Moving to Worcester

[Statistician]

I have read a lot of reviews on this site and many other sites. We are seriously considering moving to Worcester. So far it ticks all the boxes for bringing a young family. Also the train commute won`t be too bad as I intend to transfer and work in Birmingham. I suppose my main concern is an article i read (dated 2007 though) about racism in Worcester http://www.guardian.c...6/theworstofworcester . Being of African discent this is something, I would not like my children to be exposed to. Also could you please advise any areas to stay away from, crime and flooding mainly. We would love places with a lot of green for the kids to play. I would appreciate your constructive comments and help with making our decision.
Thank you for taking your time to read this post

[factor-fiction]

Hi Statistician. You have an answer in one of your 2 other threads
http://www.theanswerb.../Question1163174.html

[Statistician]

Thank you factor30, system kept saying i was not logged in so accidentally posted 3 times. Havent found a way of deleting multiple posts. HAve write to the moderator/adminstrator to help delete the multiple postings.

[NOX]

Hi Statician, I have lived in and around Worcester on and off for years and have black and asian friends who also live locally. I've never honestly heard of a serious race issue in the city which is pretty eclectic and laid back as cities go. Are you thinking of Worcester itself or surrounding villages? Villages to avoid like the plague for flooding are Upton on Severn particularly, and there is some issue near to the racecourse as well as out towards Powick.
Dines Green has a reputation for being a bit rough but that's all relative it's not the Bronx by any means just an ex social housing estate. St johns is nice if you want a village within a city type thing. Let me know what your thinking exactly and I'll try to help more.

[mike11111]

"...St johns is nice if you want a village within a city type thing..."

What a happy man you have made me tonight. My father came from St John's but moved up north when he married my mother. Occasionally we would go to stay with my grandparents when I was small. I loved it - the walk over the Severn from the city centre along the Bromyard Road, calling in at the park where the goldfish swam freely in the little lake, before arriving back at Boughton Avenue for a good feed.

I was fascinated by the way they used to talk, "I's gowin' " instead of "I am going".

All are long since dead, but thank you for awakening happy memories.

[NOX]

Glad for that Mike, I love St Johns, often drink there:)

[mike11111]

Is there still a pub called The Sandpits? Spent many a summer's night outside there with a bag of crisps and a bottle of Vimto in the mid 50s, whilst parents and grandparents got tanked up inside. My grandparents and uncle are buried in the cemetery on the right hand side of the Bromyard Road.

[bushbaby_de]

These two earlier threads may be useful for areas of Worcester to consider:
http://www.theanswerb...s/Question974313.html
http://www.theanswerb...s/Question883410.html

[Statistician]

Nox Thank you very much for all your reponse, very helpful.

@babybush, I saw the ealier posts included in the link, thank you for thise - your advice in them has been very good as well, although unlike one of the posts, we are looking to buy, preferrably not too close to the university.


We are looking to buy in a nice area with decent sized gardens, parks, things for kids to do and a community feel to it. Preferralby not within city centre, although I would like to cycle to the train station (can probably cycle up to 5 miles), but i can drive if required. Proximity to schools is not an issue!

Although id prefer to be within Worcester itself, are there any surrounding areas/villages that you would recommend - ones that would have easy access back into Worcester (train station).
Hope fully i am not being vague.

Once again thank you very much for taking your time to read this.

[bushbaby_de]

I don't think my advice would change that much even if you're buying rather than renting but as your requirements are different it gives you a few more possibilities. Spetchley and Whittington are both very nice. Moving further out you could consider Norton or Kempsey perhaps? There are so many different villages and towns with easy links into Worcester that its hard to list them all really. Might be easier for you to post on here with questions about specific areas if you see somewhere you're interested in.

Regarding the racism, which I realise I didn't address in my earlier post, I can honestly say its not really something I've ever encountered in Worcester to any greater extent than anywhere else. And for the general crime rate its certainly a better place to live than where I am now!