We have settled in Doncaster. This is our 3rd time living here. First and second time were due to postings to RAF Finningley. Now Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood Airport lol
Anyway apart from the mouthful of a name for the airport it's really not a bad place to be.
We have a lovely new theatre, the town centre is being rejuvenated, sadly it has suffered as many other towns have, but we still have some good shops, nice tea rooms, and places to meet and eat in town. Work is underway for a new Library, Museum with plans for more improvements in addition to the work that has already been completed.
Out of the immediate town centre we have a good selection of shops, cinema, restaurants an Ice Ring, home of the St Ledger, a new Hilton Hotel more than one entertainment venue. We've had Elton John, Simply Red and others perform here.
For recreation there is a large open space, Town Fields, not far from the town centre. The Lakeside area, not far from town. has a lovely lake, hotels, offices, housing, shops and the new football stadium/gym, eateries, cinema, bowling. I do wonder what people want and who answers these surveys.
Doncaster has a large Hospital a College/Uni, The National Rail College and some good schools/new 6th Forms and many international companies have business operations here as well as manufacturing.
So there are jobs at most levels as well as education and training, reasonable housing and good transport options. Reasonable bus service, good road, rail and air transport passenger and freight.
Housing, renting or buying isn't as extortionate as some places and there are some outstanding houses as well as some lovely places in and around Doncaster.
I come from York and trust me away from the tourist bits there are some areas I wouldn't go to at night even in York. That's true in most places and here isn't any different or any worse.
We can get to family in York in an hour, DD1 in the Peak District in an hour, friends in Lincolnshire in just over the hour, Ikea :-) and Meadowhall in 30 -40 mins so for us Doncaster is a good place to live. We have lived in many areas of the UK and and in a number of other countries so I have something to compare it to.
I'm sad to hear that Peterborough is on the list, we lived between Peterborough and Cambridge and I enjoyed going to both these equally. DD1 MIL lives still lives in Peterborough and does say it's not as nice as it was but I do wonder how these lists are put together. Oh Hum
Anyway as sad as I am to see the place where we live on the list I still enjoy being here and it is a place where people can live a decent life and make a good future so I'm happy to stay.
Unless we win the Lottery then I want to move to Avebury, Wiltshire and live inside the stone circle :-) I can but dream.