Recent ONS data shows that over the past decade the average age of those moving from London to the countryside has dropped by 11 years, from 48 to 37 years old – and the numbers leaving in their thirties increased by a whopping 89%. London is now the only region of England where more people are leaving than arriving from within the country – only international arrivals are keeping the population steady. With London house prices still sky high, and the Ministry of Housing planning 300,000 new house builds every year from the mid 2020s (the majority outside London), the exodus is almost certain to continue.

But it’s not just about house prices. Better technology means remote working has never been easier, there’s greater workplace flexibility and access to more freelance talent – in short there’s the opportunity to create a better quality of life, without compromising on the career.

So, as well as big innovative employers outside London, there are plenty of other creative, entrepreneurs making waves. Redemption Roasters coffee blenders, now popular amongst hipsters, was born in an Aylesbury prison. Stylish, expanding boutique hotel groups like Artist Residence and The Pig before them are adding pockets of urban taste to the regions. Howie’s and The Do Lectures emanated from west Wales. Brewdog came from Fraserburgh, population 13,100. Even Shetland has its own Centre for Rural Creativity.

The analysis has found that generational progress on pay has been weak nationally, with those born in the late 1980s earning just 3% more at ages 26-28 than those born in the early 1970s at the same stage in life.

In stark contrast, those born in the early 1970s earned 16% more at the age of 28 than those born 15 years before them in the late 1950s.

While most regions had seen some improvement, millennials in the east midlands, south-east and London all earned less in their late 20s than the previous generation.

However, young people in the north–east have made considerable pay progress, with millennials earning 13% more at the age of 26-28 than those born 15 years earlier.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the research also showed that homeownership rates have collapsed for young adults across the country, while the amount of money millennials spend on housing as a share of their income has rocketed.

Amid concern across the political spectrum over the difficulty facing young adults in getting on the housing ladder, the research showed that the proportion of 26- to 28-year-olds who owned their own home had collapsed by half since 1997.

Urban schools are making more of an effort with their gardens than their rural counterparts, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said, because children in cities are less likely to have green space at home.

For the first time, every category in the RHS School Gardeners of the Year competition was won by an urban school, as teachers planted vegetables in enterprising places such as on the roof and pushing raised beds onto concrete playgrounds.

Alana Cama, Schools and Groups Programme Manager said: “We know that growing crops is the most popular school gardening activity but I was impressed by how these city schools have really embraced it to inspire themselves and others – from getting parents involved to inspiring their peers and incentivising them to push their own boundaries.

“We know that for many young people in towns and cities school gardening clubs are their only touchpoint to nature. Not only do these serve as spaces to learn about the importance of plants for the environment and wildlife but our work with teachers has also shown that it can improve health and wellbeing as well as educational attainment.