Relocating to Wales

MobileSaver

Davesnave wrote: »

Mind you, we were still lucky with the village. Individual villages can be a 'known unknown,' even to the partially initiated!

I would say this is even truer in rural Wales where community can be so important. A bit of a pain I know but I would seriously strongly recommend you make several visits to the local pub in any area you are interested in, you'll quickly find whether there's a real community in the area and how welcoming they are to incomers. And if you find the right area the pub locals will be a mine of information for your future plans.

Good luck with it all, I moved to Mid-Wales several years ago and it's the best thing I ever did. You can't put a price on opening the curtains every morning and being greeted by nothing but nature rather than concrete buildings, traffic and masses of other people.

Davesnave

MobileSaver wrote: »

I would say this is even truer in rural Wales where community can be so important. A bit of a pain I know but I would seriously strongly recommend you make several visits to the local pub in any area you are interested in, you'll quickly find whether there's a real community in the area and how welcoming they are to incomers. And if you find the right area the pub locals will be a mine of information for your future plans.

That's a very good point. The minute we walked into the local, there was no sudden hush, and I didn't get past ordering before one of the village stalwarts asked me,"Are you local, or just passing through?"

We gained loads of info on that first visit, and the landlady, now a friend, kissed us on the way out.

How could we not buy here after that!:rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

I know its 2017 Dave - but is there an equivalent of "going in the local pub" for a woman on her own?

Personally - I find the local corner shop (if there is one) is quite a good source of whats what. It was back in home area (though it's now shut:() and also here. Middle-aged female shop assistant behind counter of one - and you've probably struck gold for the local gossip:rotfl:I know just what most of the "locals" here think of the local Council (they've got about as "high" an opinion of them as I have LOL) and who's well-known as "gets away with everything" etc.

wantonnoodle

One suggestion that nobody seems to have made mention of - since the OP made reference to North and Mid Wales in particular - would the Wrexham or Llangollen areas be an option?

There is some lovely countryside around there and the A483 gives easy access between both those towns and the business parks on the southern flank of Chester, which would be commutable from both of those places if necessary for work. I know its not a long way into Wales, but there are a fair few amenities round there and yet you still have the countryside on the doorstep.

cbsexec

Just a point with saying you would like to "shop local" Just check that where you choose has that option as in a lot of places the small shops are closing. We went on holiday in Pembrokeshire and the nearest "local" shop was in a garage quite a distance away (you would definitely need a car). We were in quite a large village too. I felt sorry for the older locals who told us they had lost their previous three shops. Just something to remember.

themusicisoutside

wantonnoodle wrote: »

One suggestion that nobody seems to have made mention of - since the OP made reference to North and Mid Wales in particular - would the Wrexham or Llangollen areas be an option?

There is some lovely countryside around there and the A483 gives easy access between both those towns and the business parks on the southern flank of Chester, which would be commutable from both of those places if necessary for work. I know its not a long way into Wales, but there are a fair few amenities round there and yet you still have the countryside on the doorstep.

Bingo, a winner! Can you imagine the access to the coast, SNP and the border county of Shropshire.... I also suggest South Shropshire and the Welsh Marches too.... Stunning countryside with much better connections.

My family lives in a remote area of Wales and access to amenities is tough. One saying they have around here is "don't get ill!". (They work in the health services!!) Care and refuse services being reduced, libraries closing. A chap I know seriously damaged his hand and had to drive himself 30 miles to the nearest a&e because the minor injuries unit (tiny GP surgery!) told him that the ambulance would take twice as long to arrive.

Council services are being cut every year and the ethical stance of shopping locally is expensive. A loaf of bread costs twice as much as in a supermarket. Yes, the house TV shows idealise this sort of life but the reality can be very different. The winters are long, wet, wet, wet and cold. The scenery is stunning but can become hell if you don't have a good friendship network. What would you do (heaven forbid) if something happened that required the support network you left behind?

Moving to a remote location isn't a cure all; a solution to problems in life. You'll always find new ones. (Trust me, I have moved about a lot due to work)

If you can sort problems out where you are; then work out whether you still want to move. If you do, you will make the move a success.

oldposter

wantonnoodle wrote: »

One suggestion that nobody seems to have made mention of - since the OP made reference to North and Mid Wales in particular - would the Wrexham or Llangollen areas be an option?

There is some lovely countryside around there and the A483 gives easy access between both those towns and the business parks on the southern flank of Chester, which would be commutable from both of those places if necessary for work. I know its not a long way into Wales, but there are a fair few amenities round there and yet you still have the countryside on the doorstep.

Exactly the type of thing I was looking for to start some research - thank you

themusicisoutside wrote: »

Bingo, a winner! Can you imagine the access to the coast, SNP and the border county of Shropshire.... I also suggest South Shropshire and the Welsh Marches too.... Stunning countryside with much better connections.

My family lives in a remote area of Wales and access to amenities is tough. One saying they have around here is "don't get ill!". (They work in the health services!!) Care and refuse services being reduced, libraries closing. A chap I know seriously damaged his hand and had to drive himself 30 miles to the nearest a&e because the minor injuries unit (tiny GP surgery!) told him that the ambulance would take twice as long to arrive.

Council services are being cut every year and the ethical stance of shopping locally is expensive. A loaf of bread costs twice as much as in a supermarket. Yes, the house TV shows idealise this sort of life but the reality can be very different. The winters are long, wet, wet, wet and cold. The scenery is stunning but can become hell if you don't have a good friendship network. What would you do (heaven forbid) if something happened that required the support network you left behind?

Moving to a remote location isn't a cure all; a solution to problems in life. You'll always find new ones. (Trust me, I have moved about a lot due to work)

If you can sort problems out where you are; then work out whether you still want to move. If you do, you will make the move a success.

I understand what you are saying but we aren't considering this move to solve any problems, we just want a different way of life. There's nothing that we are running away from or any particular problems, it is just a choice that we have decided to consider.

I also understand that services are on the decline (medicals, councils etc) but that is the same all over the place, not just Wales. There are hospital closures and council cuts going on where we live now and I'm sure that these will continue.

I think some of my posts are being taken a little bit too literally to be fair, as I have said, this is very early days and I was just looking for ideas from people who may know Wales for any areas that may be suitable and also any that may not. Also about what the current job markets are like - we are nowhere near the stage of worrying about whether a local shop stocks the tea bags that we like at this point

moneyistooshorttomention

The winters are long. I certainly find that.

I'm guessing that this would be the case for someone moving from a city to anywhere rather "smaller" in the country (ie not just somewhere in Wales)?

You do need to think through those "long winters" if moving to somewhere that is smaller and worse weather than you're used to. I certainly never gave the weather a second thought - before moving.

But the combination of both factors does need a strategy to deal with. I've noticed the strategy a lot of people round here employ seems to be one of "Spend the winter doing various art/craft type activities". I'm not an "artist" and so I'm still working on my personal strategy for those long winters and, to date, I've worked it out provisionally as being = That's when I deal with any jobs needing doing inside the house itself/do the "springcleaning"/catch up with things like paperwork/do planning for the garden/personal interest stuff (like trying out new recipes/methods of doing food) and it will be when I do "Home Visits" back to the city I've come from.

Spring/summer will be for the garden and getting "out and about" exploring/walking.

Autumn will be for things like preserving garden produce etc and nipping "out and about" on days when the weather is better.

You do need to think more "seasonally" in somewhere more rural/worse weather imo.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I know its 2017 Dave - but is there an equivalent of "going in the local pub" for a woman on her own.

Yes, it's called a smart phone. You're never on your own with one of those to talk to and fiddle with.

themusicisoutside

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

The winters are long. I certainly find that.

I'm guessing that this would be the case for someone moving from a city to anywhere rather "smaller" in the country (ie not just somewhere in Wales)?

You do need to think through those "long winters" if moving to somewhere that is smaller and worse weather than you're used to. I certainly never gave the weather a second thought - before moving.

But the combination of both factors does need a strategy to deal with. I've noticed the strategy a lot of people round here employ seems to be one of "Spend the winter doing various art/craft type activities". I'm not an "artist" and so I'm still working on my personal strategy for those long winters and, to date, I've worked it out provisionally as being = That's when I deal with any jobs needing doing inside the house itself/do the "springcleaning"/catch up with things like paperwork/do planning for the garden/personal interest stuff (like trying out new recipes/methods of doing food) and it will be when I do "Home Visits" back to the city I've come from.

Spring/summer will be for the garden and getting "out and about" exploring/walking.

Autumn will be for things like preserving garden produce etc and nipping "out and about" on days when the weather is better.

You do need to think more "seasonally" in somewhere more rural/worse weather imo.

I concur. Self sufficiency ain't just about chickens and runner beans! Oh, and being a bit handy in the DIY department helps, too. Not much choice in the tradesman department, either...