Why are Northeners so much nicer?

[forgiveormakehimpay]

I'm from The south east, 40 mins away from London by train.

I've come up to Liverpool to see an old friend and what?! It's like a different culture. People are so lovely to us?

My child has a disability and people have been brilliant. I know I'm generalising but literally, guarantee a hard look from lots of people when out in my own area back home

People here are just so.. personal? Very friendly and kind.

Why aren't people in the South East like this? Mostly they aren't anyway! Mostly just keep themselves to themselves etc And I'm not even talking about London

My mum lives in Billericay and people there are vile.

I like a good speculative theory so I'll say... maybe because in London people are so transient, so many tourists, people with loyalty for their home town or country so not much sense of identity or community.. although there are pockets of community here and there in Greater London area.
Whereas in harsh climate rural northern areas, you rely on your neighbours and the community is bonded and benefitted by sharing resources. You bump into people more as there are less people and less facilities so everyone is at the same post office or goes to the same school but when you're in London for example there are loads of post offices and schools that you could end up going to all within walking distance or a short bike or bus ride.
Commuter towns in south east probably tend to keep to themselves and outsource their schools and shopping so not much of a community feel.

I think people are friendlier and make the effort when there is a shared benefit to keeping good relations. In anonymous big cities where there is a lot of options in terms of places to go and people to know, you invest less in the individual unless there is something specific you could get from them.

bugger off

The SE isnt just London 😂

Pretty much.
I hate the North vs South threads, they always seem smug and goady.

@Snoredoeurve no you're quite right it isn't just London and I did mention SE commuter towns but I spoke more about London because it came up on the thread by several posters and because it's a place I know.

I got pelted with sweets in a northern city as a student by teenagers for having a southern accent. I wasn't talking to them just to a friend I was walking with.
Also of course people aren't nice in Billericay!! I live in Essex, Billericay is vile.

Where I’m from Glasgow and Yorkshire are considered “down south”. 😂 Yes, it’s much nicer here. People aren’t worn down by life. We haven’t spent 60 minutes in a traffic jam to drive 4 miles. We don’t need to be alert for pick-pockets. It’s not rush rush rush and suspicion the whole time. We can leave our keys in the ignition in case someone needs to move the car whilst we’re gone.

i’m constantly impressed by how well my children are treated by random adults - they’re spoke to in an adult way and people don’t default to talking to me.

I’m in the SE (W Sussex). I get into chats with random strangers all the time, but then I have a dog and many dog walkers chat to strangers.

But I also get into chats in queues and on busses. People are pretty friendly here. Maybe it’s because the weather is mild and we live by the beach: we all feel like we’re on holiday all the time 😀

What is with all the sweeping generalisations on Mumsnet at the moment?

The rudest person I met was a cranky barman in Edinburgh about 15 years ago. All Scots, therefore, must be arseholes. <disclaimer: I don't actually think this>

Ive lived in NE, SE and London.
Newcastle super friendly, also SE, London is London.
Found in workplaces most are a similar type of friendly UNLESS from Yorkshire in which case without fail they are very rude, sarcastic and bitter.
Constant jibes at everyone
Constant mutterings under their breath, snark and yarping on about Yaaaaakshire.
One of my colleagues got caught with "Piss off back there then " and tried to cover it with a coughing fit on Zoom.
Made everyones day.

You obviously haven't been to Brighton, friendliest place I've lived. No moany old people.

Op can we add the Midlands onto the friendly camp as well.

I am from the West Midlands. I’ve lived in Essex for 25+ years. It is much MUCH friendlier on Wolverhampton than Essex. People are more open, chatty, warm. I miss it every day. I think Essex people are just as friendly when you get to know them. But they are generally not as open and friendly with strangers.

This is a bit random @Shitfather , what's this about?

Nope, shit father is entirely accurate in their description of Chorley. There is a documentary series about Chorley called the league of gentlemen which would give you an idea of what it's like.

@procrastinatingtree, bit of a slur against the elderly! I live along the coast from Brighton and there are tons of pensioners in my town. Most of them are lovely.

(Sometimes young people are moany, you know!)

It’s not necessarily that people are “more friendly” it’s more the social norms in public. I’m northern, moved to south east for work.

Everyone at work was very nice/friendly, but there was a very big difference when out and about. People will chat to you in the north - in the south east it felt like people were very unwilling to interact with strangers.

Now that my MIL has died, we no longer have family to visit in Yorkshire (theirs was a mining village).
I loved staying with my in-laws over the forty years I was married to my late husband. The warmth and the friendliness of strangers (and my in-laws' friends and neighbours) is much missed. Just going to the market would turn into a series of random chats with strangers.

We're all just too reserved in my neck of the south east. People are nice enough when you know them, but it's rare to experience such random warmth and friendliness.

Try having a Black Country accent on an Essex school run and you’ll find that Essex people are just as unfriendly to outsiders. 🤷‍♀️

I have to agree, I lived in Ware for a time, it was very friendly and had a nice garden centre. Portishead/Bristol was also very friendly. I think if you are friendly, others are friendly, wherever you are. Northerners are definitely more chatty though, speaking as a northerner.

Got to mention Exeter too, loved living there. Very friendly, never had so many compliments from random strangers in my life. Lovely city.

Confirmation bias, I suspect. The Grumpy Southerner and Friendly Northerner trope, cemented when you happen to meet one of either category. The reverse do exist, you know, but it doesn't feed into the stereotype so you ignore it.

As a London commuter, I’d say it’s not that people don’t strike up random conversations on the tube because they’re stressed. Rather, commuters can relax because they know no one’s going to strike up a random conversation with them! If you’re a bit squashed in you can ignore the fact that your physical space is invaded by switching off and getting absorbed in your phone or book.
Exceptions apply if people need directions or help, or have a cute baby or dog. Or a bit of mutual eye rolling and tutting at train delays.

I gind people friendly wherever I go. I actually find Londoners nice and helpful.

I do find some areas can be nice at the bustop but you are always going to be an outsider because you werent born there.

I live in the north west and do find Liverpool an unusually friendly, if not slightly in your face, city

Isn't it funny, I've always found northerners and southerners both as friendy (or not on occasion) as each other.
However I have two friends both in their 50's (not a couple) who moved 'daan saaff' several years ago as they said it was much friendlier and would never go back 😀

I would agree with Liverpool and York being friendly. Also parts of Manchester from my experiences. But then again I've not had any issues in parts of London either. Might be different if I lived in some of the places, though - who can say?

West Yorkshire is another matter, though. Have been over here 13 years and am still very much viewed with suspicion. Accent, disabilities, etc. mark me as "different" and an outsider to cliquey people. Many in areas I've lived and in workplaces have used these to treat me unfavourably. Loud "jokes" at my expense that I didn't always pick up quickly because of my ND, to out and out rudeness, "telling it like it is".

I've told my OH I want to move back home in the next few years (to NI).