South-North Differences

[TryingNotToWaddle]

I've recently moved and so far everyone I've met is scared of the capital "because of all the crime and terrorism", is on the right of the political spectrum, a 'loose' Christian, thinks being vegetarian is weird, vegan is impossible and stupid, husbands are useless at childcare and cleaning because it's for women, etc etc

I'm not saying I think different views are wrong... each to their own! I just feel terribly out of place. Everyone seems so cookie cutter up here

AIBU to hold out hope that It is just the people I've met and there are people up here with other views?

'Can border on the intrusive.'

YY

My dad once asked a woman in London to share her umbrella. Poor woman must have been terrified

willlove perfect!

Never mind proper curry, has Parkin made it down South yet?

I'm a Southerner who spent a decade of my adult life up in the north.

I ended up loving the north and would happily have stayed there for good... but felt like I'd stepped into an alternative universe for a while!

It got easier, I adapted, and I learned to love the different culture.

I do miss the milder weather down South; and when I go back to visit my family, I always feel happy when I go past the 'M1 THE SOUTH' sign, but that's probably because I miss my family.

I did think about putting an 'M1 THE SOUTH' sign on my desk at work, but felt it might be misconstrued . On the whole, North and South each have their pros and cons.

has Parkin made it down South yet?

No.

I'm from darn sarf but moved oop north some decades ago... and the biggest difference is that visitors seem to go to the back door up here, and to the front door in the south

North and South is on Netflix.
It's not bad.

It's definitely a big city/small town rural thing rather than North/South.

I live between Leeds and Bradford. We have several nationally renowned vegetarian restaurants including one that won a TV competition.

I wouldn't say Christianity of any strength is particularly dominant, and it's quite unusual for people to go to Church. There are many different religions so we have several Mosques and Temples locally.

A friend was visiting from the rural south and was utterly shocked/terrified/horrified that someone had been shot at the other side of the city. We were a bit 'meh' because while being terrible for the friends and family of the person involved and him obviously, it was a gang thing, and these things are not unheard of.

And of course, there's Hebden Bridge, the lesbian liberal lentil knitting capital of the UK.

But please, continue perpetuating the stereotype that it is grim and backwards outside London because we don't want the north to become as overcrowded and overpriced as London .

I live in a tiny village in the north, a few of my friends are vegetarians and vegans. Dads seem to be just as hands on with the childcare and housework as the mums. There's a wide range of views on politics.....However I personally do not like London but that's just my own personal preference, I love living in a small rural village and I couldn't imagine living in such a large busy city.

Have you moved back in time?

I live in the North, visit London pretty much weekly for work and often for pleasure and am not scared of it. I'm veggie and know lots of other veggies and vegans. I'm also a leftie liberal with a career and when DS was little I worked whilst DH was a SAHD and no one batted an eyelid because it's not unusual.

Maybe people have seen your prejudice and are taking the piss? Either that or you've moved to very odd place.

I live in Royston Vasey

Some of us are unmarried veggie atheists and some of us aren't. Like most places, I'd imagine.

What do people think the main cultural differences are? In my social circle there are the people who live in London, virtually none of whom grew up there, and who tend to be pretty much the same as my circle of friends in my Northern city, with a slight tendency to be more ambitious in terms of career and less likely to have children.

There are the people who live in towns and villages within commuting distance of London. Many of them grew up in the area and of all my social circles, they tend to be the most socially and politically conservative.

Then there's everybody else, and it doesn't really seem to make a lot of difference whether they live, apart for the ones who live in Manchester, who tend to be the most quirky and alternative.

But thinking about this made me realise that, while I know a wide range of people from all sorts of backgrounds locally, apart from the Home Counties lot who are mostly my in-laws, I socialise in a little bubble of people who are scattered around the country (and the world) in university towns and cities and artsy small towns and villages. and that's a much bigger cultural divide than any North/South based division.

Fuck off back to a London then!

Waves to LittleLost

Yes you're absolutely right. The "North" is of course one homogenous mass who all think exactly the same thing.

Maybe time to update the lazy stereotype?

Francis Many thanks. I haven't heard that for forty years and if my Dad was still with us he'd be pissing himself laughing.

Yes, everyone is exactly the same up North. That's why election candidates win with 100% of the vote every time and supermarkets only sell one brand of cornflakes (with added meat, obviously).
I'd start conforming PDQ if I were you, before the locals remember where they put that big wicker effigy...

God I thought she was talking north of England. I didn't realise it was Scotland she was talking about. If it is I would reccomend the above advice.

francis, and thank you.

The author of that poem makes me think of my father and his disposition and views of his hometown elsewhere in Scotland! He is, however, positive about the fish suppers and beautiful beach.

Well, after moaning about the colder weather up North last night, it's an absolutely glorious day up here today! I'm looking out of my window at the hills bathed in sunshine - beautiful!

has Parkin made it down South yet?

Yes...well at least as far as Wiltshire.

Beautiful day in the North Scotland too

I moved from the South to the Midlands 10 years ago. I still hate it. Up here it's all Duck this and duck that and people moaning at me for going abroad when Skegness is more than enough. Hating the Royals and London is normal. Blokes spend all their time in the working men's club and fly fucking pigeons.Women still do all the washing and cooking it's like stepping back in time. I hate it. I don't go out in the village at all I get in my car and drive avoiding people now if I can. And wear earbuds in the hairdressers and gp's surgery. 3 more years and my daughter finishes school and I can leave hooray.