[LUG] Hands up those penguinistas in the Barnstaple area

["M.Blackmore" <mblackmore@xxxxxxxxx>]

We're beginning to pin down Barnstaple or environs as pretty high on our 
relocation list but have no contacts down there. The area seems to have 
nice cycling for staving off failing health scenario, sea, hillwalking. 
Hopefully cleaner environment and access to more inspiring exercise 
opportunities will help improve the current severe health detioration - 
I'm chemical sensitive to air pollution etc. undoubtedly from exposure 
to agricultural pesticides as a young farmworker. 

My family relocated to Canada from just up the coast two generations 
back, so there is a bit of  irony in my coming to university in the UK 
and meetig an English lass many years back ... homing instinct like 
trout or summat coming into effect!

So for contacts methought of fellow penquinistas in dclug...

Any information anyone can pass on about what its like in the area for 
young kids (7 and 2) and two "elderly" parents in our late 40s/early 50s?
Where to go for a house in the area? What good schools - my 7 yr old is 
seriously bright and the 2 yr old seems the same.
Where to avoid?
In town or out of town? My dodgy health can limit my mobility re car 
driving so am reluctant to be totally dependent upon motoring to access 
services. Nor if one takes the 20 year timeline is this necessarily wise!
Like minded people (tekky greenies us is, into folk music, wife is a 
dancer, me into theatre etc)?
What sort of things can an  early-retired 50 year old with pretensions 
to being an intellectual do to keep himself sane?
What sort of part time work, preferably  at "professional level" for 
partner who wants to carry on but not full time (she's been part-time 
for some years since my health packed up and I had to quit work as I 
can't be relied upon to be always fit enough to manage kids full time on 
my own).
On the brain maintenance front and to help out with pin money I wouldn't 
be adverse to assisting with non-deadlined small systems 
support/repair/networking if anyone needs someone on an occassional 
basis. Or anything else - I'm an arts-science crossover type who's done 
everything from farming, fishing, running theatre groups, through 
cooperative and community development, via international science-based 
pressure group campaigns and running large IT support depts taking in 
various excursions into academia on the way (I'm actually a qualified 
Town Planner as a fall-out from my last academic sojourn working in 
local economic development of rural/small town areas!). Yeah, who needs 
"a career" anyway?

Thanks for the help and apols for going OT - but then, hey, the object 
of networking is to create a community where we can all help each other 
out, and we need a bit of help now... so if there is a chat forum for 
dclug point me to it. Or listmaster set one up??

Malcolm

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