Is where you live friendly?

[headintheproverbial]

I grew up in the North and even now when I go back I find people just so friendly and warm.

We've lived in London nearly 20 years now and there's so much about it I love but we're - like oh so many - considering a move further out. We both have to be able to commute to London maybe once or even twice a week so we can't really be hours and hours away. Having researched options in the south I just wonder how friendly and welcoming places are if you move there without ties. Most of all I'd like to escape the competitive parents of SW London - I feel like most conversations I have with other mums are about schools and it's all just exhausting. With two really busy jobs we don't have much time for hobbies right now so we'd rely on making (nice!) friends at the school gates as it were.

I probably sound awful. I just want to raise my children somewhere normal and fun and friendly.

Small village in Scotland here too. Very friendly.

I must give a shout out to bilsborrow I think, near Preston. Car broke down and it was all in hand but 4 separate people crossed the street to come over and offer their help. Very friendly place

@90sHomeAndAwayFan

I grew up in Surrey and found everyone very friendly. I now live in east Anglia, I won't say the exact area in case anyone gets offended, but lots of people here are awful; it's full of people that think they're tough and want an argument, and if they haven't known you from birth they don't want to know you. We moved here when I was at the start of year 11 and on my first day at school here someone threatened to punch me as I was 'new'. If you try to chat to randoms in shops they usually blank you.

Whenever we go anywhere outside of our town and immediate area I notice instantly how much more open, smiley and friendly everyone is!

No need to say. Awful people? Ipswich then, obvs ;)

Very friendly. North western village.

Very - SE London

@NigellaSeed not Ipswich but reasonably near. Funnily enough when my DH worked at Ipswich for a few days he said the people there were similar to people in our home town!

Yes, a small ex mining town in the Midlands.
Lots of rural pubs on the outskirts where you always get chatting to some stranger, also in lockdown people set up a group to help deliver food and run errands for local shielding people.
A few independent shops also put food, toys and clothing out for anyone in need to help themselves to free of charge.