I live in the ‘UK’s unhappiest place’ but locals don’t want to leave | Travel News | Travel

When the city you call home gets named as one of the ‘UK’s unhappiest places’ to live, you can’t help but get a little defensive. Yet, as they say, there’s no smoke without fire.

Peterborough, the city in Cambridgeshire, has been named among the 20 least happy places to live in the UK, according to data from Rightmove. Out of a lengthy list of 220 locations, ranked from happiest to least, Peterborough was ranked at 213, and I’m not totally surprised.

I found myself moving to the flat part of the country from hilly Gloucestershire around four years ago, and like many, I had never heard of Peterborough before, let alone know what it was. After a quick Google Maps search, I saw it tucked between Cambridge and Nottingham, but then, after a general search, I saw it had been named as the ‘worst place to live in the UK’ – that really gave me confidence in the place I’d soon call home.

Nevertheless, I made the move, three hours away and discovered that there’s alot more to Peterborough than first meets the eye. However, I first found out that those who grew up in Peterborough love to hate it.

I’ve had countless conversations with Peterboroughians, and it often goes a little something like this: I ask: ‘Do you like living in Peterborough?’, they reply: ‘No’, I ask: ‘Why?’, they reply: ‘It’s rubbish, there’s nothing to do’, and I ask: ‘Would you move somewhere else?, and they reply: ‘No, it’s home’.

It’s predominantly known as a commuter town, with its efficient train connections offering direct links to London in under an hour and to Edinburgh in under four hours. Peterborough is also just over an hour’s drive away from major airports, including Stansted and Luton, while the university city of Cambridge is less than an hour away.

There are plenty of charming places to explore just a short drive outside of Peterborough, including Stamford, St Neots, and Oakham, but when it comes to what the city offers, it’s a little slim pickings. While we have a reasonably sized city centre and the Queensgate shopping centre with all the necessary high street stores, independent shops are scarce.

When it comes to restaurants, we have the standard Nandos, Wagamamas and Bella Italia, but we also have some hidden independents. East is a personal favourite, a Thai restaurant served on a 19th-century vessel with a bar underneath, along with the fine dining restaurant, The Chubby Castor of the Fitzwilliam Arms, which serves exquisite food.

However, we’ve lost some gems over the years, including my favourite taproom called Stoneworks, which provided the perfect solace for a Friday night pint after work. We’ve also lost an M&S and a John Lewis, RIP.

That being said, we have a fantastic Showcase Cinema de Lux with all reclining seats, a huge ice rink and a stunning Cathedral in the city centre that hosts silent discos and Christmas light displays. Nene Park is a favourite among locals for a walk around the sprawling lakes, along with the boating lake that welcomes rowers from all over the country.

But as I always say, it’s functional. Peterborough has everything I need; I can get into London within 50 minutes, I can drive to my affordable gym in less than 10 minutes, I don’t have to pay over the odds to join a tennis club, we have a huge Tesco superstore, and our dual carriageways mean that we’ll rarely need to drive anywhere for more than 10 minutes.

While it’s not the prettiest place, and certainly not the most thriving, those who live in the city have a certain level of loyalty to Peterborough, despite constantly berating it. We might not have it all, and it might be a little rough around the edges, but we make the most of what we have, even if that means escaping to a nearby town for an idyllic day out, every now and then.