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Post by Kilburn on Mar 24, 2004 13:17:26 GMT 1
Not STFC-related, but Shrewsbury-related and I'd appreciate anyone's comments:
My girlfriend's moving back to Shrewsbury on the flimsy grounds that she's hated living in London for the past ten years, misses her family, misses the Shropshire/N.Wales countryside and just misses small-town life (Her words by the way - that's not me being patronising!) Fair enough. Problem is that I've lived here all my life and I'm not sure about the move. Actually, she's also not sure that I'd be able to make the adjustment to life in Salop given that I don't really know anything other than London life.
I know that I'd miss my friends, family etc. and I wouldn't be able to watch Fulham as much (Difficult to decide whether that would be a good or bad thing!) I suspect I'd also miss the pace of London (But again, a more relaxed pace would probably be no bad thing) and I know that I'd miss the ability to watch any film that was released (Bit of a cinema fan and your average multiplex doesn't tend to show the sort of films that I tend to enjoy the most) I'm also aware that I'd see a sizable drop in income, but given that I'm wholly unsuited to the finance industry and frankly crap at my job as well as semi-miserable, this could be a great catalyst for having a proper think about what I want to actually do with my life.
Things like being able to disappear into the countryside now appeal to me more than having a blinding Vietnamese restraunt just around the corner or being able to go and see a play in the upstairs bar of a pub, but is that just me having a romantic view of a quieter life? Who knows.
I've spent a bit of time in Salop, and I must say that I think it's a canny town; a lot of the locals seem to moan about it, and I can see that the intimacy could get on your tits in certain cases, but I must say that it seems to have a fair bit going for it in terms of quality of life. At least from what little I've seen. She's got a quality family and a good bunch of mates who've been very welcoming, so I wouldn't be stranded on a social level. And Gay Meadow's a decent place to watch your football - I've been with Fulham in the past and more recently with the girlfriend's cousins.
So, if I were to move up to Shrewsbury, what would pleasantly surprise me? What would be the selling points? And what are the negatives that I should bear in mind? Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Great girl, great family and the chance to watch STFC when I wasn't watching the whites - what should I do? My future is in your hands - be gentle.
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Shrewsbury Tourist Board
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Post by Shrewsbury Tourist Board on Mar 24, 2004 13:32:14 GMT 1
Shrewsbury has many of the things you would want
You also have to remember that 1 hour on the traina nd you are int he centre of Birmingham, 90 mins and it is Manchester or Liverpool, so you can go and find cities whenever you want them!
Put it this way, low crime rate, clean air, breathtaking countryside just 20 minutes away, rush hour that lasts ten minutes, massive amount of character pubs with real history.
Suire, we;ve got the cinema / bowling / lazerquest, and let's be honest, you only need one of each anyway!
For its size shrewwsbury does well, it punches above its weight, the schools are excellent, crime is low, the streets are clean and a cat stuck up a tree makes front page news of the local newspaper
I understand the big london lifestyle thing, and Shrewsbury will be an almighty shock, but put it this way, Indian / Chinese / Italian / Spanish / Thai /Mongolian / Mediteranean / English! food is available here. Ludlow is only 30 mins by car with it's internationally renowned places to eat
and also, if you stick around on this board and meet up witha few of us you will find Shrewsbury is a very friendly place, you can usually trust your neighbours!
Also, if you own property in London you are going to get a heck of a lot for your money in Shrewsbury, I saw a 6 bedroom detached going for £275,000 the other day. My mate just paid £220,000 for a 2 bed flat in Putney!
The choice is yours, but even if you find you hate Shrewsbury your kids will grow up in safety and your woman will be happy
you just can't buy that!
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Daffyd
Shropshire County League
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Post by Daffyd on Mar 24, 2004 14:03:02 GMT 1
It's a s**t hole, but at least I'm the only gay in the village...
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Post by True_Shrew on Mar 24, 2004 14:31:11 GMT 1
I have to agree that Shrewsbury that can be a very friendly place to live when your in the right circles, even when your not, people are still polite.
I suppose some of the better people to ask are the London shrews, they have plenty of experience of both worlds, but it seems the younger you are the more enjoyable London seems and the less attractive shrewsbury gets.
If you want a varied nightlife then you will struggle round here, the last train (or bus most of the time) from Wolverhampton leaves at 11.40ish so it's no good for clubbing but Shrewsbury itself has come along way over the last few years.
Yes, it's a backwater and life around here is at a slower place but it's safer place to live and some of countryside is some of the best in the land, but if it floats your boat is another thing all together.
One thing for sure is if you get involved with the club and B&A then you will be made to feel most welcome.
Oh one more thing, **** off Daffyd.
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Post by ianwhit on Mar 24, 2004 14:40:41 GMT 1
i moved back from london about 3-years ago after spending 12-years down there.
it's not a bad place to live though a bit backward at times, the best thing about it is the location. if you want to go out there's birmingham, liverpool, manchester that aren't too far.
think of it like this, i used to live in putney and to go out in camden would take 1-hour on the tube to get there. to go out in wolverhampton is 30-minutes, birmingham is 45-minutes, liverpool about an hour.
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Post by RentaGhost on Mar 24, 2004 14:50:19 GMT 1
its fine only been 2 or 3 murders this year so far.
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Post by Kilburn White on Mar 24, 2004 15:45:31 GMT 1
Thanks for your responses: to be honest, I'm not that fussed about the nightlife side of things. I've spent the last decade inside just about every pub/bar to make its way into 'Time-out' and I actually enjoy just drinking in normal pubs these days, so that's not a problem. And I'd rather have a night out in Shrewsbury than Wolverhampton!
The more close-minded nature of some folk might grate, but there are plenty of Londoners with the same affliction.
The thing with London is that you can't even entertain the notion of buying first-time unless you're in a high-paying profession (Erm, I am technically, but it hasn't quite worked out on the cash front!) or have family who can help you out. Given that I don't want to work in this profession and seemingly won't ever be able to afford by buy in town (However grim the area) I'm quite/very open to the idea of upping-sticks and following my girlfriend.
If you have some mouthy cockney standing next to you at Gay Meadow next season, then you'll know I've made the move!
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Post by El Huracán!!!! on Mar 24, 2004 15:52:02 GMT 1
Hope you make the move and keep in toutch on here im sure that the B and A community can help you settle in once you get up here if you want!!!
I work in Brum and after i got the job was going to move away there but after some consideration im staying here and looking for somewhere near the station - the pace of life and the commuity spirt of the town is good - if sometime the council are a bit "backwards" with there thinking and we are getting lots of new speed cameras - I have lived in Coventry, Epsom Cardiff and been many other places and Shrewsburys not that bad really!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2004 15:57:26 GMT 1
The good thing about Shrewsbury is you are not far from some major cities. It's very easy to get on a train and get to Manchester and Birmingham in an hour or so.
Out of all the places I have lived, I miss Shrewsbury the most. It's not so quiet that you will get fed up, and its not so busy that it will egt on your nerves.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2004 15:59:33 GMT 1
Kilburn, it sounds to me that you will enjoy living in Salop.
I live in London and love it to bits, but plan to return to Shrewsbury one day; it's a lovely Town albeit a bit of a backwater.
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Daffyd
Shropshire County League
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Post by Daffyd on Mar 24, 2004 16:06:25 GMT 1
Oh one more thing, f**k off Daffyd. Are you angry that I am the ONLY gay in the village? or are you just a homophobe but really have deep seated gay emotions and feel the only way to come to terms with your gayness is to throw abuse to other gays, but remember...I am the ONLY gay in the village so you f**k off!
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graedw
Shropshire County League
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Post by graedw on Mar 24, 2004 16:18:38 GMT 1
cracking place to live, don`t expect to see top class football
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Post by Kilburn on Mar 24, 2004 16:24:05 GMT 1
Thanks again for your comments. As for not expecting top football - I've had a lifetime of watching Fulham, so nothing footballers can't do with a ball shocks me now.
Anyways, good luck for the rest of the season and thanks again.
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Post by robspaceman1 on Mar 24, 2004 16:27:14 GMT 1
not sure how much it will affect you as an (i'm guessing) over-30 yr old, but shrewsbury town centre in the evenings and even during the days can be quite threatening for a young man - there are plenty of smalltown-type idiots willing to pick a fight with people who don't appear to fit in. i live in london at the moment and there is not this kind of atmospheere where i go out: i think the main problem with moving to shrewsbury is that fact that you can't choose where you go out, everyone gets lumped in the same town centre. whereas if you live in london you know that you can go to different areas depending on what mood youre in, which then have corresponding levels of 'risk' associated with them (not mentioning any areas in particular).
but if as you said youre not bothered about the nightlife then thats ok. make sure you pack your burberry cap when you move up though!!
what i love about london: my girlfriend, the excellent (for all its bad press) transport system (try getting across shrewsbury on a bus without changing at least once), the excellent entertainment on offer, the 'diversity'
what i dislike about it and miss from shrewsbury: the clean air, the countryside (so much!), the space, the possiblity of finding somewhere affordable to live with off street parking!, stfc...
these are just a few of my ideas off the top of my head. goo dluck with the decision
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Post by True_Shrew on Mar 24, 2004 16:34:26 GMT 1
Nah Daffyd, I have absolutley no problem with Gay people but the bloke put an honest question out and I told you to **** off because you called Shrewsbury a s**thole. And I think we all know by now that you are the only gay in the village, so congratulations
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Post by robspaceman1 on Mar 24, 2004 17:17:01 GMT 1
have you ever watched little britain, true shrew? just checking because i think there could be a little misunderstanding goinig on....
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Post by ssshrew on Mar 24, 2004 17:19:29 GMT 1
Shrewsbury and Shropshire are a great on the whole not too touristy part of Britain. I have lived in Shropshire for 20 years now having lived in London, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire before. It's the longest I have lived anywhere and I cannot imagine living anywhere else now.
The others are so right. It's not the best place for great football but it is good for friendly, exasperated fans. It is so easy to get to other football grounds once you get past Telford (and that's not meant to be rude). You will be surprised at how many grounds you will be able to reach quite easily and relatively quickly to see your beloved Fulham. By the way I remember going to Craven Cottage in the 60s and seeing the great Johnny Haynes and have always had an interest in them.
Good luck with your choice.
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Post by Carter on Mar 24, 2004 17:25:17 GMT 1
I'm just in the process of movning back to Shrews after 7 fab years in the smoke and I tend to agree with the comments that Ian made - you do tend to get a bit jaded with the commute, noise, overpriced shoe box accomodation etc. but on the plus side it can be a great career move/boost and really open up your horizons. london is great in some respects and everybody should spend a least a little time there at some point in their life but I find i really appreciate Shrewsbury a darn lot more having been away, hence my recent decision to move back. And I'm really looking forward to getting back full time!!!
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Post by Bilbo on Mar 24, 2004 17:44:44 GMT 1
On Average £1.85 a pint Like what as already been mentioned...... Don't expect good footaball On a whole the people in Salop are great and really friendly. If your an old stick in the mud like me, its great for Darts Domino's , Snooker and Pool. We have a great zoo near to Shrewsbury its called TELFORD
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