Reasons to move to Glasgow (from England)

[Marmaladegin]

DH has been offered a job in Glasgow. We currently live in a naice area in S England but it doesn't have great schools. Bar the chilliness, I love Scotland but not familiar with Glasgow. I'm Irish, DH Scottish. Dc 11, 10, 6. We like the countryside but would be happy to embrace the greater culture available in/near a city, as long as there was easy access to green space.

I'd be really grateful for any thoughts on pros/ cons of Glasgow with a family, and recommendations for areas. Budget would be up to £800k for 4 bed detached house if that helps.

The "Glasgow effect" can be seen across all social classes including those in non deprived areas. They have theories but nothing concrete to explain it.

I do agree that it's not something I would take into account when deciding to live here or not though.

Went to St Thomas Aquinas though, Not drumchapel high.

Yes, indeed. That was after he moved, though. He lived round the corner from me! St Tam's is/was hardly refined!

I didn’t say it was.

I don’t think James mcavoy think of himself as posh though. Or presumably gives a shit about that really.

I didn't say he did. I was just musing over someone having done well from the Drum... not meant to be a deep comment as I said at the time!

OP, you may have noticed, Glaswegians argue as an actual hobby.

I would also recommend Bishopbriggs, a short train/bus/car ride into Glasgow, great schools, not as expensive as the West End or Bearsden etc and you could get a lovely big house there for your budget.

I’m from Glasgow, I know quite a few academics who worked on the Glasgow effect. I know Glasgow and this research area well. What’s your point? It’s an extremely complex issue and unless you’re a working class man from the East End who worked in heavy industry in the 70/80s I really wouldn’t worry about it.

It’s an extremely complex issue and unless you’re a working class man from the East End who worked in heavy industry in the 70/80s I really wouldn’t worry about it

Love this.

Also love Piggy's point that Glaswegians argue for fun. We're politicised and passionate- both fabulous traits.

To those citing inverse snobbery- let's not accuse anyone of any kind of snobbery, it's merely different points of view. Let's not argue over different opinions, because that's just what they are- opinions.

To clarify, I didn't accuse any East Ren kids of being "rahs', the youngsters in question are ALL from very privileged private/ boarding schools. It's just not my boy's bag with the excessive drinking for the hell of it and looking down on teams because they're not like them (BTW the team they called 'oiks' were Lenzie. Now that's funny in itself 😃, esp since DH is from there. He was there to watch the game and he had some choice words about the lack of sportsmanship and showboating by the team/ coach and was also v pleased when our son decided- his own decision- to follow a different path).

To those posters who are referring to 'good schools' I'm not going to respond, because we'll clearly disagree. I can only reiterate that you have the same curriculum with excellent teachers all over. A school is as good as it's Senior Leadership Team who guide the ethos.

And with all due respect to the PP who thinks they know about Glasgow schools by having 3 kids in school/ recently in school, they don't, they know about their own experience. Those of us who work in them know how professional staff are and how hard they work for their kids. League tables are essentially problematic, but let's not go into it.

As long as all DC are happy, thriving and living up to their potential that's all that's important. After all, that's what education is about.

Good luck OP. Welcome to a great place: we're complex but you'll never be bored debating with a Glaswegian.

We moved to Glasgow from England in 1973 and will never leave Scotland, we love it so much.

All of Glasgow has easy access to fabulous green spaces and landscapes, from city parks to lochs, sea, mountains, islands. Great universities, museums, theatres, great medical facilities at teaching hospitals, public transport. An international airport. Warm friendly people, diverse cultures.

All state school education in Scotland is co-ed; all 2ndary schools are Comprehensive (non selective) and Glasgow has some great state schools.

Sorry, I couldn't pass on this. Please don't generalise that in working class schools kids who want to learn are bullied and the learning is disrupted constantly. It's just not true. I work in it, so I know it's not true. No political dogma here. ALL pupils in ALL schools are supported and encouraged. Do you think we choose to work in certain places so we can sit back and let chaos reign; because it's an easy ride to just not teach; because we're crap teachers who can't get results so we hide in crap schools? Tell that to my Higher class who are working their socks right now. Tell that to the pupils last year who went to St A's/ Edinburgh/ Durham/ Glasgow universities for many courses including medicine and law.

Please don't write these kids off or the schools that teach them brilliant ly.

Ditto to the PP who referred to 'rubbish' schools.

Let's not do kids a disservice.

I apologise if I've derailed, OP. As you were.

On the plus side, your Glasgow garden will never turn into a parched brown desert for months , there are no wildfires in the suburbs, you'll never be so hot at night you can't sleep, and BEST OF ALL, Glasgow drinking water is pure clean and fresh; not someone else's second hand recycled pee.

Come global warming, the green mild rain-rich west of Scotland is going to be a highly desirable climate.

Love this take. Positivity!

It’s an extremely complex issue and unless you’re a working class man from the East End who worked in heavy industry in the 70/80s I really wouldn’t worry about it
Love this.
Also love Piggy's point that Glaswegians argue for fun. We're politicised and passionate- both fabulous traits.
To those citing inverse snobbery- let's not accuse anyone of any kind of snobbery, it's merely different points of view. Let's not argue over different opinions, because that's just what they are- opinions

TBF, I absolutely love a good political bun fight.

You all seem to be missing that the Glasgow effect does not just apply to the working class and cannot purely be attributed to deprivation.

Glasgow shows excess mortality compared to other cities such as Manchester and Liverpool with similar levels of deprivation.

Not only that but the excess mortality is still shown in areas of Glasgow that are not considered deprived.

I don't see why it's relevant to this thread unless you genuinely are trying to imply that the OP will shorten her DCs life expectancy, which is a pretty awful thing to bring to this thread.

And that "different point of view" that you funnily enough don't want to discuss now you've been called out on it, would potentially be considered socio economic prejudice based bullying according to the new policy sent out by my children's school recently.

I'll refer you to my post at 16.33.

The Glasgow effect is of particular interest to me for various reasons so just wanted to point out the most curious thing about it that other posters don't seem to have grasped.

Yes, that’s why it’s complex. There are environmental and pollution issues we don’t understand yet. Did you know that the pipes in the water system in Glasgow had the highest levels of lead until 1980? It’s possible this is just one factor that’s played a role. Only once we’ve gone through a significant period from the end of heavy industry and toxic manufacturing will we see a difference, Glasgow made all sorts of goods that used highly toxic chemicals. It’s true that Manchester did too but it’s still not clear how similar they were in this.

It's pretty fascinating. In a quite morbid way!! 😬

A lot of people reject the term Glasgow Effect because of its element of despair, victim blaming and a sense of no escape predestination. Life expectancy is also dropping in Liverpool and is very low in Blackpool but no one talks about the NW England effect. Its name, say some, overlooks political dimensions of life expectancy.

I understand the theory perfectly, as I teach it! But life expectancy is an average and, whilst even on higher social groups, life expectancy is lower , its highly unlikely to affect OP at a micro level.

I personally believe the issue was environmental on top of a Nihilistic attitude. 😂 All those carpet and lightbulb factories. There’s really not enough research on manufacturing. Did you know that the industry that made the most money in Govan was not ship building, it was weaving. Done by women who were paid peanuts, ensuring profits were high.

Can you screenshot the policy? Cos 'I smell shite ' (like a certain 'Chewing the Fat' character 🤣).

I expressed a desire not to discuss it because I feel there's no point: we, and some others on the thread, are at the polar opposites of the issue. This rarely bodes well. It's not about being called out and backing away- I have strong opinions I'll always defend- but this wasn't started as a political thread and it's not fair to the OP or perhaps others who are not here for a bun fight.

Let's agree to disagree. I'm all for peace and love.

You should consider Bothwell. Beautiful homes for your budget and 20 mins from city centre. Also consider Newton Mearns and Clarkston

This is the current policy which talks about socio economic prejudice: blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/public/Williamwood/uploads/sites/70/2021/08/31090911/Standard-Circular-8a-Bullying-and-Anti-Bullying-January-2019.pdf

I have an updated draft in front of me that gives an example of inverse socio economic prejudice. It doesn't seem to be online though and I haven't been able to upload screenshots to MN for ages now. I'll post it once it's online.