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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is there a cultural difference between North and South?

179 replies

Thepo · 19/03/2025 15:55

Dh and I have decided we are going to leave our home counties home and move ‘Up North’ to a Cheshire vilage close to Manchester. We’ve spent time in Manchester but not for extended peiords of time. We like the city. Our commute will be slashed in half and our house will be much more comfortable.

I’m of course expecting there to be slight differences but at the end of the day the North is still England. So how different can it be? Right? We get along with pretty much every one we meet.

Am I just in denial?

OP posts:
Lungwort · 19/03/2025 16:02

I think you’d be completely mad to move somewhere you’ve never spent any significant time.

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:02

In denial of what?

Once you get used to our outside toilets, clogs, flat caps and constant uttering of ee bah gum, you'll be fine.

Manchester even has electricity.

SirDanielBrackley · 19/03/2025 16:03

You'll find Cheshire's a lot like Surrey (but without Surrey's money, of course).

Hoppinggreen · 19/03/2025 16:03

No there isn't and if you are moving to one of the posh Cheshire villages you might as well be in The Home Counties anyway.

Original poster
Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:04

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:02

In denial of what?

Once you get used to our outside toilets, clogs, flat caps and constant uttering of ee bah gum, you'll be fine.

Manchester even has electricity.

That’s not what I’m getting at. At all.

More personality/mentality

OP posts:
Thiswayorthatway · 19/03/2025 16:05

Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:04

That’s not what I’m getting at. At all.

More personality/mentality

Show quote history

No we’re still human. Where are you moving to OP?

AuthorGirl1 · 19/03/2025 16:06

People are friendly, even my dh who says he hates talking to people or meeting new people can't help himself but chat away to people in bars/pubs...I'm sure you'll be fine but what if you don't like the area/amenities?

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:06

Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:04

That’s not what I’m getting at. At all.

More personality/mentality

Show quote history

Well, clearly people in the North have a better developed sense of humour...

Get o'er yersen!

Original poster
Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:08

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:06

Well, clearly people in the North have a better developed sense of humour...

Get o'er yersen!

Edited
Show quote history

I know you were joking but I didn’t like the insinuation that I perceive Manchester as this backwards place

Im not sure why people are finding the question so offensive. I know the North is not this alien planet. Just people often bring up a difference between Northerners and Southerners.

Im questioning if this is massively blown out of proportion (I suspect it is)

OP posts:
TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:09

I refer you to my previous comment!

Hoppinggreen · 19/03/2025 16:11

Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:08

I know you were joking but I didn’t like the insinuation that I perceive Manchester as this backwards place

Im not sure why people are finding the question so offensive. I know the North is not this alien planet. Just people often bring up a difference between Northerners and Southerners.

Im questioning if this is massively blown out of proportion (I suspect it is)

Edited
Show quote history

You will be ok up here then, we don't insinuate we just tell you
But as I said before the posh Cheshire villages are a bit different, like Harrogate they have <shudder> Southern Ways

Happypeoplearehappy · 19/03/2025 16:12

My friend (I met when I lived and worked in London) thinks the rats in Surrey aren’t the same as the rats up North! Having said that there are no rat traps near the beauty spots we frequent up North but when we visit my friend in Surrey there are rat traps everywhere!

Also a fast direct train from where we live is only 30 mins more however, because their Surrey train is often delayed and a stop start one the one from up North is actually almost always quicker.

We are great friends btw and we laugh a lot.

Disturbia81 · 19/03/2025 16:12

You won’t get friendlier than the north!

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:13

Thepo · 19/03/2025 16:08

I know you were joking but I didn’t like the insinuation that I perceive Manchester as this backwards place

Im not sure why people are finding the question so offensive. I know the North is not this alien planet. Just people often bring up a difference between Northerners and Southerners.

Im questioning if this is massively blown out of proportion (I suspect it is)

Edited
Show quote history

Oh FGS. We're not finding it "offensive" 😆It was just a bit of leg pulling!

Hoppinggreen · 19/03/2025 16:15

If you don't get Northern Humour you should probably stay put.
Having said that DD's lovely BF is from Surrey and it certainly took him a while to get it, the general piss taking seems to be a bit of a Northern thing so if you can't cope with it it could be a problem.

SallyWD · 19/03/2025 16:16

I'm a southerner through and through. I grew up in Sussex. We moved to Leeds 13 years ago and absolutely love it! Honestly there's not a huge difference. The most noticeable difference to us was the old cliché that northerners are more friendly. It's definitely true!
I haven't noticed a big difference in the weather - believe it or not. My southern friends always say ("Oh you must be so cold in Yorkshire" but when I compare temperatures in Sussex and Yorkshire they're usually pretty similar. Sometimes even warmer in Leeds. Today for example it's 12 degrees in Leeds and Sussex. The next two days it's 17 degrees in Leeds and 14 degrees in Sussex!! So all the southerners who think we're freezing here are usually wrong.
But you're right, it's still England. There really isn't a huge variation. I'm very happy here and would like to live here for the rest of my life.

Gymmum82 · 19/03/2025 16:17

2 main differences people will talk to you. At bus stops, in shops, when out on a walk etc. They will stop you for a chat. It can be disconcerting for southerners who never converse with anyone outside of their immediate family. Especially not strangers!

Also the weather is pish. It’s fucking Baltic and wet. All the time. Aside from that basically the same but cheaper

Tooty78 · 19/03/2025 16:28

Well in South Yorkshire for the last few days it has been bloody glorious, blue skies, bright sunshine and temperatures in DOUBLE FIGURES!!!

Clear skies at night mean a drastic temperature drop, but the frost covered woods and fields on our early morning walks have been a joy to behold.

You will love it up here OP!

ItisIbeserk · 19/03/2025 16:33

As the product of a mixed north/south marriage, in a mixed marriage of my own, and having lived in both, I’m always quite mystified by the perception that one is better than the other, if that helps.

I’d say there is no such thing as ‘the north’ and ‘the south’. There’s urban/rural, posh/not posh, coastal/inland, London is a bit by itself in some ways. But thinking of ‘the north’ as a monolith is a bit misleading, as much as ‘the south’ is.

Maddy70 · 19/03/2025 16:36

Yes up north it's super friendly, everyone talks to each other in shops , streets etc
We have gravy on chips

TrouserTownie · 19/03/2025 16:36

and the best chip shops

luckylavender · 19/03/2025 16:38

Lungwort · 19/03/2025 16:02

I think you’d be completely mad to move somewhere you’ve never spent any significant time.

This

daisypetula · 19/03/2025 16:39

Make sure you stop to collect your whippet as you leave the M6, you’ll get right funny looks if you don’t have one when you get here

madaffodil · 19/03/2025 16:40

ItisIbeserk · 19/03/2025 16:33

As the product of a mixed north/south marriage, in a mixed marriage of my own, and having lived in both, I’m always quite mystified by the perception that one is better than the other, if that helps.

I’d say there is no such thing as ‘the north’ and ‘the south’. There’s urban/rural, posh/not posh, coastal/inland, London is a bit by itself in some ways. But thinking of ‘the north’ as a monolith is a bit misleading, as much as ‘the south’ is.

Very true.

TapeMyEyes · 19/03/2025 16:41

Lungwort · 19/03/2025 16:02

I think you’d be completely mad to move somewhere you’ve never spent any significant time.

We have lived in several places that we have not spent a lot of time in due to Dh's job relocations. You can find a lot just by asking questions, even pre-internet. I agree that local knowledge is invaluable so I would always, always, recommend renting somewhere first but not a lot of people want to do that. However, now with MN, Reddit etc you can ask questions about areas and schools.