[Closed] Are you in the top 50 places to live?

That's just the Halifax's way of keeping Southerners out.

No 91 but I do live in NW England

Yeah. Australia voted second best place for "quality of life" in the world.

(Apart from our internet...)

LOL Winchester

In at number 9, it's nice enough, but the local off-road riding leaves a lot to be desired!

9 here as well. Odd that, I don't like it as much as some other places.

😆

When we get electricity and running water we'll be in there in the top ten, I'm sure of it!

18 with a bullet.

Mole Valley at Number 7, best bit closish to London which is best for me, would prefer somewhere in the Cotswolds though.

91 here, not bad considering we must be terribly shackled by our proximity to Blackburn and Burnley.
Another building society did one of these a few years ago and we were in the top 10. Must have had a section on the quality of the local sausages 😀

I see.

This is a study where earnings, house prices, exam results and fast roads means you do well..

But lower earnings, lower house prices, an education system less focused on exam results, great community and riding in mountains from your door score low....

I have made my choice.

Yeah. Australia voted second best place for "quality of life" in the world.

Lived in Guildford for 20 years, 30 mins to London on train, Heathrow or Gatwick. 90 mins to channel tunnel. Great riding from the front door. I wouod certainly say its worthy of the top 10. Central London most recently, convenient for work / social Monday/Friday but not so great for outdoors so not really for me. Interesting to see Winchester and especially Eastleigh so high up, spend my weekends around there and for me its no where near Surrey for a variety of reasons

Just through by the skin of our teeth at number 50.
That's a big drop though and I suspect the fact that we are being dragged into greater london is a reason for it.

No1 best country - Norway

I see.

This is a study where earnings, house prices, exam results and fast roads means you do well..

But lower earnings, lower house prices, an education system less focused on exam results, great community and riding in mountains from your door score low....

I have made my choice.

This. I only skim read it trying to ignore all the clickbait, but they didn't seem to mention what their criteria actually were at all....

jamba.... not my list, blame the ruddy UN. I was surprised too. I'm from Wolverhampton though so being on the plane over for 22 hours was already an improvement.

Having read that top 50 list I can gladly say I don't live in any of their ideas of the "best" places to live in the UK.

My ideas of best clearly differ!

Yes it's good to see non of the shit holes like Swaledale have made it into the top 50 and Northumberland is way down the list. Horrible, grotty, dirty places.

I had to go into Stevenage yesterday. Plenty of places down south are complete sh*t holes.

Stevenage isn't the south, it's way oop north if you ask me.

Stevenage isn't the south, it's way oop north if you ask me.

What Matt outandabout said....I have made my choice too!!

This. I only skim read it trying to ignore all the clickbait, but they didn't seem to mention what their criteria actually were at all.

Well if it's the same as the usual one they trot out each year the priciple criteria seem to be wealth, daylight hours and lack of rainfall. In other words "proximity to the southeast".

I'm in 2 of those- I live on the border 8)

Hmm... it's a bit subjective, isn't it? Asking someone if they consider themself healthy rather than using actual definable data?

I was very amused by this on the Scottish news this morning, where it was billed as "Orkney Best Place To Live In Scotland" with no mention that it was number 83 in the UK. So parochialism lives !

Double amused in fact, as my Father's family emigrated from Orkney to live in (drum roll) Christchurch !! Good choice, people who are dead now...

P.S that's the Christchurch in the south island of New Zealand, not the one in deepest darkest Engerland.

I'll stick to Cumbria thanks - even when it floods...

Number 13 here, lucky for some!

As for

I had to go into Stevenage yesterday. Plenty of places down south are complete sh*t holes.

I see your Stevenage sir and I raise you... Luton!

I live in fleet which is Hart. Score - number 1 🙂

I live in Richmond Upon Thames (just over the border from 😯 ... HOUNSLOW).

I can't say it's awesome but it'll do.

Whenever I see a list like that I assume that some weighting has been given to average earnings. Which is ironic given that in half the areas listed, people on bigger salaries will have less disposable income once their massive mortgages/rent are taken out.

I mean, FFS - Chelmsford? I grew up there. It's a boring, dreary, chavvy town surrounded by pretty dull countryside.

Another Fleet inhabitant, more by random chance than planning

Yes, Munich.... Consistently in the top five best cities to live according to UN, Mercer and Monocle lists to name but a few.

Safe and clean;don't have a problem with the GF wandering home at night alone. Lots of green spaces in and around town. Plenty of jobs (but not enough affordable housing). Close to the alps and good transport links to the rest of Germany as well as Austria and as such Italy.

Beer's not bad, either.... (b)

It does not matter where you live if you have shite income even the best paradise in the world will be shite to you ... coz you are still begging shite for others' left over.

darrell - Member
No1 best country - Norway

Not if you live in their foreign slump ...

I see your Stevenage sir and I raise you... Luton!

I raise again with Slough.

It I were to return to the UK I am adamant that I would not be relocating to the south East.... Folks live in Chelmsford (#25) but my blood pressure rises as I ride or walk through town....
Far too many people round here. (and is going to get worse given the amount of housing going up.) Traffic jams from 3 till 7 during the week as every ****er seems too lazy to walk or ride anywhere (and I'm including both my immediate and extended family in that), not helped by the crappy infrastructure.
And the riding is crap.

Same can be said for most of the south east, imo.

South West of "The North" for me if I were to return....

If we're doing stupid lists - I live in the 'fourth funkiest town in the world' apparently.

http://www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/news/news05/17.html

"Orkney Best Place To Live In Scotland"

They only allow you to move to Orkney ,if you swear to always vote for Orkney in the best place to live in [s]the world[/s] Scotland polls.
FACT

The top 50 list has changed quite a bit this year - the top 10 used to be dominated by areas in the East of England. But the whole region is suffering from people moving from/escaping London, without the infrastructure to support the population growth.
The population of Hertfordshire, for example, has doubled in the last 20 years - now over a million people live there.
When I think of the South East, I think traffic. I now think the same of the East. If you can work remotely then I'd recommend the South West or a nice village up north.

When I think of the South East, I think traffic.

+1

I was born in Hart, I now live about 15 miles down the road toward Winchester, but still work in Hart and have family here.

For balance, it is populated by over entitled arrogant tosser's who obviously feel that they have 'made it' to be living here while merrily tearing the soul out of the place for the last 25 years or so.

Oh, and the traffic. Trying to drive a car across town in Fleet takes about twice the time it does by bike. And the attitude of the drivers (generalising a bit here but this is from experience)over entitled arrogant tosser's

Yes, there is a nice pond and a canal. But will you even get a smile let alone a hello from anyone you happen across while walking around them. No.

There is lots of land to ride bikes on, all owned by the MoD.

These lists are meaningless.
Any particular location could be utopia or hell depending on your outlook or circumstances.
I find the idea of Guildford abhorrent but 60,000 chose to reside there.

If Orkney is so wonderful how come more people haven't moved there?

When I think of the South East, I think traffic.

When I think of the north I think rain, tanning salons and middle aged men in white trainers/static inducing 'sportswear' using a lot of hair gel.

If Orkney is so wonderful how come more people haven't moved there?

It isn't wonderful.

It can be pretty good for a couple of weeks in summer but in the winter it's terrible. Dark, cold and wet.

If Orkney is so wonderful how come more people haven't moved there?

Love to, it's a hell of a long way to commute though.

Oh hang on...

1 Edinburgh
2 Solihull
3 Hertfordshire
4 Northumberland
5 South Lanarkshire
6 Berkshire
7 Darlington
8 North Lanarkshire
9 York
10 Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/11948329/The-best-and-worst-places-to-live-in-the-UK-ranked-by-quality-of-life.html

And I am sure the local radio in Harrogate keep banging on about how they are the best place to live in the UK...

When I think of the north I think rain, tanning salons and middle aged men in white trainers/static inducing 'sportswear' using a lot of hair gel.

Yes good point, you never see any of those things in Essex. 😆

No point me contributing to the thread... 😐

Yes good point, you never see any of those things in Essex.

5th. Only time I've ever bought a house simply because I wanted to live somewhere.

Been a Fleet resident for 25 years - more out of chance than choice, but since then seen little need to move. Lived in Glasgow, Essex, W. Midlands and worked all over the UK and a bit of the world. The place itself is nothing special, but crime is low, employment is good and it's easy to get to lots of other things. The traffic can be awful, but I don't have to drive much and I know the roads and trails well enough to have a great time. I always laugh at the attitude of some, thinking it's some sort of conspiracy by southerners. For me, the fact was that the same opportunity wasn't available to me in Scotland when I left University in 1987 and I had to move to find it.

Whenever I see a list like that I assume that some weighting has been given to average earnings. Which is ironic given that in half the areas listed, people on bigger salaries will have less disposable income once their massive mortgages/rent are taken out.

Wokingham always does disproportionately well, I suspect because of this.

Of the two places I've lived since leaving uni, one was a former mining village in North Yorkshire, the other was Wokingham. I'd take the mining village and the grand a month I'd save on the mortgage. Which is wierd, because up there there was a constant stream of people leaving to go work in London, I wonder how many come back after a couple of years.

top 50 places where houses are overpriced?

When I think of the north I think rain, tanning salons and middle aged men in white trainers/static inducing 'sportswear' using a lot of hair gel.

Spot on Mr Smith, we all live in terraced houses, own whippets and until today worked down t'pit as well. Please don't ever risk moving up here 😀

Same can be said for most of the south east, imo.

I disagree, many areas around the North and South Downs are superb, including for riding. And if you pick your location carefully, then traffic needent be an issue either.

Dorking was best area I ever lived and had to move away for reasons out of my control unfortunately, I've now manged to re-settle in the South Downs area and again the riding is really good - plus traffic is nothing like M25 commuter belt area if you stay away from fringe of Brighton particularly.

No-one around you for miles often during local hill top walks and rides, quaint little historical villages dotted around and panoramic views of the downs and South Coast. Its a lovely place.

That list looks total bollocks. I have homes in Edinburgh and London and split my time between both and am certain that Edinburgh is a better place to live than the majority of places on that top-50 list.

Certainly not the top 50 places to live for mountainbikers!

yep no 10 here, its ace for road biking, less so for MTB.

I see a good few of these places are near Reading but not Reading.

I knew it was tosh before i clicked the link, just what in hell made me do that?

No 3 for the record...

You won't believe what happened next...

Halifax are part of the group that owes me £20,000,000,000 cos they couldn't find their backside with both arms tied behind their back.

So it's fair to say I am a little circumspect with regard to anything they say or do. Or even when they are not doing anything.

And where i typed "me" I obviously meant "everyone" but, let's be honest, and in the spirit of HBOS, I'm a trustworthy Mervyn King and I'm not going to wee it up the wall or spend it on party food.

I live in M23. Pretty much everywhere is "up" from here.

This lists are always controversial, you always want where you live to have some form of recognition

If you like where you live then you win. If you don't, move!

(I do and so I win)

When did Albans move to the east of England?

Grim up north? Moved north from Hertfordshire 3 years ago best thing I ever done

The list is wrong, I've scoured it several times but can't seem to find Stoke-on-Trent.

Nope as I live in Northumberland which apparently is grim.

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Number 12 - East Cambridgeshire, I think it was number 1 before we moved here a few years ago 😐
Despite the high placing I'd still dispute that some of the measures are at all applicable to quality of life.

If Orkney is so wonderful how come more people haven't moved there?

I've been to Orkney and it was nice enough. Best place to live in Scotland though? Never - not even in the top 10 IMHO.

Nope as I live in Northumberland which apparently is grim.

Me too and totally agree with the principle but being a massive county it's never going to compete with the areas at the top of the list. If say Hexhamshire or Alnwick District were in there I suspect they'd do better than 191st.

Alnwick is the best place to live.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2379743.stm

Nope as I live in Northumberland which apparently is grim.

You can actually see the wind in that first photo .... 😆

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/top-10-worst-places-to-live-in-the-uk-a6704046.html

no 6 on the worst list for me.... sunny Blackpool. lovely stuff.

I live in Horsell, close to Guidford and Mole Valley.

My reasoning was that if it was good enough for the Martians it is good enough for me...

[img] [/img]

Some of those cities are nice, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T TRY TO LEAVE! Winchester for example - traffic is a nightmare. Most of the South East is clogged with cars. Its shit.

15th.

There are always going to be people saying "I live in the north, it's nice". But there's a modicum of fact supporting this. Wages are lower. Life expectancies are shorter. Unemployment is higher. Crime is higher. Etc. It's not black and white, but there's [i]some[/i] basis in it.

It's not been done on prettiness. So photos of the Northumberland coast seem pretty irrelevant!

I'm happy down here!

Eastleigh is a toilet and most of Guildford is rank

Eastleigh is a toilet and most of Guildford is rank

Guildford is alright - the high street(s) are not as uniform as many places.

it is mainly the people in Guildford that bring it down.

And some bits of it are downright evil...

Wages may be higher in the south east but so are house prices.
I've turned down a job move to the south east as I think my home in the north west is a better place to live. Anyway I doubt we could sell our 2-up-2-down here and even buy a garden shed down south with the money.