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'Great TV' Comes Third On List Of Simple Pleasures Most Desired By British People, With 'Fast Wifi' Coming Fifth

'Great TV' Comes THIRD On List Of British Simple Pleasures
Caroline Frost
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Not only have we all got very, very used to relying on the internet, it's fast become something we can't do without, with 'Good Wi-Fi connection' trumping 'Laughter', 'A Cup Of Tea' and even 'Alcohol' in a new poll to discover what simple pleasures constitute a Briton's path to happiness.

Happily for us entertainment-obsessed types, 'Great TV' comes third in the poll - well, naturally.

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There's one man who's got his priorities all sorted... Telly's great lover Homer Simpson

It seems nature still wins out with Beautiful Sunsets coming top, and earning an impressive 52% of the vote, with Music coming a close second.

But Fast Wi-Fi has made quite a dent on the list, considering it's something we didn't even know about a decade ago. And, even more tellingly, four out of ten people polled admitted that a lack of Wi-Fi is one of life's biggest daily frustrations - more than double the amount who considered an inability to speak to friends irritated them!

The new survey of 2,000 Brits was specially commissioned to celebrate the launch of the new series 'The Last Man On Earth', exclusive to Dave at 9pm tonight (Monday 10 August). The comedy finds Phil Miller (Will Forte) the only surviving human on earth and follows his ideas as he works out how best to pass the time.

The survey asked participants to list the top 10 simple pleasures that make life worth living over and above contact with fellow humans and companionship.

Here's the full countdown of the top ten... what have they forgotten?

  1. Beautiful sunsets

  2. Music

  3. Great TV

  4. Chocolate

  5. Fast Wifi Connection

  6. Laughter

  7. A nice comfy seat

  8. Tea/Coffee

  9. Alcohol

  10. Smell of fresh laundry

(Apparently, more than twice as many women mentioned the last one as men... no comment.)

'The Last Man On Earth' airs exclusively on Dave at 9pm on Monday 10 August. And here are some more simple pleasures, for those moments when there's no great TV, no wifi and the sun's gone down...

Simple Pleasures Not to Forget
Sensual Pleasures(01 of10)
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"These are often the simplest pleasures and can make us feel great instantly: biting into crunchy new bread, slipping between clean sheets, eating good chocolate, luxuriating in a candlelit bath, cuddling down on a sofa under a blanket to watch a favourite film," says Maeve Haran, author of href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Pleasures-Save-Your-Life/dp/1848509472">Small Pleasures to Save Your Life(Hay House, £8.99). (credit:Flickr:Jarkko Laine)
Seasonal Pleasures(02 of10)
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"The seasons bring their delights too, especially at this time of year," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99)."Picking blackberries and making a crumble or pie which fills you with pride that you made it with the fruits you picked yourself, making a photo album of your summer holiday photos, buying a diary for next year and filling in your first occasion, or what about a personal favourite I stole from the 1651 diary of Lady Mary Rich, Countess of Warwick – ‘walking among dead leaves in autumn’! " (credit:Flickr:iriskh)
Relief(03 of10)
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"The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald said that happiness is the relief from extreme tension and it’s interesting how many pleasures come as relief from anxiety," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99)."Not getting a parking ticket when you’re late back to your car, seeing your luggage finally appear on the airport carousel, finding something important that was lost. And – another favourite – getting on the scales after your holiday and finding you haven’t put on any weight!" (credit:Flickr:bradleygee)
Connection (04 of10)
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"The London Olympics finally persuaded cynical Londoners that being welcoming, friendly and sharing your pleasure with complete strangers is a pleasure in itself!" says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99)."Somehow in modern society we have lost the connection to other people and talking to people in shops, on buses, or in the street makes us feel much better. Letting someone into the traffic and getting a smile back instead of a snarl has the same effect."I also believe there is special delight in doing simple things that connect us to the past such as making a real fire, hanging washing on the line, or chopping logs: simple tasks that have been done for generations." (credit:PA)
Order(05 of10)
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"Asserting order is deeply satisfying even if you only accomplish something small such as tidying the airing cupboard, changing a lightbulb or cleaning windows," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99)."Mrs Thatcher once said she got the greatest pleasure in life from taking the fluff out of the tumble dryer, and I think we all know what she means!" (credit:Flickr:OliR98)
Nature(06 of10)
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"Mother Nature never fails to provide endless enjoyment: berries and birds, sparkling skies and frosty mornings, pink sunrises and glowing sunsets that make you feel glad to be alive. And autumn, to me, is the very best season of all," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99)."The season of new beginnings, much more than January 1st when we are freezing with a hangover. Start something new now, from dog walking to evening classes, and see how much better you feel!" (credit:Alamy)
A Bit of Pure Self-indulgence(07 of10)
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"Received wisdom often tells us to pull ourselves together and not make a fuss but there’s a lot of pleasure in occasionally giving in and being kind to yourself – have that day in bed when you’re only a little bit ill, get other people to make you cups of tea – and don’t feel guilty about it!" says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99). (credit:Alamy)
Valuing Friendship(08 of10)
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"Friends last even longer than marriage, and friendship is one of the greatest pleasures in any of our lives, so it’s important we appreciate it by remembering friends’ birthdays and best of all having girls’ nights out!" says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99). "Men often envy women their friendships without seeing that friendship needs nurturing. Come on men, get out and tell your mate you love them, well, buy them a pint anyway!" (credit:Alamy)
Appreciating Yourself (09 of10)
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"We all have an inner voice that criticizes and discourages us and it can help to counteract it by actually reminding yourself of all the pretty amazing things you accomplish. Even learning to take a compliment can be important. And why not buy yourself a little bunch of flowers to show your appreciation for yourself – after all no one else may remember," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99). (credit:Alamy)
Behaving Badly(10 of10)
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"And finally, let’s not underestimate the small pleasure of sometimes behaving badly: allowing yourself to feel grumpy now and then, hanging on to a parking space when someone else wants it, saying no when you really don’t want to do something."The best thing about simple pleasures is that we all have our own, and they may be wildly different from someone else’s. The common key is to notice, appreciate and take the time out to enjoy them. Life is full of mood-lifting little delights. All we have to do is stop and notice them," says Maeve Haran, author of Small Pleasures to Save Your Life (Hay House, £8.99). (credit:Alamy)

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