Why is The North seen as backward and undesirable?

[Sibsmum]

Can't understand why The North, seems to get looked down on , except when someone wants a holiday home somewhere pretty, or a big house for cheaper prices.
There are Universities, theatres, good schools, roads that aren't clogged all the time( and some that are...)spectacular scenery... So why is there still a perception that somehow The North is 'less' everything than the South?

Yep, palm trees in Cornwall, never seen those in the Lake District.

Yes there are pockets of Cornwall and the Scilly Isles where the weather is classed as “tropical” because of milder temps On average all year round due to the Gulf Stream. It’s how they have palm trees, etc. “Tropical” also more wet though then say, Kent, which is drier but colder winters.

'Sub tropical' refers to the fact the winter temperatures just don't drop as far in Cornwall as they do elsewhere in the UK. It's rare for it to go below 10c.

There is a study by the University of Exeter for anyone particularly interested / weather geek / wants to find evidence for claims that have been laughed at upthread.

I have been monitoring the weather in London this week, it’s definitely been warmer compared to where I am up here. My hometown down there considerably so

I’m laughing at the Lake District always being shrouded in rain and mist. My parents live there (as did I) and the weather is very often glorious!

I love living in the NW. I’m on the edge of the Trough of Bowland and consider myself to be very fortunate. I’ve been to beautiful places all over the UK, but the only place that would persuade me to move from Lancashire, is West Wales.

One person’s ‘bleak’ is another’s beautiful.

The Lake District was boiling last time I was there! I still like the south more.

@BarbaraofSeville

I think it's rainfall that varies the most, but this is more East Vs West, rather than North Vs south.

For example, Bristol has about a third more rain per year than York.

But a lot of the north Vs south examples on here are more urban Vs rural. It's like some southerners are unaware of the existence of several large cities in the north of England, or Scotland for that matter.

It's only 1.3 degrees west of York, the difference isn't so much the latitude but it's geographical position nearly on the coast.

We're not all the same.
I'm a Londoner and prefer the north. Including the fresher weather. I love the rain. I only wish I'd moved sooner but was wary of being perceived as 'posh' or a snob. I'm neither. Couldn't be seeing how I'm quite poor! Unfortunately ignorant stereotypes exist everywhere.

@InstantMango yep, been to Cornwall lots of times. It was like being in the Bahamas with all the tropical weather. I remember one glorious holiday where it rained for three days straight.

I do think it’s a stereotype that Londoners aren’t friendly. This thing about people talking to you on buses - I mean I’m not sure I want people talking to me on buses every day, but of course, this does happen. Especially if you’re helping an older person or a mum or something.

In our road, it’s a reasonably main road that leads onto one if the main London bridges. There’s about 200 houses and the 60 or so houses in our “section” , all know each other. Everyone is lovely. We have an email group and people take it in turns to do monthly coffee mornings / wine evenings. If anyone needs their cats feeding, there is always several volunteers happy to help. Same with people with teens for babysitters. During lockdown, we all communicated and checked if anyone was self-isolating eg. older people and we got their shopping for them. Nobody is nosey, but everyone keeps an eye out and is only too happy to help if they can. Nobody was born here - there’s Europeans, Americans, people from the Middle East and people from other parts of the U.K. Its impossible for anyone to feel like an “outsider” and that’s what I love best about London. Yes, I imagine some / most people around here could be considered a bit “posh,” but so what? As long as they’re decent, kind people and they don’t hurt anyone else, who cares? There’s a “villagey” feel in lots of London, I find, but you wouldn’t necessarily experience that as a visitor.

I don't mind that at all. They can be as sniffy as they like, we know the truth. Also, would everyone agree, "the North" starts at Hull?

Molly - well yes, if you go to the Bahamas it may well rain for three days straight. “Tropical” means wet!

In Cornwall, you get whatever comes off the sea. You can literally see the weather coming in.

“Hotter” and “milder” are two different things. The SW has the milder / wetter weather. The SE has the hotter / drier warmer. I mean it hardly ever hits 36 in Cornwall does it, because of the winds. But there will be less frost in winter in Cornwall.

Have a look at Plockton if you want to see Palm Trees. Hint, it’s in that big frozen expanse beginning with an S.

Luskentyre looks like it should be in the Caribbean.

@moj1to

Molly - well yes, if you go to the Bahamas it may well rain for three days straight. “Tropical” means wet!

In Cornwall, you get whatever comes off the sea. You can literally see the weather coming in.

“Hotter” and “milder” are two different things. The SW has the milder / wetter weather. The SE has the hotter / drier warmer. I mean it hardly ever hits 36 in Cornwall does it, because of the winds. But there will be less frost in winter in Cornwall.

I really couldn't work out if molly was joking when she posted that little gem!😂

@InstantMango I’ll try and make my sarcasm more succinct next time.

Off to cancel my holiday to the Caribbean and book a fortnight in Bodmin instead.

To be fair, I’ve never been to the Bahamas. I have been to some Caribbean islands and there are beaches in Cornwall that are just as stunning as the west of Barbados (I think). Bedruthen beach is one and it was our kids favourite when they were little. The weather does tend to chop and change very quickly though in Cornwall, but you just have to go with it.

Also, palm trees survive in more places than you might expect. I think we have one in the front garden. It’s either that or something very similar.

We also have flocks of neon green parakeets all the time in the garden. And the cats don’t catch mice here, it’s usually snakes

@Sibsmum

Can't understand why The North, seems to get looked down on , except when someone wants a holiday home somewhere pretty, or a big house for cheaper prices. There are Universities, theatres, good schools, roads that aren't clogged all the time( and some that are...)spectacular scenery... So why is there still a perception that somehow The North is 'less' everything than the South?

It’s simple OP - because the ‘North’ has the Wall, Nights Watch and is basically there to keep the White Walkers out.

So north vs South, what sauce do you have an a fry up?

I mean I’m not sure I want people talking to me on buses every day,

That's the unfriendliness we speak about.
Up here it's unusual to ignore people on busses or local train journeys.
it's a different mindset, northerners are happy to spend the time chatting, southerners are more reserved/unfriendly and busy little ants

I like Brown,Dh prefers Tomatoe both Northerners

Sleeping

NW, we have Ketchup on fry up.
Chips need something wet like gravy, curry sauce, or mushy peas.

DH prefers brown, I prefer ketchup.

Have to say I never talk to people on public transport. I don't find Londoners that unfriendly though. I was having to do regular meetings in London whilst I was on crutches, and 99% of the time the other tube commuters were polite and helpful in staying out of my way! I also had no issues being offered a seat, which was nice.

We don’t have fry ups but if I was having a cooked breakfast of some sort I’m not sure ketchup or brown sauce would complement what we tend to make. That’s more to do with veganism than where we live though.

Chips would have to be salt and vinegar. Or maybe hot sauce and smashed avocado.

I can’t really imagine gravy on chips.