OUR HAPPY PLACE

TOWN NAMED MOST UPBEAT IN THE REGION

- PAIGE OLDFIELD

WITH the cost-of-living crisis, the disastrous 'mini-budget, the forced removal of two prime ministers, the ongoing NHS crisis and strikes, it's fair to say the last year has been difficult for many.

But we Brits are a plucky lot and the majority still rate their happiness pretty highly, despite all the challenges faced by the nation.

That's according to the Office for National Statistics, which has assessed the UK's happiness and well-being through an annual survey over the last decade. The happiest place in Greater Manchester has now been revealed - as official figures show people in our region were slightly less cheerful than the average Brit.

The most upbeat place to live in the region is Bolton, where residents rated their happiness at 7.61 on average.

Far more gloomy was the city of Manchester, where average happiness was just 6.85, the lowest in Greater Manchester and well below the national average.

Gaynor Johnson, who lives in the Deane area of Bolton, can understand why the borough scored so highly on the happiness scale.