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?

I really don't think it is. But I think northerners 'expect' southerners to think that so they get overly defensive and spiky about it (like you OP!).

Try living in the SW, people with a local accent get seen as backward by the rest of the country...

I grew up in the South. In the 1980s, virtually the only media representation of "the North" was Coronation St, Kes, and the miners' strike.

I moved North as a student and stayed. Films like Rita Sue and Bob too, even the wonderful Billy Elliot, played into this idea of "grim up North".

I remember my amazement when Cold Feet showed the "middle class" Manchester I knew for the first time and how groundbreaking that felt.

Well whilst you all fight over which is better, North or South, us Midlands will just enjoy the best of both.

The weather although where I am on the southcosst seems to be particularly lucky with the weather.

No opinion on the North though, never really needed to go further than the Midlands but the south is just were I was born and raised.

Makes me bloody curious when various Givernments always refer to Manchester as being "The North". To me the North begins in Carlisle !

Makes me bloody curious when various Givernments always refer to Manchester as being "The North". To me the North begins in Carlisle !

so true

Interesting debate about where the north begins. I’m from Manchester and some northern people don’t think it’s in the north hmm Its only a debate because people can't comprehend that that little well known town called Birmingham exists along with a ton of others to form the Midlands. It should make it easy. Up from the Midlands is North, down is South,West is Wales

Mentally I just draw a line across from north and south wales. Bit above is north. In between the Midlands. Below is south. Easy peasy

It’s just a rumour we spread to keep the outsiders away

I only think puts me off is the weather. Same with Scotland- I love it there but I love the sun and where I am in the south is very dry, no wind and apart from about 2 weeks worth of rainy weather since lockdown (so 4months) it's been shorts and t-shirt weather. My family in the NW have had a lot of rain over the same period.

Maybe the North likes to preserve this image to keep the desireables out, the North Norfolk coast was lovely until it became Chelsea sur Mer with all that implies.

It's not just the north (which I am from), that is given this image it's a lot of places outside the M25. There are differences, eg public transport is not so good and in my experience the pace of life is a bit slower. However, it's weird because most Londoners keep to their own area of London and lots of parts of London are not desirable. I actually find that people who don't live in London have a skewed image of what it's like. My personal issue with the north is that the winters tend to be colder, and that's it.

Loads of northerners don't like the south either. They think the countryside is boring, no mountains or lakes, and towns are too busy and unfriendly. I think it's just people generally like their own home area best. And maybe there are more people who live in the south, so sometimes it might seem skewed in that direction.

Together with natural bias from London based tv, newspapers etc. I've noticed since the bbc is in Manchester. If there was say an item about schools, hospitals, golf clubs, or whatever. Now it's filmed in one in Manchester whereas before it would have been one near television centre. Also central government etc. Basically the hqs of most things are in London.

I'm not sure it's really the weather, we have the same weather in Ireland and it doesn't put people off Ireland to any extent.

@SleepingStandingUp it is perfectly simple, l agree. Not sure why others struggle

I've never heard of the North being looked down on. 'The North' covers a huge area of England, obviously there are grotty places but so there are down here (and I should know....)!

Yorkshire, Cheshire, Durham - all gorgeous.

I read the other day that Birmingham is officially in the North as far as government calculations on social demographics, funding etc are concerned. I was a bit

DB lives in the Western Isles and regards Edinburgh as South. It's all relative I guess (well he is, obviously! )

I moved from south to north and the north is depressing.
Highest pregnancy rates.
Highest benefits rates.
Highest unemployment rates.
Councils that don't put any money into the town.
Shit weather

Etc

because of the weather

I live in Yorkshire, and for me that is the only downside of living where I do. Although, unlike Chicchicchicchiclana I don’t see being 3 hours away from London as a disadvantage. London is OK, but isn’t the be all and end all to me (I’m from London BTW). Not all of us want to live in or near London. It’s nice to visit, and even nicer to get away from

Wolfgirl, I can't see anything defensive or spiky about my post. I am not from the UK originally but do live here and presently in the North of the country. It's genuinely something that surprises me and that I don't understand.

Reminds me of the old joke;
Artic weather is forcast. Heavy snowfalls, plunging temperatures and black ice. Southerners are advised not to travel; Northerners will need a big coat.

Tbh what winds me up most is people calling Manchester and places close by in the north. I'm in Northumberland and it's a totally different place

It's not. The only reason I would prefer not to live there is it's colder and wetter.

Well if Manchester isn't in the north where is it

What’s with all the North v South posts?

I'm northern, born and bred. It's tribal, a Danelaw vs. Saxon thing I think, Christian vs. pagan Gods, the "difference" between north and south is drilled into us over more than a millennia and will take a while longer to dismantle. In London for decades now but I'm proud of my roots.