This will make you laugh – Wolverhampton folk are among the happiest in the country, while Brummies are more miserable than Gordon Brown’s bank manager.
The Black Country city has soared near to the top of a survey to find the country’s happiest place – while it seems those living in nearby Birmingham have a lot to feel miserable about.
In Wolverhampton, while one-in-five people are blissfully happy with their family life and are cheerful at work, people in the Second City are feeling the strains of finances and miserable social life.
Laughalong Wolverhampton was just pipped to the post by beaming Bristol, which has been named the UK’s happiest city.
But Birmingham landed in third place of the list ranking the most unhappy cities in the poll, being beaten only by Newcastle and Cardiff.
The survey was carried out as part of a publicity campaign for cakemakers Mr Kipling. And, although it will make exceedlingly miserable reading in Brum, the great and the good of Wolverhampton say they are not surprised by the research.
Rob Marris, MP for Wolverhampton south west, said: “It’s the warmth and friendliness of people in the city which make this such a happy place to live.”
A total of 2,000 people were surveyed on issues including friends and family, work, social life and finances in the survey.
It found that people were happier from receiving smaller gifts and gestures, including a nice message from a loved one, waking up on a sunny day, a picnic in the park and getting praise from a boss, instead of more extravagant things such as expensive holidays.
Wulfrunians were found to have a great sense of identity, as illustrated by the strong devotion of Wulfrunians to the Wolves.
A spokeswoman for Mr Kipling, which carried out the survey, said: “It’s important to be happy in life, and this research reveals that it only takes the most simple of things to put a smile on our face.”
Why cities are sad or happy
The Happiest Cities Are:
•Bristol: Great historic port
•Wolverhampton: Home to Wolves
•York: York Minster & railway museum
•Plymouth: Attractive city on coast
•Sheffield: City of steel, rejuvinated
•Glasgow: Former City of culture
•Edinburgh: Ancient & beautiful capital
•Coventry: Back from the Blitz
•Manchester: Unbowed by IRA bombs
•Aberdeen: The Granite City
The Unhappiest Cities Are:
•Newcastle: Fog on the Tyne
•Cardiff: It rains a lot
•Birmingham: Worst train station
•Swansea: Rains there too
•Leeds: Tough on the Tykes
•Portsmouth: Hates Southampton
•Southampton: Hates Portsmouth
•London: Traffic and smog
•Brighton: Suburb of London
•Liverpool: Self pity city
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11 Comments
Can’t see it myself.Having lived here all my life and dealing with the public daily,most oof them are grey and miserable,depressed.Smile at a girl and you get a scowl back.No customer service in the shops,feel intimidated walking round the town.Anything could happen on a bus or atthe bus station.Where is a decent pub in the town(centre)or decent restaurant or entertainment?Please don’t call us happy cos we’re not.
Has anyone got any statistics for similar surveys to compare alchohol levels consumed in these towns too ? lol
Hiccup I’m happy in wolves too, usually on a friday night in cheeky monkeys
Speak for yourself wulfrunbornanbred. Life’s too short to be depressed. Lack of customer service is everywhere not just in god’s own city. Lighten up you would’nt want to live anywhere else…..or you would.
Is it April 1st- EVERYONE apart from the councillors and Mp’s who have any basic sense know that the vast majority of Wolverhampton residents are exteremely UHHAPPY and want to get out. If this survey is correct why is it in every poll it is always people from the West Midlands and Wolverhampton that want to leave to move to other counties within the UK?.
I am a Wulfrunian but realistic to know that we are a laughing stock to people up and down the country most of whom would be scared stiff to even visit the area-this survey is in iteself an absolute joke
I would of possibly believed this article untill it named Bristol as the happiest!
On a serious note, I like wolverhampton, I’ve worked away all over the UK and I can tell you that the issues that we have are nationwide. We sometimes don’t realise that wolves (on a whole) is a nice place and I choose to live here. The few mizzogs on here who wish to force their pesimism are the few and should learn to do what all good wolverhampton folk do, which is to lighten up and not take everthing so seriously
Yes we got our problems like everywhere else but on a whole us yam yams are a friendly lot.You realise it when you venture out of the blackcountry.Supporting the Wolves has always been an up and down process but thats what makes we as we am.Remember the motto of the city ‘ out of darkness cometh light ‘ Thats not just referring to the old black country industries we had but also the poeple who come out smiling despite lifes ups and downs !
WHAT A JOKE!!! As soon as I possibly can (finances permitting) I’m getting out of this hell hole i have livied in for 30+ years!!!
I have a theory about this survey. It may be that since we Brits like to complain a lot, we may be happy living in Wolverhampton since there is so much to complain about. So lets all enjoy complaining about this survey and make it come true.
Coming over to visit every year people all across the country have got more miserable.
I wasn’t surprised at all about Bristol, as it always comes top or close to being the happiest, smiliest, healthiest and most honest City - and being very laid-back, with beautiful landscape and architecture and close to some of the most popular tourist locations; but when my sister told me y’day that Wolves had come second (as we were born there and she’s lived there all here 51 years) she also seemed surprised. I don’t see it when I return, some people are chatty, but generally there is an air of greyness and depression in most of the W Mids; but good on Wolves. I spent almost all my life in London, and despite there being much to do and see, it has no joy or heart, and in the main no community spirit, it’s just a place for the very ‘immuned’ rich or the poorest of the poor, and those who care little, if at all, for the UK, just here to make a quick buck and return home. I smile a lot more and am more relaxed since moving to Bristol.
im 17, lived here all my life and i can honestly say wolverhampton is an amazing place. most people are cheerful, smiley, having a laugh, everyone knows each other in some way, its got such a friendly atmosphere and you realy only realise these things when you spend time in other places: i went brum few weeks ago and if u just look at everyone, theyv got blank faces, walking fast, absolutely no acknowledgment of anyone around them, such a big city its just got no life. wolvo is luvly and small and cosey, you know where everything is, and it realy is my home. I’ve written loads but my basic message is just chill out and stop being so pessimistic, wolvo is great