Moving to Cornwall...will everyone hate me??!

[KateD83]

Hi everyone, I'm thinking of buying a home in Cornwall and wondered if there are any Cornwellians (or anyone at all actually) who can ease my fears (or give me a reality check) about being an 'outsider'. I have found the house of my dreams, I've been looking for a long time and will live there all year round and contribute as much as I can to the community. But I am not a local, I'm a single female moving on my own and I won't know anyone. I hope my fears of being treated like an outsider and 'shunned' are unfounded, but if anyone has any views, I'd love to hear them! The location is in South East Cornwall. Thanks so much

Can't speak for Cornwall or all of Devon but where my parents live is very friendly to incomers as long as they live year round and don't complain about how they don't have x or y and they did in London!

Ive never been to Cornwall, know nothing about it other than people seem to like going... and even I know they're called Cornish FFS. How can you have done research and not know that?! This must be a fake post

I've lived in Cornwall for nearly 20 years. I came down for uni and never left. I absolutely love it here, but the past few years have been pretty awful with just too many visitors. A lot of people think the locals should be massively grateful for their one visit a year, not realising that a huge amount of money generated from tourists actually goes out of county. Also, not everyone relies on tourism. Most people have "normal" jobs and it's a bleddy nightmare trying to get out and about on the roads in the Summer. So there.

There are huge pockets of poverty down here. House prices are ridiculous,and there are naff all rental properties. It's gone mad. Locals can't afford to live in the places they grew up because some knobhead has bought up all the houses to keep as a second home, or rent out for Air BnB. Whole communities have been decimated because no one fucking lives there in the Winter. It's pure greed.
Speaking of Winter, OP have you visited then? It rains, a lot. Personally I love standing on a cliff getting whacked by the wind and rain, but some don't. It's damp, oh and it's hella windy, oh and there's mizzle (which is horrendous).
The people are bloody lovely though. Yeah some are small minded bigots, but I know plenty of them up country too. You get them everywhere.

All that being said, Cornwall has stolen my heart. It's wild and unforgiving, and beautiful and raw. I fucking love it.

Cornwellians?! Oh dear.

"Cornwellians" , Fucking hell. Definitely don't say that when you're down here.

@GinIronic

People in Cornwall are called Cornish. Have you done much research before deciding on your dream home? You said you have been looking for a long time. Why Cornwall - where you won’t know anyone?

What's the plural? Cornishers? 👀

Locals can't afford to live in the places they grew up because some knobhead has bought up all the houses to keep as a second home, or rent out for Air BnB.

Same for London. Same for pretty much everywhere really.

Nobody has a human right to buy a house in the place they grew up, and the locals don’t ‘own’ Cornwall - if they want to buy a house they need to get a job, save the money and buy something they can afford, same as anyone else.

It does seem like some of them feel more entitled to affordable housing etc because they see Cornwall as more unique and special than other places, and themselves by extension of that.

The reality is we’re all struggling.

@Buffoonborisisatwat Cornish people..?

[quote Glassofshloer]@Buffoonborisisatwat Cornish people..?[/quote]
Cornishites? Cornishians? Corns?

My husband is Cornish, my kids were born there. I was never really accepted.
We’ve lived in 3 different areas subsequently, no problems fitting in at all.
Sorry 🥴

Haha definitely not the first one, buffoon!

Glassofshloer it might be the same in London, but it certainly isn't the same everywhere. Have you seen house prices up North?
They might not have a "human right" to buy a house in the place they grew up, but they do have a right to affordable housing, of which there is none.

You have absolutely no understanding of the the job opportunities and housing crisis down here. To say "they need to get a job, save the money and buy something they can afford" shows you have no idea what you're on about. Massively privileged of you.

I'm an incomer, no blending in with my accent, have been here on & off for twenty years but moved down permanently with young family about 8 yr ago.
People are friendly, yes a lot of people have established friendship groups & family circles which can make it harder to find an 'in' but I imagine that's similar anywhere, you just have to get out there with sports, jobs, clubs, being proactive.
No one has ever been unfriendly, to me or my family. Quite the opposite.
We love it here, it can be dull in the depths of a wet winter and hectic in the height of summer but the bits in between more than make it worthwhile.
If the lifestyle will suit you (less culture, more outdoors) then it'll be amazing.
Good luck!

In terms of culture Ihaventgottimeforthis I think it depends where you live. I'm in Falmouth and regularly go to see arty stuff (gallery exhibitions etc), there's loads of live music on, and local theatre. I appreciate Falmouth is a bit different because of the uni influence.

Sorry, late to this thread. I was on the keep-the-forrins-out late shift at the Tamar with pitchforks and flaming torches.

It's true. We're all evil, unfriendly, racist, resentful, violent bigots. With verrucas. We train our dogs to pee on holiday makers towels. It rains 487 days of the year and it's hailing the rest of the time. On 1 September every single pub, restaurant and shop shuts and doesn't open again until Easter Saturday.

On Thursdays we gather down the harbour and watch fisherman gut fish. That's what passes for culture. The nearest cinema is in Wexford. Teenagers hate it so much they've dug a tunnel to Devon to escape but unfortunately it comes out in the exercise yard of Dartmoor prison.

Definitely don't come to Cornwall. It's awful.

OP your experience will be exactly what you make it. If you're friendly then you will make friends. If you wait for people to come to you you will be on these boards in a few years' time saying how unfriendly everyone is, probably.

It also depends massively on where you move to. Inland, parochial, poverty stricken village? You will stand out. Somewhere like Falmouth where there are far more people from all over the country than long term locals and a huge new influx of students every September? You will have a ball. Also towns like Falmouth don't shut down in winter! I keep reading this and think what rubbish. Again, it depends where you move to. Cornwall is a big place. Choose carefully.

I've lived in many places in the UK. The street I'm living on now is by far the friendliest and nicest (and a beach a 5 minute walk away).

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea

Sorry, late to this thread. I was on the keep-the-forrins-out late shift at the Tamar with pitchforks and flaming torches.

It's true. We're all evil, unfriendly, racist, resentful, violent bigots. With verrucas. We train our dogs to pee on holiday makers towels. It rains 487 days of the year and it's hailing the rest of the time. On 1 September every single pub, restaurant and shop shuts and doesn't open again until Easter Saturday.

On Thursdays we gather down the harbour and watch fisherman gut fish. That's what passes for culture. The nearest cinema is in Wexford. Teenagers hate it so much they've dug a tunnel to Devon to escape but unfortunately it comes out in the exercise yard of Dartmoor prison.

Definitely don't come to Cornwall. It's awful.“

I think I know you

Yep the level of 'culture' (which I'm using as a catch all term for the arts, shopping, other entertainment, restaurants etc) really depends on where you live & how willing you are to travel.
I'm SE Cornwall & there's not a lot in easy reach of me. The really good stuff I will occasionally travel for but mostly I can't afford it anyway.

@UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea

Sorry, late to this thread. I was on the keep-the-forrins-out late shift at the Tamar with pitchforks and flaming torches.

It's true. We're all evil, unfriendly, racist, resentful, violent bigots. With verrucas. We train our dogs to pee on holiday makers towels. It rains 487 days of the year and it's hailing the rest of the time. On 1 September every single pub, restaurant and shop shuts and doesn't open again until Easter Saturday.

On Thursdays we gather down the harbour and watch fisherman gut fish. That's what passes for culture. The nearest cinema is in Wexford. Teenagers hate it so much they've dug a tunnel to Devon to escape but unfortunately it comes out in the exercise yard of Dartmoor prison.

Definitely don't come to Cornwall. It's awful.

Best post.

@Ridiculousradish

Glassofshloer it might be the same in London, but it certainly isn't the same everywhere. Have you seen house prices up North? They might not have a "human right" to buy a house in the place they grew up, but they do have a right to affordable housing, of which there is none.

You have absolutely no understanding of the the job opportunities and housing crisis down here. To say "they need to get a job, save the money and buy something they can afford" shows you have no idea what you're on about. Massively privileged of you.

Of course I have an understanding. My ex was very working class, all the young people I associated with were too.

But I can’t say they were desperately trying to buy affordable housing. Most of them lived at home with their parents, worked unqualified jobs & spent the money on souped up cars, tattoos and gym memberships. I’m not aware of any of them saving for a house despite paying no rent - in fact a few of them said they enjoyed living free, and would stay until kicked out. What they needed to do was move upcountry for a few years to get some qualifications or work experience and move back in a better position to gain reasonably paying employment, but none were willing to do this.

I’m sure not all the young people are like that, but that’s my anecdotal experience.

I do acknowledge there’s a huge problem in terms of housing for people who actually need/want it though - but when they propose building new houses, everyone protests against them and says they’ll ruin the place

It’s a huge dilemma but not one to blame on incomers, Londoners or people up North.

@Glassofshloer

Weirdly enough I was just commenting on another thread about this.

Im not from Cornwall but lived there for a while in my late teens/early 20s - Cornish boyfriend, met my best friend there too.

It is in my experience very unfriendly. My best friend agrees with me! The issue is, everyone tends to stay in the town or village they grew up in (or the local area), so they keep all their friends from school and don’t really want to make any more. It’s like they go from the classroom to work but the rest of their life stays the same - most still lived at home with their parents, hung out with the same friends in the evening, not doing very much.

I also think it can be unfriendly because the dating pool is tiny and I mean tiny. Everyone has dated everyone, so when there’s a new woman in town, they get a lot of attention as a novelty and the other women see it as stealing ‘their’ men (same with new men by the way, not a sexist thing!).

I remember once sitting with my ex and one of his friends and they worked out there & then they were something like third cousins. They had never realised this before despite knowing each other since they were toddlers.

That said, I did meet my lovely best friend there so it can’t all be bad 😉 and I’m sure there are lots of lovely Cornish people out there, it’s just the more open minded ones tend to move away.

I feel quite mean writing all that but wouldn’t want to be all ‘yeah it’s a rave’ and then you move down there & think the problem is you!

Jesus what a complete load of crap and generalised

Nope. You haven't got a clue. Please stop.

What happens OP is that these threads always turn into a Cornwall bashing thread. There's been a few and no doubt will be others so it would be difficult for you to form a balanced opinion from mumsnet

That comment was meant for @Glassofshloer

That was my experience though! Op has asked for it, & I’ve given it. What do you want me to do, lie? Make something up? I’m not saying my experience is representative of everyone in Cornwall, but then again neither is anyone else’s - we’re just sharing our own opinions. I could write an equally unflattering review of other places I have lived for various reasons, and I have when people have asked for it.