What's it like in Suffolk?

[jazzkat]

Probably one for @Andrew_Culture !
I'm considering applying for a job at the other end of the country, well Suffolk/Ipswich to be precise and I was wondering what people thought of the place.
What's it like for cycling? What are the people like (in general)? any places to avoid living in/around? Is there much work about in general (for the O.H.) I'll have a quick look at house prices - I'm expecting a (bad) shock!

I know it's hard to generalise but I'd be interested to know what you think.

 

[dellzeqq]

It's a beautiful part of the country and the best county in England for cycling, but I wouldn't want to live there. Very sedate.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I love Suffolk otherwise I wouldn't live here. We're the most densely populated county after London but have the lowest crime rate in the country.

Yes things can appear a little sedate here, but that generally makes for good cycling. There are more hills here than people think but none of them are very long.

If you're planning on living somewhere near Ipswich or Felixstowe you'll find there's a nice bunch of CycleChat folk about who go out on rides together.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Avoid Leiston.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Let's get you some more opinions:

Paging: @4F @mattobrien @Jon George @SimonJKH @Scilly Suffolk (there are loads more on here but I'm supposed to be cooking tonight's supper, not posting on CycleChat!)

 

[jazzkat]

I'm not sure it can be any more sedate than here! My town has been described as 'god's waiting room'!
I like sedate lol!

It sounds quite positive, I was expecting it to be a bit of a rural retreat for the London rat race and so quite 'busy'.

I'm supposed to be cooking tonight's supper, not posting on CycleChat!)

I appreciate your sacrifice, now get back to the stove!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

You know that film Deliverance...

 

[AndyRM]

It's a beautiful part of the country and the best county in England for cycling,

Northumberland called. Fighting trousers are being put on.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm not sure it can be any more sedate than here! My town has been described as 'god's waiting room'!
I like sedate lol!

It sounds quite positive, I was expecting it to be a bit of a rural retreat for the London rat race and so quite 'busy'.


I appreciate your sacrifice, now get back to the stove!

I've just spotted you're living in Cumbria, if you moved here and cycled with us Suffolk folk it would be like when Superman first comes to earth and is bewildered at how much stronger he is than anyone else!

This is undeniably a holiday county, but with London only just over an hour away a lot of London folk live here full-time. But compared to Cumbria, yes, this will be a bustling metropolis! In the nicest way of course.

 

[jazzkat]

I've just spotted you're living in Cumbria, if you moved here and cycled with us Suffolk folk it would be like when Superman first comes to earth and is bewildered at how much stronger he is than anyone else!

Ha ha,
I reckon that in itself would be worth moving for!

 

[dellzeqq]

[QUOTE 2890956, member: 1314"]My last visit to Suffolk, when I was 'befriended' by some locals:

View attachment 36858 [/quote]
I think they call that 'grooming'

 

[ComedyPilot]

It's a beautiful part of the country and the best county in England for cycling, but I wouldn't want to live there. Very sedate.

Agreed....that's why they've got the 'Le Tour Grand Depart 2014'


.............oh hang on.......


They haven't..............

 

[F70100]

We moved to West Suffolk from Gods Own County 18 years ago. Have no plans to move, but, who knows?

I would say it's a friendly place, quite prosperous, scenically easy on the eye (mostly). Links to London are easy from Ipswich and Stowmarket. Train services to/from Bury St Edmunds always seem to need a change somewhere. Varied cycling terrain - not as flat as you might think. I've been tackling the Rattlesden Alps recently. As @Andrew_Culture says though, they not very long.

We chose to live here because it was halfway between places that we needed to be for work. It did take longer than I thought for us to truly settle (2 to 3 years) but I think that was because we had come from somewhere that had family and friends nearby and in Suffolk we started from scratch.

 

[asterix]

Lived in Ipswich and Felixstowe 1980-85 and 1990-91

It's very pleasant for cycling in a leisurely way and there are no hills, nope not one! I used to go out with a group including a lad from Derbyshire and when we asked how he got up the hills so quick he looked at us strangely and said, 'What hills?'. Then when I moved to Manchester I found out what a hill was. And yes, Suffolk is sedate which is fine if that's what you like. People are friendly but it may take time to break the ice.

 

[compo]

Avoid Leiston.

Why? I lived in Leiston for a few years. It's OK to move there now I have left the area. Seriously, Leiston wasn't a bad place. Bit of drug problems, but where isn't. I preferred it to Ipswich, which has to be the armpit of East Anglia. I hated Ipswich. I lived in Sudbury for many years and my kids were bought up there. It is a lovely place to live with much superb cycling country.

I would love to move back to Sudbury. They are demolishing the estate we live on now in Harlow and completely rebuilding it. We will all be rehoused in the new properties. We are hoping that with a new house we will have a good chance to do a mutual exchange to Sudbury.