Sure, but some cities are worse than others, and Brighton is particularly bad for pollution and drugs. But then my feeling is that SE UK in general is unpleasan

Sure, but some cities are worse than others, and Brighton is particularly bad for pollution and drugs. But then my feeling is that SE UK in general is unpleasantly overcrowded. For example I don't bother trying to go anywhere on a bank holiday any longer because the roads will be miserable, and anywhere apart from obscure destinations will have hordes of daytrippers. Too many people with too much money and too little space.