Suburb's residents 'least lonely'

By Mark McGregor
BBC News, Manchester

The area is home to the historic Tudor mansion, Bramhall Hall

In a country accelerating towards an increasingly segregated and alienated society, one small suburb stands out as a place local folk are pleased to call home, a report suggests.

The people of Bramhall, Stockport, have a stronger sense of belonging to their area than anywhere else in the UK, research conducted for the BBC suggests.

Changing UK, a report compiled by a team led by Professor Danny Dorling at the University of Sheffield, looked at how communities have changed over 40 years.

Researchers found Britain becoming more polarised, with people increasingly living among others similar to them in terms of age, class and wealth, which may lead to feelings of isolation.

But for the people of Bramhall, a commuter suburb tucked away in the southern tip of Greater Manchester, social fragmentation - or feelings of loneliness - is not a major problem.

It came bottom of the national "anomie" index - an academic term for estimating the percentage of people who feel a poor sense of belonging to an area - with 14.96%.

Certainly I've always felt a strong sense of belonging to Bramhall, having moved away from the area I still feel it is home Alex Broadfoot, raised in Bramhall

Local councillor Paul Bellis is not surprised. He has lived in the Bramhall area for 33 years after moving from Wirral as a child and attributes its community spirit to its increasingly diverse community.

"When I first came here it was considered to be quite an upmarket place to be, akin to places like Wilmslow. That has changed a lot over 30 years," he told BBC News.

"As time has gone by varied communities have moved into Bramhall and it has made it a more cosmopolitan area."

Mr Bellis said its transformation into a largely middle-class enclave - away from its historically upper-middle class roots - had fostered its sense of community.

"It's a very family-orientated area, Bramhall, and I think that is what attracts people to move here," he added.

"It is considered to be an attractive place to live these days."

Pub friendships

This community engagement is reflected by up to 70 social clubs, societies and sports groups listed in the local area, which has a population of about 30,000.

It is these kind of close-knit friendships that spring up from sport and school that is most missed by Bramhall-raised Alex Broadfoot.

The 33-year-old now lives with his wife and son in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but he has fond memories of the area where he spent 27 years of his life.

"While I was there it was where I always felt I belonged and I knew a lot of people in the area," said Mr Broadfoot.

"Certainly I've always felt a strong sense of belonging to Bramhall, having moved away from the area I still feel it is home."

After four years away studying politics at the University of Nottingham, Mr Broadfoot said his links to the community served him well upon his return.

A friend from the pub on the North Park estate, The Bromale, offered him lodgings and friendship groups were re-established.

"I know it sounds a bit clichéd - and blatantly stolen from [1980s sitcom] Cheers - but sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. And that was exactly how it felt at The Brom.

"I probably miss the people more than the place itself, because I'm very happy living in the north east now."