Would welcome suggestions on reputable letting agencies.
Sal

If your son prefers city life, then an idea solution is somewhere in the countryside that has a railway station and links to either Brum or Cov.

Because cities have a lot higher crime rate, drug, alcohol, solvent abuse rate, proabably due to a number of factors. Higher population density, Higher poverty, increased ease of obtaining the above, all of which are part of a nasty never ending circle associated with nasty parts of all cities and large towns. The problem is that it's all to easy for nice decent kids to get involved in it. My family live/lived up liverpool, one escaped to the isle of wight, sick of being scared to go out. He lived in a nice house on a nice road opposite a park, but the shows were part of the estate at the back. He had some nasty experiences going to those shops. I cn't say much more but each of them have thier own story to tell. Infact I think they'd make a good tv drama series like boys from the black stuff.
Thats not to say that happens to every family in a city or that coventry is any worse than any other. Infact I think coventry is one of the better cities.

One place that never gets mentioned and I don't really know peoples thoughts on is Coleshill. Thats Warwickshire but nearly attatched to Birminghams outer suberbs.

That's a generalisation. Problems in cities tend to be isolated to certain areas. I've lived in Coventry and Sheffield and have seen more problems with poverty and violence in small towns in Lancashire. I've always lived in decent parts of cities, and seen no problems like those you mention.

Drugs, violence and poverty are most certainly not isolated to cities. I remember reports a few years ago about Stratford having a drug problem, and Nuneaton/Bedworth contains some of the most deprived areas in the Midlands.

Kids don't stay in one nice area though, they explore and mix at school with kids from rough areas. .
Lancashire I know quite well, as you may know, Lancs towns can be quite bad, Burnley has a bad reputation. So yes some towns can be as bad as cities but I don't think any towns round here are as bad as Coventry bad bits, which are nowhere near as bad as Birminghams
Yes you're right Drugs, violence and poverty are most certainly not isolated to cities, Atherstone, Coleshill, Nuneaton, Bedworth all have problems, but because it's not a city and there's less people here there's less of a problem.

I don't think it's generalisation (grrr @ american isations) I think it's fact but you notice it less at your kids have more of a chance if you live in a nice area.

Shizara what do you think of Nuneaton?.

I have read with interest the issues with drugs etc in cities. Perhaps its because I have only been back to Warwickshire on visits, but I always feel a lot safer there out and about than when I am back in rotten old Thanet. As you are aware i want to move to Warwickshire and welcome feedback on good and bad areas. There are always going to be bad areas wherever you go. Obviously kids get to mix with a diverse range of other kids at school, so it is important to seek out the good schools from the bad. I would be interested to hear about your own experiences of living in Warwickshire, what you like/dislike etc.

Burnley. Ugh. What a depressing place.

According to a report in the Coventry Telegraph last night, a fair number of people are moving into Coventry from Warwickshire due to the high house prices. There are still some relatively affordable areas in Coventry.

Good point leofric, rents too though.
Our conversations make it sound so bad but it is safer here. Warwickshire is one of the batter safer areas and cov has got to be one of the safer out of all the large cities. I've been to just about all of them now.
Atherstone is a quiet and peacefull place. Most of the crime is the drunkard idiots on a friday night outside the night club. It's not really fair for me to judge places because it's usually the odd bad things that stick in mind about a place you don't know the good points of.