Location advice - Cornwall

Davesnave

sacha28 wrote: »

I would not consider Bude. The nearest hspital, North Devon District, is about to close it's doors to A&E and maternity services (this is yet to be announced publicly, they have been ordered to keep quiet until June 16th.....I wonder what's happening before that??) meaning your nearest A&E will be in Exeter.....imagine having to travel 60 miles in the midst of a heart attack or having broken your leg or something, and then having to make your own way home because you don't meet their criteria for patient transport.

Not sure how far it goes, but us guys in the middle have the air ambulance and a rapid response unit (4x4) based in the local fire station. Good job we do as well.

Guess where loads of the charity cash we raise around here goes!

Muttleythefrog

sacha28 wrote: »

I love these kind of threads something I can actually comment on because I have experience!!
..

.. and I like responses like this...lol...even from a mongrel. So thank you

Public transport ah yes. Will be a bit of a shift for us... there is nowhere in Cornwall that could provide the public transport we have available here.. probably not even a house at Truro rail station..lol.. we're at the heart of the light rail network of the region despite being in suburbia... trains about every 5 minutes..lol... in each direction from dawn to midnight... at least when it works! It's a commuter's dream... but no accident I ended up here...lol... I was a commuter and needed to keep open the local cities and towns as work options. So I have looked with some care at the times of trains... and buses.. and obviously considered by the time of move things could have changed.. especially regarding buses... for better or worse. But I also have in mind we do rarely get out... we're not likely going to be daily commuters and probably late night revelling in town centres will be rare (unless we get a new lease of life..lol)... but a great ambition to be daily walkers!

We actually have great walks here... decent countryside and nearby beaches including some of the country's best...for the north east a dog walker's paradise... but it's here where Cornwall surely would excel... the walks and stop offs hard to match.. along with the endless coastlines of SW coastal path. For someone like me who can go months without leaving the house... being able to do so... with the typical coastal presentation of Cornwall could be life changing... and for wife too.. loves nature.. needs to slowly increase activity to recover from serious illness of past. I always like to feel there's a place to conquer too... that might lead to another of your points on the people..lol. I've been a lifelong butterfly enthusiast too.. if there's one thing that would drag me out it is the belief there are butterflies around I've never seen in the wild before... it's a belief that would proven true.

You settled some miles outside Truro... and others seem to recommend the areas around the city. So if we did have newfound liberation of road mobility..lol... we could not rule similar out.

The NHS facilities is significant... we would be moving with intent to die there..lol. Useful to have your input as NHS staff. Just one A&E hospital... Truro? But community hospital in St Austell I note... and couple others.

Okay so the locals...lol... the one thing hard as outsider to gauge. Secret initiation..lol. Slight concern... my partner's Mexican.. Mexicans are typically very open and friendly.. more 'community social' than the British today... I'm a sand-dancer... someone punches you in the face and you offer them friendship for life and a beer if they'd like one... along with a witty remark just to put them at ease about their indiscretion. So yes..lol.. there's no doubting we will discover something a bit socially new. I might have "play it nice and cool son.. nice and cool" and then fall over like Del Boy Trotter. I tend to make big splashes.. this might not be the best approach.. so I'll put duck tape over my mouth if I go drinking in the local... then I can't do anything to immediately raise concerns. I put it to my wife that Cornish people are odd.. she replied "we should fit in then"..lol. I do have some experience of winning over a community in running a pub.. but that was south Yorkshire.. you just have to call them "Duck" or "Love" a few times.

Scouting.... so you ended up 'seeing differently' when down there. Yes I think scouting trips will be necessary... we've got good time to do that. Last time around it was 'see the place daytime and evening'.. Cornwall more 'in season and out' I suspect. Pleased it worked out for you though... despite the pressure to get a place quickly.

Definitely will scrutinise Broadband.. it will be key.. well essential it is decent.. fortunately I think you can even physically see the local exchange boxes and do some sums on likely speeds... see if they match the reported for the providers. Here we only really have Virgin option... and they're by far the worst company I've ever had to deal with.

No need to apologise.. my reply also lengthy.. thanks very much for your advice.

cajef

sacha28 wrote: »

As for broadband....well...we don't have fibre optic (I think that's what it's called?) but have to make do with a copper line (does that sound right?). This is the case for most of Cornwall, broadband services are not very good unless you are more 'central' in a big town or Truro. We only have a choice of 2 providers...BT or Sky. Bear that in mind.

Sorry to correct you but large areas of Cornwall now have fibre broadband, 'Superfast Cornwall' was funded in partnership with the EU and is still being installed, I have had an FTTP connection for over four years in the Redruth area and while there is no Virgin cable there is a choice of many providers (ISP's) that use BT's landline.

http://www.superfastcornwall.org/

Muttleythefrog

debtisnotme wrote: »

I was brought up in Par/St Blazey/Tywardreath and all my family still live there.

Well your folks better keep their head down as I'm on my way soon..lol.. probably wandering past their bungalow as I head to Par Sands where we'll have a caravan. After much planning, grabbing of the cheapest train tickets possible as they were released and with plenty preparation to do to work around respective disabilities... mine of the head and the partner's of the body... we should be in Par for a week in October. Apart from sampling and scanning Par area, shall try a stroll to Polkerris... hopefully trips to Mevagissey, Fowey, St Austell, Truro and maybe Newquay. Probably a bit ambitious to try to fit all that in when we're so inefficient and it is liable to rain on at least a couple of days. Assuming we like it we'll look to return for another scouting holiday or two out of season next year.

If anyone is to be in the area 7th-14th October... beware... especially on Friday the 13th!

sammyjammy

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Well your folks better keep their head down as I'm on my way soon..lol.. probably wandering past their bungalow as I head to Par Sands where we'll have a caravan. After much planning, grabbing of the cheapest train tickets possible as they were released and with plenty preparation to do to work around respective disabilities... mine of the head and the partner's of the body... we should be in Par for a week in October. Apart from sampling and scanning Par area, shall try a stroll to Polkerris... hopefully trips to Mevagissey, Fowey, St Austell, Truro and maybe Newquay. Probably a bit ambitious to try to fit all that in when we're so inefficient and it is liable to rain on at least a couple of days. Assuming we like it we'll look to return for another scouting holiday or two out of season next year.

If anyone is to be in the area 7th-14th October... beware... especially on Friday the 13th!

Fantastic, Par Sands is such a lovely caravan site, some of the lodges are to die for! I'm down there myself next week and after watching Poldark last night I can't wait.


Good luck

sacha28

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Well your folks better keep their head down as I'm on my way soon..lol.. probably wandering past their bungalow as I head to Par Sands where we'll have a caravan. After much planning, grabbing of the cheapest train tickets possible as they were released and with plenty preparation to do to work around respective disabilities... mine of the head and the partner's of the body... we should be in Par for a week in October. Apart from sampling and scanning Par area, shall try a stroll to Polkerris... hopefully trips to Mevagissey, Fowey, St Austell, Truro and maybe Newquay. Probably a bit ambitious to try to fit all that in when we're so inefficient and it is liable to rain on at least a couple of days. Assuming we like it we'll look to return for another scouting holiday or two out of season next year.

If anyone is to be in the area 7th-14th October... beware... especially on Friday the 13th!

Sorry I've been off piste for a while, the joys of FT work, being a mum and attending uni!

If I can give you one word of advice when scouting the area...don't let it become all consuming and actually enjoy a big chunk of your hoilday! The last time we came for a holiday, we became so consumed with trying to find an area that suited our needs that it became really unenjoyable! Hours in the car in unfamiliar surroundings is no fun at all and, on reflection, I really wish we'd just done the emmett thing and enjoyed the county.

With regards the healthcare provisions....Treliske is the only acute hospital in the county. Of course there are MIU's, down West in Penzance there is an urgent care centre and Camborne/Redruth offers a walk-in centre but these are very underused (to the point that they are talking closures) and can only offer a skeleton service i.e. xrays between 8-4 etc, so most people end up at Treliske anyway (at least that's how it feels :rotfl:).

There is a lot to think about....how much time do you have??

Mardle

I've lived in Helston & Porthleven and if I was considering moving back to the South West I would be looking to be near Plymouth rather than further into Cornwall.

Have you considered looking at properties close to the Plymouth-Gunnislake railway line? Or maybe somewhere in the Torpoint/Millbrook area.

Muttleythefrog

sacha28 wrote: »

Sorry I've been off piste for a while, the joys of FT work, being a mum and attending uni!
...

There is a lot to think about....how much time do you have??

Haha.. no worries. Your points duly noted... yes it'll be essentially holiday although if we try to see all the pubs in Par and adjoining villages we probably will get a good feel for the residential areas... although I do note a lot of new housing going up in Par areas that may be off our beaten track like the hill behind the port.

Yes it does look like only Truro (or Plymouth!) can be relied on to provide a comprehensive NHS facility... does concern me it's a fair distance away in case of emergency.. although fairly easily reached otherwise by train to Truro then little bus journey from outside the station.

Fortunately on the last question.. plenty probably. Have significant works to do to get our house into state at which we'd want to put it on market... I imagine minimum 2 years. Hopefully trip down there will inspire more action back here..lol!

Muttleythefrog

Mardle wrote: »

I've lived in Helston & Porthleven and if I was considering moving back to the South West I would be looking to be near Plymouth rather than further into Cornwall.

Have you considered looking at properties close to the Plymouth-Gunnislake railway line? Or maybe somewhere in the Torpoint/Millbrook area.

Helston and Porthleven.. oh nice....

Not really considered east Cornwall.. in part because rail never makes it to the coast but I do note money goes a lot further in terms of property... and through passive property searches daily always having a look at the areas properties are in. Tamar valley sort of area you suggest? Duly noted. And the area ... ah yes.. over the River and south of Saltash... hmm... I'll take more note of properties appearing there as around that Saltash area I've tended not to take too much note but they'll provoke a look at the areas online at least... and my wife does like a ferry trip..lol... the only time I've been to Plymouth was for that. We'll see... I'm hoping we'll still be wide awake by the time we get to the bridge across the Tamar and cast our eyes south..lol... while my wife repeatedly says Isambard who?

Muttleythefrog

sammyjammy wrote: »

Fantastic, Par Sands is such a lovely caravan site, some of the lodges are to die for! I'm down there myself next week and after watching Poldark last night I can't wait.

Good luck

Enjoy.. yeah I see some lodges pop on market for 6 figure sums! Be careful of the swans... I hear they get violent if you've got no grain to give them...but it sounds like you've already survived a trip or two..lol. If you visit the local Spar and Co-Op in the village let me know which is best for groceries...lol