To think people are generally happier in the South of England than the North?

[TigerPath]

I've lived most of my life in the North... major cities like Manchester and Leeds, pretty Lake District towns and villages, Harrogate, York, a small town in the Dales etc... I've moved around a lot.

A few months ago we moved to the South Coast. I've noticed the people here seem so happy! They are friendly and smiley. They ask me if I need directions when I look lost, without me even approaching! They bend over backwards to help and just seem so content and positive. This includes nursery managers, Tesco staff, estate agents, taxi drivers, waitresses in pubs etc.

It's much sunnier here, in fact so bright I feel disorientated at times. The town is full of flowering trees and bushes and blossom- every street looks like a beautiful park! So maybe it's the climate. I'm used to rain and drizzle and cloud.

What do others think?

[Jenni2legs]

From Newcastle, live in Starford upon Avon and here it's sunny, picturesque and the houses are lovely - but people are less friendly and often rude. I was happier in Newcastle.

[Sonnet]

in fact scrap that: ROFL!!!!

[Sonnet]

I've lived there too Jenni - and move there after a few years in the north. I would agree with you

[Stillwishihadabs]

For me the divide is if it's quicker to drive to the south of France than Newcastle. (Easier to ski in the Alps than Scotland)

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

Furious, travelling whilst pregnant, I had the exact opposite experience numerous times. No help in Manchester, loads of help in London.
Just depends on the circumstances, the phase of the moon and possibly the accent of the person in need. I'm sure our babies were equally cute!

[juneau]

I'd be absolutely miserable living up north. Some parts of it are stunningly beautiful, but I love the sun and there is little enough of it down here - the thought of moving up north and having even more dreary rain and cloud is just too depressing for words. Sun does make people happier - on sunny days everyone is smiling and happy.

[lolo14]

I moved from the south coast, where I'd lived for many years, to Lancashire and find people far more friendly and approachable in the North (in general!) of course there are some friendlier southerners but the North just seems more affable!

[FutureGadgetsLab]

I also think the north is prettier. The countryside is craggy and beautiful, it has character and personality. The southern countryside is just flat and boring.

I tend to fiend Northern people full of character while southerners are a bit wet too, but that's a huge generalisation.

Meh. I prefer cities anyway.

[FirstShinyRobe]

What I found different between n&s was that if the place was commutable to London, people were more inclined to keep within existing social circles, often with childhood friends. Because they always had the option of commuting, rather than moving. I know loads of people up here who have moved for work.

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

The Peak district is fabulous, and I love the Northumberland coast. Geography-wise, I agree that the North is stunning, and I often holiday up there. But live? Southerner through and through now.

[Easybee7692]

Having lived in both parts of the country I have found the North much livelier for a night out (Newcastle and Liverpool spring to mind as particularly lively)

I found people very unfriendly in London but much more friendly in some of the places surrounding it.

[PirateFairy45]

I thought the opposite. I'm from the north. And whenever I go down south I can't wait to get home, because drivers seem more aggressive, and people just seem pissed off all the time!

[septembersunshine]

Well I do op. I am a southern gal (south coast) who relocated to the North East for three years with my DH and two kids (toddler and new born). I was so unhappy and cold. It wasn't home. Just such a different feel about it and I also felt that I just didn't fit in at all there. I remember in Tesco's the staff were lovely (everyone up there was friendly so it wasn't that) and they always asked where I was from and remembered me because of my accent. Bottom line was it wasn't us. Also lived in Cardiff for five years and found that even worse in terms of feeling like it wasn't home. Again, it does feel different and it was different. Four years ago we moved to East Anglia (near Cambridge) and we love it. I wake up happy, I feel like I am home. Not moving. Ever.

[FutureGadgetsLab]

September can you put your finger on what it was? I'm just interested

[ParanoidGynodroid]

I moved from Yorkshire to the south east and people here are miserable as fuck. I desperately want to go back north

I made the opposite move several years ago. I MUCH preferred Yorkshire, the place and the people.
I'm in Wales now and that's even better!

[Barmaid101]

I've just moved south to north in the last 6 weeks and everyone is a lot happier and friendlier up north and everyone seems much more relaxed, down south everyone seems in a rush and not as friendly

[zeeka]

I'm from the midlands. People in the seasidey town where I live are not the friendliest and lack humour, particularly the self-deprecating kind... Brummies are much more down to earth! I'm thinking of moving to the north in the future.

[silverpenny]

There are friendly people and miserable rude gits everywhere

[TigerPath]

Interesting mix of views

I always thought the north was very friendly until I moved south. I didn't know any different. And I didn't really expect the weather to be much better.

Yet it's warm, bright, sunny and the sky seems bigger somehow. There are palm trees and fruit trees everywhere! People seem to have more time and want to help.

At baby groups the mums are more welcoming and inclusive, they are keen to make friends. In the north I didn't quite fit in, I felt I had to make a lot of effort.

I found the north east friendlier than the north west. In Cumbria it seemed to rain all the time, always cold and damp, and public transport was awful (one bus a week when we lived in a village!)

Maybe everyone finds their natural 'home' eventually even if it's far from the place they were born?

[bertsdinner]

Im a Northerner, living in the North. I like it and am happy here.
When I've been in the South I've found people pretty friendly. London not so much but its a big, busy city.
I think the North can seem to be a bit unfriendly, maybe unintentionally. I think people are a bit more reserved and taciturn. Although Northumberland and Co.Durham are exceptionally friendly.

[Spottypjs1]

I have lived in the North and the South East. I will just add to the sweeping gereralisations! Northerners definitely have a better sense of humour and laugh more often. They are definitely more friendly and helpful than those in the South East in general. There are also fewer social etiquette rules which stand in the way of getting to know someone.

[FutureGadgetsLab]

There are also fewer social etiquette rules which stand in the way of getting to know someone.

I think that's the biggest thing for me. In the south it seems very false and put on, northerners what you see is what you get.

[manicinsomniac]

I've lived on the South Coast, in the North West, in the North East and in the Home Counties. And visited the South West a lot.

My contribution to the generalisation and stereotyping is:
North East - friendly
North West - less so
South East - less so
South West - friendly

[HowBadIsThisPlease]

It depends who you are and who you are trying to mix with.
there is a lot more money in the south and that can make for a different dynamic which can be more positive and open sometimes.
London is like NY, it's a thing on its own.

I grew up in the NW and now live in the SE. It's hard to be objective as over 20 years have passed, times change, and I have changed myself, but I found the NW judgemental, cliquey, insular and negative (in my peer group of girls).

On the other hand - men (esp if they want to chat you up) in the NW are openly flattering and charming. Men in SE seem to think mean = cool = sexy and they can be quite horrible to women they fancy.

[Capricorn76]

What a surprise. A thread about regions ends up with lots of people slagging off Londoner's. It's quite predictable, boring and makes the writer appear bitter.