AIBU to consider moving to Wales for family and lower costs

[southerngirl10]

We have been racking our brains about what to do about the following situation for the last year and it doesn't seem to get resolved. Sorry, it's long:

We live in the South East of England. Our ds is 16, our dd is 11. My dh and I are both in our 50s.

We are trying to choose between going to a small village in Wales or staying here.

My dh has a part time driving job which is proving to be stressful. I have started care work part time over the last 6 months, which I'm finding a little bit boring.

We have a gardening business and work in that when we aren't working in the part time jobs. I also have a day where I teach a yoga class and offer holistic treatments. After working so hard, we don't have a lot of savings.

We rent. Our landlord agreed to let us stay in the accommodation until my son finished his exams and then a month or two after that.

My dh has been offered a job near his hometown - driving, but it looks like it might be less stressful. I would then have to find care work until I can build up gardening work and my practice again.

My ds has offered a college place in Wales, near the village ds is from and my dd has been offered a place in a school in our local area here (which has a good ofsted rating) and one in the Welsh village (which is underachieving but is classed as friendly and welcoming).

The kids want to go to Wales. They will have family there and a chance of being in a community.

Rents here in the South East are eyewatering, plus council tax, etc. If we move they would be a fraction of the price. My dd would be able to come home and sit with nanny on days when we are both in work.

We are struggling with the fact that we would have to give up our gardening clients, but we may have to move about ten miles away from our city here in the south east, to afford a new rental, so our dd would have to come home from school and be alone for one or two days a week. She's also have a bus journey.

We just feel that we have been isolated here in the south east of England. The village in Wales is rough and ready, but friendly.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

We're English living in Wales never found the welsh unwelcoming at all.

Education - well secondary school went down hiull while they were there but area we were in in England secondary wasn't great.

AS level as 40n% part of A-levels have worked well for our kids - GCSE are in midist of change but should have settled by time your youngest gets there.

Health - not really had to rely on NHS much TBH - GP surgey was more accessible when first moved here - but relatives in England have had similar declines. One thing in our bit of wales no NHS dentists to be had for adults - lucked out and got kids under NHS but not us.

Kids have learnt welsh - I try - but it's not that common to hear welsh in our bit of SE wales in conversation at all. We're in a city not the valleys - so no idea what they are like to live in.

I read an article that Cardiff has the largest population of people who do their own garden. It's good to know that there is a market for gardeners in monmouthshire. From what people have been saying, I'm really beginning to like the positive feel of the place. Next thing, how the heck do we get to live there?😃

I grew up a 3 miles down the valley from Abertillery. Spent lots of time in Brynmawr. I’ll be perfectly honest, they are extremely deprived areas. Schools were awful then and haven’t improved so I went to a Welsh speaking school. Also went to crosskeys college - if you’re a motivated individual it’s a perfectly decent college. (Or was).

I moved away 15 years ago and you couldn’t pay me to move back. Family are still there and each time I visit is more bleak than the last. It looks scruffier every time and it’s only going downhill. Council services are depleting by the day. Gardening work I think you may struggle. The average resident just doesn’t have the money in the valleys.

There are of course some lovely elements, some nice people and everything is cheaper. But that just doesn’t outweigh the negatives in my opinion.

If you have the opportunity I would 100% consider trying to head more towards Abergavenny and Monmouthshire. Would you consider Herefordshire?
I only say so because I moved there recently (from the Cotswolds) and our living costs have halved. It’s not perfect but i love it. It’s more affluent on the whole, the countryside is beautiful and money goes a lot further. I don’t think I’ll ever leave here now. I also think gardening services would be much more in demand. Our gardener is fully booked.

I too live in Herefordshire right on the border with Monmouthshire. It is beautiful. Would that be too far away from family?

I’m not offended. Your comments were divisive. You were pro Welsh. That’s fine. You were pro Welsh at the expense of others. Not fine.

I live in Monmouthshire and I pay my gardener £40 a hour. I had to wait 3 weeks for him. Monmouthshire is where you need to base your business.

I think you will find that Gardner's in Wales charge a lot more than £20 per hour . My friend is charging £40 per hour and another a little less. There are poorer parts in Newport where most people would not employ a Gardner, but there are many affluent areas where they would. Abergavenny is quite an affluent community.

The only drawback for me would have been if the kids weren’t up for it. But they are, so go for it!
Best of luck.

Aberdeenshire is nowhere near Wales, literally the other end of the country. And depending on where in Aberdeenshire there is decent employment available.