To want to move back home? (Northerners, feel my pain!)

[edam]

Went back up North for my Godmother's 90th birthday party at the weekend, to the village where we lived until I was 7 (moved away due to father's job but moved back to a neighbouring village a few years later).

It felt so nice. Comforting, cosy, full of nice and 'real' people. I don't know how to explain it, but people up North just are different. Friendlier, more straightforward, very dry sense of humour that is always just beneath the surface. Down South, you can have quite a long conversation before anyone cracks a joke...

I live in the Home Counties, very nice small town that is (relatively speaking) friendly with a sense of community. But it's not half as genuinely friendly and can be quite smug and pretentious. I dunno, I'm generally quite happy here, but going back 'home' made me long to return permanently. Oh, and the countryside around my Yorkshire village was just stunning, and feels 'right' to me. While Hertfordshire is just there. All very nice and all that but hardly compares!

I want to live in Denby Dale!

MMJ, I'm talking about Penistone...

Edam, I moved back to a small town in Ireland after 15 years in SW London. Not the same, but maybe somewhat comparable.

At first everybody here seemed bonkers, odd and hard to read. I was used to only 30 somthing university-educated guardian-reading, recycling, cycling, houmous-eating toddlers on their way to learn violin through French class... types

I was used to it. it seemed normal and it seemed real.

Ive now realised that it was the most bizarrely homegenous pocket of people.

I don't know if this happens so much outside of London suburbs.

The people around me now just seem like individuals.

Ooh Booths, we drive to Clitheroe to get our fix of Booths loveliness.

I love where we live now, but there are other places I know I'd love too, not necessarily in the North. DH though, is a different matter, he couldn't settle anywhere else. He actually would love to live further North if possible.

I worked in Manchester for years but know I couldn't settle in South Manchester/Cheshire, I am not a city type and not keen on South Manchester in general, though have had some memorable (I think...) nights out there.

I like the mix of people here, as someone has already said, where we live "nice areas" are interpersed with not so nice, which is a good thing imo.

maggie I know what you mean. When we first moved to Cumbria, I was quite shocked that there were very few people fitting your description '30 something university-educated guardian-reading, recycling, hummous-eating etc'. I think it is a London/ SE thing.

To some extent I now realise as you imply that the mixture we have now is more normal! I have to make an effort to find a few fitting your description to keep me sane, though!

Lizzylou Yum Booths!

I spent a lot of time in South Manchester. Weird place. I know lots of people love it - good schools, well-brought up types, facilities and, let's face it - posh - but I couldn't wait to escape.

Much prefer Ruby's extreme north 'where men are men and sheep are...'!

Why is okay to Southerner/South bash?

It's not, I don't think anyone is, are they Starwhores?

Mabh, Booths is my favouristest supermarket ever, I like the Kirby Lonsdale one best (then Clitheroe, then Settle), I could do a tour of the North to sample em all

I know what you mean about South Manchester, when I go I feel a bit gauche and yokellish.
My friend lives there and it is lovely, but I like this side better for me, I feel more comfy here.

Suspect that says more about me than people from South Mancs though

star Not southern-bashing. I think it's about feeling at home, wherever that is. Or it is for me. I'd love to hear about the things that make you love your (southern?) home, too!

It seems that it isn't just me then because a lot of people have cited South Yorks as being unfriendly and this is exactly where I am.

Sheffield is different if you are lucky enough to be able to afford the affluent south west of the city. However if you look at some of the others area it can be grim (as can anywhere)I am not a north basher. It is where I live, I am finally happy here and there is some truly breathtaking scenery. I just don't find South Yorks in particular very friendly

i am originally from Barnsley and agree that alot of people are unfriendly there. Not all of us are though! I live on the outskirts of Wakefield/hudds and love it here!

I am originally from Derbyshire, and love it up there. I am always trying to get dh to go to the peak district on holiday. I live in the South, my sister lives in Sheffield. I love going to visit her.
Ahh! The north!
My heart desires it!

YANBU. Yeah I miss the pennines. The humour is attractive you're right- my old Northern friends can make me laugh much more than anyone else. I miss the sky too, it's just not the same in the south.

Mind you in the village I come from, you can't buy a lime for love nor money.

yeah, but in the places where shops do stock limes, they've never heard of 'for love nor money'. I could go without limes just to live amongst people who speak the same darn language!

Home is home. I bet even refugees fleeing horrible situations miss home sometimes.

I miss Australia, for exactly the same reasons you listed. It is just easier being at home, surrounded by familiarity and people raised in a similar way.

Have you noticed how everyone who lives in the South, tends to have some sort of uniform manner of dressing. Up north people are individuals.
The North is all twinkly and beautiful.

is "for love nor money" a northern phrase? well I never.

Squash, that's a joke right? Unless individual means wearing tarty bits of fuck all 'on a night out wi' the lasses'.

or, in my (rural) case jeans, wellies and a fleece...

I don't think people in SYorks are unfriendly? We lived there for 9 years after graduating and have only just moved up to York. We made so many friends there and really didn't know anyone when we first went there, but really made loads of great friends. I am originally from North Yorks and DH is from Cumbria, so occasionally got ribbed for being from the 'posh' part of Yorkshire, but that was it really.
We love visiting London and friends in the south, but i do find people a bit unfriendly. I have one vivid memory of my first trip down to London when I was 16, and my Dad and I were travelling on the tube. The tube was quite busy, my Dad got on first and got a seat and tried to save the seat next to him for me, and this rude city type woman sat down in the seat and said: 'there are no names on seats here, dear...!' Silly, i know, but one of those things that I will always remember!!
I love living in the north, think South Yorkshire is as far south as we would ever live!!

YANBU about missing home but my experience has been very different.

We have moved down south and I am glad to be away from the North, so glad infact that I have not been able to visit any family since we left. We did live somewhere quite grim though.

I find people much friendlier down here and happier and our quality of life is so much better. I have even been able to reduce my anti depressants since moving I do tend to bond with northerner I meet down here though, none of them want to go back eiether.

Starwhores, noone is slating the South, but you seem very scathing about the North.

Believe you me, only a fool goes out in tarty bits of nothing in these parts on a night out, it is far too cold for one. I am sure that there are loads of tarts/slappers in the South as well as the North.

Vicky from Little Britain?

That Catherine Tate, "Whatever" girl....

We have Northern versions too, we're not that backward

Surely Squash is joking???!!!