1 July, 2008 – General Medical Council – A Personal View
Steve Jones was a frequent visitor to Manchester until October 2005 when he made the move North with his family to take up his role as Head of Facilities at the General Medical Council's head office in Manchester.
“I had been to Manchester many times on business trips and really liked the city. When the opportunity came up to move here I knew from experience that the city region had lots to offer in terms of great days out, good restaurants and entertainment, but there were other issues we had to consider too.
“Key priorities for us were availability of good schools for our son, who was 11 years old at the time, a semi-rural location with easy access to the city centre and an easy commute to London. Happily we found all three.
“Our home in Goostrey a quaint village in Cheshire near Holmes Chapel – is a fantastic location. There’s an excellent junior school nearby and a good senior school in Holmes Chapel. Goostrey itself has great village amenities and is not far from the Peak District where we enjoy walking and days out. I’ve always lived in London and the South East so it took a bit of getting used to living in the countryside but the benefits to our quality of life are amazing. Our son is enjoying school here and has joined the village football team and is in the local scout group.
“From home to work is about 40 minutes on the train. It’s roughly the same as my commute was in London but at about half the price and with a guaranteed seat, which makes travelling much more enjoyable.
“I travel to London on business at least once a week so an easy commute was a must. Our home is twenty minutes from Crewe where I can catch the fast train to London. It takes less than two hours from Crewe, so if I get the 6.50am train I can be in our office in London before 9am, which is very handy.
“We’ve been enjoying days out around Cheshire and the Peak District and we have family in North Wales and Yorkshire which is only a few hours drive away.
“We’ve had some fantastic family days out in Manchester too – taking in museums, shows and trying out new restaurants. We also managed to catch a few concerts and shows at the Manchester International Festival, which was great fun. The whole region is rich in industrial heritage sites, which make interesting day trips too.
“I like a real eclectic mix of music and regularly go to gigs at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Academy, Night & Day and Royal Northern College of Music. And, importantly, there are some lovely old pubs around Manchester – the Circus Tavern on Portland Street is a particular favourite. There is just so much to do in Manchester and around the city, and we are looking forward to discovering more of it.”
Link: http://www.gmc-uk.org/