to wonder why it seems to be acceptable to be so negative about people from the North?

[TeacupTempest]

Every day on here I see references to people from the North being less educated, less literate, less fashionable and so on.

How is that acceptable?

There are so many sweeping generalisations going on.

It's ignorant and it winds me up

[GetOrfMoiLand]

One of my best nights out ever was in Chesterfield. It was great and everyone really dressed up. You never wore cocktails dresses when going out in north devon, flip flops and jeans were about as good as it got.

[KatieWatie]

Oh and I should add as a counter-argument that there are some FACTS about the north/south divide that can't be ignored.

Houses are cheaper up north, retail prices tend to be cheaper, temperature tends to be lower and weather worse therefore leisure activities and fashion can differ. Food is different - not just the food available in supermarkets but also the types of restaurants and cafes. Pointing out these differences is not discriminatory, it's just true.

So whilst it could be argued that people in the north don't dress as 'nicely' as people down South, don't play as much tennis/cricket/whatever, and eat more fish and chips, then that may also be true but there's a reason for it! It makes me pretty cross because generally Southerners have a much better quality of life (and as I say I've witnessed both sides of it, and I know it's not all Devonshire cream teas down here either...) and some of them think it's ok to scoff at those who don't.

[exoticfruits]

I haven't seen it. I'm a northerner living in the south and I am not alone-there are masses of us. DS was born in south and always lived in the south and goes to a northern university-he isn't unusual.
I would agree that some things are different-house prices etc, but beyond that people don't fit into stereotypical boxes.

[thefirstMrsDeVere]

Isnt it perhaps that when you are a northerner in the south you get the piss taken out of you
and
when you are a southerner in the north you get the piss taken out of you
because thats what people twats do?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

When I went to Runcorn for a weekend away with my best friend (and ended up meeting her family and friends) they all thought I was posh because of my accent.

That was before they saw me drunkenly eating chips on the way home, mind you.

[SingingSands]

Well all my family refer to me living "down south" because I live in Leeds and they live in Scotland!