Hillingdon, according to one recent survey, is the unhappiest place to live in the UK. For those looking to move to Greater London, you may want to steer clear of the West London borough, according to the Rightmove Happy at Home index. Despite Hillingdon's easy commute into central London, the area was ranked the unhappiest place to live in the UK and is only a stone's throw from the happiest place to live in the UK — Richmond-upon-Thames.
In mid-July I decided to head to the administrative headquarters of the Hillingdon Borough — the suburban town of Uxbridge and, until recently, the constituency of Boris Johnson, to see if the area really was as a miserable place to live as I had been led to believe. Do you think your town is unhappier than Uxbridge and that we should check it out? Email us at [email protected] Uxbridge sits at the end of the Metropolitan and Piccadilly T ube lines, which for some may feel like an escape from the crowds of central London.
My only knowledge of the town prior to my visit comes from the monotone, slightly bleak announcement on the Tube, "this train will terminate at Uxbridge". As I had never been to Uxbridge myself, or anywhere within the Borough of Hillingdon, I was admittedly a little apprehensive to visit somewhere with such gloomy pedigree. To my surprise, stepping off the Tube I was greeted by a bustling station, which was one of the prettiest I had seen.
From old Mars bar branding and a cigarette dispenser, to traditional statio.
