To think people from up north / Wales are much friendlier than southerners

[Snorkers]

Was born in South Wales, currently live in southern England, husband from Manchester.
Whenever we go up north to visit his fam I'm always shocked by how much friendlier in general everyone is.
I haven't been back to Wales for 30 years but recall when i did everyone always looking out for each other and generally being genuinely friendly and interested in each others' wellbeing.
I like where I live now but I am considering a permanent relocation back to Wales in a few years as more people than not here in Southern England are either just unfriendly and a large minority are moody, aggressive and selfish.
AIBU?
What are your experiences?
Before anyone shoots me down for annoying folks I tend to keep myself to myself so am not getting up in people's shit, it's a genuine observation!

Not my experience at all. I love in London and have done for over 25 years. Brilliant neighbours in each house I’ve lived in. Great community spirit with all the local shops too. I’ve lived in affluent and poorer areas too.

Live in London that should read. But I do also love it

Yes.

It’s just a stereotype.

Totally agree OP. Travel down south regularly and have noticed this.

Not in my experience. Some of the worst encounters of racism I have experienced have been in North Wales.

Not my experience. I think the opposite is true.

I live in north wales. It is incredibly friendly. Someone be along in a minute to say we all speak welsh to annoy the English

I'm a southerner and I agree with you.

Ah I see I was beaten to it!

Looking forward to this thread degenerating into abusing the Welsh

It’s a myth. I’ve found you get back what you put in most of the time.

I'm from the Midlands with my family from Yorkshire and Wales. I went to uni on the south coast and now live in London. Can't say I've noticed it being particularly unfriendly. In my experience you get lovely people and grump buggers everywhere.

Exactly there are grumpy unfriendly people all over. It is nothing to do with geography

Well the "woman" that ran off with my ex is from South Wales and she is the most vile, racist person I've ever encountered! Apparently all the English are scum and pigs, even though my ex is English

Prejudiced, much?

Factors such as job availability/wages, housing, schools are more important to me than my impressions of local strangers.

bookwitch haha, yes I remember that when living in Wales 'why can't you just speak English it's easier for everyone' . I am considering a move to North Wales, for work and family reasons, are they friendly to incomers though?

It amazes me that - given our reputation for unfriendliness - so many northerners come to settle here in the south west for a 'better quality of life'.

Surely if we were all so unwelcoming, they'd stay in Rotherham?

Are you bored OP so thought you’d kick off a bun fight? Yes everyone down South is evil and everyone up North and Wales is lovely. Give me strength.

Yeah, I reckon southerners are less friendly - much much less likely to strike up a chat in the shop or at the bus stop. I grew up in south east and now live in south west - south west a bit friendlier but nowhere near as much as Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester

Ah yes aren't you northerners LOVELY with your sweeping generalisation about us horrible ogres down south...
OP you do see what an enormous hypocrite you are, right? Calling out a minority of individuals who you find unfriendly by making your own very unfriendly post?

I've lived in both places. In my experience northerners are only more friendly to other northerners but less friendly to people they see as 'not from round here' i.e. dh who is obviously not british.

Londoners are way less likely to chat at a bus stop or in a supermarket queue because there are so many of them, but more likely to socialise and be friends with people from other backgrounds and ethnicities.

In my experience of one.

I was born in the north and lived there until I was 10, then moved to London. My family all still live up north. I would agree to a point, because in shops etc people are friendlier up north and people are more chatty to people they don't know, I find. However, I've had good neighbours and sense of community in both places, so I guess that's luck of the draw depending on your local area. Obviously I haven't lived in all of the south (just London) or all of the north (mainly the Cheshire and Greater Manchester area), so my views are only based on those specific places.

Delightful responses so far!

It's a bit of a stereotype.

I come from a city in the Midlands and I lived in Devon for 5 years. One thing I did find in the town I lived in was that there was a lot more casual racism there. Not maliciously but more out of ignorance I think due to being an almost all white population. For example people there still used the phrase "half cast."

Haffdonga really interesting point