We live in one of UK’s snobbiest towns – everyone judges us, but we’re not stuck up
LOCALS in one of the UK's snobbiest towns have stood up for themselves - they say they're not stuck up like everyone thinks.
For years the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate has topped the list as one of the best places to live in the country - but it's recently landed a new title.
The town - famed for its cream teas and Turkish baths - has been named on the list of the snootiest places to live in the UK.
It also ranks among the trendiest postcodes to live and is home to England manager Gareth Southgate.
Harrogate is said to attract parents obsessed with getting their children into the right school - with residents accused of looking down on nearby towns.
One writer on location review website ILiveHere claimed locals “love to judge everyone else and feel superior to those living in Leeds, Knaresborough or (God forbid) Bradford”.
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But residents have hit back - they say everyone in the town is "lovely" and "most pleasant".
Responding to the critics, Maureen Bolton, 76, told The Sun Online: “I don’t think there’s anything snooty about Harrogate. In fact, I think it has lost a little bit of its prestige.
“A lot of the independent shops have gone, now, and it’s just becoming a lot like every other town.
“But the residents and staff in the shops are lovely - it’s not a snobby place.”
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The town has been named the third best town in the country to raise a family, thanks to its low crime rates and plentiful green space.
It has a population of around 75,000 and is reportedly the largest town in the country not to have a Tesco supermarket.
However, it does have a busy Waitrose.
And much like some would describe Waitrose, dog walkers Justine Farley, 52, and pal Natalie Pearce, 50, have one word to describe the town.
Justine, who lives in Harrogate, said: “I wouldn’t say snooty - I would say upmarket.
“There possibly are people like that in Harrogate but you find those people in other nice locations.
“We’ve just moved back here from Leeds and we love it. I’ve never felt that it’s snooty here.
"Harrogate has got a lovely feel about it.”
The town boasts a branch of the fashionable restaurant The Ivy, which sits near its famous Betty’s Tea Rooms.
I wouldn’t say snooty - I would say upmarket.
Justine Farley
Detached house prices in Harrogate average just under £600k and local stars include footie pundit Micah Richards and Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Dingle in Emmerdale.
The town made a name for itself with a fashionable Victorian spa, and much of its architecture has been retained.
Nowadays, the town boasts designer shops, smart bars and hang-outs including London-inspired restaurant Hoxton’s North - a favourite of Mr Southgate.
Queuing outside Betty’s, where diners pay £30 per person for afternoon tea, married couple Gerry and Joan Betts stuck up for the town.
Gerry, 88, told The Sun Online: “Harrogate is a lovely town with some expensive properties.
“I know quite a few people who live in and around Harrogate and they have always been most pleasant
“We are not highfalutin people.”
But shoppers Louise Hardy, 27, and mum Yvette said Harrogate did have a snobby side.
Yvette, 68, from Leeds, said: “There are some people who are - they think they are a cut above the rest.
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“Perhaps more so than other places - but it is a lovely place to live.
“We were here for 15 years and I’ve got to admit, I really liked it.”
