Hillingdon has been dubbed the UK's unhappiest place to live, according to a recent survey. If you're considering a move within Greater London, you might want to think twice about heading to Hillingdon. The West London borough has found itself at the bottom of the Rightmove Happy at Home index.
Despite its convenient commute into the heart of the city, Hillingdon was named the most miserable place to live in the UK, contrasting sharply with its neighbour Richmond-upon-Thames, which enjoys the title of the happiest. In mid-July, curiosity led Mirror Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding to Uxbridge, the administrative centre of Hillingdon Borough and, until not so long ago, the constituency of Boris Johnson. She wanted to find out if the area truly was as dreary as the survey suggested.
Uxbridge, positioned at the terminus of both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Tube lines, offers some residents a welcome break from central London's hustle and bustle, and as Cyann disembarked at the picturesque station she found the environment surprisingly energetic. It was a beautiful sunny day, and Cyann was surrounded by throngs of people doing their shopping and exploring - however her first glimpse of why the town may have been rated as miserable came when she ventured inside the Pavilions Shopping Centre. In sharp contrast to the bustling high street, the mall was dotted with closing down sales and shuttered stores, giving it an eerie, desolate feel.
Talking to local resident Stacey helped she.