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Original poster

If you're Northern how ignorant are you about the South?

126 replies

CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 10:19

I'm terrible sometimes. Today was talking to dh about a local football team who are playing Swindon. I actually thought that was near London. Always have. I seem to have a block about southern geography. I know where London is obviously 😂 I've been a few times. Hate it though. I only went for events etc.

OP posts:
Chocolateydrink · 01/04/2023 10:25

In my life I have lived in northern Scotland, central Scotland, the north west and north east of England and the south of England. I've holidayed in Wales and NI. I'd say I have a reasonable working knowledge of the UK.

OllytheCollie · 01/04/2023 10:32

I don't know if I am northern. I grew up in Scotland, studied and worked in London for about a decade now live in t'North.

So I know how to use the underground and that even in t'South some places are far away even if you are already in t'South. I do live in a place where people will say proudly they have never been to London and don't intend to go. They have been to Manchester and that was enough. I have met people who have holidayed in New York and still don't fancy going to London. Apparently it's full of Londoners which puts a lot of people off. When holiday season comes round and talk of how stupid townies are comes up I try to keep my head down.

LicoriceComfit · 01/04/2023 10:33

No more ignorant than someone in the south of the north, or east from west.

if I live hundreds of miles from somewhere I expect my local geography to be shit.

THisbackwithavengeance · 01/04/2023 10:35

I'm Northern but not ignorant about the South at all having lived in London and Kent.

I actually think Northerners are less ignorant about the South then Southerners are about the North because most Northerners have at least been to London a few times.

Original poster
CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 10:35

OllytheCollie · 01/04/2023 10:32

I don't know if I am northern. I grew up in Scotland, studied and worked in London for about a decade now live in t'North.

So I know how to use the underground and that even in t'South some places are far away even if you are already in t'South. I do live in a place where people will say proudly they have never been to London and don't intend to go. They have been to Manchester and that was enough. I have met people who have holidayed in New York and still don't fancy going to London. Apparently it's full of Londoners which puts a lot of people off. When holiday season comes round and talk of how stupid townies are comes up I try to keep my head down.

I've met loads of friendly Londoners. Usually when they're out of London to be fair.

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Tryphenia · 01/04/2023 10:37

It is near London, though. In the sense that Oxford is ‘near London’. It’s only eighty miles or so away from central London.

Not British, but lived in the UK for 25 years, mostly in London, Midlands and south of England, but did a fair bit of travelling and spent time regularly in Scotland, Wales and the north of England. Like a pp, I’d say I had a reasonable knowledge of UK geography.

OllytheCollie · 01/04/2023 10:39

Oh I have met loads of friendly Londoners too, I think I might even be one or at least have been one. I cannot quite relate to the mentality that will fly abroad but not get on the M6 to check if the rumours are true. But it's a real thing. Daughters dance school when she was little did a trip to Eurodisney but would not dream of a trip to see a show in the smoke, you wait and see things if they tour to Manchester or Brum only. If not you don't go.

pinkyredrose · 01/04/2023 10:40

THisbackwithavengeance · 01/04/2023 10:35

I'm Northern but not ignorant about the South at all having lived in London and Kent.

I actually think Northerners are less ignorant about the South then Southerners are about the North because most Northerners have at least been to London a few times.

Going to London doesn't really teach you about the South though.

TulipCat · 01/04/2023 10:43

I am from the south east. I would say my geographical knowledge of the south west is probably worse than my knowledge of the north. I can never remember what's in Devon versus what's in Cornwall. I know where all the counties and big cities are, but not the smaller ones.

ImAvingOops · 01/04/2023 10:43

I don't know why people think Londoners are unfriendly. Although born in London, I've spent most of my life in Wales. Whenever I've been back for trips or more recently to visit family in hospital, everyone has been really lovely - friendly and helpful. Even the traffic warden at the hospital was nice! A woman did talk to me on the tube, which was odd, but she was foreign so maybe didn't know about the 'studiously ignore everyone' rule Grin
Londoners are no more or less friendly than anyone else.

I think there's a tendency for lots of people to think their bit of the country is better than all the other bits. It's natural to feel fondness for what you know and the places that have personal meaning to you.

BarbaraofSeville · 01/04/2023 10:58

It's all relative though. If you're from Aberdeen, Swindon is near London, it's less than an hour by train, that goes every 15 minutes. That's a daily commute, rather than a trek from one end of the country to the other, than requires multiple modes of transport and/or an overnight stop.

I live in Leeds but have travelled widely across the UK. I could probably place most places on a map with reasonable accuracy, except probably smaller towns in the Home Counties or Northern Ireland, as I've only been to those places a couple of times.

MissingGrandstand · 01/04/2023 10:59

Me! NE born, lived in London for 7 years and still have absolutely no idea where any of the Home Counties are 😂 I'm with you on this one, my Southern geography is shocking. No idea where Swindon is!

x2boys · 01/04/2023 11:05

Well.i know it's a big place and London isn't the whole.of the South, I imagine the South West must be different from the South East, I expect the South has some very nice areas and some not so nice areas ,just like the North really .

Ifailed · 01/04/2023 11:12

Swindon to (central) London is about 80 miles, that's further than Liverpool to Leeds (70 miles)

Mumsafan · 01/04/2023 11:17

From the north but am fairly knowledgeable about most areas, have lots of family all around the UK and have learnt lots of routes etc following football.

My MIL once informed me that my BIL was travelling to London every day and back for work ( they live nearly in Wales close to the M5 so a total trek ). Turns out it was Swindon he was off to each day which was just under an hour from them!

She was gobsmacked when I told her it wasn't in London !

They also think we live miles away from them " why do you live so far away?! " - it's 45 minutes !! 🙄

ClassicLib · 01/04/2023 11:20

I grew up in Derbyshire, and I admit that when I was a teenager, I used to think everywhere & everyone in the South was posh. Then I visited Luton for the first time…

OldieButBaddie · 01/04/2023 11:23

Hmm, well I'm not great at Northern geography I must admit. I once went to Bradford for a ferret up the trousers competition, I hated it and think the whole of Yorkshire is a shit hole as a result. Each to their own eh? 😜

PuppyMonkey · 01/04/2023 11:29

Yeah, well I can tell you both Northerners and Southerners are completely ignorant about where I live - the East Midlands. Not to be confused with the Midlands of course.Grin

Original poster
CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 11:29

ClassicLib · 01/04/2023 11:20

I grew up in Derbyshire, and I admit that when I was a teenager, I used to think everywhere & everyone in the South was posh. Then I visited Luton for the first time…

😂

I don't think it's weird not to chat on the tube. I don't think many people up here chat on the metro? They do at bus stops though. And sometimes on the bus. I've been told allsorts 👀 but I must have one of those faces. People often tell me stuff even randoms in pubs. Dh finds it amusing. Friends are usually too pissed to care.

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allthegoodusernameshavegone · 01/04/2023 11:30

London is not representative of the south, central London is approximately 100 miles north of where I live on the south coast.

Original poster
CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 11:31

OldieButBaddie · 01/04/2023 11:23

Hmm, well I'm not great at Northern geography I must admit. I once went to Bradford for a ferret up the trousers competition, I hated it and think the whole of Yorkshire is a shit hole as a result. Each to their own eh? 😜

Nice try

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KohlaParasaurus · 01/04/2023 11:31

I thought I had a reasonable grasp of the geography of the south of the country until the time I offered to swing past London (south west London, fortunately) and pick up a friend on my way route from Birmingham to an outdoor activities weekend in Dartmoor and do the reverse detour to take him home at the end of the event. I had no concept of how WIDE the south is from east to west. Those turned out to be very long journeys, and the stingy git didn't even offer me a few quid towards my petrol costs.

Original poster
CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 11:32

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 01/04/2023 11:30

London is not representative of the south, central London is approximately 100 miles north of where I live on the south coast.

I thought Plymouth was next to Portsmouth until ds2 joined the navy 🙈

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Original poster
CuriousMama · 01/04/2023 11:33

Maybe it's because Britain is so pointy? Daaaarn saaarf is much wider so more areas to learn? 😉❓

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MrsAmaretto · 01/04/2023 11:34

London is as close to my part of the UK as Milan is to London. So it’s hardly surprising my knowledge of the south of England is very basic and vice versa