"I'm from Yorkshire" : anyone else notice this?

[Odilla]

Why do people from Yorkshire feel the need to tell you that? It is fairly unremarkable given that the collective Yorkshire counties form a large part of England so lots of people are from there.

Yet still they do. Repeatedly. And will shoe-horn this revelation into any given conversation. Eg "I'm from Yorkshire so I don't like spending money on heating". Well yes I'm sure this is true; nevertheless this is not a special circumstance given that most people do not enjoy spending money on heating. Or they take something that is particular to them and still gas on about Yorkshire eg "I'm from Yorkshire so I don't wear blue shoes".

Never have I met a crowd of people so keen to assert common identity yet so unaware as to how common identity actually works. Although ironically that's an identity of sorts.

I am a Yorkshire person and get really irritated by ‘that London’ nonsense. I lived in London for 17 years and some of the most loyal and genuine people I know are Londoners. They’re even worse about it in Bristol, always refer to it as ‘that London’

I went to university in Liverpool and made friends with someone from Leeds. He kept saying how 'you southerners' look down on us, think you're better, etc. I had honestly not the first idea what he was taking about. Why would I look down in somewhere? It wouldn't have occurred to me.

There's a totally unwarranted defensiveness in the whole business.

I’m from South Yorkshire but haven’t lived there for nearly 30 years. People make rude remarks about my accent and assume that I’m stupid. I would love to live there again.

I feel like people do this no matter where they’re from. I’m from ‘brum’ I’m from ‘landannn’

I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one that finds it an unfriendly place. I've lived all over and abroad and Yorkshire is the only place we've not managed to make friends.
We too will be retiring elsewhere.

@blibblibs

I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one that finds it an unfriendly place. I've lived all over and abroad and Yorkshire is the only place we've not managed to make friends. We too will be retiring elsewhere.

I think that says more about you than the entire population of Yorkshire.

I'm from London and moved to Yorkshire 42 years ago. Apart from the "why would you want to leave London to come to Leeds?" questions I got I have found Yorkshire folk as friendly as any others.

@blibblibs - me too! I thought it was because I don't have kids and so haven't made friends with Mums etc.

@RampantIvy - it might be different in Leeds as it is a fairly big city. I live in a smaller city which has a villagey vibe to it.

It might be because it's easier to make friends in places where there's a high churn of newcomers, so there are people who don't already have established friendship groups or strong family ties. Most of my London friends were originally from somewhere else.

Yorkshire born and bred people here seem to have their own friendship groups don't 'need' anyone else!

Admittedly I've only been here under four years. And two of those have been in a pandemic!

I'll take the bait, OP. I am from Yorkshire and I am pretty sure I only mention it when asked or if it's relevant (like now, for example). If other Yorkshire folk mention it a lot it might be an attempt to rectify the assumptions made by many southerners (especially Londonders) that Yorkshire is some alien land of mills and sheep with nothing cultural and no educated or well-off people. I have met many such southerners with this idea in my time. One of them was a uni friend (she was especially venomous about anyone who 'mentioned' they were from Yorkshire, as if it is somehow better than any other county). She is now teaching at a uni in Yorksire and is loving discovering all there is to see and do and merrily shares her converted status on Facebook. Maybe you should spend some time in Yorkshire to see what the natives like so much about it? Because it sounds from your post as if you're a bit curious, tbh.

You're a southerner aren't you?

Yorkshire is a very beautiful place (particularly North Yorkshire IMO) and those that had the advantage of living there are proud of it. As they should be

Same with people from Cornwall.

@33goingon64

I'll take the bait, OP. I am from Yorkshire and I am pretty sure I only mention it when asked or if it's relevant (like now, for example). If other Yorkshire folk mention it a lot it might be an attempt to rectify the assumptions made by many southerners (especially Londonders) that Yorkshire is some alien land of mills and sheep with nothing cultural and no educated or well-off people. I have met many such southerners with this idea in my time. One of them was a uni friend (she was especially venomous about anyone who 'mentioned' they were from Yorkshire, as if it is somehow better than any other county). She is now teaching at a uni in Yorksire and is loving discovering all there is to see and do and merrily shares her converted status on Facebook. Maybe you should spend some time in Yorkshire to see what the natives like so much about it? Because it sounds from your post as if you're a bit curious, tbh.

This is so true

My in laws live in the south and the things they come out with 😂

I told them I'd never been to a wimpy before and they acted like we haven't got any amenities.

My FIL does this weird pirate accent and says it's Yorkshire

They go on about how Sandy beaches are so inferior to stone beaches

My SIL lives on a cramped estate in a tiny house with noisy neighbours, they can't afford to do anything because their mortgage is enormous

I just say nothing. Fine by me stay down there 😂

This thread is brilliant and so true
My DH is from Yorkshire. Hasn't lived there for 20 years, has lived on 3 different continents and now settled in the south, but still uses Yorkshire words that he knows no one will understand and uses "because I'm a Yorkshireman" as a rationale in his decision making.

Thing is, there are ignorant bigots everywhere, who will make assumptions about you depending on where you're from. Yorkshire people work down mines with whippets; Londoners are unfriendly poshos.

There are people who are proud of where they're from, whether that's Yorkshire, or Cornwall, or London.

But pre-empting the perceived pre-conceptions with 'I'm from Yorkshire/Cornwall' comes over as defensive, and a bit offensive to the receiving person, as it's like you're assuming they're going to be a bigot.

And it's NEVER acceptable to be proud of being from London.

I didn’t know Ronda had been incorporated into Yorkshire

Love this thread
Yorkshire lass meself and it's all so true lol.
Don't know what it is, but yes, there is a strong sense of identity with us Yorkshire folk.
Also, if you go out of Yorkshire and into Lancashire it's the law to boo as you see the red rose as you pass it in the car and then cheer when you come back and the white rose comes into view

@GoodJanetBadJanet

Love this thread Yorkshire lass meself and it's all so true lol. Don't know what it is, but yes, there is a strong sense of identity with us Yorkshire folk. Also, if you go out of Yorkshire and into Lancashire it's the law to boo as you see the red rose as you pass it in the car and then cheer when you come back and the white rose comes into view

If you know history they should be booing you 😉😜

I'm from Yorkshire and I kind of get what you mean, especially if you're outside Yorkshire. I found it extremely irritating when I was at university in Scotland that the two blokes who seemed to have a "professional Yorkshire man" persona, complete with "eee bah gum" accent (and even a cloth cap in the case of one!) were actually very middle class, and privately educated at boarding schools in the south of England!

I’m the polar opposite. I tend not to tell people I’m from Surrey…

@herbaceous I live in London. Lots of people are very proud and vocal about being from London.

[quote Odilla]@BrieAndChilli no, they tell each other they're from Yorkshire as well. While in Yorkshire.
Eg

• has the number 20 bus gone yet?
• I'm from Yorkshire so yes it has.

The entire place is just full of people saying they're from Yorkshire, day in day out.

That's why the brontes shut themselves in that wee house and didn't talk to anyone for ages. Every time they went outside all they could hear was "I'm from Yorkshire".[/quote]
I'm from Yorkshire (sorry just had to get that in) but this tickled me
Well, I'm from Yorkshire when I want to be, I was born in London but moved there when I was little and grew up there so I claim Yorkshire-ness, I'm sure someone Yorkshire born and bred would say it doesn't count. I dunno I guess we just feel a sense of pride in the region, it is God's own country after all.

@Pangolin44

I'm from Yorkshire. I only tell people if they ask (or if they're from Lancashire, I'm contractually bound, as a Yorkshire woman, to point out that it's on the wrong side of the Pennines).

Obviously. Every time Lancashire is mentioned, in whatever context, I too am contractually bound to say that's the wrong side of the Pennines. It's the law.

@blibblibs

I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one that finds it an unfriendly place. I've lived all over and abroad and Yorkshire is the only place we've not managed to make friends. We too will be retiring elsewhere.

You're probably annoying then. Yorkshire folk will talk to a tree if it stands still enough. Only reason we won't pursue a friendship with someone is if they're irritating (or have a very posh accent which is itself annoying).