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I wouldn't mind living in Edinburgh.


The most miserable places to live in the UK
Sarah Coles
Nov 1st 2010 at 5:00AM

Filed under: House and Home

Today is officially the most miserable day of the year. It's not just the fact that it's Monday morning and it's cold and grey, researchers have also found that the clocks going back and the spending cuts add to the mix to create the highest level of misery all year. Some 66% of people will feel depressed today.

And apparently some places are worse for it than others. So where are the most miserable places in the UK?

Most miserable
The survey by the Canary Islands tourist board found that top of the leader-board in Glasgow, which faces shorter days than many other parts of the UK, and as a cold grey city really comes into its own in this weather.

This is followed by Newcastle. Given that Newcastle has garnered a reputation for being the home of incredibly short skirts in impossibly cold winters, perhaps the locals are finally starting to feel the chill.

The rest of the top five is made up of Sheffield, Cardiff, and London.

Of course, London-haters will be delighted to see the famously unwelcoming and rude inhabitants of Britain's most over-populated city are suffering from seasonal misery. Some may say it couldn't happen to a nicer city.

Least miserable
At the other end of the scale Southampton is the most cheerful place, presumably benefiting from slightly longer days, and more open skies to draw every last ounce of sunlight from the winter.

This was followed by Nottingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Leeds.


Winter misery
But everywhere, there's a pervading air of gloom. Some 47% of us say we hate this time of year - despite all the excitement of Halloween and Bonfire Night, and the impending Christmas festivities.

And we're not doing anything to help ourselves. Apparently 51% of us park ourselves in front of the TV for the duration, while 51% spend longer at the computer, 41% spend more time on Facebook, almost 50% say we feel tired all the time, and 13% are less productive at work.

Housing market
There are two morals to this tale: one for those selling up to move home, and one for those buying a property.

When you're buying, you do need to take everything into consideration when you're choosing a location. Many of us are forced into a location, but if you're relatively footloose and fancy free, consider lifestyle factors, such as how long the days are, the weather, and the nightlife on these cold, dark days, before you consign yourself to a miserable winter.

And if you're selling at the moment, maybe it's time to seriously reconsider.

If everyone is feeling so down and staying at home, maybe now is not the time to find that energetic and optimistic buyer who is willing to pay sensible money for the joy of living in your location - especially if it's one of the top five most miserable places in the country!

Britain's most miserable cities
1 Glasgow
2 Newcastle
3 Sheffield
4 Cardiff
5 London

Britain's least miserable cities
1 Southampton
2 Nottingham
3 Edinburgh
4 Liverpool
5 Leeds

n

Don't know about cities Liz, but I would put Blaenau Ffestiniog up there with them, because of the mountains and slate heaps round it the sun doesn't hit it much and it rains...a lot!

Nice scenery on the way to it mindyou, but i wouldn't want to live there :)

At last,someone agrees with me;Sheffield is a s"£t place to live.

I have been slated in the past for saying so,I should know,I have to live here!

Nina in cold,wet,very windy,miserable,filthy,stinking Sheffield.

Well, I'm not that far from Southampton.......so maybe I should cheer up and stop being a miserable old so and so! LOL

Mary

Some parts of Cardiff are lovely.

I really like living where I do, but the nearest town fared very badly in a book of c**p towns.
I wonder who they ask.

Gwyn

What a lot of rubbish!!!!

I have worked in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle and as places to live in, I would put Edinburgh first with Newcastle and Glasgow joint second.

All three Cities have so much to offer.

Geordie Jock.

that has cheered me up Newcastle Joint 2nd that`ll do me fine

Linda.

Made me smile that the Canary Islands Tourist Board did the survey - what on earth for?

Lizx

Having also worked for short spells in Liverpool, Birmingham and London, I would put Liverpool high up on the list, Birmingham pretty far down and London at the very bottom.

Contrary - I would never thought of Southampton as being a happy city! Much prefer Liverpool. Not very fond of cities but like, York, Chester and Salisbury.

I live 30mins from Glasgow and an hour from Edinburgh and love both Cities for different reasons. Both have as Robert said lots to offer.
yes ok the weather here in Scotland does get me down sometimes but today the sun is out and its dry and bright, a lovely winters day.

A wearside lass from Sunderland who has lived in Scotland for about 20 years.

the most miserable place to live?

Anywhere which is NOT MY home.
Other than that, I can live anywhere as long as I have my loved ones.

I was an Army baby.... we got used to moving around all the time.
AND I had an amazing mother who made every house we ever had a home, no matter how long we were there.

Not what you meant Liz?
Still, it is my experience.
Deanna X

Hi Fiona (the Mackem!!)

I am also very fond of the city of Sunderland - and Roker And Seaburn.

You are very very lucky living where you do, convenient for Edinburgh and Glasgow where you get the best of both worlds.

Trying to plot where you are is not easy- Lanarkshire? Ayrshire? Perthshire?.
I give up.

Geordie Jock.

I like most places I have visited and would love to try living in many of them for six months or more, I hate leaving a new place after a couple of weeks holiday knowing there is so much more to see and do. I loved my short visit to Liverpool and would happily go back and also Glasgow when I stayed in Scotland in 2000.

I think I can make a home and friends whereever I land up, a place is what you make it really.

Deanna, I was just curious as to what other's thougth of the daft lists lol

Lizx

Hi DizzieLizzie,

Sitting comfortably off your soap box I hope.

During my working life I spent lots of time in London- in the City- staying in central London hotels. Loved working in the fast moving City, but I would not choose to live in London.
Many of my Colleagues lived in that area and would often tell me about their horrendous travel problems and the high everyday cost of living.

I often wonder what my life would have been like had my parents stayed near or in Buckingham close to where Dad was born and where they first lived when married. My Mum and Gran didn't get on so my parents moved back to Norwich before I arrived and I really don't know Buckinghamshire very well, having only visited three or four times.

I went to live in Cambridge in the late 1960s, and loved it there too, altho I think it's different now, haven't been back for about ten years. I did miss being within a short drive of the coast tho and that would have been the same in Bucks.

I know the coast of Norfolk pretty well from so many visits over time. I suppose Norfolk was my destiny/fate but would love the chance to live in many other places to try them out, maybe I will live somewhere lovely in my next life lol

Lizx

I would sooner live in Pompey than Southampton, especially Southsea which is still a bit like the fifties and sixties in atmosphere.
If I never go to London again I won't mind.
Place I have been to would not live by choice include where I would not live by choice include Stoke-on-Trent, Preston, Harrogate and Stafford.

Love most towns in the Welsh Valleys and Ireland.

I lived in Edinburgh for nearly 3 yars and loved it..Glasgow is nice to..Have visited Newcastle which was ok...Have been to lots of places in England and Scotland to many to mention here...Norfolk is great to.....
I think Portsmouth is not a place I would like to live or Gosport for that matter (have for a short while though and hated it....Its so boring.....)
Now living in Wiltshire and love it here!!!

Jules x

A lot depends on which part of the city you are talking about.

There are some very nice places to live in Sheffield and some equally grotty ones in Liverpool.