Much derided by mainlanders and much loved by residents, Sheppey is very much on the up these days with developments creating hundreds of jobs and tourists discovering its many charms.

As we’ve reported this week, trendy Londoners are flocking to the Island to enjoy glamping and connecting with the great outdoors.

But why the surprise? Sheppey has lots going for it to attract the capital’s young and upcoming.

Here's our affectionate and tongue-in-cheek look at why trendy folk from London's trendy suburbs are finding a home away from home:

Leysdown was known as “Little East London” on account of its cockney holiday population in summer;

Both places are up and coming - Shoreditch is now a magnet for movie makers, Sheppey is about to get a Sports Direct;

Shoreditch resident Damian Hirst’s famous artworks include preserving dead animals in formaldehyde, such as sheep - Sheppey’s got lots of live ones;

The Island’s community spirit is the opposite of London where neighbours rarely speak to each other or help out strangers in a crisis;

House prices on Sheppey are half the price (average £134,900) of Shoreditch (£371,654);

Shoreditch is famous for its urban art. You can’t turn a corner without seeing a wall mural. Sheppey’s art scene has some of those influences as well;

Shoreditch is popular with the creative-minded - Sheppey has a lot of artists, too;

Hipsters love drinking ales from microbreweries. Sheppey has shown a taste for back-to-basics drinking as evidenced by The Heritage micropub in Halfway. Nothing screams Shoreditch more than a former post office being turned into a tiny pub;

Shoreditch has been described as one of London’s most distinctive and unusual areas - pretty much the polite version of how the rest of Kent thinks of Sheppey;

Last year’s Shoreditch Fashion Show was held at nearby Hoxton Docks – Sheppey has a huge working dockyard;

Shoreditch is famous for its Boxpark shopping area made up of stacked shipping containers converted into pop-up shops. If you love stacked shipping containers, look no further than Sheerness Docks;

As they are both up and coming areas, maybe residents of Shoreditch and Sheppey can start up a house swap or dare we say it, a wife-swap (like the programme, not the swingers stuff) scheme on weekends...

What do you think? Send your suggestions to timesguardian@thekmgroup.co.uk