Where should I move in England?????

[devindpei]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a Canadian teacher, planing to move to England this upcoming school year (Sept. 2009). I can pretty well work anywhere in the country, i'm just trying to decide where I might like to go.

I do not want to live in any large centres (London, Birmingham, Manchester), but I would like to live in a city. I would like to be in a city that is quieter and slower paced them the larger cities. I'd also like to be near the coast, rather than central.

So far, i've been thinking of Liverpool and Bristol, as some possibilities.

Are there any other smaller cities that would suit my needs besides these 2?

I've been to England a few times, but have never been to either one of these cities. Which place is nicer? Which place would you recommend as being a better place to live and teach?

Thanks.

[themeone]

You could try one of the large towns and cities on the south coast.

Brighton and Bournemouth may appeal. Both are beach sizeable beach resorts that have expanded into large urban areas.

There's also Portsmouth and Southampton, both on the Hampshire coast. Both have a more "urban" feel but are not too big, so still possible to live outside and commute in easily.

[arkygeek]

Hi

We've been living in Liverpool for 3.5 years now. It is a great city and we love it. Our 3 kids have been attending Woolton Junior School and Gateacre Comprehensive. The schools are fantastic, and if they are a reflection of the rest of them here, we are very impressed by the education system here.

People here are friendly, have great senses of humour, and really like to have fun. The huge investment (made in prep for 2008 as European Capital of Culture) into the city's infrastructure will, I think, have great, long lasting effects. email me if you like jjorgenson at g mai l d ot co m

Cheers! Jason

[Steven]

I would like to be in a city that is quieter and slower paced them the larger cities.

I think this is a bit of an illusion in the UK because the smaller cities are usually more congested in my experience, one of the better examples being Plymouth. The larger it is the better the public transport.

If you want to live somewhere nice and coastal that isn't congested in the UK, think about Bangor in Northern Ireland. Bournemouth and other places on the south coast are overflowing with retirees.

Bristol sounds like a good choice, better than Liverpool at any rate.

You might also quite like Douglas on the Isle of Man, not sure what opportunities there are for teachers there though because you have to get a work permit (but if you're not a citizen of an EU state you have to do that for the UK as well).

[OzzyKel]

I am going to try to be really honest with you without trying to cut anyone down.

PLEASE DON'T MOVE TO A SMALL CITY/VILLAGE/TOWN in ENGLAND.

I moved to the Blackburn area and it...too say the least was a HUGE culture shock!
People are nice enough. Malls (shopping centers) are open 9am-5pm (making it right convient for people who work) and same with shops and butchers and food shops. Racism is unbelievable. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the words..."I'm not racist but...." Just everything is so...well I believe...behind the times. I've found 2 other Canadians in the area and we all think the same way.

I try to get to Manchester or Liverpool as much as humanly possible. I think they are right...Liverpool is the way to go. It's a big city for here but I can't imagine it's any bigger then say....London Ontario. More cultured from what I see.

But please reconsider the small town thing - Bigger city's here don't feel that big.

[prehpreh]

exeter is a nice little place

[shubhranshu]

Liverpool had "lost much of their raison d'etre" with the decline of shipping and had "little prospect of offering their residents the standard of living to which they aspire. (Source: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/…..) So, Bristol seems better option. Much will also depend upon your future planning regarding profession and settlement period.
Advisor travel.justluxe

[Steven]

I moved to the Blackburn area and it...too say the least was a HUGE culture shock!

To be honest I think that's more to do with Blackburn, although like I said above the idea of a "small town" in Canada is very far removed from what it is in most of the UK, because of the population density of the UK. If you want a small town Canadian-style you're looking at Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales.

I remember going into the McDonald's in Blackburn town centre some years ago and there were two kids in the toilet who were at it!

It is a very racist place because of all the immigrants.