That people in the south think they are better than those in the north

[EatsShitAndLeaves]

That's it really.

I'm interested in your opinion.

I am a Southerner by birth, schooled in Sussex and been in the North now for 25 years. As a teenager I never really thought about the North at all, or if I did it was that it would be like Coronation Street or Billy Elliot. I don't know why I thought that as I knew the South wasn't uniformly Grange Hill. I think this attitude persists in some people. They think that it is literally 'grim up North'. An old school friend brought her born and bred Londoner husband for a weekend visit a few years ago and he was literally amazed that we had an organic supermarket and award winning deli in our area. He was causing his wife huge frustration with his attitude that they had to live in London to access the sort of 'high culture' he enjoys (eg singing in a chamber choir, going to museums). His long suffering wife, who wanted to live in a house rather than a tiny flat, was trying to broaden his mind that there was "culture" to be had outside of London. My other direct experience was of a complete idiot who was very drunk, found we lived in a Northern city, and banged on for several hours about how superior London is, how much more cutting edge, how it is 10 years ahead of every other city, etc. It was a family wedding or we'd have got away.
On the other hand, since living here I have never been anything more than very gently ribbed for my RP accent, mostly when I say 'path' and 'grass'. And most Southerners I know are not like this...But there is a certain ignorance which is annoying.

Ragz your dh sounds exactly like the sort of ignorant Southerner who perpetuates this sort of idea.

He's absolutely right of course, north of Watford Gap there is not a single employed person and we all live in back to back terraces.

Surely even he can realise he needs to cop on to himself??!

Yeah hang on, I've seen and heard lots of London bashing over the years, and lots of bashing of the South East too, it goes both ways. Surely its as rampant on both sides.

it is NOT 'north of Watford Gap' is is NORTH OF WATFORD.......NORTH OF WATFORD.
Quite honestly I think these chippy NOrtherners want to 'cop onto themselves'....;:)
HOnestly the amount of rude comments that Southerners have to put up with.

Not just the south, London to be precise. So much better than the rest of the country.

Yes it's a London thing, they tend to look down on everyone outside, especially northerners. Truth be told the lifestyle in London is getting terrible, squeezed into 1/2 bed flats. Londoners don't know what they are missing out on due to their snobbery!

Oldbirdy DH's mum (and all her family, obviously) are northern. He doesn't like them much so maybe that contributes to it. But really, I was quite shocked. Now secretly planning holidays to northern parts to prove him wrong!
Considering how small a country we live in compared to many, it seems a ridiculous prejudice to have in either direction. I expect it is common in other countries too though. Perhaps it is tribal...
I shall ask my dad's girlfriend in California if they have a north/south 'thing'. I bet they do...

Oh and DH says it isn't 'Watford Gap' it's Watford. I have no idea what or where they are (geography knowledge is terrible).

He's absolutely right of course, north of Watford Gap there is not a single employed person and we all live in back to back terraces

You forgot to mention the outside toilets, Birdy, and the packs of starving whippets roving the streets (all of them wearing flat caps and smoking clay pipes).

Watford is a small town about 10 miles north of London.
Watford Gap is a completely different place approximately 70 miles north of Watford.
The expression is 'North of Watford'.

....and the pigeon lofts, Slaughter, the pigeon lofts.

I do apologise. I assumed that as Watford Gap is near Northampton, ie Midlands, it made more sense as gateway to the North than Watford itself. I stand corrected.

The expression is North of Watford Gap. There's even a comedy sign at Watford Gap to mark the divide.

Quite right Brat. The Watford Gap is far too North to be Southern.

Its not North of Watford, the North/South Divide is thought to begin at Watford Gap in Northamptonshire.

Here explains the linguistic background:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watford_Gap

Aha! Radio 4 says I am technically correct and using the true and original expression smugface

www.bcu.ac.uk/english/news/quest-for-the-mythical-north-south-divide

well well every day is a school day on Mumsnet...
I know 'the Gap' well having passed through on the train many times...there is a short section of the journey where you can clearly see the train running parallel to the motorway and the canal...

Can't help comparing areas to Game of Thrones lmao

Winter is coming

I only know about Watford Gap vs Watford because of Watford Gap Service Station on the M1 which is disappointingly far away from London when travelling south.

I once went there and thought 'ooh I'm nearly there, Watford is just north of London' Given that I was travelling from Leeds, not northern Scotland, I wasn't quite 'nearly there' .

Aye Brat - the pigeon lofts, and the allotments growing nothing but enormous leeks and the occasional cabbage . . .

And the Mouse Shows, with their fine array of Fancy Mice in all colours and sizes (the only pet small enough to keep in a two-roomed back-to-back).

Well - I can't sit here yakkin' all day - I have a doorstep to donkeystone and all the washing to poss before I get the bairn to help me put it through the mangle.

I live in the South and I am definitely more shit than anyone that lives in the North.

So your hosts took you out and about to local places they are enthusiastic about and thought you might like and you turned your nose up at them. That's unbelievably rude and shows you have a sneering attitude to the south rather than vice versa. Your poor hosts.

I honestly hope that's not how it happened - I certainly tried to be polite. As I said in response to another post - my response was only to being prompted - I regret I find it hard to feign amazement at something that, well, just isn't.

I love them dearly, they are some of my best friends. I always go to visit them, in spite of having an open invite to my place, they never wish to venture up here (their choice entirely).

However, I will give this some thought - I certainly don't wish to be part of the "problem" here.

I live in the South and I am definitely more shit than anyone that lives in the North