Living in the UK?

[calgarygeologist]

I'm planning on doing a bunch of research on living in the UK and I want to see if anyone has any good information to add. I'm hoping to land an interview in the immediate future with a company in England and I'm optimistic that I would have a good opportunity of getting the job.

The office is about 1.5 hours west of London and is in a nice small town but it is not somewhere that I would want to live. The surrounding area (within 30 to 45 minutes) has a number of larger cities such as Swindon, Bristol, Bath, Cirencester and Gloucester. I really don't know anything about these places other than recognizing some of the names from watching Top Gear (Bristol, Bath and Swindon.)

My goal is to figure out which of those cities would be the best to live in. Some requirements are:
-Inexpensive rent
-high level of safety
-good elementary schools
-parks and other family activities
-good opportunities to golf
-ideally an opportunity for my kid to keep playing hockey

If anyone knows about any of these places please share your opinions.

[undercoverbrother]

I have no advice, but I am interested to know how it goes (both the job hunt and the transition).

[squiggs96]

Please PM your responses to the OP.

[calgarygeologist]

The golf situation looks great in the area that I'm exploring. So much more attractive than Calgary/Canada. The lower quality courses are like 15 to 20 pounds per round. It looks like almost all the courses out there also offer annual memberships without ridiculous initiation fees. The lower end courses are around 300 pounds plus a small signing fee while the more prestigious country clubs are only around 1000 pounds plus 300 or 400 for signing. The #1 rated course is a public course and is only 45 pounds to play.

I need to move out there for the golf alone. I think their golf season is much longer than ours as well (I'm not sure if the courses stay open year round or not.)

[Fuzz]

I've lived in Britain for a summer, and been there on a few other trips, the area you are looking at is really nice. I remember walking around Salisbury is safe, pleasant, nice river and parks. Bath is a bit touristy and busy, probably more expensive.

Can you get there for a week and check out the places before you decide? It is an easy area to get around with a rental car. If it were me, that's one of the areas of Britain I'd consider.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I need to move out there for the golf alone. I think their golf season is much longer than ours as well (I'm not sure if the courses stay open year round or not.)

Most would. Some might have Low Season rules like hitting off mats, but conditions would be pretty similar to stuff you'd find on the Lower Mainland in winter.

[Flabbibulin]

Dont really have great advice for actually moving to the region, but a couple things I will mention- I have spent a lot of time in northern Devon and somerset over the years, not far from where you hope to go. Bath is obviously incredible (but very busy in the summer), and I would expect anything there to be fairly expensive.

In my experience, it is quite common for golf courses in the area to be much shorter (5000yd variety), but also much cheaper. Royal North Devon would be a little far to play with any regularity, but certainly a must play at least once.

An awesome day or weekend trip is definitely along the A39 up Porlock hill and into Exmoor national park, finishing off in lynton and lynmouth. Ilfracombe golf course is only so so from a quality of golf perspective, but about as picturesque as it gets for coastal golf.

[jammies]

Forgive if I'm missing something, but your plan is to drive 1.5 total hours a day *from* a big city *to* a small town as a commute? Would it not be cheaper, much easier, and far less stressful just to live in the small town and drive to the city when you needed to?

I don't see any possible way that doesn't end up being less total driving time. And gas is not cheap over there, you're probably looking at hundred of dollars more in gas. This makes zero sense to me, and I say that as someone that lives right in downtown Calgary and far prefers an urban environment.

[Flabbibulin]

^^ I think you are just misreading the post. The office is 1.5hrs west of London and calgarygeo wants to live in a nearby community.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by jammies

Forgive if I'm missing something, but your plan is to drive 1.5 total hours a day *from* a big city *to* a small town as a commute? Would it not be cheaper, much easier, and far less stressful just to live in the small town and drive to the city when you needed to?

I don't see any possible way that doesn't end up being less total driving time. And gas is not cheap over there, you're probably looking at hundred of dollars more in gas. This makes zero sense to me, and I say that as someone that lives right in downtown Calgary and far prefers an urban environment.

Yes, I'm exploring options that are within 45 minutes of the office each way. I don't consider that unreasonable because most folks working in downtown Calgary do that sort of commute on a daily basis. My commute downtown was just over 30 minutes in the past but that included dropping my kid off at school and stopping at Starbucks. An additional 15 or so minutes each way wouldn't be a deal breaker.

[afc wimbledon]

All of the West Country is safe, bristols got a shady area but that's by British standards not Detroit, Cheltenham is posh but nice, Gloucester's more working class but still a great place, good rugby, Swindons a bit of a hole.
If the distance isn't to far I'd go for Worcester, it's a great city and an easy train to London.

Fish and chips on the front at Weston Super Mare with a pint of Marstons Pedigree on the side, I'd kill for that right now!!

[CliffFletcher]

Looking at the area, I'd go for one of the small towns. Beautiful countyside. The charms of British cities are lost on me.

[afc wimbledon]

Keep the train access to London in mind, you never want to drive there, it's nice to be close to a main line station for trips into town.

[JohnnyB]

I may also be moving to London for a few months come Spring and am interested in knowing more. I would be studying around Lisson Grove, but I would love to live somewhere reasonable in rent.

[calgarygeologist]

Thanks for the comments afc. Based on my initial reading yesterday Bristol is coming up at the top of the list. The tough part after that would be deciding on an area in Bristol. I hadn't considered rail access but I'm assuming Bristol is well connected to London (probably some sort of direct/express train?)

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Thanks for the comments afc. Based on my initial reading yesterday Bristol is coming up at the top of the list. The tough part after that would be deciding on an area in Bristol. I hadn't considered rail access but I'm assuming Bristol is well connected to London (probably some sort of direct/express train?)

Yes, bristols the end of the line from Paddington, great city, if you can afford a place up in Clifton it's quite lovely.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I may also be moving to London for a few months come Spring and am interested in knowing more. I would be studying around Lisson Grove, but I would love to live somewhere reasonable in rent.

There is no reasonable rent in greater London to be frank, but as long as your close to a tube station you can get to Lisson Grove form pretty well anywhere, try Ealing, Acton along the Piccadilly line.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Yes, I'm exploring options that are within 45 minutes of the office each way. I don't consider that unreasonable because most folks working in downtown Calgary do that sort of commute on a daily basis. My commute downtown was just over 30 minutes in the past but that included dropping my kid off at school and stopping at Starbucks. An additional 15 or so minutes each way wouldn't be a deal breaker.

I get that is what you are doing, what I don't get is why. You don't want to live in a small town, okay, but the reason most people dislike small towns is because of the lack of amenities and entertainment. However, in your case you would have to drive 30 to 45 minutes to get to those amenities occasionally, or drive 30 to 45 minutes to get to those amenities every single day. So, again, forgive me what I'm not understanding, but what exactly is the advantage to you of living in the city and commuting to the town?

It is not cheaper. It is not more convenient. You will definitely spend more time driving. You will definitely spend more money. I wouldn't want to live in a small town either, but if my choice was living in one or commuting to one, there is no conceivable situation where the commute is the better option.

And that is leaving aside that apparently this small town is central to not one, but several cities. So you would be within your self-admittedly trivial driving range of all of these, rather than just one.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by jammies

I get that is what you are doing, what I don't get is why. You don't want to live in a small town, okay, but the reason most people dislike small towns is because of the lack of amenities and entertainment. However, in your case you would have to drive 30 to 45 minutes to get to those amenities occasionally, or drive 30 to 45 minutes to get to those amenities every single day. So, again, forgive me what I'm not understanding, but what exactly is the advantage to you of living in the city and commuting to the town?

It is not cheaper. It is not more convenient. You will definitely spend more time driving. You will definitely spend more money. I wouldn't want to live in a small town either, but if my choice was living in one or commuting to one, there is no conceivable situation where the commute is the better option.

And that is leaving aside that apparently this small town is central to not one, but several cities. So you would be within your self-admittedly trivial driving range of all of these, rather than just one.

The decision to live in one of the bigger cities is so that my family will have easier access to more amenities. I would be at work for 8 hours (or whatever) every day and I would rather have them in a larger centre that they can explore vs stuck in a smaller town.

[AltaGuy]

Be sure to watch some Mark Crossfield youtube golf videos! He's based in Devon, but you'll have a great idea of some places to play. Many of the courses there look terrific.