Isles of Scilly named England's friendliest place in survey
The Isles of Scilly have been named England's friendliest place, beating areas including Devon and Richmond upon Thames.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Isles of Scilly have been named England's friendliest place in a national survey called the National Conversation. The group of islands off the tip of Cornwall scored highly for local pride and a sense of community, beating areas such as Devon, Derbyshire and Richmond upon Thames. At the other end of the scale, Barking and Dagenham, Stoke-on-Trent and Ashfield topped the list of England's unfriendliest locations.
Speaking to Sky News, Ewan Rogers, executive vice chair of Visit Isles of Scilly, said the community is small, with only 2,000 people spread over five inhabited islands. He described it as "a little tiny village" and highlighted how the friendliness extends into the visitor economy, which is the islands' single main industry.
Rogers gave an example of island life: a friend returning from the mainland found a lasagna and milk left in the fridge by a neighbour to ease their return home. He acknowledged that there can be downsides, such as a lack of anonymity in the local pub, but said people can escape into their own homes. He also said newcomers are welcome, noting that people move to the islands every year, although they are expected to adopt the local term "Salonian" for residents.
Rogers offered advice to the places named unfriendly, saying that even though they are much bigger, people should "just look out for each other".
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham, Stoke-on-Trent, and Ashfield topped the list of England's unfriendliest places. | |
| The Isles of Scilly have a population of about 2,000 people across five inhabited islands. | |
| The Isles of Scilly were named England's friendliest place in the National Conversation survey. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with the announcement of the survey result, framing it positively. The coverage featured a live interview with Ewan Rogers, allowing him to explain the community's friendliness, give examples of local kindness, and address the downsides of island life. The tone was conversational and upbeat, with the presenter also asking Rogers to advise unfriendly places.
- “the isles of silly have been named as england's friendliest place according to initiative called the national conversation”
- “we are a very friendly place not only within our own community life down here but that then transcends into you know our key economy which is our visitor economy”
- “it is harder you know you it is more difficult you can't say it's not to go out um to the local pub or wherever”
Broadcast Timeline
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