We live in the seaside town with the best quality of life in England…we’ve got a laidback life but there’s a big problem
RESIDENTS of a coastal town offering the best quality of living say life's a beach - apart from one niggling problem.
Plymouth was last month named the top city in England to live with the happiest residents, according to the Totaljobs Quality of Living Index.
It finished ahead of Bristol, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Belfast, Manchester and London, which only just squeezed into the top ten.
Judges praised the Devon hotspot - famed for its water sports - as a standout for people craving a healthy work-life balance, more variety and flexibility in their lives.
Locals in the town - a stones throw from the unspoiled beauty of Dartmoor national park - said they weren’t at all shocked to see it top the table, especially on warm days.
But they stressed the major drawback is the city's record breaking annual rainfall meaning outside of balmy summer days, they're usually getting soaked.
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Musician Maddie Valance, 25, who moved to the city as a child told The Sun: “It is just beautiful to look out over the water in the summer.
“But the winter is a different story when it’s dark and rainy it’s just a bit rubbish.
"The rain is so much worse here than other places, it feels like it’s constantly raining.
Lifelong Plymouth resident Issy Allen, 22, agreed, adding: “I feel very lucky to be from Plymouth, I think it’s a great place to live but winter feels like it goes on forever and it can be depressing when there’s not much to do.
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“Some of the nightclubs are a bit sad but up on the Hoe is the best place to be, it’s definitely a good quality of life."
Plymouth is consistently named among the wettest cities in the UK averaging 84mm each month and 149 rainy days per year - this is due to its mild winters, high humidity and often cloudy skies.
Retiree Chris Ottley, 80, said: "Everybody complains about the rain but that’s what makes the area so green, locals know you always need to carry a raincoat with you though, however nice it looks when you leave the house.
"It’s just a great, friendly place to live and you don't get that with bigger cities."
According to the TotalJobs Quality of Living Index, 21 percent of workers say the cost-of-living made them more likely to consider moving to a more affordable area in the future.
Properties in Plymouth have an overall average of £241,257 according to Rightmove, where the average property sold for £284,276 over the last year in Manchester.
Amanda Nicholson, 58, a retired store manager who moved to Plymouth from Yorkshire 20 years ago for work and never left, says she was won over instantly by the laidback lifestyle.
She said: “My company put me up in a hotel overlooking the Hoe and I remember looking out at the view and just falling in love - and I’ve never got tired of it, it is so beautiful.
"House prices are fairly decent, you get a lot more for your money here than in bigger cities."
Cities which offer the best commute times, high rates of local happiness and access to affordable housing were all integral to rating the best city overall.
But locals say that while Plymouth gives people a good quality of life, it trails behind major hubs like London and Manchester in what's on offer.
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Marine scientist Robert Wilson, 40, said: “It’s a nice place to be in summer and enjoy a barbecue after work but I would like to see more things to do year round and improvements to the city centre.
“It can be frustrating if you are into live music because it’s far away from the rest of the country, you rarely get big acts playing down here.”
