Inverness and Newport !?! I think she's trying to palm you off with the most charmless (hardest to get rid of ?) places in either country !!

If by "city", you mean what we mean by "city", it looks like Glasgow or Cardiff.

(I say this as I've previously met Americans - I assume you are American ? - who regard a population of 10,000, which to us is a large village, as a city.)

If you consider England I'd say Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle or (smaller but on the coast) Brighton.

"You also seem to think that Britain has seperate climate zones - it doesn't. Unless you are going to live in the very north of scotland (where no one actually lives -it's empty) the climate is pretty much the same all over."

David, I have to disagree, as one who moved from London to Edinburgh. There's not that much difference in the winter between here & dahn sarf but the summers are very different : 6 years out of 7 it doesn't get much above 21 degrees C & it's never warm enough to sit outside during the evening. I reckon we get 1 summer in 7 when it is warmer because since I moved here, those years have been 1999 and 2006. From studying the TV weather for the last 13 years, it looks to me like in average years it's an average of at least 6 degrees cooler here in summer.

The one thing I miss about London is the weather.

We visit south Wales frequently and I notice a difference there too.

And people I knew who retired to the UK after many years in Africa, did lots of research and settled on Fishguard; it seemed that that part of Pembrokeshire had a microclimate all of its own - and I have sat outside there in February with a G&T !

caroline...this is a very old post that was topped yesterday for some reason.

anyway, i would vote for bristol/clifton based on the requirements. bristol is a great city now....but i'm sure the need for this information has long passed.

Ah right, hadn't noticed the date walkinaround. Wonder where Linda is now ?

walkinaround: I noticed yesterday that it was topped and had to wonder, I'm glad it was because...

caroline edinburgh: I appreciate your response.

We have put off the overseas adventure for a year, perhaps two. I have a daughter who is approaching engagement and when I thought about my plans I got very anxious. I'm a Mom first and cannot bear to be away during a very important time in her life.

So, keep topping the thread and keep adding advice because sooner or later, we are going to go (before she has babies)!

Linda

Linda, how nice of you to update us !

Hope perhaps to see you here some day. (It's a lovely spring day today !)

I genuinely would recommend Cardiff. I'm not from here originally, but I find it a very friendly city, good transport links, compact with lots to do.

A previous poster mentioned clifton. huh! full of snobs! pretty looking, but couldnt live there myself!

Just two more things you may want to consider. If you're planning to do lots of City-break type travelling to the other parts of Europe, you may want to check whether the nearby airport is served by budget airlines. Also I found roads in some parts of Wales can be narrow and winding.

The other factor is how easy would it be to understand the local accent. I must confess I have a hard time sometimes understanding thick scottish accent when I'm on a phone with someone at the call centre up north.