Thread: new RM wife, just got MQ's in helensburgh!

Hi,
my husband has just been posted to Faslane and we have just got married quarters up there - (near the golfcourse apparently, im not sure which area that is?) i havent had any time to visit the area as things have been hectic while i wrap everything up ready to leave work!(and move house!) the photos dont look great and im starting to worry a little about the move now. I have been to helenburgh once but it was only a short visit so not really helpful. As we go in 3 weeks, i just wanted some feedback from anyone living up there atm or relatively recently about the housing, lifestyle and general area? I read some really horrendous things about helensburgh but most people ive spoken to have said nice things, so just wanted a little more info? also how easy is it to make friends and meet new people? any info would be greatly appreciated.

Morning and Welcome!
Can't help with the Faslane part (but know there is an RM wife or two on here who are up there and am sure will be along in a bit to point you in the right direction!) - but just wanted to welcome a new RM WAG! X

Morning!

Have a read through the other Helensburgh threads (see her "similar threads" box at the bottom of the screen). There's quite a few folks up there.

I have rellies in that neck of the woods so know it quite well but I don't know the state of the quarters. Helensburgh itself is a bit sleepy, but at least there are direct rail services to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Helensburgh is a lovely place although admittedly some of the married quarters aren't in the best areas. I think they've been doing a bit of work to improve things though. It's only about 40 mins on the train to Glasgow (brilliant, brilliant city) and if you go the other direction you'll be amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Other than that I'm afraid I don't have much current info. I think Kayleigh might be up in that neck of the woods at the moment, might be worth dropping her a pm.

Welcome to RP, our very own Kayleigh is there I believe, I'm sure she'll be along soon to help.

Until then make yourself comfy and have a look around.

Just noticed Kazzam has referred you to Kayleigh too x

Welcome to RP. If the patchpedia button is working it might be worth a nosey on there too.

Also, if you keep scrolling down on this page it lists similar threads x

Another RM wag, hurrah! Welcome!

Hi Rockabilly, and welcome to RP.

I am indeed living in H'burgh MQs at the moment, and good news for you I am also by the Golf Course. So I can pretty much tell you anything you will need to know. The area you will be moving too will be Churchill. There is an area called Colgrain down the road too (with better houses - apparently) and then Rhu, which is half way between Helensburgh and Fazzers (this is where all the big dogs live though, so if you're married to anyone up to Sgt - I think - then you won't get a look in to them bad boys).

Starting with the houses... they look terrible from the outside BUT they are actually okay inside. My house is falling apart, but nobody elses seems to be, so I don't think you have much to worry about. The houses are decorated very plainly, but at the end of the day you have to make the house the home so don't be put off when you first walk in. Dependent on which road you will be moving too (PM with the name if you like, I may be able to go into a bit more detail of the layout of the house) you will have either 2 or 3 bedroomed house, a fitted bathroom and cooker in your kitchen. All your whites/furniture will need to be brought with you (or ordered for when you move in) unless you have opted for the furnished houses. The two bedroomed houses also come with a fitted wardrobe with mirror inside the door as standard and then second bedroom has a little walk in/slidy door cubby hole. I can't comment on the three bedroomed houses as I haven't been peeking in friends bedrooms!

The area is okay... if you have a dog/dogs there are some nice places to take them for a walk. There is a shop at the bottom of the road you will be living on so you can get the emergency stuff in there that you may need if needs be and it also has a Post Office in there too. In the town you have 2 Tesco Metro's a Co-Op and then a couple of other little bakery types places, loads of charity shops, loads of hairdressers/beauty places, a ton of takeaway places and loads of bars/pubs and that's about your lot. If you drive, then there is Dumbarton down the road which has your nearest ASDA/Morrisons/KFC and McDonalds (yes, Helensburgh is THE only place I have ever been to which doesn't have a McDonalds in too), so you will be best off heading there to do bigger shops and such. Although, you may know that bit if you have been here before.

All the people who live here on the MQ's are very friendly, I have not had any issues with anyone since I have been here. There is the Chill Out Group just down the road too, which you can go along too on a Thursday and Friday morning and that's where you will meet all the people on the MQs.

As others have said, you are about a 45-50 minute train journey to Glasgow. They also recently opened a direct line from Helensburgh to Edinburgh Waverley which takes about 2 hours. There is loads of great scenery just down the road, the drive out to the base is lovely, and then just past it is really pretty too. Loch Lomond is not even 30 minutes away and in the Summer its lovely.

I am not sure what else you would want to know, so sorry if this post is a bit long and rambled I was just trying to get it all down. My neighbour is moving out in a week, imagine you ended up being my neighbour? That would be weird! Let me know if you need anymore info, I am more than happy to help!

Kayleigh.

Hello and welcome to RP! My OH is based at good old Fazzers so I spend a fair bit of time up in the area. We are not married and for various reasons it wasn't really possible for me to relocate and rent privately so I don't live up there
As ppl have already stated Kayleigh is the resident expert on Faslane so ask her anything, I have asked her some daft things and she's always been very patient with me so ask away!!
It's a beautiful area in general, and Loch Lomond is one of my favourite places in the whole world so make sure you go visit. Hope you settle in well. Best of luck xx

Hey,

Just wanted to say a big thank you for the welcomes and the helpful advice! I cant tell you how much i appreciate it.

And an especially BIG thanks to Kayleigh! What youve said has put my mind at ease about settling in and living up there. Everything i read o the internet just goes on about how run down helensburgh is and how there is always trouble between our lot and the other residents(public) on the estate....but i know there are good and bad areas anywhere you go, it's just disconcerting when thats all you read! I was glad to know that the houses are pretty much a blank canvas inside, as it means i can put my own random yet original stamp on it! And that there is somewhere that i can get to know some of the other residents, which was a big area of concern for me. Just imagine if we did end up being neighbours! how bizarre and hilarious that would be!
Thanks again for all the advice and i will let you know how im doing once we're officially up in bonnie Scotland! xx

You're welcome, anything else you need to know then just let me know. I forgot to add that apparently Churchill was really bad a few years back, and that I was watching the news on Daybreak not too long ago and they featured Helensburgh on there and they said that crime has dropped by 90% or something ridiculous like that in the last few years on the Churchill estate. I, personally, have never had any problems or issues since I have been up here, and I think I have only heard of one bike and one trampoline going missing or something! So not too bad considering everyone leaves everything outside in their gardens!

Yes, do let us know how you get on!!

Kayleigh - do you know anyone with kids that go to John Logie Baird Primary? One of the lads in OHs class is from Helensburgh and says that the RN kids tend to go there. I've had a look at the Scottish version of the OFSTED report and there's not a lot on there to be honest. If we do end up moving up there next year, DD will be 9 so its likely that she'll end up there and I'm worried about taking her out of her excellent school and dumping her in a rubbish one :/

Hi SP,

Yeah, nearly everyone by me has their kids at JLB. The school has apparently been slated and not had a lot of good things said about it, but I don't know many people who have issues with the place. Then again, I have no children, so unless something major was to happen I don't think many people will mention minor details of the school to me. I shall ask my friend tomorrow about the school in a bit more detail as her daughter (whos 10) goes there, so she will know a bit more information than me.

Cheers Kayleigh

The school is the only bit of moving up there that concerns me. I've had a good nosy on google maps and it looks really dreary cos all the photos are taken on a rainy day, until you turn the corner and go up a hill near a wood and all of a sudden it's bright sunshine and it looks so different I've lived in some pretty dodgy areas in Leeds (been in Gipton for the last 4 years) so I don't think Churchill will be as bad as it's made out to be.

The school report says that it has problems due to the 'transient population' of kids from the base but that's to be expected. I'm just so used to OFSTED dissecting schools microscopically that the 1 page report from the Scottish equivalent isn't much cop!

x

You're welcome!

I know the school years are slightly different here, well from what I have gathered, so I think that will be just about the biggest shake up that I can think of. Hehe, get used to it! The weather has been crap up here for most of this year, although it doesn't usually look as miserable as some of the shots on googlemaps show! I have just looked at my road, and the sun is shining there, so that's just because I live there. Ha.

I can sort of see that - with the RMs constantly on the move and such, they will be in and out of schools as Faslane is a short draft for them. Apart from new kids coming into the school, I can imagine that the RN and children who are actually from Helensburgh will be pretty much there for the duration as RN don't tend to move from Faslane to elsewhere as they're drafted there for the career. I have known other peoples husbands do a year here or there, but that's rare and the family will usually stay in the Burgh anyway! x

Yeah - the plan seems to be that once OH is up there, he'll be up there for the duration apart from various courses back down at Sultan if he goes for Killick etc. The weather to me is an excuse to get a Landrover so I'm not too fussed about that lol x