CELEBRATING Dorking's success in a national survey of the best British towns, residents have said the character and generosity of its people is what will make the town great.
Ranking it at number 16, The Times declared Dorking "no dull commuter town" and complimented it on the quality of its schools, shops, and entertainment and cultural options.
Accessibility to stunning countryside, residential areas and transport links to London and the south coast were also added up to make it one of the most desirable places.
Margaret Cooksey, chairman of the Dorking Town Centre Forum, said it was "wonderful" for the community to be recognised on a national level, but felt it could have been rated higher.
The Deepdene Avenue resident told the Advertiser: "We have lots of things here that they clearly didn't take note of. They were looking at Wathen Road and Rothes Road in terms of living here, but they could have looked at other areas like Cotmandene or Rose Hill, for example. They are very specific to Dorking and very beautiful places to be.
"They also perhaps didn't take enough note of the spire of St Martin's Church which you see from most vantage points."
Mrs Cooksey highlighted the sterling efforts of community groups as factors which raised the town above the norm.
"Here we are in Surrey but Dorking is not typical Surrey," she said. "People are not stand-offish – they are exceedingly friendly and I think that makes a huge difference to the feel of a place. We have so many voluntary organisations and that all adds up."
Mrs Cooksey said sprucing up the High Street would make a big difference to how Dorking was perceived by visitors.
"There are things that are desperate to be done," she said. "The pavements need looking at, and there are areas that need brightening up. We need more people to take an interest, as we saw happen after the Jubilee celebrations when the whole town got on board."
Sarah Slade, of community group Friends of Dorking, echoed Mrs Cooksey's opinion of the generous nature of local people.
The Rothes Road resident, who runs Dorking Stationers in the High Street, said: "Dorking has a very strong community spirit. When my husband died, the amount of support I got was incredible. People are there for you; they don't swamp you but they're there.
"People actually say 'good morning' to you here – it's like a big village. It has that sort of atmosphere."
Mrs Slade also identified traffic levels and facilities for children and young people as areas in need of improvement.
"The youth club below St Martin's should be open more," she said.
"That's the one bugbear I've got. Other than that, I absolutely adore this town."
Why is it so great? It is 40 minutes from both London and the coast. Schools are popular and this is no dull commuter town: there's a good programme of cultural events, a cinema, good shops and the lovely Box Hill on the doorstep. Who lives here? Commuters with families rub shoulders with downsizers from the rest of Surrey. House prices: The town has lots of Victorian homes. Emma Neill of Haart recommends Rothes Road and Wathen Road (birthplace of Laurence Olivier), where homes cost about £450,000. The town's average price is £361,600. The Times' top 30 towns: 1 Alnwick, Northumberland 2 Arundel, West Sussex 3 Cranbrook, Kent 4 Keswick, Cumbria 5 Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire 6 Bakewell, Derbyshire 7 Saffron Walden, Essex 8 Hay-on-Wye, Powys 9 Hitchin, Hertfordshire 10 Marlborough, Wiltshire 11 Clitheroe, Lancashire 12 Liskeard, Cornwall 13 Grantham, Lincolnshire 14 Tetbury, Gloucestershire 15 Melbourne, Derbyshire 16 Dorking, Surrey 17 Amersham, Buckinghamshire 18 Uppingham, Rutland 19 Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire 20 Bungay, Suffolk 21 Lewes, East Sussex 22 Downham Market, Norfolk 23 Kingsbridge, Devon 24 Wisbech, Cambridgeshire 25 Bridport, Dorset 26 Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire 27 Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 28 Altrincham, Greater Manchester 29 Axbridge, Somerset 30 Thirsk, North Yorkshire