Thinking of moving to Northumberland alone, how safe and welcoming is it to South Asian people or people of colour?

[TheQuaintPeer]

I'm thinking of moving to Northumberland but I've heard that there is a lot of racism and hate crime in the North East compared to the south of the UK. I'm a single woman and will be moving alone. Has anyone experienced this type of thing and do you think I'll be safe? I can't afford to live in the south anymore and I've always wanted to move up north but I'm a bit worried with the resurgence of the right wing and the violent riots after the Southport murders in Sunderland and Middlesborough were scary. I was born in England but my parents are of Indian origin.

Northumberland is absolutely bloody massive. Which bit were you thinking of? There’s more sheep in Northumberland than people.

I have no idea if the person you’re responding to was thinking of this or not when she posted, but Reform has said they intend to deport people who have Indefinite Leave to Remain. Legal immigrants with settled status, in other words. No need to commit a crime, just ILR = deportation.

It has been fairly disquieting to see how few people (except families who’d be directly affected) realise what impact that would have.

Reform have said they'd offer a spousal visa.

I prefer the Restore approach of getting rid of ALL the illegals.

Not all legal immigrants with settled status are married to British people.

There is a really nice, affluent part of Fenham. Big detached houses, backs onto the town moor.

Expensive though, although not compared to the SE.

Totally agree about Walker tho!

Are the black sheet ostracised and rejected?

Hi Everyone
Thanks so much for all your messages- they've been so helpful and informative 😊For those that are doubting my aptitude in Geography, I'm aware that Middlesbrough and Sunderland are not in Northumberland but are still part of the wider North East and therefore should I decide to travel outside the vicinity, it's possible I could come into contact with those areas. So I had been looking at Durham but I think I would prefer to move to Northumberland, specifically Morpeth and work in Newcastle. I was brought up in an affluent area of west Oxfordshire where there was no diversity and I didn't mind at all as I never encountered racism and was very happy there. Now I live in Bristol which is very nice but it's become too expensive to buy a house hence I'm looking to move up north and I've always loved the idea of Northumberland. One of my best friends was a geordie and so I know how lovely and friendly they generally are but was obviously concerned about the general north east's higher incidents of racism and hate crime as I previously mentioned. I'm sorry that some people have become defensive about my original post but I'm just stating the facts based on statistics but obviously I have only been to Newcastle once, about 27 years ago.

Is it possible you could share those statistics that show the north east is more racist than the rest of the country?

Morpeth is a lovely market town. There's a direct train to Newcastle and its a relatively short journey so ideal for commuting. Have you visited Morpeth before?

@TheAmusedQuail there really isn’t an “affluent” part of Fenham, just a few streets with bigger houses.

I live in Ponteland and it’s a pretty mixed bag of heritages here, small village feel.

I would say Morpeth has a larger town centre with lots going on, but I can’t say what it’s like to live there.

WRT to “coming into contact with Sunderland or Middlesbrough” I can honestly say I’ve lived in Newcastle/Northumberland for almost 40 years (my whole life) and I have been to Middlesbrough twice and Sunderland a handful of times but mainly for gigs at the Stadium of Light. you really don’t have to visit those cities if you don’t want to.

We’ve a house in Jesmond.

DH’s family were once upon a time from Scrogg Road.

I asked DH. He’s been to Middlesbrough once and never to Sunderland.

For some reason he seemed almost offended at being asked.

But to answer the question, Morpeth is lovely. An easy train or drive into Newcastle.

It’s also worth looking in Ponteland or Tynemouth, which have a similar feel.

Why not visit the area and see if you experience racism first, and then decide?

🤔I am born and bred Sunderland. Please don't diss it. Especially if your total experience is a concert at the SOL.

Morpeth/Hexham and an easy commute to Newcastle would work also Tynemouth and Ponteland but the latter is expensive by up north standards and I agree with others I'm a Geordie who has loved here for 40+ years been to Middlesbrough once to the hospital and Sunderland occasionally to go to the theatre (which is very good)

I live in county Durham on the border with Northumberland. I pass as white British but am mixed race british-asian.

There has definitely been an increase in open expressions of racism and general xenophobia over the last few years.

If I ever point out to people that they're talking about me the response is "oh I don't mean you/people like you". Or point out that they're being racist they'll change tack and end up arguing black is white. It's made me think a lot less of many of my neighbours.

I suspect that many of the "it doesn't happen here" brigade are white.

Do you push your dog around in a pram?

Out of interest what happens if you reform won the council you live in, would you continually move house?

I’m from Co. Durham and lived in Middlesbrough for 10 years, I wouldn’t move to either if I wasn’t white - so OP maybe had a point on avoiding some of those areas.

Particularly County Durham, can’t risk bumping into Darren Grimes.

My family live in Billingham, it’s over 97% white.

I’d assume that some areas of Northumberland are local areas for local people (but that is just an assumption!)

@TheQuaintPeer there is a South Asian Mumsnetters board. If you post there, you may find a better range of responses, from people with direct experience.

(I don't know why anyone lives in Durham.)

@Dandelionsalad I wouldn't be able to advise as I've only lived in areas with no ethnic minorities.

You won’t be able to advise whether it is racist or not to make negative assumptions about people based on skin colour and stereotypes?

In several areas of the UK today English people are an ethnic minority.

Among the other idiocies in that post is that Northumberland is not run by Reform, it is under no overall control administered by a minority Conservative administration.

@Dandelionsalad of course it would but I have not made any such assumption therefore your comment is not applicable to me. I simply asked a question based on official statistics that I had seen. Whatever you decide to make of that is up to you.