'The people of Stockport are big enough to laugh off this nonsense'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

There's no doubt Stockport feels like it's on the up. It's one of two Greater Manchester towns recently named as the 'best areas to live' in the UK by The Sunday Times.

Both Stockport and Prestwich made the list after impressing the panel of judges who visited each area, assessing everything from schools, transport and broadband speeds.

Other factors taken into account included culture, access to green spaces and the health of the high street. Stockport topped the list of the best places to live in the north west in the guide this year.

It is the second year in a row that the area has featured, with judges calling it 'one of the most exciting towns around'. The panel praised Stockport for its abundance of 'good-value' houses, new and improving transport links and 'funky independent businesses.' READ MORE: People are describing Manchester in three words - and some are brutal READ MORE: Inside the abandoned tower on the M6 The Sunday Times judges said: "The town in Greater Manchester is in the throes of a mighty metamorphosis that's turning it into one of the most exciting towns around.