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Original poster

Are people from some areas friendlier?

172 replies

McBethany · 12/10/2023 21:57

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?

OP posts:
Redlarge · 13/10/2023 13:59

Crikeyalmighty · 13/10/2023 11:48

@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

I love it too. I used to live in Bath. I never found it unfriendly just very touristy. Much prefer Liverpool ha ha .

Spacemoon · 13/10/2023 14:23

As a midlander here's my 2 pence;

Northerners are either super friendly or super miserable and aggressive. There's not usually much in-between 🤣, it's always one extreme or the other! I'm including Scotland in this as it's the same vibes I get from there as I do for the north of England.

Southerners are either super friendly, miserable and stuck up, or have zero personality. I've found the 'class' of the southerner effects this more than it does up north.

North Wales - miserable and unfriendly, South Wales - overbearingly friendly 🤣

Most friendliest places I've been - Cardiff, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Whitby

Least friendly - Manchester, Oxford, London and Kent (the whole county 🤣)

Crikeyalmighty · 13/10/2023 14:35

@Redlarge you aren't wrong. !! Liverpools our favourite weekend break city as we've got clients in Wirral but also Manchester- so we stay in Heswall - I've got a very soft spot for that area

Bouledeneige · 14/10/2023 09:23

I think people up north are much friendlier than down south. Just been in Manchester and Liverpool and everyone was way more chatty.

London - where I live - has a very like other very big cities. Less friendly and open.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/10/2023 09:59

SocksAndTheCity · 13/10/2023 08:58

That's exactly what I meant. There's so little of it that what small amount we can get - even if it's just being able to listen to music on the tube for a minute and a half while wedged in a corner is incredibly important, and people generally understand that. Physical space is a different thing entirely.

As for lying on the floor, I have literally never seen anybody do that in almost twenty years. It seems an odd way to travel, but you do you.

Show quote history

I made it clear that I was PUSHED to the floor. I obviously didn't choose to be there. Sounds like you find that funny.

I've also had motorists honk their horn at me in London and when I asked my friends what I was supposed to have done wrong, was told that's how they are in London.

I'm sure that when you get to know them people are as nice as anywhere else, but when walking in the street and on public transport London people are really not friendly.

RaraRachael · 14/10/2023 12:39

I don't understand the seeming obsession of people having to be friendly otherwise they're not nice.
I do not interact with people I don't know - I don't want to talk to them. I just want to get on with my journey, shopping etc. But it doesn't make me a horrible person. Personally I hate having the arse bored off me by randoms but if that's what they want to do, crack on just don't expect everyone else to enjoy it.

RustedfromtheRain · 14/10/2023 12:56

I've lived in Glasgow for most of my 50 years, I don't find it particularly menacing but I don't find it friendly either. On the other hand, I can go into a pub in Devon on my own and spend the whole evening chatting to strangers. Plus the bus drivers and retail workers are bloody lovely. Maybe I've just been lucky 🤷‍♀️

2023shady · 14/10/2023 13:08

I'm in the NW and find it pretty friendly
Simple stuff like my smoke alarm going off and my neighbour popped over, disconnected it, told me which one to buy to replace and fitted the new one
Or out riding and a guy asked me if I wanted some of his local honey, then quizzed me about how much I would pay and was it too expensive , then fed my horse loads of mints. He sent me off home with two jars of honey Grin

Wild swimming groups have been incredibly friendly when I joined, offers of equipment, advice, happy to chat

Chattygirl123 · 15/10/2023 20:37

I'm from Northern Ireland and we are very friendly and chatty. Especially in rural areas. Everyone knows everyone else and there is a real feeling of community. When I lived near Birmingham I found people friendly but there was less sense of community for me. Scotland is also friendly but maybe thsts because NI and Scotland have a lot in common and I feel the Scots understand people from NI better than other parts of the UK. Can't think of anywhere unfriendly to be honest.

DinnaeFashYersel · 15/10/2023 20:58

Scotland generally and Glasgow specifically.

Also Manchester

GreatGardenstuff · 15/10/2023 21:16

Wakefield is the friendliest place I’ve ever lived. An absolute joy. Leeds however, just up the road, is dour as hell.

Fionaville · 15/10/2023 22:08

Northerners are definitely more friendly. North West in particular. Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire. @BabyFireflyx you are talking out of your arse. I live close to Liverpool and I'm there often. I don't recognise anything you are saying! And 'capital of culture my arse' really? You can't even let them have that? There is so much good stuff going on in Liverpool. Outside of London, it has the best historic architecture and that's a fact. The waterfront is fabulous. And the people are friendly, funny and actually help each other. Why come on a positive post just to shit all over Liverpool?

Kwasi · 15/10/2023 22:10

Geordie here! I have lived in a few places and find northerns to generally be much friendlier and chattier. I spent 6 years in Essex and didn’t make a single friend. Even after having a baby, it was still impossible. Decided I was not going to raise my child there. We needed to stay in the south for regular specialist hospital appointments in London, so made a move 25 miles away to village in Suffolk and couldn’t be happier. Everyone is friendly. Everyone speaks as you pass them. People all muck in to help the community. I have never known anything like it. Northerns are still chattier, though.

Shortbread49 · 15/10/2023 22:14

Liverpool and Manchester are friendly I would say more so then the Wirral ( I am from the Wirral) but agree about Leeds I used to live there never found it as friendly

denpark · 15/10/2023 22:25

Northerners are generally much much friendlier. Lived in the South for ages and they're really not that nice, in general. Very cliquey

fatherliamdeliverance · 15/10/2023 22:37

Broad brushstrokes and my experience only:

I've never known anywhere as friendly and keen to include you as the SW.

Warm friendly people in Essex. Spiky but kind in the NW. Outgoing and generous but judgemental in Yorks. London is live and let live.

Lived all over.

E mids stands out as a funny one. In my experience people talk a lot at you. I think it is intended as friendly, but almost exclusively about themselves. It gets down to really fine detail without asking a single question back. Not saying everyone but I've noticed such a strong pattern of this. As an outsider it was hard to work out how to contribute to the conversation.

No offence intended.

WheekWheekWheek · 15/10/2023 22:41

BigDahliaFan · 12/10/2023 22:08

Just come back from a week in Northumberland, loved it….people just chat.

Same. I love the accent too, very soothing somehow.

Elvis1956 · 15/10/2023 22:51

Yes I'm a born need bred bristolian, we are quite slow to warm to outsiders, as is most of the West country. Yet I have travelled all over the uk. Swansea...what a great place, locals really friendly, Wrexham defo scary for outsiders. Leeds brillant, Sheffield ok because of the students, Halifax ok but groups of lads looking for trouble. Liverpool fantastic....often out on my own till 4am. Manchester not so. Newcastle over hyped, Glasgow a bit dull but friendly. Cardiff is good for pubs. Brum a good place but like Bristol impersonal. Leicester very friendly. Kent you have pick the place devon.and Cornwall just rip off outsiders, South Devon is just completely up itself "oh we don't show football here " in the middle of a world cup. Ipswich is ok. Norwich a little off, was looking over my shoulder all the time

falalalalal · 15/10/2023 22:52

I've been living in SW London for 5 years although I'm from Scotland. What a lot of flippin grumpy, unfriendly, unsociable people I am surrounded by. No one even makes eye contact when I'm out walking at 7am.

I find it all very strange and sad. It's not what I'm used to.

DottyLottieLou · 16/10/2023 06:10

Absolutely true.

CeeJay81 · 16/10/2023 06:32

I live in a small close knit community in Wales. Its very friendly, you cant walk diwn the steeet without someone saying hello. There are people from all over/all walks of life here. It make it a diverse, rather unique community. Welsh language is spoken but also plenty don't speak it either. As someone from Oxfordshire it's so different, much nicer and more welcoming.

Evaka · 16/10/2023 06:38

Spent last weekend in Northumberland and remarked to DP that we spoke with more strangers than in an average year in London;)

I'm Irish and find Yorkshire, Northumberland parts of Scotland to be familiar and friendly like home.

Love the anonymity of London. I don't think it's a hostile place, just can't really have a small town chatty vibe with so many residents.

Pamcakey · 16/10/2023 06:44

Yes!
I moved from the Home Counties where I’ve lived all my life to Yorkshire and this is one of the big changes that has really, really stuck out to me. Everyone is friendly!

Mummyme87 · 16/10/2023 07:04

@Sigmama im from Newcastle (moved south 18years ago) and they voted to remain, as did Leeds where some other relatives live. I now live in a London borough that voted to leave… my best friend lives in Bournemouth who also voted to leave….

erikbloodaxe · 16/10/2023 07:09

All those saying North Walians are unfriendly. We're not. We're just not interested in you lol.