John: Where in the world can we go from here?

Jan 28 2010 by John Avison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

I’VE BEEN watching the bloggers and posters this week as they’ve tried to come to terms with the news that the UK has slipped to 25th place in the popularity stakes.

To put this into context, the magazine International Living has got into the habit of running a poll each January which number-crunches statistics from 194 countries worldwide, mixes them with their own correspondents’ views, and comes up with a list of places to live in order of popularity.

The 30th such survey, published recently, looks at aspects of life such as education, health, leisure, environment, traffic, climate and public safety.

Sad to say, Britain slipped from 20th in 2009 to 25th in 2010. According to International Living, Hungary, Uruguay and the Czech Republic are pleasanter places to live.

I’ve been to none of these countries so it would be bumptious to say whether they are better or worse than the UK.

Besides, who’s to say what’s better or worse? Whether you like or loathe the place where you live is surely intensely personal and subjective. It can’t be more than an opinion.

Nevertheless, the lines have been buzzing with people who like to kick a country when it’s down – mostly Californians, Scandinavians and Canadians, all baying for a toe-cap full of British teeth.

On the other hand, quite a number of people have logged on to say that the UK is jolly nice. A bit overcrowded and overcast, but jolly nice all the same.

They would definitely come here for their holidays if the weather could be trusted, you could drive on the roads, and wine bar operators didn’t charge them £8 for a glass of plonk from Hungary, Uruguay or the Czech Republic.

Then there’s the usual set of whingers (‘Yes, Britain is a lousy place to live. I wish I’d never been born here/come over to do some plumbing. I’m going outside to eat worms’) and staunch Johnny Bulldog defenders (‘I’ve lived in the UK man and boy and it has the best pork pies in the world. Besides, we invented democracy and the Navy’).

Not, Mr Johnny Bulldog, before the Greeks – position 28th in the charts – I feel obliged to point out.

So, for the fourth year running, which is the best country in the world in which live?

Why, our neighbours, France, of course.