Would you visit (or even want to move to) Rhuthun/Ruthin, after seeing our eight minutes on Channel 5's 'Sunday Times Best Places to Live' TV programme? (Broadcast yesterday.)
According to the programme, house prices in Rhuthun have decreased year-on-year by 25 per cent... something that does not at all match reality. The Sunday Times published the average house price at a more likely £321,000
We thought that Bernadette O’Malley gave the best representation possible of the indoor market. As to whether, in the words of the presenter, it was truly a community hub or meeting point, we're not sure.
Where, though, among the market stalls, the bread making machine for hire, and the Swiss cows was the heritage, the culture, the language, the history, the streetscape, the craft centre & art trail? Where was the schooling? Where was the Masterplan? And what about the re-purposing of old buildings?
And then there was the population of the town, more than twice the actual figure (stated by Channel 5 as 13,000). This includes Rhuthun's catchment but neither the newspaper nor Channel Five mentioned this.
We also got a flavour as to why the Sunday Times choses particular locations: it's no longer fast trains, exam results, Waitrose, cocktails in jam jars or avocado toast. It's ice cream parlours [hence Chilly Cow] ; sustainability such as tool exchanges [hence borrow bus]; and community initiatives [such as the market hall].
But, overall, Channel 5's representation was shallow and underwhelming. On its analysis, Rhuthun did not at all deserve to be placed six in Britain.
Fortunately, the Sunday Times knew better.