Hi
Want to move out looking for a better lifefor myself and child. The areas im thinking of are
Milton Keynes
Northampton
Kent
Want to make the move Jan 2008. If anyone can offer any other places that they think would be goof for children please let me know. Carib is not an option though lol

thks everyone

where do you live now and would you have any connections in the arears you mentioned?

Personally I think its a mistake to believe that you move out of Cities life will be somehow 'better' or 'safer' .... My wife never considered moving into so called 'white' area because we were clear that we wanted our children to have connections with the real world and access to the BLACK networks you don't get in certain places...

If you want a 'better' life then my advice is to concentrate a place with a good education system for BLACK children.. I make this distingition because some people believe that because it is a 'good' school it will be good for their children..not so... So 'good' schools do well because they fling out those they percieve as 'trouble' and history tells us that is typically BLACK children...or children from the lower classes...

Also pick an Area with GOOD amenities and open spaces... that does not mean imo that one should isolate oneself culturally.... because as history tells us..when thing get hot racially it is those who do this who get picked off the easiest...

PS... as i have family wholive in KENT i would advise you to carefully consider which part of KENT you decided to live in... remembering that Kent is the gateway to Asylum seekers and naturally there is not much tolerance for anyone Foreign in certain parts of Kent, especially the Areas around the Shipping ports...

And as the severe beating my brother took a couple of years ago testifies Canterbury isn't exactly safe...

me and my family moved earlier on this year after deciding that too "inner" city life just wasnt good for your health

I was never keen on bringing on raising my family in London as there simply is too many distactions and variables to raise your kids right...plus all the amenities are streched to the fullest I remember at one point I couldnt even get a dentist to pull out my teeth.

we looked into a lot of cities including Northampton and MK

Northampton was ok but there simply wasnt enough black folk to make up a viable community plus it wasnt really close to anyplace that was.

now I hated MK cos yo me it just looked like one big housing estate with a shed load of roundabouts (although the shopping center was cool)

I would take Kunjufus advice abount kent too.. My brother brought his first house there and considering it was just a stones throw outside london it was like stewpping back through time into some deeply racist hellhole from the early 50s/60s, I hated going to see him when he was there the atmostphere was soo hostile from the moment you arrive at the station..he ended up moving after a year cos it wasnt really the place for a young black man and we were all worried.

we all know that white areas do not equate to better but because of the was the system is set up here most ethnic areas are simply set up as dumping grounds and tilted towards faliure.

thks guys for replying. well i've now crossed these areas of my list. In ans to lady day. I do not have any connections in these areas or in any areas b ut i do need to reside somewhere where i can make friends and feel some sense of connection with other families. Black power where did you eventually move to?

thks again

From Monday 10th December to Wednesday the 12th December I had to stay with a family friend , to look after their grandmother who was ill.

They use to live in North London a few years back, but since then they have moved further and further out of London. Now they live in Camberley. I swear they were the only Black family in the area.

This has had an impact on the children. Though they know the Nigerian language, they no nothing else about themselves culturally. Knowing that I would be staying a few days up there I actaully purchased copies of both The Voice and New Nation to read, ( as well as my own reading book).

To my shock they had never heard of either of the newspapers. The children generally are good, but they seem too isolated from other black families. They have those typical school pictures where they are the only black people in there class.

Very serious issues which has to be weighed up carefully. You either have to go somewhere where the factors are in your favour or build your own network around you and your family.That is where the Asians and others have a massive advantage.They live anywhere and build from there. When we go we go by ourselves and lack the resources to bring others with us so to speak so we end up in a very weak place as described by so many here.

This is a serious very serious issue. As BP says so we just end up in ghetto and forgotten about...

are there any arears you wouldnt want to live?

LD I don't think areas I think criteria..

a) an inability to protect myself or my family because of the nature of the place.

b) the numbers of black people and black stuff and is proximity to where we live

c) any where that takes me more than two and half hours to drive in any direction to a major black population centre..

The specific areas or names of the areas is irrelevant to me..

Very sad but true point made by Fredblack well at least my interpretation of what you have said rings true to me. I find that unless you are family the friend ship ends at the school gate. The old west indian thing of "The children only need to be with family" and close the door to anyone else or may be thats a black middle class thing? what do you guys think?

My life, you have raised a very important issue which many young black families face. It seems like there are not many safe places to move to without being the only black family in the whole neighbourhood or facing overt racism. It has now become a case of deciding which one is the lesser evil. Personally, having lived in south-east London for about several years now, I am 100% sure I do not want to raise my family here. Yes, the black community is very large here, but most areas are just so deprived that most children here are not given fair opportunities to enjoy their childhood and become responsible adults. From poor housing to poor education, no facilities, no parks, no space... Our children deserve better.
I am on the lookout for a better place to raise children, too. I was thinking more of leaving England entirely....
Keep us posted, my life! Just make sure you check out the new area properly and don't rush your decision.