Weather in Bristol

[bustamove]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts on here for over a year about moving back to the UK. So much useful advice, but I'm still unsure about a few things and hope you wonderful people can help guide my decision.

My partner and I moved to Melbourne for 1 year 8 years ago. He's from Melbs; his dad was dying at the time. We thought. He's still here and doing ok.
We now have two kids (6 and 8) and I really want to move back to the UK. My family are all there. I'm really close to them. My mum and dad are in their late 70s and missing out on getting to know my kids. (We've been home twice). My brother and sister now have kids of their own, who we'd love to get to know. I love my Aussie family and friends, have a bloody lovely life here, but don't want to be here forever. Oh, and can't afford a house where we live. No willing to move further out. Would prefer to start over in the UK. Hubby is all for it. He loves Europe. I was the one who had to convince him to live in Oz for a while when his dad got sick. 

I figure now is a good time to move back as my kids are young enough to be able to slip into life in a new school and new community. My DH and I, however, are scared we'll find it difficult to fit into a new community. BUT,  the longer we stay here the harder it will be to move back. And after reading so many posts about families with older children being split - it's not something I want to even contemplate.

Our main problem is where to live.

We used to live in London, but neither of us want to do that again.
We're seriously thinking of Bristol. We could afford a good home there in a good area near decent schools.
My main issue is the weather. 
I know, I know, there are lots of people who don't think that should matter, but it does to me. I grew up in Northern Ireland where it rains pretty much all year and I was miserable. Couldn't wait to leave. 
I've heard it rains just as much in Bristol. Anyone in the know who could verify this, or not.
Bristol seems like a mini Melbourne. It's got good cafes. restaurants, festivals and museums; the vibrant lifestyle we're looking for. We're not good with suburbia.

We also need to live somewhere that's easy to fly to N Ireland and less than two hours driving time to Dorset (where my sister lives).

Jobs are important too. DH is in IT and I'm in publishing so figure Bristol is a good option.
As I said, it's just the idea that it will rain so much puts me off.

Please Bristolians, tell me I've no idea what I'm talking about and the weather is just fine and dandy!

(Our other options for a place to live would be Oxford or Cambridge... open to hearing what they're like too).

[Guest]

Just as much? Weather all over the planet is variable and we have much more flooding than we used to, less true cold weather over winters and more in the UK these days. I don't think you should worry overly about rain. I don't see anyone can verify this for you tbh. It will rain wherever you live in the UK, sometimes more than usual, sometimes not.

Honestly, the weather there isn't all that different from many other parts of the UK. Its a lovely part of the country to settle if you can afford it. We were there for a number of years before moving (back to for hubby) Aus. We never had any issues living our lives, whatever the weather. Got out, did lots, enjoyed life. If it rained we had options if we didn't want to be out in it. 

There are certain areas of the city more desirable than others and that vibrant cafe scene etc isn't in all of them. And you'd be paying top dollar to buy in those in demand areas for sure. 

You can be at the airport with ease, its not a long drive if you are the western/southern side of the city. If you are north/east it will take longer. Personally I prefer the western side with access to Ashton Court, the suspension bridge and airport. And the access to the M5 to head south for day trips and the like. Plus it has some of the more desirable areas you seem to be after. I'm not a fan of the northern/eastern side so much. 

I like Clifton (its what you seem to be after ticking the boxes wise), Henleaze, around the Downs, Blaise Castle way can be good (plus the play park itself is fab, as is Hengrove Park) though both get really busy in good weather. 

 

 

[bunbury61]

2 hours ago, bustamove said:

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts on here for over a year about moving back to the UK. So much useful advice, but I'm still unsure about a few things and hope you wonderful people can help guide my decision.

My partner and I moved to Melbourne for 1 year 8 years ago. He's from Melbs; his dad was dying at the time. We thought. He's still here and doing ok.
We now have two kids (6 and 8) and I really want to move back to the UK. My family are all there. I'm really close to them. My mum and dad are in their late 70s and missing out on getting to know my kids. (We've been home twice). My brother and sister now have kids of their own, who we'd love to get to know. I love my Aussie family and friends, have a bloody lovely life here, but don't want to be here forever. Oh, and can't afford a house where we live. No willing to move further out. Would prefer to start over in the UK. Hubby is all for it. He loves Europe. I was the one who had to convince him to live in Oz for a while when his dad got sick. 

I figure now is a good time to move back as my kids are young enough to be able to slip into life in a new school and new community. My DH and I, however, are scared we'll find it difficult to fit into a new community. BUT,  the longer we stay here the harder it will be to move back. And after reading so many posts about families with older children being split - it's not something I want to even contemplate.

Our main problem is where to live.

We used to live in London, but neither of us want to do that again.
We're seriously thinking of Bristol. We could afford a good home there in a good area near decent schools.
My main issue is the weather. 
I know, I know, there are lots of people who don't think that should matter, but it does to me. I grew up in Northern Ireland where it rains pretty much all year and I was miserable. Couldn't wait to leave. 
I've heard it rains just as much in Bristol. Anyone in the know who could verify this, or not.
Bristol seems like a mini Melbourne. It's got good cafes. restaurants, festivals and museums; the vibrant lifestyle we're looking for. We're not good with suburbia.

We also need to live somewhere that's easy to fly to N Ireland and less than two hours driving time to Dorset (where my sister lives).

Jobs are important too. DH is in IT and I'm in publishing so figure Bristol is a good option.
As I said, it's just the idea that it will rain so much puts me off.

Please Bristolians, tell me I've no idea what I'm talking about and the weather is just fine and dandy!

(Our other options for a place to live would be Oxford or Cambridge... open to hearing what they're like too).

bloody hell ,you are going to make life difficult for yourself ...i have just tea your post.

when you let your heart rule your head , you really put yourself out there .

I should know , u have been doing it for over 20 years .

its a long long story ....

advantages ....

you get to see family

choice of travel

things to do

disadvantages

you get lumbered with all the responsibility ( well we have ) ?

PLACES TO LIVE ....

do you want city , rural or semi rural ?

stay out of the BIG cities

Stay off the m1 -m6 corridor .

a few in the mix ...exeter ....nice , has its own airport , access to m5 , which means weekends in Devon / Cornwall ?

Bristol....iam sure has lovely areas on the outskirts ....1000s of stunning little towns and villages in the u.k

Worcester ....decent

there are so many

p.s ..i posted last week about a lady I met who was extremely well travelled ....i asked her ,where she would like to live ....taking in all the places she had been , and she said ..DEVON

bed of luck ...boy , are you in for a roller coaster ...exciting though ?

 

 

 

[bunbury61]

Just now, bunbury61 said:

bloody hell ,you are going to make life difficult for yourself ...i have just tea your post.

when you let your heart rule your head , you really put yourself out there .

I should know , u have been doing it for over 20 years .

its a long long story ....

advantages ....

you get to see family

choice of travel

things to do

disadvantages

you get lumbered with all the responsibility ( well we have ) ?

PLACES TO LIVE ....

do you want city , rural or semi rural ?

stay out of the BIG cities

Stay off the m1 -m6 corridor .

a few in the mix ...exeter ....nice , has its own airport , access to m5 , which means weekends in Devon / Cornwall ?

Bristol....iam sure has lovely areas on the outskirts ....1000s of stunning little towns and villages in the u.k

Worcester ....decent

there are so many

p.s ..i posted last week about a lady I met who was extremely well travelled ....i asked her ,where she would like to live ....taking in all the places she had been , and she said ..DEVON

bed of luck ...boy , are you in for a roller coaster ...exciting though ?

 

 

 

p.s ...you know what the u.k is like ...you can be in a really undesirable place one minute .....10 miles down the road , its bloody lovely ?

[bunbury61]

2 minutes ago, bunbury61 said:

p.s ...you know what the u.k is like ...you can be in a really undesirable place one minute .....10 miles down the road , its bloody lovely ?

pps ...the weather ...honestly

I almost said the u.ks weather is becoming a plus ...almost

we have had snow ...very little rain....BUT NO BLOODY WIND ....for ages

iam sat here ,waiting to go in the gym at 6am ....its 1c ...and i have 2 layers on ...no wind .

The weather of old ....the 70s....grey,brown and mustard ?...has largely gone .

its going to be considerably colder than oz of course .....but not unbearable

[VERYSTORMY]

Can't comment specifically on Bristol weather, but we moved from Perth to the south east of England last year. My wife was worried about the weather probably more than anything else - she is originally from a hot country. She found the summer in Windsor very hot! 

On other aspects of your post, I would say Bristol seems like a good fit. 

[caramac]

My daughter was in Bristol for uni and loved the city. She’s just told me that national Geographic has voted Bristol coolest city in the uk and one of the 20 coolest in the world, so depending on how cool you are, you’ll fit right in! 

We’re in Melbourne now and my daughter has said there are lots of things that remind her of Bristol- some of the architecture, lots of cultural things going on, a good city centre (although Bristol is obviously much smaller, it’s still well served), access to countryside and nice beaches, good food...

Bristol airport seems to have a good service for domestic and international flights (daughter used to fly home with easyJet to the NE very regularly and it’s only cost £50ish, depending on time and how far in advance you book), so I’m sure you’ll be able to get to NI fairly easily.

I cant help with specific schools, but have heard from various sources that they can be a bit hit and miss - some excellent, some which people try to avoid. Guess that’s the same anywhere though.

It does seem to get more rain than other parts of the UK, but I think that’s true of most of the west of England- it’s wetter than the east, but it’s always a few degrees warmer than the north of England, so that’s a plus!

From what you’ve written, and because you love Melbourne, I think Bristol would suit you better than Oxford or Cambridge, but it’s worth going to look at both those too. I love Cambridge, and it is probably drier than Bristol, but it doesn’t have the same vibe. It’s a little more sedate and I don’t think anyone would describe it as ‘funky’. There’s plenty going on and there are good schools, but it’s further from the coast and the countryside is much flatter- great if you’re into cycling, and the skies are huge and beautiful, but you’ll be disappointed if you like hill walking! You’ll also have to travel further for airports to get you to NI. You could probably get to Dorset in a couple of hours, but I hate driving across the country (I had/have to do Norfolk to Cheshire fairly frequently and it’s a bit of a slog). I don’t know Oxford at all, but I do know it’s expensive to buy houses and live there. Very lovely though.

[bunbury61]

2 minutes ago, caramac said:

My daughter was in Bristol for uni and loved the city. She’s just told me that national Geographic has voted Bristol coolest city in the uk and one of the 20 coolest in the world, so depending on how cool you are, you’ll fit right in! 

We’re in Melbourne now and my daughter has said there are lots of things that remind her of Bristol- some of the architecture, lots of cultural things going on, a good city centre (although Bristol is obviously much smaller, it’s still well served), access to countryside and nice beaches, good food...

Bristol airport seems to have a good service for domestic and international flights (daughter used to fly home with easyJet to the NE very regularly and it’s only cost £50ish, depending on time and how far in advance you book), so I’m sure you’ll be able to get to NI fairly easily.

I cant help with specific schools, but have heard from various sources that they can be a bit hit and miss - some excellent, some which people try to avoid. Guess that’s the same anywhere though.

It does seem to get more rain than other parts of the UK, but I think that’s true of most of the west of England- it’s wetter than the east, but it’s always a few degrees warmer than the north of England, so that’s a plus!

From what you’ve written, and because you love Melbourne, I think Bristol would suit you better than Oxford or Cambridge, but it’s worth going to look at both those too. I love Cambridge, and it is probably drier than Bristol, but it doesn’t have the same vibe. It’s a little more sedate and I don’t think anyone would describe it as ‘funky’. There’s plenty going on and there are good schools, but it’s further from the coast and the countryside is much flatter- great if you’re into cycling, and the skies are huge and beautiful, but you’ll be disappointed if you like hill walking! You’ll also have to travel further for airports to get you to NI. You could probably get to Dorset in a couple of hours, but I hate driving across the country (I had/have to do Norfolk to Cheshire fairly frequently and it’s a bit of a slog). I don’t know Oxford at all, but I do know it’s expensive to buy houses and live there. Very lovely though.

I here good things about Pembrokeshire as well ?

[ramot]

My son lives in Westbury on Trym, it’s a really nice area but the house prices are exorbitant, seriously almost on a London level.

Good primary school but he is a bit worried about the senior level.

We visit every year and feel it’s a really great city,  lots going on, but as mentioned houses in popular areas don’t come cheap.haven’t really noticed the rain.

[bunbury61]

7 minutes ago, ramot said:

My son lives in Westbury on Trym, it’s a really nice area but the house prices are exorbitant, seriously almost on a London level.

Good primary school but he is a bit worried about the senior level.

We visit every year and feel it’s a really great city,  lots going on, but as mentioned houses in popular areas don’t come cheap.haven’t really noticed the rain.

the rain when it does come is almost " tropical " these days ....it hammers down , with almost an element of 'warmth " in it

thankfully not as often

[LKC]

Bristol is one of the areas that we looked at moving to, before OH was offered a good job in Scotland and we decided on that.  My in-laws used to live part-way between Bath and Bristol in a very nice area from what I remember, although that is some years ago now and I don't know how much it has changed.  Your children will settle in pretty easily, I would have thought.  Our two were 1 and 2 when we moved to Sydney, and 9 and 11 when we moved back, and they've both settled very well.  Eldest daughter has Asperger's and some difficulty with anxiety, so I was a bit stressed about her, but she's been fine.  They've both made some friends, and genuinely seem to love their new school.  Like you, we decided to move back before the kids started the high school/uni/work/relationships part of their lives, which is why we moved when we did.

We did used to live in Cambridge, and really like it as a city.  It is small and compact (so easy to get around), surrounded by countryside, only an hour or so from the coast, fairly close to Stansted and London for flights, and had plenty to occupy us.  However, we were students for most of the time we lived there, which may have coloured our opinions somewhat.  We subsequently moved out to Ely and then towards Saffron Walden and Bury St Edmunds when we got married/had the kids, because we preferred to do the village thing.

Wit regards to the weather, it is different here and being in the west you're likely to have more rain than if you were in the south east or somewhere like that.  That said, we've found that the weather here in Scotland is fine.  We wrap up warm if it is cold, put waterproofs on if it is wet, and just get on with life.  I don't know whether we've just been lucky since we've been here, but we have had some absolutely stunning weather and have really enjoyed getting out and about in the countryside.

[bristolman]

I'm not sure why anyone would think it rains all the time in Bristol lol. Certainly nothing like Ireland. Bristol weather is just like all the SW and indeed the South. We are in the West Midlands and at an absolute guess I would say it rains perhaps once or maybe twice a week, Bristol would be no different. The climate is VERY different to the way it used to be. 

[Toots]

13 hours ago, bristolman said:

I'm not sure why anyone would think it rains all the time in Bristol lol. Certainly nothing like Ireland. Bristol weather is just like all the SW and indeed the South. We are in the West Midlands and at an absolute guess I would say it rains perhaps once or maybe twice a week, Bristol would be no different. The climate is VERY different to the way it used to be. 

If it wasn't for the rain, the UK wouldn't look so lovely and green.  We badly need rain here once again.  Things are starting to look a bit brown in the countryside.  Much prefer it lush and green.

[BacktoDemocracy]

On 28/12/2017 at 03:39, bustamove said:

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts on here for over a year about moving back to the UK. So much useful advice, but I'm still unsure about a few things and hope you wonderful people can help guide my decision.

My partner and I moved to Melbourne for 1 year 8 years ago. He's from Melbs; his dad was dying at the time. We thought. He's still here and doing ok.
We now have two kids (6 and 8) and I really want to move back to the UK. My family are all there. I'm really close to them. My mum and dad are in their late 70s and missing out on getting to know my kids. (We've been home twice). My brother and sister now have kids of their own, who we'd love to get to know. I love my Aussie family and friends, have a bloody lovely life here, but don't want to be here forever. Oh, and can't afford a house where we live. No willing to move further out. Would prefer to start over in the UK. Hubby is all for it. He loves Europe. I was the one who had to convince him to live in Oz for a while when his dad got sick. 

I figure now is a good time to move back as my kids are young enough to be able to slip into life in a new school and new community. My DH and I, however, are scared we'll find it difficult to fit into a new community. BUT,  the longer we stay here the harder it will be to move back. And after reading so many posts about families with older children being split - it's not something I want to even contemplate.

Our main problem is where to live.

We used to live in London, but neither of us want to do that again.
We're seriously thinking of Bristol. We could afford a good home there in a good area near decent schools.
My main issue is the weather. 
I know, I know, there are lots of people who don't think that should matter, but it does to me. I grew up in Northern Ireland where it rains pretty much all year and I was miserable. Couldn't wait to leave. 
I've heard it rains just as much in Bristol. Anyone in the know who could verify this, or not.
Bristol seems like a mini Melbourne. It's got good cafes. restaurants, festivals and museums; the vibrant lifestyle we're looking for. We're not good with suburbia.

We also need to live somewhere that's easy to fly to N Ireland and less than two hours driving time to Dorset (where my sister lives).

Jobs are important too. DH is in IT and I'm in publishing so figure Bristol is a good option.
As I said, it's just the idea that it will rain so much puts me off.

Please Bristolians, tell me I've no idea what I'm talking about and the weather is just fine and dandy!

(Our other options for a place to live would be Oxford or Cambridge... open to hearing what they're like too).

Can't really comment on the weather, you can look at Met office records for the last 20 years and build up a picture but generally the west is wetter and Bristol is exposed to the Atlantic via the Bristol channel, but what I would say is that you have chosen the 3 most expensive cities in the UK outside of London, it's not just housing, it feeds thro into services and many other things, the centers of Oxford and Cambridge are not fantastic to my mind, they are lots of suburbia, if you want city centre living you might want to consider smaller towns/cities close by. 

[bustamove]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you.

@snifter Cheers, Henleaze is one of the places we're looking at. But yeah, it is expensive so hoping the prices won't keep climbing! 

@VERYSTORMY Your wife sounds a bit like me. Glad to hear she's happy with the weather there. 

@caramac Really appreciate your response. Good to know you've lived in both Melbourne and Bristol so can compare. Sounds like Bristol is a good choice for us.

@ramot Great to know you enjoy the city when you visit. We are looking at Westbury on Trim/Henleaze/ Bishopston. I know it's crazy expensive, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than where we live in Melbourne! At least in Bristol we will be able to buy in a good area. Here, we have completely missed the boat. You need at the very least $1.5million (£870,000 ish) to get a 3 bedder in our area, and the way they're building the houses now that's without a garden or decent outside space. It's bonkers. So Bristol looks cheap in comparison!

@LKC Good to hear your kids have settled in so well. That's reassuring. Can't believe the weather in Scotland has been that good. You are lucky.

@Bristolman I can totally cope with rain once or twice a week!

@BacktoDemocracy Haha, you don't think I've already studied all those charts? It's still better to hear from people who live in the city, I think. Yeah, I know it's cray expensive, but it's still waaaay cheaper than Melbourne. That being said, you could of course move to Whoopwhoop on the outskirts of Melbourne and easily afford something but that's not for us. Not looking for city centre living exactly, but somewhere close to a city centre that has its own stuff going on in the suburbs. We're 7kms from the CC now, but don't really need to go into town much as there's so much happening on our doorstep... also what is making this moving decision all the harder!

@bunbury61 Not even thinking about the countryside or village life, as I said, we need to be in the thick of it... which is why we're looking at Bristol (or busy, vibrant towns with lots going on). Also, don't want to commute for ages... life is too short to spend hours in traffic/stuck on a crowded train. DH has a Vespa so he dodges the traffic and gets anywhere pretty quickly. 

Thanks all!

 

[Guest]

I think Bristol will tick your boxes just fine. It'll rain sometimes yes, but it won't be terrible or ruin living in the UK. We loved living there and had a great time. I also grew up there and so know the city and surrounding areas well. You have plenty of options for indoors if the weather is grotty. Plus a bit of rain shouldn't stop you from going out and about. 

 

[ramot]

4 hours ago, bustamove said:

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you.

@snifter Cheers, Henleaze is one of the places we're looking at. But yeah, it is expensive so hoping the prices won't keep climbing! 

@VERYSTORMY Your wife sounds a bit like me. Glad to hear she's happy with the weather there. 

@caramac Really appreciate your response. Good to know you've lived in both Melbourne and Bristol so can compare. Sounds like Bristol is a good choice for us.

@ramot Great to know you enjoy the city when you visit. We are looking at Westbury on Trim/Henleaze/ Bishopston. I know it's crazy expensive, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than where we live in Melbourne! At least in Bristol we will be able to buy in a good area. Here, we have completely missed the boat. You need at the very least $1.5million (£870,000 ish) to get a 3 bedder in our area, and the way they're building the houses now that's without a garden or decent outside space. It's bonkers. So Bristol looks cheap in comparison!

@LKC Good to hear your kids have settled in so well. That's reassuring. Can't believe the weather in Scotland has been that good. You are lucky.

@Bristolman I can totally cope with rain once or twice a week!

@BacktoDemocracy Haha, you don't think I've already studied all those charts? It's still better to hear from people who live in the city, I think. Yeah, I know it's cray expensive, but it's still waaaay cheaper than Melbourne. That being said, you could of course move to Whoopwhoop on the outskirts of Melbourne and easily afford something but that's not for us. Not looking for city centre living exactly, but somewhere close to a city centre that has its own stuff going on in the suburbs. We're 7kms from the CC now, but don't really need to go into town much as there's so much happening on our doorstep... also what is making this moving decision all the harder!

@bunbury61 Not even thinking about the countryside or village life, as I said, we need to be in the thick of it... which is why we're looking at Bristol (or busy, vibrant towns with lots going on). Also, don't want to commute for ages... life is too short to spend hours in traffic/stuck on a crowded train. DH has a Vespa so he dodges the traffic and gets anywhere pretty quickly. 

Thanks all!

Henleaze has a  good high st. I go to a hairdressers there, only visit a couple of times when I am back every year, but given such a welcome, almost a regular really!!