grower doable and is stunning, pretty easy access in scheme of things to Bristol.

There’s this one , but area very studenty:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57176628.html

@PostNotInHaste OP wants a house

Yes I know but that’s an incredibly tight budget for a house so just putting forward other options that would still get her a garden and be somewhere which might possibly work for them that they might not have thought of.

Anywhere within reach of Bristol that has houses for £170k, you really have to question why the house prices are so low.

I agree, INeedNewShoes. We are taking your comments, and looking further west into South Wales and the villages mentioned in Somerset.
Thank you. Any ideas, please keep them coming.

Weston just isn't a nice place to live, sorry. How about Clevedon?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/fullscreen/image-gallery.html?propertyId=80642471&photoIndex=2
Sea views, lots of community activities they have a community cinema and community bookshop. 40 mins to Bristol by car. Coastal walks. Victorian pier. Not like weston at all.

@Hollowvictory OP want a house, so clevedon is out of the question for her price range

You could be right www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61084962.html this house is £190k Clevedon.
But with a £170k budget and wanting a house and not being in crappy weston, something may have to be a compromise.

I did have a look for you but couldn’t find a house in one of villages for 170k.

There are some nice terraces in Williton, Watchet and Minehead within your budget OP

I went to Weston a few months ago and I was the only one in the fish and chip shop buying food. Everyone else was buying drugs from the deadbeat behind the counter.

Locals call it Weston Super Nightmare for a reason.

I like WSM - it has seems to have become more affluent in the past few years. I have taken all sorts of diverse friends there over time and have encountered no issues.
Hope you have had a successful day OP.

The towns and villages from Thornburg up to Stroud might be worth s look. Stunningly beautiful, and with s bit if searching you may find something in your price range.
Stroud area is generally very arty, liberal. We moved here from London and find the market town we live in generally open minded with a great community spirit.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79986707.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77414168.html

If you want the sea here’s Penarth
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80115104.html

Wye valley
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61435545.html

castle Cary has direct line to London
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77486066.html

Tetbury
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70983838.html

Abolition of bridge tolls changing S Wales, Monmouth
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78797639.html

Dorset worth considering, great quality of life down here, Bridport
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-68241349.html

Another near Bridport
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64872856.html

Sherborne
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70856881.html

None of them may be at all suitable but have focused on the being something different to Bristol aspect and not WSM.

Gosh.. thanks. Some of these look great, so will definitely explore further and let you know if anything happens.
'Abolition of bridge tolls changing S Wales, Monmouth.' I'm guessing this means that people can commute freely, so house prices rising?

There are some lovely places to explore that I was unaware of. Guess that's due to living and working in the capital city for too long!

Yes I think I heard that prices increasing in S Wales as the commute over now cheaper. Was looking at Bristol houses yesterday as my Dad was saying about them still rising by him, they really have shot up. A fair few creative companies now moved to Cardiff have heard and I know a fair few Londoners have moved to Bristol. The line between Bristol and London was going to be electrified but that’s on hold for now I think.

In contrast housing market by us down in Dorset is not good at the moment and prices have been falling. A fair few of my friends have moved down from London and then their family followed. Still not sure what we’ll do long term but we’re saying today it would be quite a wrench to move from here, quality of life is good and allotment overlooking fields for £50 a year has sorted my phases of wanting to live somewhere surrounded by fields.

Hi OP, I am local to WsM I live near Worle close to the Morrison’s you pass as you come off the motorway. I can not disagree with comments about the drug and alcohol problems here due to the rehab centres and the issues that brings. I very rarely go into the town centre itself which is very tired looking in places. There are parts of WsM that I would not consider living in.

I moved house just over a year ago to a beautiful house in a lovely area, two of my DC attend an amazing primary school and my eldest started secondary school last September at a really good school.

I can not find anything within your price range for 2 bed house other than flats or areas I would not live in.

As an example my late parents home sold in 4 days in a very popular with families part of Worle, 1970’s 3 bed so good size and garden, needed new central heating and bathroom (we paid £14k just a few months before parents passed away on wet room) and some redecoration. Homes with these things were selling for £200k is we accepted £181k so occasionally you may get lower figure than expected in a great area.

Feel free to pm me or any right move links if you want an opinion??

I was born here, moved away Uni/work, moved back from Hendon when ‘settling down’ in my 30’s. worked in Taunton, Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Cardiff commuting from a village before then buying house 3 roads away from the house I bought recently

Price wise you are really going to struggle for £170k.

Hi again... we visited a few houses in and around Newport, South Wales and was wondering if anyone could give us any advice regarding areas. In one village, we weren't made to feel welcome by the estate agent, basically telling us that we wouldn't fit in. Whereas near the M4, in a far busier area, near Malpas Rd, people seem friendly and houses affordable. I've noticed that houses are being sold very quickly, including those posted by you guys for me. We hope to be relocated by the end of August, so are constantly searching.

Thank you; that's interesting. I agree that £170k in Worle is insufficient. We looked at a few houses in the area within our budget but weren't for us, so are venturing into other areas.

WSN does have a lot of drug rehab centres and drug problems. If you are looking at Weston I would suggest Worle as that is quite nice and has its own train station and is close to the motorway for commuting

This town weston super mare isnt bad, been here on an off for 30 years there are low IQ people who do think they own you some of town folk dont know the meaning of friendship, Money Talks in this town but you get that everywhere i have no issue with this town or people just have issues with people who think they own you an jealous of you

This has just come up on threads I am on again and I am laughing reading my posts as we have now moved from Dorset (very ready to by that point) and have moved to WSM. Very happy here, have made new friends and feel very settled.

I’m from Bristol originally and loads of people have moved out here over the last few years and also a fair few from London plus a number of other places. I’ve found everyone mostly very friendly and have a huge sense of ‘coming home’ as I grew up not far from here.

Town centre not great overall but people are trying. We’ll move again in a few years once DC settled properly and a friend asked the other day where will we go. I don’t know the answer to that but think I would like to stay locally as love being able to walk to GP and various shops, the beach and parks, Clifton takes 40 mins on a good run, the station has been really handy and I can be in my friend’s kitchen on a farm in 10 mins.

I think the above poster has a good point. There is a big divide in wealth with some areas of very high deprivation but you do see that in a lot of places. Hoping the new very hands on MP can make a bit of a difference. The fact he is the first ever Labour MP reflects to an extent the change of demographic over the last few years combined with boundary changes.