As they drive around the Dales, many people ask "what does everyone do here? Is it all farming and tourism?"
Many would be surprised if they knew the variety of jobs people do. I think few would ever guess at Matt Young's profession. As his twitter bio says, he's "probably the best Japanese-English chemical patent translator in the Yorkshire Dales"... It's one of the many businesses established in the Dales by people who have moved here.
Matt moved to the Yorkshire Dales after time spent living in Southern England and Japan. His grandparents had lived around Lancaster and Carnforth all their lives, and often brought Matt to Ingleton as a child. Happy memories of those days led Matt and his wife to consider moving there. Both are self-employed so thought it would be a great place for their son to grow up.
Like many others who've made the move, the surroundings are one of the things that makes Matt happiest. "I like being able to pull on my hiking boots and climb Ingleborough or do a lap of the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail whenever I feel like it. I like the fact that Ingleton is small enough to be a close knit community while being large enough to have the necessary amenities (shops, pubs, cafés etc.). I’m also a motorcyclist, and the Dales is a great place to have a bike - empty roads and beautiful scenery."
Many would be surprised if they knew the variety of jobs people do. I think few would ever guess at Matt Young's profession. As his twitter bio says, he's "probably the best Japanese-English chemical patent translator in the Yorkshire Dales"... It's one of the many businesses established in the Dales by people who have moved here.
Matt moved to the Yorkshire Dales after time spent living in Southern England and Japan. His grandparents had lived around Lancaster and Carnforth all their lives, and often brought Matt to Ingleton as a child. Happy memories of those days led Matt and his wife to consider moving there. Both are self-employed so thought it would be a great place for their son to grow up.
Like many others who've made the move, the surroundings are one of the things that makes Matt happiest. "I like being able to pull on my hiking boots and climb Ingleborough or do a lap of the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail whenever I feel like it. I like the fact that Ingleton is small enough to be a close knit community while being large enough to have the necessary amenities (shops, pubs, cafés etc.). I’m also a motorcyclist, and the Dales is a great place to have a bike - empty roads and beautiful scenery."
Has Matt faced any challenges moving to the Yorkshire Dales? "As with anywhere, making friends and becoming part of the community requires effort, although this is easier when your child attends the local primary school. We occasionally hear grumblings about too many incomers to the village, although this seems to be restricted to a small number of older people.
"Because the majority of residents here grew up in the area, there can sometimes be an assumption that we know where everything is, how things work, when things happen etc., and this sometimes leads to confusion.
At first, we were a long way from our families, but my parents also made the move to the Dales about two years ago. We are still working on my wife’s parents!"
"A surprising number of people in London and the south east were under the assumption that we had moved to some frozen wilderness at the edge of the earth. A middle-aged friend of my wife’s used to bring us food parcels when she visited from London. In the end, we took her to a Booths store to make her realise that we actually have access to very good food and drink up here. I think it was quite an eye-opener for her. In fact, we have been almost universally impressed by the high standard of pubs, restaurants and cafés in the Dales. We already have a lot of favourite places."
"Because the majority of residents here grew up in the area, there can sometimes be an assumption that we know where everything is, how things work, when things happen etc., and this sometimes leads to confusion.
At first, we were a long way from our families, but my parents also made the move to the Dales about two years ago. We are still working on my wife’s parents!"
"A surprising number of people in London and the south east were under the assumption that we had moved to some frozen wilderness at the edge of the earth. A middle-aged friend of my wife’s used to bring us food parcels when she visited from London. In the end, we took her to a Booths store to make her realise that we actually have access to very good food and drink up here. I think it was quite an eye-opener for her. In fact, we have been almost universally impressed by the high standard of pubs, restaurants and cafés in the Dales. We already have a lot of favourite places."
Matt has a few top tips for anyone thinking of moving to the Yorkshire Dales:
"You will need your own car. Public transport is poor or non-existent in large parts of the Dales, and I have a couple of friends here who don’t have a driving license, and can feel somewhat trapped at times.
Get involved in your local community. It helps in every way. I was a governor at my son’s primary school for 4 years, and I also play cricket and badminton for my village. I’ve made a lot of friends through these activities, and even if you are not sporty, there are countless activities in Dales villages to get involved in. My wife is also on the school PTA, which has helped her expand her social circle also."
"You will need your own car. Public transport is poor or non-existent in large parts of the Dales, and I have a couple of friends here who don’t have a driving license, and can feel somewhat trapped at times.
Get involved in your local community. It helps in every way. I was a governor at my son’s primary school for 4 years, and I also play cricket and badminton for my village. I’ve made a lot of friends through these activities, and even if you are not sporty, there are countless activities in Dales villages to get involved in. My wife is also on the school PTA, which has helped her expand her social circle also."
