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A new study compiled by the Reach Data Unit has used several different metrics to rank the best places to live in England, and Gateshead has come out on top in the North East. The ratings, which are based on house prices, crime rates, schools, quality of NHS care and local amenities, put the Tyneside town at 28th in the country, so I went to Saltwell Park to find out why people think it scored so well.

It was a particularly sunny June day, part of the reason for choosing the park as the ideal location, and when I arrived it was bustling just as I had expected. Not long after entering the park and starting my scenic walk across the top path, I stopped for a chat with married couple Jean and Brian Bloom.

The pair, who have lived in Deckham all their lives, were very complimentary of the area, with Jean, 76, saying: "We're both born and bred in Gateshead, we got married here and have lived here since, and I really think you can't beat it.

"We played here when we were kids and then came back with our own kids, so somewhere like Saltwell Park being on your doorstep is definitely a great reason to live in the area, and it is somewhere to be proud of.

"Green spaces like this should be cared for so that future generations can enjoy them, and I think we have seen Gateshead rise up and fall back at various times, but it has been a great place to live and that's why we have stayed."

Brian, 77, added: "I'm an........

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