The official list of the happiest places to live in the UK for 2021 have been revealed thanks to an annual poll by property platform Rightmove.
But Greater Manchester is nowhere to be seen.
The ‘Happy at Home’index – which is now in its 10th year – was conducted using the responses of more than 21,000 people across the UK, who were asked to explain how they feel about where they live.
Respondents were asked to rate several aspects of where they live for the study, such as friendliness, community spirit, nature and green spaces, schools, restaurants, shops, and sports facilities, and were also asked about opportunities locally to develop skills and whether people feel they can be themselves.
The Northumberland market town of Hexham has been named Britain’s happiest place to live this year, after having already claimed the title back in 2019.
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Last year’s number one, St Ives in Cornwall, was eighth in the 2021 rankings.
The top five was rounded out by Richmond-upon-Thames in London, Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Hove on the East Sussex coast, and the Welsh town of Llandrindod Wells, while other North West towns on the 2021 list include Kendal in Cumbria at 14th place, and the nearby Cheshire town of Macclesfield at 15.
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Yet the region of Greater Manchester does not have any representatives within the top 20 list.
According to Rightmove, around a third of this year’s top 20 towns are market towns, while the study also revealed that people living in coastal villages tend to be happiest.
It also found that 69% of people who had moved in the last year have relocated to a new area, with 64% now feeling happier where they live.
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81% of those who moved from a town to a village said they now feel happier.
Top 20 Happiest Places in the UK
Hexham
Richmond-upon-Thames
Harrogate
Hove
Llandrindod Wells
Stirling
Monmouth
St Ives
Anglesey
Leamington Spa
Perth
Hitchin
Woodbridge
Kendal
Macclesfield
Exeter
Salisbury
Horsham
St Albans
Guildford
You can read the full results of the 2021 ‘Happy at Home’ index on Rightmove here.
Featured Image – Flickr (Billy Wilson)
Trending
ITV is reviving an iconic music trivia gameshow Name That Tune from the 70s
Emily Sergeant
ITV is set to revive one of the most iconic music-themed gameshows of all time for a new generation.
That’s right – Name That Tune is making a comeback.
Based on the successful US format of the same name, and airing in the UK on its original run from 1976 through to 1987, before being rebooted for the first time by Channel 5 from 1997-98, Name That Tune is being revived for the third time and is set to hit screens on ITV early next year.
If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of the show, Name That Tune sees contestants pitted against each other as their music knowledge is put to the test in a series of fast-paced rounds that featuring tracks from some of the world’s best-loved music artists and bands across every genre, all building towards a nail-biting finale.
Competitors will be tasked with correctly deciphering iconic riffs, melodies and lyrics from some of the biggest songs on the planet.
Set to be presented by Alison Hammond, and with a studio audience singing along, the show’s reboot will invite viewers at home to play from their living rooms, making it the ultimate soundtrack for all generations.
Every round is designed to challenge music enthusiasts by asking them just one simple question – can you name that tune?
“As a massive music lover, my biggest challenge as a host will be trying not to grab the mic and start singing along when one of my all-time favourite tunes comes on,” commented Alison Hammond as she was announced as the host for the reboot.
“And trust me… that will take serious self control.
“I grew up absolutely loving the original show so being part of this now feels like a real full-circle moment. I cannot wait to get into the studio, put the contestants through their paces, and see who really knows their music.”
ITV has told viewers to expect the show to be ‘bigger, louder, and more feel-good than ever’ once it returns in January.
Featured Image – ITV
Trending
Manchester to celebrate National Play Day next week with 100+ FREE activities for families
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is set to celebrate National Play Day next week, and there’ll be more than 100 free activities for families to join in with.
You may remember that Manchester City Council announced it would be bringing 14 weeks of free activities for children to parks across the city this summer, as Parktastic returned by popular demand with everything from sports, games, arts, and crafts, to dance, drama, nature activities, storytelling, and messy play to get stuck into.
And now, a packed programme of activities to celebrate National Play Day – which is taking place this year on Wednesday 5 August – has been revealed.
There’ll be whole series of free events taking place right across the city on a drop-in basis throughout the day – with more than a hundred different activity sessions taking place in the city’s parks, libraries, community centres, and youth clubs.
PLAY DAY is in one week!
Wednesday 5 August
All FREE
🤾🏽Outdoor games 🎪Bouncy castles 🎨Arts &Crafts ⚽Sports coaching 📚Poetry Trail 🤹🏽Circus Skills 🚴🏻Bikes and more!
Activities for children of all ages, across the city
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 29, 2026
Families can also head on down to two big Family Fun Days taking place on the day – one at Platt Fields Park, and one at Boggart Hole Clough.
Activities will run from 11am through to 2pm at both parks, and will include things like sports coaching, circus skills, cycling taster sessions, live demonstrations, storytelling, and a range of other interactive and hands-on experiences.
National Play Day is actually a country-wide celebration of a child’s right to play, but the day has a special significance for Manchester this year, coming off the back of the city earning recognition from UNICEF as a Child Friendly City last month.
Manchester is celebrating National Play Day next week with 100+ free activities for families / Credit: Manchester City Council
“Having fun and playing with other children is such an important part of growing up and helping children and young people of all ages to gain confidence and develop their skills,” commented Councillor Julie Reid, who is the Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People at Manchester City Council.
“We’re very lucky in Manchester to have so many fantastic parks, playgrounds, and sports and leisure facilities across the city for our children and young people to enjoy, as well as amazing libraries, galleries and museums right here on our doorstep.”
Cllr Reid said Manchester’s National Play Day on Wednesday 8 August will be offering ‘a whole host’ of different activities for young people to get involved in and enjoy.
You can find out everything happening on the day here.
Emily Sergeant -
24th November 2021 
