Ideal home? Yorkshire

[Mike Muz]

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Thanks for all your input so far. Much appreciated
My fiancee and I are both white and non racist. I'm an LGV Class2 driver -that's rigids to you and me - so would hope to get agency work should a f/t job not be available.
Thanks Kermit, I didn't need to see that video, being a Python fan, I knew the sketch!
I wondered if it was , sorry, were, pronounced keith lee or more likely kay lee, like the title of the Marillion song.
Will a 39 x 23 be too big for the area? I'm guessing so.
By 'eck! Big girls blouse! Where men are men and sheep are scared. Or is that Wales!

Mike

 

[Mike Muz]

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The downside of living somewhere like Keighley is ( or than being near Bradford) choice.

Do you ride in The Dales, The Peaks or the NY Moors?

I did some mtb riding in the peaks last year on hols. Wish id taken road bike instead but wasn't aware how close a lot of the big road climbs are. Winnats Pass isn't much fun on an mtb with around 40psi in the tyres!
Still looking to Yorkshire for hols this year too
Live on the south coast at present, so looking to move somewhere nice!
Mike

 

[greencat]

gil_m - me and the missus are White English and Malaysian too.

We lived in West Leeds, and after five years we were glad to get out - as that kind of hassle really wears you down after a while. And we have Filippino friends who were, and are, similarly harassed - and lived on the east side of city. Perhaps it's the proximity of Bradford, perhaps the waves of immigration over the last decade - but there is definitely a nasty undercurrent of racism and racial tension in West Yorkshire. Another (white English) friend is a member of a cricket team with one asian chap on it. His team nickname is Paki. Attitudes haven't really moved on since the 1970s - and no one thinks to challenge them either.

Left it nearly 3 years ago now - and despite having relatives and friends there, I'm not even remotely interested in going back.

I won't say it's all bad or that all people are (some were genuinely lovely), but it coloured our view of the place and there's no way we could put down roots there.

I'm not blind to the nastier aspects of Welsh nationalism either - but never had any experienced any problems with it personally (and I've lived in Wales for a total of 8 years broken up by nearly a couple of decades). More importantly, neither has the missus either.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

I can't say I ever witnessed any racism or heard of any 1st hand racist experiences in over 10 years of living in Leeds and near Hebden Bridge, and I had a diverse range of nationalities represented amongst my friends and colleagues. Keighley is not the most pleasant part of West Yorkshire, but it's hard to argue with the property prices and location. If you are able to work flexibly then looking at the edge of Yorkshire (going West) may offer a great combination of good value housing, access to Leeds and Manchester (and Liverpool) and being able to live in some really beautiful landscape with incredible riding (on and off road) on the doorstep. Hebden Bridge is smack between Leeds and Manchester, in a really lovely valley next to the Moors and on the Mary Townley loop (40+ miles of off road nirvana), plus it has a couple of good bike shops and pubs/restaurants, the property is @ 35% more than in the towns and villages next to it though so being a mile away will give you most of the pros with the benefit of getting more bang for your buck.

http://goo.gl/maps/6P2bK

I live in London, but given the right job opportunities for me and Mrs Saetan I'd move back to Yorkshire tomorrow.

 

[FluffyChicken]

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I don't think west Leeds is quite representative of the rest of Yorkshire. It's like saying living in East Cardiff is representative of the rest of Wales

 

[greencat]

Equally, I don't think you can quite say that Hebden Bridge is representative of Yorkshire either. It's somewhat known for its tolerance and more progressive nature.

It's a bit like saying San Francisco is representative of the US.

 

[FluffyChicken]

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exactly so what did your original comment have to do with anything?

 

[BertR00t]

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After 18 months working and staying in Bradford I can safely say I would never go back to the place. Didn't find the white people racist but the Asians were and the white Yorkshire folk have a serious thing about folk from Lancashire. Sad really. Keighley used to be a lovely place twenty years ago as I used to visit regularly but it has gone downhill.

 

[greencat]

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exactly so what did your original comment have to do with anything?

Cripes do I really have to spell it out?

Hebden Bridge was like an oasis of tolerance and respect in what seemed to me like a generally intolerant and racially tense area.

From the experience of the missus and I, and our non-white/non-English friends who variously lived in west Leeds, east Leeds, Shipley, Bradford, Wakefield and yes, even Keighley - Hebden Bridge was not typical of the West Yorkshire area.

Now I admit I did not visit, or know people who lived in every single part of West Yorkshire - but I felt I knew enough to contribute my original opinion.

YMMV - and frankly I hope it does. I know plenty of people (some of whom are my relatives) who genuinely think Yorkshire is God's own country and I'm truly pleased for them. I should probably duck out of this thread now - lest I upset anymore Yorkshire(wo)men.

 

[Ollie]

If you're a lorry driver County Durham could be ideal. You have Washington on your doorstep which is home to Nissan who has a deal with Stobart, the Zumptobel group and also Fergusons as well as smaller businesses like Dickinsons.