...but city centre has seen better days

THERE are lies, damned lies and statistics, as we all know. But even before we published an article at the weekend saying Nottingham is a better place to live than Derby and Leicester, I had pitched an article saying precisely that, writes SAM DIMMER.

- SAM DIMMER

Depressingly, the data actually shows Nottingham is one of the worst places to live. It’s just that Derby and Leicester are even further towards the bottom of the league table.

I'm in a unique position to assess all three places. I work in Nottingham, I used to be the editor of the Derby Telegraph, and I live near Leicester.

Nottingham has always been the place I would chose to go to for a night out, a day shopping with my wife, a bite to eat or a big event. I remember the first time I wandered into Old Market Square and thought to myself: “Wow, this place is big.”