Where to live in stafford

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Eccy is indeed a smashing place to live. Very friendly with every thing you actually need to get by but only 10 minutes from Stafford for the 'extras'. Big shops etc.
 

Wormella

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I feel part of the community in Stafford, love my friends & neighbours. I think the town centre ( walking distance ) is quite good for getting to know folk, I think the suburbs are possibly less community focused. Friends, neighbours and being so close to town are the main things that hold us back from moving.

We live on the outskirts of town and We've made a lot of friends, both in our street, and by putting the hours into friendly local pubs. I don't think we've ever had such a wide and varied group of friends. The other joy is you often bump into them in town, so the possibilities of unstructured nights out etc, or chance meetings are much higher. I'm no fan of tiny villages which can get a bit claustrophobic.

Also the ability to easily get into town and not rely on buses / cars / there not being roadwork etc is marvellous
 

Wormella

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Its true that village life isnt for everyone...I love it but you cant blow your nose without everyone knowing about it.

Both @Goldilox and I grew up in villages (although mine had the added bonus of being able to escape easily via public transport to exciting places like Cardiff) I'm aware there are benefits, but none to outweight the sucky teenage years aspects, and I know a lot of my friends Brocton / Milford way are finding the long term roadworks hard going as far as access.

Where we are now has a lovely village feel to it (playground at the end of the street, open playing friends, friendly local pub, lovely primary school etc), I've never known so many neighbours etc, but town is a 10 min walk away so we really have the best of both worlds.

Stafford is genuinely a lovely place to live.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
Yes those roadworks are a nightmare.

Another downside to village life is nights out. When we come into Stafford one of us has to not drink and be the driver or pay for a taxi home.
Paying for a taxi for a special occasion such as a dinner dance is one thing but if you just want to go for a pizza and have a few glasses of wine then it does make for an expensive night out.
So I can see why being able to walk to places has its advantages.
 

darben

Well-Known Forumite
Its true that village life isnt for everyone...I love it but you cant blow your nose witchout everyone knowing about it.
This in spades, having lived in most types of places from cities to middle of nowhere I've personally found village life the most isolating and what some (emphasis on some not all) people don't know they make up sometimes to litigeous proportions.
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
I live near Eccleshall too and it's great. Lovely place.

In my experience, the best answer to the question "Where to live in stafford?" would be "outside of it".
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
I've personally found village life the most isolating

I find it fascinating how we all view the world in a different way.

You @darben (and many others) find village life isolating and yet I love village life for the opposite reason.....I have always found it welcoming and the least isolating.

Like you, I have lived in small towns, big towns, even cities ...I lived in London for a year so I have experienced everything really but as soon as I had a child I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted him to have the freedom of country/village life.

To be able to have the childhood that I had where you can just go off down the fields and mess in the stream, or build a den somewhere.
(My son is 20 this year....I dont think kids are allowed to go off on their own anymore are they?)

I did originally think that you only got community spirit from living in a village (from my own experience) but this thread has made me re evaluate.

Its not where you live, its the people around you that make a community and anyone that has good neighbours and good friends, wherever they are, has found "home".
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
I agree with you Carole, I spent three years in London and I've lived in villages & towns of various sizes but I have always preferred village life. I wouldn't freely choose to live in a town or city but clearly lots of people do. It would be boring if we all felt the same about things.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
I find it fascinating how we all view the world in a different way.

You @darben (and many others) find village life isolating and yet I love village life for the opposite reason.....I have always found it welcoming and the least isolating.

Like you, I have lived in small towns, big towns, even cities ...I lived in London for a year so I have experienced everything really but as soon as I had a child I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted him to have the freedom of country/village life.

To be able to have the childhood that I had where you can just go off down the fields and mess in the stream, or build a den somewhere.
(My son is 20 this year....I dont think kids are allowed to go off on their own anymore are they?)

I did originally think that you only got community spirit from living in a village (from my own experience) but this thread has made me re evaluate.

Its not where you live, its the people around you that make a community and anyone that has good neighbours and good friends, wherever they are, has found "home".

They are, don't believe the media! My own daughter spent hours and hours on our allotment with her friends building dens and there are loads of kids who go down on to the marshes to fish and run free (and do other less desirable things!). Where I live all the kids play out in the street like we used to from dawn til dusk. Pavements are regularly chalked for hopscotch and other games. Sometimes I do wonder though if this is because we live in a poorer area where the kids are just left to be kids rather than having their parents ferrying them from one expensive activity to another? These kids are probably chucked out of the house and out from under their parents feet when the weather is nice and are none the worse for it I can say!!
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
They are, don't believe the media! My own daughter spent hours and hours on our allotment with her friends building dens and there are loads of kids who go down on to the marshes to fish and run free (and do other less desirable things!). Where I live all the kids play out in the street like we used to from dawn til dusk. Pavements are regularly chalked for hopscotch and other games. Sometimes I do wonder though if this is because we live in a poorer area where the kids are just left to be kids rather than having their parents ferrying them from one expensive activity to another? These kids are probably chucked out of the house and out from under their parents feet when the weather is nice and are none the worse for it I can say!!

I agree with you, Its lovely to see children playing outside, to have a bit of freedom and get some fresh air.

I remember a friend of mine being horrified that my son was allowed to cycle to his friends house on his own (he was about 12 at the time!)

It is a worry sometimes but you cant wrap them in cotton wool all the time.
 

Floss

Well-Known Forumite
They are, don't believe the media! My own daughter spent hours and hours on our allotment with her friends building dens and there are loads of kids who go down on to the marshes to fish and run free (and do other less desirable things!). Where I live all the kids play out in the street like we used to from dawn til dusk. Pavements are regularly chalked for hopscotch and other games. Sometimes I do wonder though if this is because we live in a poorer area where the kids are just left to be kids rather than having their parents ferrying them from one expensive activity to another? These kids are probably chucked out of the house and out from under their parents feet when the weather is nice and are none the worse for it I can say!!


That's how it used to be kids were allowed to be kids it's a pity there isn't much more of it instead of expensive unnecessary activities like you say.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
That's how it used to be kids were allowed to be kids it's a pity there isn't much more of it instead of expensive unnecessary activities like you say.

I think for poorer kids it's still very much the norm. Drive around any social housing area and you'll see kids playing out. The posher areas, not so much, but it still happens. The defining factor round my area is the speed of the cars, it's like some of these nutters who fly round residential streets don't give a jot about other people's kids..............oh wait :(
 

Floss

Well-Known Forumite
I think for poorer kids it's still very much the norm. Drive around any social housing area and you'll see kids playing out. The posher areas, not so much, but it still happens. The defining factor round my area is the speed of the cars, it's like some of these nutters who fly round residential streets don't give a jot about other people's kids..............oh wait :(

Yes I suppose there area lot more cars and faster ones these days and a lot more green space being used up, for housing, which I notice some of the newer houses have such small gardens making it difficult for kids to run around.
 

flossietoo

Well-Known Forumite
Another vote for Eccleshall. If we were looking now, I wouldn't consider anywhere else. It's got great facilities and a brilliant sense of community.

It's interesting reading other people's views on this thread. Before we moved, I would have said villages were the most fantastically friendly places in the world. I lived in a wonderful village where we had amazing friends. I thought all villages were like that.

They are not.

Check out Eccleshall. You'll love it.
 

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Another vote for Eccleshall. If we were looking now, I wouldn't consider anywhere else. It's got great facilities and a brilliant sense of community.

It's interesting reading other people's views on this thread. Before we moved, I would have said villages were the most fantastically friendly places in the world. I lived in a wonderful village where we had amazing friends. I thought all villages were like that.

They are not.

Check out Eccleshall. You'll love it.


Way too cliquey

Divorce capital of the County

Closet Ukipers
 
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