# Nottingham with a family



## MLH (Jan 22, 2012)

So, after years of discussion around the possibility of a move to England, we decided to bite the bullet and get on with it.

One of the biggest struggles for me was that it needed to be a realistic plan because we have children.

If it were up to us (sans kids) we'd be happy couch surfing-doesn't really matter to us because we are a bit "fly by the seat of our pants" that way.

So, we have weighed/considered several things...

*Our reasons for wanting to move abroad:*
*introduce children to the British way of life-satisfy the lil' anglophiles my children have become

*spend time getting to know their British family members

*have an opportunity to experience education in England

*be close to FIL who is ill and in care home, etc

*Things we have tossed around:*
*The people we wanted to be closest to (family & friends) and how close do we really want to be to family? 

*Specialized art schools (both kids are big into the arts)

*Art/music/culture (we are big into the arts)

*CITY living, but without the outrageous cost of living that we would face in London (can't guarantee what the future will hold in terms of work, etc)

*Accessibility (public transport or walking)

*Nearby airport

*Work

We have travelled throughout England (my husband has done alot more than us, as he is from there) and with all things considered we narrowed it down to Nottingham (which is really bad, since I cannot properly pronouce it...sounds alot like Not-ING-HAAAAM) 

Can anyone give me pros and cons of relocating there with a family?

Thx


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

MLH said:


> So, after years of discussion around the possibility of a move to England, we decided to bite the bullet and get on with it.
> 
> One of the biggest struggles for me was that it needed to be a realistic plan because we have children.
> 
> ...


It's Nóttingum (h is unpronounced).

Yes, not a bad choice, similar to other towns and cities in East Midlands (part of the country it is in) like Derby (pron. Darby) and Leicester (Lester). Some industries (Boots the Chemist is based there), two universities, quite lively nightlife, history (castle, churches, museums), some troublesome areas (locals will tell you where to avoid), good shopping and other amenities, and not far from the Peak District for scenery and outdoor life and beaches at Skegness in Lincolnshire. East Midland Airport on the outskirts has many budget flights to Europe (Easyjet, Ryanair, BMI etc). Good rail link to London (St Pancras, where Eurostar trains to Paris and Brussels start). I don't know too much about jobs - difficult like everywhere else in the current downturn no doubt.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

MLH said:


> So, after years of discussion around the possibility of a move to England, we decided to bite the bullet and get on with it.
> 
> One of the biggest struggles for me was that it needed to be a realistic plan because we have children.
> 
> ...


In that list of considerations I think the top one should be WORK - unless of course you have resources and don't need to work.

Living anywhere is going to be difficult if you don't have a job and have no income coming in. 

Have you thought how you will manage if you don't have income? 

Have you had a serious look at the job opportunities for either your or your husband (presuming you both work).

Nottinham has some pleasant areas around it by the way.


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## MLH (Jan 22, 2012)

work was almost left of the list because those weren't really things I needed to toss around as such. It is absolutely at the top of the list of priorities, but the other things were ones that needed weighing.

I am not being naive to the fact that work is an important factor-I am making a huge leap leaving a career that I have been in since I left college (13 years ago and have no fear of losing because it is a stable position), but my husband did the same when he landed in Canada to join/live with us from England-and we have rebuilt, so we are not naive to the potential struggle.

Of course we have every intention of finding work when we relocate-neither of us too proud to take whatever we can get/live off of because we understand the state of the economy across the globe...but we are desperate for change for a number of other reasons and whilst money is a factor when talking about quality of life, we don't feel we need to be rich to enjoy it.

Yes, we will have savings. Yes we do have education, transferrable skills etc. Yes we have looked at job opportunities, revamped our resumes to look more like the expected CV's etc.

What I was hoping to hear here were stories about life in Nottinham with a family...really.

Thanks for the helpful responses.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

MLH said:


> work was almost left of the list because those weren't really things I needed to toss around as such. It is absolutely at the top of the list of priorities, but the other things were ones that needed weighing.
> 
> I am not being naive to the fact that work is an important factor-I am making a huge leap leaving a career that I have been in since I left college (13 years ago and have no fear of losing because it is a stable position), but my husband did the same when he landed in Canada to join/live with us from England-and we have rebuilt, so we are not naive to the potential struggle.
> 
> ...


Well you seem to have thought it through pretty well. 

I suppose I have zero risk tolerance when it comes to moving overseas and uprooting everything without, at least, a job for security.

I'm sure someone will come along and give you more information about Nottingham. I lived in Surrey myself, in Guildford, and thought that part of the UK was lovely- so if you consider moving further south let me know.


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## Levi_501 (Aug 13, 2011)

Do not worry, if you struggle with Nottingham, there is always Birmingham 

Sorry, could not resist.


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## MLH (Jan 22, 2012)

Levi_501 said:


> Do not worry, if you struggle with Nottingham, there is always Birmingham
> 
> Sorry, could not resist.


Yeah-doesn't really mean very much to me, so clearly not helpful to someone who has never been. 

I am guessing that was a "dig" at the area, so given the fact that I am considering moving a family (children) to the area, it would be helpful to hear more details if it was a negative "dig".

I keep having to remind myself that whilst I am interested in hearing others opinions of areas, I am from Toronto, Canada (born and raised). So, there is not alot that I have not seen or heard...

I have no interest in living in a small village or town...I wouldn't choose it in Canada, so I wont be choosing it in England.

Do I want to be stuck in the middle of cracktown with kids? No...

Am I interested in having my children shot at? No...

Do I care to find my children at risk in the area we choose because we had an interest in the specialized performing arts school? No...

So, if you have something to offer that would be helpful in making the decision. I would be happy to hear it...


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

MLH said:


> Yeah-doesn't really mean very much to me, so clearly not helpful to someone who has never been.
> 
> I am guessing that was a "dig" at the area, so given the fact that I am considering moving a family (children) to the area, it would be helpful to hear more details if it was a negative "dig".
> 
> ...


I don't know Nottingham intimately, but have relatives who have lived there and I've been there a few times in the last several years. While Nottingham has a reputation for gun crime, it's no worse than other larger cities in UK and certainly a lot better than in North America. Random shooting is rare, though young people have been killed or injured through mistaken identity or caught up in cross fire. Most crimes are drugs-related. With two universities, one older and prestigious (Univ of Nottingham) and the other (Nottingham Trent) newer and progressive, it's a studenty city with a wide tange amenities for cultural, musical, sporting life and entertainment. Provided you choose a pleasant residential suburb, you shouldn't worry unduly about personal safety and teens can travel freely on their own, at least in daylight hours.

As for performing arts, some high schools specialise in them and in Nottingham Friesland School | Specialist Performing Arts College is one. Also parents send their children to a theatre school after school and weekends to be trained in various aspects of performing arts. Some localities have theatre workshop for young people, run or subsidised by local council.


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## MLH (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks Joppa. 

I located a girls school that specializes in Performing Arts. It is different in Toronto, as these schools are well sought-after and the application/audition process is huge. My daughter has just gone through this process and we are awaiting a response. 

I would rather be close to the school (wherever we choose), at least until we get used to the city. 

Thing is, this girls school in Nottingham was undersubscribed. It appears that the catchment area includes all of Nottingham, so you would think more ppl would be trying to get in there.

I wasn't sure if it was because the area was riddled with an apathetic council housing culture beat down by oppression (which doesn't even bother me as such because I am a strong advocate for the marginalized/hard to serve here in Toronto) and if so, does one need to consider the level of risk in that area because of the culture? 

Or perhaps the kids are indifferent when it comes to specialized schooling and just want to get on with highschool without any added pressure?

Or if it is because all girls schools are being boycotted? 

Or, or, or...

But then looking at wiki has shown me that the assistant director of education at Nottingham city council once said about a school closure in the area : 

"What we've got is a multi-layered set of social problems -social unrest where the school is, low morale among staff, low expectations, low input among parents. Had we taken a multi-layered approach to solving the problems five years ago it might have been different." 

Not exactly the kind of environment that I would want to launch my children into...

And for anyone else wondering about the same:

After much research, none of this even matters now anyhow, since it looks like this school is also scheduled to close and reopen as a specialist school in literacy, mathematics, science and technology in 2014. *sigh*

A DECISION on whether to transform a school into Nottingham's first all-girls academy is to be made sooner than expected. | This is Nottingham

So, I guess this is why I was hoping to hear stories from others that have moved in or out of Nottingham and have a discussion around what it was like for families. 

If it was just my husband and I, we could cope anywhere...but we have much more to consider than the average single expat.

Thanks again! I really do appreciate the responses.

And should anyone else have any suggestions for areas that still help me access my FIL & other family members in a cost effective way (Saxilby, Lincoln & Glossop), allowing me city living (accessibility, after school receation/specilized programs, arts & culture), reasonable cost of living (living off savings until we can find work), specialized arts school (theatre/drama/film)-please feel free.


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## Gavin123 (Oct 6, 2011)

*AVOID:*
Sneinton/St. Anns
Forest Fields/Radford/Hyson Green (all very close together, the youngsters seem to be part of big gangs who break into people's houses and use other people's front gardens and porches as a place where they smoke their weed. Always Police cars patrolling the area and there is now a "dispersal order" where youths found loitering in the area at night/ past curfew times are sent home... I lived on the border of Forest Fields/Hyson Green for 1 year and HATED every minute of it, the weed smoking incident was a weekly occurence and the police did nothing about it even though we had CCTV footage of them being abusive and refusing to leave whilst using our porch as their smoking corner)
Clifton (although more leafy with surrounding countryside, also home to a massive council estate and I have to say the people are quite rude and scummy :/ )
Arboretum 

Look at: 
West Bridgford (Village/small town, nice farmer's market on weekends - community spirit, 5 minute drive from city centre) 
Mapperley (10 minute drive from city centre, MASSIVE houses at fairly cheap prices)
Mapperley Park (15 minute walk from city centre, between City and Mapperley itself. Green, leafy area, big victorian and tudor houses) 
The Park (very close to city centre, house prices can be quite high) 
The Lace Market (although it takes 2 minutes to walk to the city centre, it is also very close to St. Ann's and Sneinton - a main road seperates the good and bad - and the house prices are famously expensive... BUT if you like the "arty" lifestyle, The Lace Market is a really cool part of town, loads of vintage shops and cafes and has an independent cinema named "broadway" where you can see international films etc, then there is the Nottingham Contemporary too which is an art gallery/museum.... may not be as suited to family life, a lot of young professionals live in the lace market as well as students. There are a few colleges in the lace market too specialising in art and design and both Universities are highly regarded, with Nottingham Trent University offering summer school courses in art and design for 14-16 year olds+) 

Even though I mentioned the Arboretum area as somewhere to be avoided for family living (tends to be home to quite a few rowdy students, drug dealers and prostitutes), the actual Arboretum park itself is lovely, well looked after, beautiful gardens, duck pond, aviary with loads of different parrots and birds and the bandstand which pays host to a number of local bands and artists that perform there at the Green Festival in late May. Expect vegan food, arty crafts and multi cultural music. 

Nottingham is a great city if you live in the right parts of town - as with everywhere I guess. You will never be bored in Nottingham, always loads of things to do and it's in easy reach of pretty much everything in the country due to its central location. 

I would check out the employment situation very thoroughly before you commit to moving here. Nottingham is home to some large companies like Capital One, Experian, Boots, EON and so on... it might be wise to start job hunting before you get here though. Depending on what line of work you are in, the salaries can be quite low here. NOTHING compared to London for example. The cost of living is also loads cheaper than in London, but a lot of people I know complain that their salary doesn't reflect the kind of work they are doing. 

check out Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling | Monster Job Site and More jobs, more choice at reed.co.uk, the UK?s #1 job site for a quick look at what jobs are available at the moment in Nottingham. 

Hope that helps a little?


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## MLH (Jan 22, 2012)

Gavin123 said:


> *AVOID:*
> Sneinton/St. Anns
> Forest Fields/Radford/Hyson Green (all very close together, the youngsters seem to be part of big gangs who break into people's houses and use other people's front gardens and porches as a place where they smoke their weed. Always Police cars patrolling the area and there is now a "dispersal order" where youths found loitering in the area at night/ past curfew times are sent home... I lived on the border of Forest Fields/Hyson Green for 1 year and HATED every minute of it, the weed smoking incident was a weekly occurence and the police did nothing about it even though we had CCTV footage of them being abusive and refusing to leave whilst using our porch as their smoking corner)
> Clifton (although more leafy with surrounding countryside, also home to a massive council estate and I have to say the people are quite rude and scummy :/ )
> ...


Thank you very much! I appreciate you taking the time to give me a more detailed response. This is exactly what I was after and I am so grateful. 

Very helpful and alot more encouraging! I half questioned my sanity after some of the comments, but this has definitely provided some relief. x


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