Aston
Spectator
I love my brick
Posts: 43
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Post by Aston on Feb 17, 2004 21:03:14 GMT
Hi folks,
There's a remote possibility that I may be doing a 'year in industry' in Plymouth in association with my Computer Science degree. While I'm over the moon about the prospect of leaving Aston, moving much further afield is quite daunting, especially as my regular Stoke fix is in jeopardy!!
I was wondering if anybody knew the area well at all and could give me some general pointers about the place?
Specifically:
Nice place to live?
Locals friendly/stuck-up/same as anywhere?
Expensive place to live? (Although I'll probably get some studenty type digs anyway)
Cost of pint obviously!
(Bitter/Lager/Double Vodka-Coke)
Local attractions?
Erm, probably some essentials I've missed off the list, but any info in general would be much appreciated.
Cheers.
Deka
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 17, 2004 21:34:14 GMT
Blimey, where to start. Lots of students live in flats in the Greenbank area of the city near to the University - don't know what the rents are like these days. Plymouth is (by Stoke standards) a very expensive housing area. Terraced houses with no front garden near the city centre - c £100k 3 Bed semi's in places like Plympton and Plymstock (both about 5 miles from the city centre) £150k - £180kl 4 Bed detached £200 - £300k This obviously has an effect on rents which can be high. although many students rent furnished 3 bed semis in the suburbs for £500 - £600 per month. One thing you will find is that there are plenty of properties to rent as a lot of Naval people own a house in Plymouth which they let out when they are posted somewhere else. Locals are friendly but rather more reserved than the average Stokie. You'll probably find that most of your close friends will be immigrants like yourself. Cost of a pint varies from well under £2 in small back street local pubs and Wetherspoons to much more in the better clubs. Local attractions - where do you start? The best beaches are 10 miles either side of Plymouth but there are some superb ones and smashing coastal villages to visit in both Devon and Cornwall. Dartmoor is on the doorstep and Plymouth Sound provides good sailing and the Barbican (the old fishing port area) has loads of clubs and pubs. We have Union Street - where sailors and others go for a night out in the clubs and to the red light area just behind it - very seedy.  Unlike most parts of the South West Plymouth does have a serious drinking culture. ;D Male/female balance - not in your favour I am afraid - too many hairy matelots with shore leave and money to spend competing with you. Plymouth wimmin are divided into 2 types - those who like marines and sailors and those who don't. ;D Best work out quickly the ones who don't. You'll miss the North/Midlands friendliness and the frosty winter mornings. You'll like it in summer as you will think you are on holiday. You'll enjoy matches at Home Park - nice stadium and a good team - and the locals don't like Cardiff fans which is nice!  I have been here 26 years which is long enough - time to return to my roots oop north. But I have enjoyed myself - and the first few years when it was all new to me were great. Not a bad place for a year or so - you could do far worse. |
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Aston
Spectator
I love my brick
Posts: 43
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Post by Aston on Feb 17, 2004 21:53:09 GMT
Thanks very much Fornside  The drinking culture, (good) football, and warm weather obviously sound very appealing. Although Plymouth have just been knocked off the top, still, amazingly, with a + 35 (?) goal diff!! Still, they had a few games like Fail away to thank for that! Thanks again for the info, I'm off now to brush-up on my Northern friendlyness and general civility by watchin Shameless!!  |
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Post by Hooky on Feb 18, 2004 6:32:02 GMT
send a PM to TomStokie
he's my little brother he'll tell you what its like from a younger viewpoint, he spends a fair bit of time down there visiting "his" dad
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Post by onewaynebiggins on Feb 18, 2004 17:49:06 GMT
Aston, get yourself down to Whitsand Bay and get into body boarding, some of the best bodyboarders in the Uk are from Plymouth! AND there are some seriously fine ladies down there that are well into bodyboarders / Surfers! Last year during the no footy season, i spent nearly every other weekend in cornwall, its fecking brilliant mate! check out this website! Go into the gallery, and check out UK pro's, look for pics of Danny Wall or Wall as he is better known as, this guy rips, and he's from Plymouth! www.bodyboardhq.co.ukonewaynebiggins |
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 18, 2004 18:06:40 GMT
Damien You aren't just a wuss you are a double wuss! ;D What's all this business about doing it lying down then? If you are too pissed to do it standing up then you shouldn't be doing it at all mate. And what's all this about doing it at Whitesand on the south coast? Even Plymothians know the best surf is on the North Coast. I see tonight's surf spot on the local weather is typical - "North Coast 3 feet and clean - south coast (for wusses) 1 foot and choppy" |
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Post by onewaynebiggins on Feb 18, 2004 18:21:58 GMT
Fornside, Firstly let me say, Bodyboarders can do more moves, and big air tricks than any long or shortboarder, (check out some of the sick pics on the site i linked you to!) and we are better looking! ;D ;D ;D Also, granted the north coast does pickup most of the swell, however if it is 6ft+ on the north coast, but there is an evil on shore gale messing it all up, you can almost certainly gaurantee it will be 2-3 foot clean as a whistle on the south coast ( especially Whitsand which picks up just about all the swell on the south coast!) the biggest, and most awesome surf I have ever been in, in the uk was at whitsand at high tide....had to climb down a cliff to get to it though!!  but as good as the south coast is....nothing with the exception of places in Ireland, and maybe the hebrides can beat the North coast when it is kicking! GOD i love cornwall!! onewaynebiggins |
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 18, 2004 18:36:43 GMT
Bodyboarders better looking eh? Well Mrs Hoody seems to think so in this photograph - but she told me she was only doing it for a bet! ;D community.webshots.com/photo/96912648/96924344vkoQuxSeriously, whilst I used to do it standing up, my rare forays into surf these days find me bodyboarding only. Pity, my surfing skills left me long ago - although my skiing and snowboarding shows no sign of leaving me. Got some super photos of the Dolomites to annoy JimmyG with when he gets home from Verbier! |
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Aston
Spectator
I love my brick
Posts: 43
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Post by Aston on Feb 18, 2004 19:02:20 GMT
ARRRGGGHHH!!!! Looks like I've started a Surf War! ;D Last time a went on a beach they tried to chuck me in the sea to save me! May have to work on the body first!? So to be fair I'll probably join the 'wusses' at Whitsand - I can picture it now, long hair and dreds making a come back, overuse of the words 'Whooa!' and 'Dude'....but I'll try to introduce a bit more style by using a can of Stella in each hand to help with balance and then just tinkering with the content of each until: perfection - piece o' piss! On a serious note (I tried surfing in Newquay in '96, spent most of my time getting rammed into the sand (no sailors involved!)), I prefer Scooby diving. I didn't enquire about it though as I just assumed there would be plenty of opportunities down there? Cheers guys (and thanks to Ilford - I shall suss out the PM thingy and refer him to my plea, to see if there's anything he wishes to add?) Deka PS - couldn't get your link to work Fornside, came up with the following: " An error has occurred. You do not appear to be the owner of this album. Make sure you are logged in. Please push the Back button on your browser to correct this problem. " Thank you. |
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 18, 2004 19:11:04 GMT
Sorry about the link Aston. I've changed it and it will work now. Webshots where I store my photos has two areas - one is password protected for uploading and editing and the other is for public access. I used a link to the wrong one so it worked for me because of a cookie on my 'puter but not for anyone else.
The new link is for public access.
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Aston
Spectator
I love my brick
Posts: 43
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Post by Aston on Feb 18, 2004 19:38:17 GMT
That's better!
Liked the pics, always good to put faces to names - I'll have to mosey on down to one of these IBPU(?)'s - heck! may even try to get in one of these teams if there's ever another footy comp!.
Ilford - maybe it's me being stupid but couldn't find TomStokie on the list of members names so couldn't send the PM. ???
Deka
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Unlike most parts of the South West Plymouth does have a serious drinking culture. ;D
