Moving to UK in a bit over a year, advice would be great :)
Nov 2, 2009, 2:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2
Moving to UK in a bit over a year, advice would be great :)
Hello everyone 
I'm planning on going over to the UK to do a working holiday in a bit over a year. I'm been before but have only been to London and was not really impressed with it, and just found it a little bit overwhelming in general. Which of the smaller cities do you guys recommend? The gay scene is a factor but not a huge one for me, just somewhere that's pretty friendly, that still has bit of a city lifestyle but not too huge. Any help would be very appreciated.
I'm planning on going over to the UK to do a working holiday in a bit over a year. I'm been before but have only been to London and was not really impressed with it, and just found it a little bit overwhelming in general. Which of the smaller cities do you guys recommend? The gay scene is a factor but not a huge one for me, just somewhere that's pretty friendly, that still has bit of a city lifestyle but not too huge.
Any help would be very appreciated.
Nov 2, 2009, 12:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London EC2A
Programs: BA Gold/ Hilton Gold/ SPG Gold/ PriorityClub Platinum /Marriot Gold/ Amex Plat
Posts: 258
You could try Brighton. Nice size, good gay scene, friendly locals, 1 hour from London for when/if you want to head up there and coastal.
Edinburgh is lovely (Used to live nearby) but I did find it to be a little cliquey at times and may be a little cold coming straight from Oz ;o)
Manchester/Liverpool/Birmingham/Newcastle etc never really appealed as have the busy nature of London without all the benefits. Guarantee now that someone else will have different opinions based on where they are from but that's my tuppence worth!
Oh yes, could try somewhere like Bristol or Exeter - nice locations etc.
G
Edinburgh is lovely (Used to live nearby) but I did find it to be a little cliquey at times and may be a little cold coming straight from Oz ;o)
Manchester/Liverpool/Birmingham/Newcastle etc never really appealed as have the busy nature of London without all the benefits. Guarantee now that someone else will have different opinions based on where they are from but that's my tuppence worth!
Oh yes, could try somewhere like Bristol or Exeter - nice locations etc.
G
Nov 3, 2009, 3:50 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite for Life, Hilton Diamond, United Silver
Posts: 334
London London London
It is like going to buy a car and coming home with a skate board. If you want the UK experience stay in London, it isn't as big as it seems, and you could always stick to a neighbourhood, which has it's own neighbourhood bars, like Hampstead, Clapham, Vauxhall. Brighton is OK, but the people are quite backwards, Edinburgh is nice too, but again the people - ODD. Stick to London!
Nov 4, 2009, 2:33 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
Nov 4, 2009, 9:49 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
However, I lived in Birmingham for 2 years as a 24 yr old Aussie and really enjoyed it. I know that sounds horrific to some, but I lived in the center of town in a cool building (the Mailbox) and with the whole canal redevelopment and up-and-coming restaurants, I really enjoyed it. It's even further updated these days. The gay scene was small, tragic-at-times (but aren't they all?), yet friendly. I found I could hang out and see familiar faces if I wanted a quieter weekend, or jump on the train and be in London in 90 mins if I really wanted to go out. B'ham prices were cheap and allowed me to save. BHX has okay European destinations too, if you are looking for that.
So Birmingham would be my second pick.
Nov 5, 2009, 1:32 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: UA, AA, BMI, MR, HH, PC
Posts: 806
The weather has been raised as a factor in favour of Brighton as compared to Edinburgh. If you compare the official weather data you will see that average annual rainfall and number of rainy days is about 30% lower in Edinburgh (450mm/yr) compared to Brighton (650mm/yr). Brighton is not only wetter but also more windy than Edinburgh. By contrast, Brighton is a little warmer. Mean daily January and July temperatures are 3 and 14.5C for Edinburgh compared to 6 and 19C for Brighton.
For me Brighton is a party town and a good gay dormitory for London but not much more. The beach is nothing to write home about, I would prefer to jump on a cheap flight from LGW and go to Greece or Canaries for a few days. Brighton lacks the soul, character and atmosphere that Edinburgh has in abundance. Also, in terms of other visiting/sightseeing opportunities Edinburgh wins hands down with day trips as diverse and far afield as Loch Ness in North and York in the South being a possibility. If you are attracted to outdoors or winter sports such as skiing or boarding then Edinburgh comes out on top again given it's proximity to the resorts in the North.
While I personally love London I note your original post so do not advocate it as some others have. Somebody suggested Bath; I have no idea what the gay scene is like there but the city is gorgeous and I imagine a nice place to live and work.
For me Brighton is a party town and a good gay dormitory for London but not much more. The beach is nothing to write home about, I would prefer to jump on a cheap flight from LGW and go to Greece or Canaries for a few days. Brighton lacks the soul, character and atmosphere that Edinburgh has in abundance. Also, in terms of other visiting/sightseeing opportunities Edinburgh wins hands down with day trips as diverse and far afield as Loch Ness in North and York in the South being a possibility. If you are attracted to outdoors or winter sports such as skiing or boarding then Edinburgh comes out on top again given it's proximity to the resorts in the North.
While I personally love London I note your original post so do not advocate it as some others have. Somebody suggested Bath; I have no idea what the gay scene is like there but the city is gorgeous and I imagine a nice place to live and work.
Nov 6, 2009, 2:24 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
Above it was heavily implied that the weather in Edinburgh is better than that of Brighton (on the south coast).
To the OP: every time I've been to Edinburgh it's been, well, cold, damp and grey. But you can decide for yourself.
To the OP: every time I've been to Edinburgh it's been, well, cold, damp and grey. But you can decide for yourself.
Nov 6, 2009, 3:34 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: UA, AA, BMI, MR, HH, PC
Posts: 806
Hi Ajax, I didn't mean to imply weather was 'better' in Edinburgh than Brighton because that's a little subjective depending on what one feels about weather. My point was merely that Edinburgh has about 30% less rain than Brighton but on average is about 3C colder than Brighton at the warmest and coldest times of year. When compared to 2000+mm of rain on the west coast of UK the 200mm difference between Edinburgh and Brighton is insignificant; both are in fact 'dry' by UK standards. Likewise, I'm not so sure 3C difference in average temperatures is worth getting excited about. However, these weather data are real, they are facts and not clouded by peoples perception of what they think the weather is like rather than what it actually is like. I guess I just wanted to get the point over that if the OP wants to choose between Edinburgh and Brighton then reaching a decision based on peoples perception of the weather might not be so reliable, and that other facors should be afforded more weight. I have stayed both near Brighton and Edinburgh for many years. Weatherwise; I personally prefer Brighton in spring and summer but Edinburgh in autumn and winter. Although Brighton is a little warmer I always felt colder in the southeast coast in winter than I do in Edinburgh area, it might be windchill factor.
Nov 7, 2009, 10:12 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Amsterdam and London
Programs: Mucci Platinum Hairbrush des Bonnes Nouvelles. BA LTG, Bonvoy LTP, AA LTS, KL LTPt, Easy Flight Club
Posts: 378
Oxford? Small but some good (student based) night life and better beer. And a physically beautiful city of course with lots of outdoorsy stuff close by. It's close to london so you can dip in and out of the capital at will (or indeed commute to work if you're so inclined). Edinburgh, Brighton also good options IMHO. That said, I'm a London fan myself!
Nov 14, 2009, 8:04 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: UAL 1KMM,Hilton Diamond
Posts: 758
Brighton
I live outside of San Francisco but I have developed a second life in Brighton. There is a lot to do in Brighton. Much of gay life is centered around St. James Street. It does not have the glitch of London but there a small pubs, dance clubs. And the city in general is pretty gay-positive. And with the change in liquor laws, you can party all night at the Bulldog and a couple other pubs on weekend.
The Pavilion is worth a good visit. Brighton has the highest number of restaurants in England outside of London. Shopping is very good - much of it centered around Churchill Square. Although not the theaters of London, Brighton is on the circuit for concerts, plays, etc. Always a full schedule of events.
It's close to Gatwick and there a thousands of airline employees who live in Brighton. Some pretty hot crew that live there and would travel down from the airport. Unfortunately, most of the trans-Atlantic flights have now moved to Heathrow. I have made 'friends' with crew from all of the major US airlines while visiting Brighton.
There is also ferry from NewHaven, about 20 minutes from Brighton to Dieppe, France - a fishing village.
I went to Manchester a couple of years ago and fell in love with the city - very friendly in the gay village. It rains a fair amount but the Northern England has the reputation of being friendlier than London and I found it to be definitely true.
The Pavilion is worth a good visit. Brighton has the highest number of restaurants in England outside of London. Shopping is very good - much of it centered around Churchill Square. Although not the theaters of London, Brighton is on the circuit for concerts, plays, etc. Always a full schedule of events.
It's close to Gatwick and there a thousands of airline employees who live in Brighton. Some pretty hot crew that live there and would travel down from the airport. Unfortunately, most of the trans-Atlantic flights have now moved to Heathrow. I have made 'friends' with crew from all of the major US airlines while visiting Brighton.
There is also ferry from NewHaven, about 20 minutes from Brighton to Dieppe, France - a fishing village.
I went to Manchester a couple of years ago and fell in love with the city - very friendly in the gay village. It rains a fair amount but the Northern England has the reputation of being friendlier than London and I found it to be definitely true.
Dec 8, 2009, 7:17 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Miami/NYC
Programs: United Global Services, UA Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 337
I have to agree with some of the recommendations regarding London and Brighton. I have spent the last 10 years living and working between London and New York City. Based back in NYC now, but spend up to 100 days a year in the UK and lived there full-time in '03 and '04.
If you want to take the "go big or go home" approach, London, of course is your choice. As another poster said, too many people spend their time in London stuck in the West End and the Soho bars. There is tons more to explore and experience in the London area and you don't have to be overwhelmed by Central London if you are looking for a feel that is a bit smaller. 20-25 mins by train can bring you to a completely different world. I spent part of my time living in Surrey, which was a very different - and enjoyable - perspective from the time I spent living in Kensington, (Central London). I tell my London friends that they are too unappreciative of their city - London is, indeed, one of the great cities of the world.
Brighton, on the other hand, is a very nice alternative. It is far enough removed from the big city, but without being in the middle of nowhere. As stated earlier, it's about 25 miles from Gatwick Airport, so it's quite easy to get off the big island for some quick EasyJet weekends. The gay scene, as stated, is there and people are tolerant. The town itself is very nice. I used to do a lot of work with American Express there and my American ex-pat colleagues who were based in Brighton always used to tell the London-based ex-pats that they didn't know what they were missing...
Good luck!
If you want to take the "go big or go home" approach, London, of course is your choice. As another poster said, too many people spend their time in London stuck in the West End and the Soho bars. There is tons more to explore and experience in the London area and you don't have to be overwhelmed by Central London if you are looking for a feel that is a bit smaller. 20-25 mins by train can bring you to a completely different world. I spent part of my time living in Surrey, which was a very different - and enjoyable - perspective from the time I spent living in Kensington, (Central London). I tell my London friends that they are too unappreciative of their city - London is, indeed, one of the great cities of the world.
Brighton, on the other hand, is a very nice alternative. It is far enough removed from the big city, but without being in the middle of nowhere. As stated earlier, it's about 25 miles from Gatwick Airport, so it's quite easy to get off the big island for some quick EasyJet weekends. The gay scene, as stated, is there and people are tolerant. The town itself is very nice. I used to do a lot of work with American Express there and my American ex-pat colleagues who were based in Brighton always used to tell the London-based ex-pats that they didn't know what they were missing...
Good luck!