DH and I are facing a very uncertain future due to the pandemic and as a result, we've decided to sell our house in the south east and massively downsize, to be mortgage free and provide ourselves with a few years of income.
It's been a highly stressful year and we just need a completely fresh start in a new place where we can begin again.
We've always wanted to live by the sea and both love Cornwall. We would like to live within a town ideally or possibly a village, as long as it has amenities.
However, I've been put off after searching Mumsnet and reading numerous posts from people saying how unfriendly the Cornish are to newcomers, and that you'll never be truly accepted or make friends unless your family have lived there for generations.
I was wondering - is this really the case? We have a young son (not yet school age) so he'd be starting primary school down there. Is it possible to make friends or would we be permanently excluded as newcomers to the area?
Also, we wouldn't want to live anywhere where the vast majority of houses are holiday lets and there's no real community (I'm wondering if St Ives, as beautiful as it is, might fall into this category).
Thanks for reading.