Are people from some areas friendlier?

[McBethany]

I’ve recently been on holiday to a place that due to its location was full of Scottish people and Geordies. I was struck by how friendly everyone was, chatty with strangers, and friendly. Everyone saying morning or afternoon when they pass you.

Its similar when I’ve been to Liverpool - I strike up conversations with strangers all over the place. Great customer service too, chatty bar staff who seem to give a shit about serving you.

This isn’t a South bashing thread, and I’m aware everywhere has its share of miseries, grumps and idiots. But do you think the stereotype of friendly Northerners is true?

Calderdale 💚

and Sheffield

I am in no way anti-London. I'm a Londoner myself and London is my favourite place in the world! I think people in London are very friendly - and that includes the "native" Londoner and immigrants of all generations.
I've lived all over the UK including London, south east, East Anglia, West Country and now Yorkshire. I do think Yorkshire is the most friendly place I've lived. I'm not saying other places weren't friendly, (they were) but Yorkshire is the friendliest. When I first moved here I didn't know anyone and was feeling lonely. I popped to the local shop and got in to conversation with several people en-route and in the shop. My immediate thought was "I'll never feel lonely here!"
So to the poster saying its "bollocks" that northerners are friendly, well I strongly disagree! And no, I don't find the friendliness intrusive. If I'm in a grumpy mood and don't feel like talking people can sense it and don't bother me. I've never felt like people were poking their noses in to my business.

I think most people are friendly if you make the effort tbh.
I've found that even the most standoffish types will warm up if they realise you're not either after anything or judging them.

I think we all experience differently.
In one city I've had some amazing experiences with the people, like made really lovely friends just from chatting in pubs etc, but also the same city had a glass thrown at me and somewhere in between 15 - 20 men sing something absolutely horrific at me.
(Football tragedy related and the glass incident also stemmed from a football thing!) I think it depends on individuals, they're in no way representative of that city.

I'm from and lived in Liverpool for the first part of my childhood and think it's a lottery of what you'll get. Some people salt of the earth, others just deeply shitty.

North Wales apparently hate scousers but I've always had excellent times there chatting away to the Welsh.

Southerners I've always got on with really well, I got called a scouse slag once saying "excuse me" to a guy in Sussex but I've been called just as bad in Blackpool 😂

Life would be nicer if people had reasons to be friendlier and more smiley but times just aren't as cheerful as they were.

I'm a Londoner and very antisocial so definitely fit the stereotype 😝

The poster saying it's bollocks lived in various places in Yorkshire for over twenty years before making good her escape, @SallyWD

Of course the other person should read the signs, but if they don't then you have to try to be proactive.

I'm a southerner with northern parents. People are friendly til they hear my accent, then I get endlessly told how unfriendly and rude Londoner's are, stuck up, etc.

Both towns my parents are from have records for voting Brexit, BNP etc. So not that bloody friendly unless you're the right kind I guess.

@Lwrenagain I totally agree- I live in Bath and people always say full of stuck up people, but I've actually found it easier to make friends here than anywhere- and I'm an ex northerner (well north midlands) and not stuck up.

I am from the north but live in London and you’re right, it’s way less friendlier and it’s not native Londoners usually I find rude but Europeans.

It depends what you want of people. I live in Scotland and people are thought of as being friendly. However I find a lot of them nosey, wanting to know all about you when you've just met. I don't want to chat to some random person at a bus stop or hear their life history and ailments.

I lived in London for a long time, and I think there’s a different friendliness there to other cities or the countryside. People don’t generally strike up a conversation with strangers but if you’re struggling with a big suitcase or buggy on the tube stairs, someone will generally help. I saw several times strangers going above and beyond when someone was feeling unwell, tripped, had an accident etc on public transport or out and about. I think there’s a bit of quiet solidarity, people let you get on with your own thing but generally are super kind if you need help.

I don’t see it as one area is friendlier than another it’s just different really! I live in Edinburgh and I think generally people strike up a conversation more than in London (eg in a pub/cafe or the neighbours). But Edinburgh is less outgoing than say Glasgow in my experience. But everywhere I’ve lived most people are kind, polite, courteous.

What a load of shite. Its nothing like that at all. AT ALL.

Its an amazing, welcoming, inclusive city with extremely high morals. Safest big city I've been to. People look after you, friendly, generous, funny, chatty people everywhere, welcome you with open arms.
Fabulous multi cultural and creative city with 3 universities where lots of the students chose to remain after study.

I was openly abused in a pub for being English in NI so my experience wasnt like this.

Speaking up for people from Solihull here 😊
Honestly we're not all up our own backsides and most of us are quite friendly, welcoming and down to earth really. However there are some people that pretend to be something they're not and (think fur hat no knickers) those people wind me up too 😑
I also find that most people around here do pass the time of day, especially other women, but some of the men are more reserved.
It's true though that further north of the country, people are more friendly and welcoming.
The least friendly place in the UK I've lived in is London. No one says hello to each other in the street and people rarely speak to their neighbours.

It’s a cultural thing. Northern Irish people are insanely chatty and friendly. Takes a bit of getting use to because any old random will start a conversation given the chance!

‘was openly abused in a pub for being English in NI so my experience wasnt like this.’

mmm, in 30 odd years of taking English colleagues and friends to NI for work or pleasure I have never, ever experienced this. Taking the Mickey a bit ( particularly over rugby or accents) maybe but that would be it.
Perhaps you just have one of those faces…

FFS

I'm surprised by your experience of Bristol. I worked there for a few years and found the people there extraordinarily friendly and welcoming 😁.
It was a wrench for me to leave Bristol tbh.

I am a Southerner who due to work moved North in my twenties in the 1990’s. People in the North overall are just much friendlier and as a Southerner I feel I can say that. DH is a Londoner in the North and we met working in the same University dept. We now have our little Northerner as my family call DS. DH and I joke together that we will never go back down South and especially not to That London, said in the style of Hot Fuzz.

I didn’t get the same vibes in either Manchester or Teeside.

Maybe try spelling it right and then see if they are friendlier?

@Redlarge been lots of times for work , I love it and have been in the centre lots at night- I felt more threatened in Manchester or Bristol at night . I do agree there is a culture of looking after your own - but we are softy southerners and people are always interested and chatty and extremely open . There is clearly a bad crowd in the mix - but the same applies to any large diverse city- we've even got some shits here in Bath - you just don't go to the areas they tend to congregate in

Well you can still forget it then, lots of Northern cities, notably Manchester voted to remain - you can stick your North/South divisiveness right in the Watford Gap. In any case, the top five leave voting areas were in the East of England and Thurrock - a lot of brexit support in the South of England in coastal towns too.

I'm a Cumbrian that's lived in Yorkshire 30 years. I would say Yorkshire folk are friendlier than Cumbrians. Yorkshire folk at bus stops, toilets, talk to anyone, literally anywhere. Southerners, well , probably friendly to their bank managers 🤣 I think Geordies win this competition though.

Wow victim blaming 🙄 it was certainly not said as a joke. Others had to intervene and warn him away such was his venomous attack. Must have just been my face though your right.

I love Manchester and find the people friendly.