moving lock stock and barrel to somerset or suffolk? which to choose?

[overthemill]

For various reasons we had to move 2 years ago, changing counties, new house, new schools everything. It was really tough and we have just about got settled. But the truth is that although the place we live in is really nice, we know it isn't our forever place. We'd like to live in big village, very small town with a really community - so preferably gp surgery, shop or 2, pub and schools (though does not have to be a secondary school).

I love somerset and am from the south west and my feelings are to go there. But at the weekend we went for a night away to suffolk and really really loved where we were. we had booked randomly but ended up in a perfect village. it had everything we wanted and it has fired us up again. it completely felt like 'home' and had a great mixture of stuff going on, we felt we'd fit in really well.
there is no right time to move, we have 3 kids and it would be very complcated to move at all but i am keen to get there before our youngest gets to yr 9 (she is in yr 6 now). By then one would be at uni and one just about to start a levels.
so,decision is complex on lots of levels but which is 'best' - i know its entirely subjective but would love the collective MN wisdom to help me think about it.
thanks!

Li ama. FFS, sorry, I am going to have to installthat screenreader and am struggling with it.

I am a.

I am a student. Indeed,I was a student on a course that covered islam and somoving here where there are far morepeoplefrom other faiths and cultures is a massive plus for me and the boys (we're not far from Newport, there's a Mosque and everything,unlike in Somerset-proper (Bath is BANES) sadly).

And absolutely the complete lack of multiculture is a big cross against moving abck, but if you comapre bath with say bridgwater / South Petehrton /Wells you really areseeing the difference in that respect between 1988 in Somerset and today in Bath. It'snot London,oreven Bristol or Cardiff, but it's better.

You're a bit older than me Lottie.
L?
I originally thought it must be Mellis as they're always outstanding.

Laxfield!!!!!!!!!!!!!

radishhead and bourboncreme do not fear I like my privacy, which is one of the reasons I love suffolk.
What somepeople regard as locls being rude or unfriendly, I like as a respect of privacy. Indeed my nieghbours have been the first to help when a crisis happens but don't presume just because you live nextdoor means you want to live out of each others property.

I love the big skys and the sunshine. we get half the amount of rain that somerset gets. Thats a lot of grey rainy days we get to spend on the beach in glorious sunshine.

Ahhh, I love Laxfield. Used to like going to Laxfield low house years ago.

I dont' find the locals at all unfriendly either, I've found it really easy to make friends here.

Ahhh, I have very fond memories of George & Maureen at the Low House. Maybe we've drank next to each other without realising Radished!

My Dad was the main shareholder in The Low House. He died the day before Georges funeral so i didnt make it to the funeral. I am still friends with Maureen and went to their daughters wedding, I worked in the LH till two weeks before my son was born. I used to bend down to the beer barrels and get stuck ad have to be lifted up!!

LOW HOUSE

Wow maybe we all did go there at the same time. Do you remember a band called the something tomatoes? Or Love like semtex?

What about the Railway in Framlingham, that was always packed. Also still have a soft spot for Earl Soham Vic.

I dont remember them, my Dad reopened the LH in 1992. I worked there between then and 1996.

There is absolutely NO WAY we haven't had a drink in the same place Radished! The Railway & the Vic were my haunts when I was wee. Do you remember the three rooms in the Railway - oldest in the front, twenties, etc in the middle & underage drinkers in the back bar, out of sight No recollection of tomatoes.

Lottie, I'm sure we've probably met too! Maureen's a gem. I remember them both from running the Railway back in the day too. So sorry to hear about your Dad, I remember the time. Do they still have the memorial cricket match for George there? We defo have some mutual friends!

They had the match once, don't know if they had it again. There is nothing i like more in the summer than sitting in the beer garden at the pub and having a pint.

Overthemill, you have made me !

I remember Shepherd's Purse well - it DID honk! Bought a pair of leather flip-flops there and a long pink milkmaid-style sundress from Laura Ashley in New Bond St (not a good look when you're 5'10" thinking back... ) both of which I wore all summer during a backpacking holiday in France in '79. Ahh, the Seventies - the decade that style forgot. I have the photos to prove it.

English hippies were not popular in rural France back then - cue many swift exits from remote mountain pubs pursued by jeering locals.

I have applied to go to what used to be Newton Park College (now Bath Spa University dontchano) to study for a degree in Heritage Management this September.

Floopy yes! Do you remember any of the bands they used to have in the back bit? I met my first boyfriend there.

So, when were you hanging out at the Railway? I wonder if we knew the same people, or each other...