There are loads of magpies here in Suffolk. I was working in Kent recently for about a fortnight (both by the coast and inland) and there were magpies everywhere I went. There were also plenty of magpies around when I worked in Norfolk before that.
How can you not like magpies? They're stunningly beautiful (especially when seen up close) and,contrary to popular belief, they're often more likely to be on the receiving end of aggression from other birds (especially, I've noted, from wood pigeons) than actually 'dishing it out'.