An annual list of the worst places to live in Britain has been revealed for 2022 - and it's not looking good for us Loiners, nor for some of our Yorkshire neighbours further afield.
This year, a record-breaking 110,172 residents voted for their own towns and communities in 2022 survey - making us think, perhaps the two years of near-successive lockdowns have got some people wanting out?
The survey, conducted by online platform iLiveHere UK, speaks to people from all across the country to gather data on what it's like to live in Britain's various towns - and in 2022 they've been pretty damning when it comes to sharing their opinions on their own communities.
'The worst place to live in the UK' is not exactly a title to flaunt with pride - yet here we are, with Leeds ranking at (fairly respectable) number 38, followed by a further seven Yorkshire towns that also made it on to the list.
Joining Leeds (“My God where do I start”) on this year's list are Bradford (no.10), Huddersfield (no.2), Hull (no.24), Rotherham (no. 47), Doncaster (no. 46), Middlesborough (no. 44), and Barnsley (no.41).
But it's not just the rankings. There are comments too - and the residents don't pull any punches, especially when it comes to Bradford, which is dubbed West Yorkshire's "very own Heart of Darkness".
One contributor said of the city, "Want the best deals come to Bradford, buy 1 get 1 free chicken and chips, a stolen PS4 from some Slovakian at Foster Square or some cheap deodorants from the local junkie desperate for his next fix."
Another added, "Bradford is awash with the kind of people documentary producers dream about, if you want entire families of career criminal scroats with the morals of a paedophilic serial killer in your fly on the wall production."
As for Huddersfield, which came in at second place, the comments are even worse. One local said, "There’s nothing but pound shops and a few coffee shops. It’s polluted, unclean and full of idiots. It’s a horrible place to live."
Another added, "To those considering migrating to Huddersfield, first consider the minimum qualifying requirements:
"Must have a minimum of three kids, of which at least one must be 50% genetically unrelated to the other two. (Preferably diagnosed with ADHD)
"Must have a BMI greater than 30
"Have teeth like a burnt-out fusebox
"Must agree to dump a shopping trolley and/or a mattress in your sh#t tip of a garden"
Another added, more kindly, that "Not all of Huddersfield is bad… just 70% of it."
On a lighter note though, a town that has previously enjoyed “three glorious years of taking the crown” has been knocked off the top spot, with Peterborough being knocked down to 5th on the list and being replaced by the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury at number 1.
Aylesbury scored an impressive 25% more votes than its nearest competitor, Huddersfield, with locals saying the town’s traffic jams were part of the “magnificent beauty” of the area, and “all part of the tour.”
Top 10 Worst Places to Live in England 2022
Aylesbury
Huddersfield
Luton
Liverpool
Peterborough
Bolton
Corby
Jaywick
Slough
Bradford
You can read the 2022 list of Top 50 Worst Places to Live in England 2022here.
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
The Hoot -
4th January 2022 
