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.

... Because we are?

What an odd thread.

I don't even know what Watford Gap is.

You don't really want opinions do you. You want everyone to back up your experience. But most people don't agree with you

I agree with the above. I went from south to north then back south and to the Midlands. The only attitude i have encountered is the open mocking of my accent / their belief this means I am at once jumped up/ posh loaded. In the Midlands. North / South i've not noticed that attitude.

What really gets on my nerves is how some people from the north talk about the south as though it is in fact just London and the Home Counties. People who live in Bristol (120 miles from London), Exeter (200 miles from London, the same distance away as Manchester), Salisbury (90 miles from London) shouldn't be lumped in with those who live in Croydon, Enfield and Islington. I doubt the Cornish feel overly similar to someone who lives in St Albans.

I've lived in both and I'd say it was more the other way round.

Some do, some don't. Most people I know have no issue.

I'm Scottish. You're all Southerners to me.

I defriended someone on FB recently because every bloody status was something about "stupid southerners" or "idiots down south". I've not experienced it the other way.

I fully understand that this is anecdotal and doesn't really mean anything other than I know a grumpy northerner who hates southerners...

The only time I remember this coming up was at university. It was generally a small minority of people from the north (usually Derby upwards) being slightly aggressive about people from the south 'with their posh accents' and thinking they are better than them. The people from the south generally didn't care but acted with disdain when faced with this slightly ridiculous aggression which seemed to confirm things for the northern people.

I was generally told I didn't count / belong to either as I was from the Midlands.

I moved slightly south and the only perception I'm aware of is that housing prices are cheaper but some types of jobs may be harder to come by.

As a midlander I used to have a perception that northern a were more friendly and southerners more aloof but having lived in both I don't think that's true, it's just a different way of being. I can still engage a southerner in conversation at a bus stop. :)

(Only perception of the north from the south perspective that is)

This came up in a roundabout way in my politics module recently, interviews with people in Leeds regarding power structures in the UK. Many on the video although they didn't say they thought southerners thought they were better, were conscious that the power centres were southern and there was an unequal distribution of the mechanisms and institutions of government, power and wealth.

What a load of old trolly bollocks

YANBU. I'm northern; I've lived in London for more than half my life, and I get regular "jokes" about it being grim up north, flat caps and whippets and coal mines etc.

I don't think they mean it; I don't think they believe the people are "better". But there is a definite perception in London that the northern towns are not as nice.

I'm from Essex originally so EVERYONE thinks they are superior to me

My mother in law 'wouldn't EVER go up north'. She made her opinion on this quite clear when she was on a game show several months ago... she's a bit of a southern snob to say the least.

When you say South, you mean anything south of Inverness, right?

When you say South, you mean anything south of Inverness, right? grin

Anything south of the Outer Hebrides, surely?

I live in Scotland, but the South of Scotland so I'm a Southerner. I think the Northern Scots have excellent accents and amazing scenery, as well as being generally happier with their lives.

I'm from the far south-west. Takes nearly twice as long to get to my city by train from London as it does to get from London to York.

What a ludicrous thread.

This is a pointless argument.

I'm Welsh and clearly better than all of you.

My perception of the 'north' as a child was Coronation Street. To me it was a cold place where people wore their coats all the time and were blunt and didn't smile much. And dull and grey of course because we only had black and white tv! When I visited some relations in Nottingham I was expecting the same but was of course pleasantly surprised as it was nothing like that. (And had the most amazing friendly local shop which is my overriding memory).

I'm from the South West and don't think I'm better than anyone, but do find that some friends who live in the South East regularly make comments suggesting that they are inherently more cutting edge, which can grate a bit! I can't really explain it without giving identifying examples but just always referencing living in London in a way that doesn't feel necessary to the conversation but more making a point that they are living a very busy, fashionable, culturally rich, modern lifestyle in the big city! I had this from university friends from London as well; an expectation that I would be slightly in awe of their "London coolness" because I was clearly a country bumpkin.

what a weird thread. I am from London and the Cornish and Welsh don't feel any affinity toward a me against Northerners when I go on holiday there. The only people I know who go on about this are relatives in Newcastle who constantly go on about how can you stand the traffic, M25, house prices etc etc. I don't think my Cornish friend this is he's better than my relatives in Newcastle.

There's maybe more of a London versus the rest attitude but, again, it doesn't come from those in London I don't think.

My DH thought this when he first visited my family down south, he couldn't be convinced that the only thing that ever happened was people trying to do northern accents.

However BetterEat has it spot on, the power balance is firmly in favour of the South East.

There are also big cultural differences, but that is the case wherever you go and does not make one area superior to any other.