Is the culture between The North and The South that extreme?

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Jakemyers-12@reddit

The northern culture is more close to Scotlands than southern Englands so yes.

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Donkey__Oaty@reddit

Just wait until you discover the differences between England and the other countries in the UK. It'll blow your mind! Some of those people even speak a different language 🤯

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Whyisthethethe@reddit

It’s more of a proxy for class than anything. Working class southerners don’t exist apparently

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MajorMisundrstanding@reddit

Only in Essex, and Cornwall out of season.

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PiemasterUK@reddit

LOL Essex is one of the most middle-class counties in the UK

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If that's what you think we've got wildly different perspectives of what constitutes middle class. It's not simply a question of money. Essex might have a lot of people living in big houses and driving about in Range Rovers but that does not a middle class make.

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PiemasterUK@reddit

>If that's what you think we've got wildly different perspectives of what constitutes middle class. What is your definition of middle class?

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MajorMisundrstanding@reddit

It's a subtle combination of family background, social and economic advantage, educational achievement, employment, cultural experience and interests, expectation and ambition, the area you live in, your children's education and even the TV shows you enjoy, the newspaper you take and the furniture and decor in your home.

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PiemasterUK@reddit

Some of that seems extremely circular. Even discarding the obvious of "the area you live in" (how can you say which areas are more middle class when you are measuring how middle class you are by which area you live in?) many of the others are also less obviously begging the question. Like who decides what furniture and what TV shows are assigned to which class? Presumably someone who looks at which TV shows and which furniture people from each class buy. I'm sure you can see the problem with that. Of those that aren't circular, which would you say that Essex fares badly in? For example they seem to have reasonable rates of education in the population (West Essex very high, East Essex relatively low, but roughly in line with rural areas elsewhere in the country). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/educationandchildcare/bulletins/educationenglandandwales/census2021

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Frosty_Technology842@reddit

Essex has many of the top performing state schools in the country too. Some of the beliefs around "middle class areas" are nothing more than self-perpetuating fantasies. Take Surrey. Why is it considered to be "middle class" or, why is perceived as a popular place for middle class families to live? Could it be that its popularity relies on a belief that many high-net worth individuals live there so therefore, so the logic goes, it must be a desirable area? So essentially, aspirational snobs looking to rub shoulders with the wealthy, even if the town is dreary, old-fashioned and has no better services or shops than anywhere else.

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EchoesofIllyria@reddit

Some of it is extremely circular. That’s part of the problem!

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matomo23@reddit

And lots of people really struggling to afford those houses too because the house prices are insane.

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Fit_Manufacturer4568@reddit

I spent a year in Harlow.

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PiemasterUK@reddit

Yeah Harlow isn't very nice. Every county, even the most affluent ones, have their crap towns though. Hertfordshire has Stevenage, Hampshire has Portsmouth etc.

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Milky_Finger@reddit

Only half of it afaik

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JHock93@reddit

Also applies to middle class northerners. They can't be middle class, listen to their accent!

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matomo23@reddit

Quite annoying really, it’s all about people’s perception of a county or region isn’t it? I had someone recently argue with me that there’s no way the county of Merseyside has any countryside, villages or beaches and what a laughable notion that it would. Mate….just open up Google Maps and see for yourself, it’s not difficult nowadays.

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UncleSnowstorm@reddit

Also conflated with urban/rural divides

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SlanderousMoose@reddit

That's weird because I think I am one? Should I go to a zoo for testing?

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NandosCEO@reddit

Yes, I'd say it's quite extreme if by "The South" you mean London. People up north walk really slow, usually aimlessly with no real meaning. Most of their day is spent walking around, smiling and waving at anyone in the hope of engaging in conversation to pass the time. When I say "conversation", it's really just a mix of small-talk and gossip. The majority of them have insecurities, believing stereotypes of people from the big city either through word of mouth or their own one off experiences where they found themselves in Kings Cross at peak rush hour and decided it was a disgusting, rat-infested wasteland. Because the levels of education are considerably lower, they often can't see things for what they are. Natural History Museum? It's just an old building to them filled with junk. Kew Gardens? A field with plants. Oh, and then there's their difficulty in getting on with other "types". You see, 40% of Londoners weren't born in the UK and that creates some difficulty. They don't want things to stray too far from what they know: Yorkshire Tea, Branston Beans, a proper good curry.

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Frosty_Technology842@reddit

Grew up in Cornwall in the 80s and met plenty of white London migrants. They were some of the biggest racists I've ever met. "Too many blacks in London, that's why we moved to Cornwall". This notion that London is some multiracial utopia is bull.

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scifisam2020@reddit

You are literally talking about people who don't live in London any more though. Also nobody claims it's a multracial utopia.

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Zamianta@reddit

40 years ago......

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LecherouslyLethal@reddit

Been to many boroughs in London, wish I never had to. Fact is London is a pretentious city, and the parts that aren't pretentious are so impoverished that the youth are almost exclusively mired in Drill music and gang culture. To find a diverse range of interests in London you'll be looking at young, professional adults. Birmingham is very similar, Manchester and Liverpool are not. You will find different communities at all age groups, very few centred on gang culture. I'm also amused at the point about 40% of London coming from elsewhere. As if Greater Manchester, Merseyside & West Yorkshire are teeming with Little Englanders. Isn't that the entire stereotype of West London? One with good evidence I might add, such as when those Chelsea fans vocalised their love of multiculturalism and inclusivity on a French train. Muppet.

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NandosCEO@reddit

Been to Manchester and Liverpool. Never going back. Congested, awful cities, full of insecurities about "The South" as they call it. Everything is boring. Lack of culture, diversity, excitement. It's all "Manchester" and The Beatles. Very backwards thinking.

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LecherouslyLethal@reddit

If you think Manchester & Liverpool are congested then you're likely not from London. The green spaces in London are few and far between, and wherever there aren't swathes of people there are tall ugly estates.

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NandosCEO@reddit

>The green spaces in London are few and far between, and wherever there aren't swathes of people there are tall ugly estates. I am from London. That's why I know what I'm talking about. Here we have 3000 parks an and designated green spaces, making it literally the "greenest" city in Europe. That also means 40% of London is green space or open water. But don't let stats get in the way of your prejudice :)

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matomo23@reddit

Don’t be silly, and grow up.

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NandosCEO@reddit

Silly? That was my experience. I've given it a chance. Didn't like it. From now on I stick to London or go abroad.

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matomo23@reddit

In the last few years I’m in London nearly every week and I have a lot of time to wander about much of it looks really scruffy to me. My conclusion is that the house prices and rent are so insanely high that no one has any money to actually keep their houses looking nice! I live in a decent part of Merseyside, but mine is a county that Londoners often take the piss out of. They think the whole county is like Walton or Anfield. Without fail I’m glad to get home, the towns and villages round here look smart. Houses aren’t cheap here but people aren’t as strapped for cash and generally seem to make their house and the wider area look nicer.

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matomo23@reddit

I’m sure you’re joking but what you’re describing is urban vs rural really.

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buymybone@reddit

No. Brits just like to ham it up about regional differences. It's more of a London vs everyone thing than a North/South thing.

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imminentmailing463@reddit

Even moreso than London/the rest of the country, I think it's big city vs town and village. I've lived in London and visited Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds plenty. The culture is not all that different between London and those cities. The difference between, for example, Manchester and a small town or village in the north is much greater than between Manchester and London. Meanwhile, that small town or village will be much more similar to a small town or village in the south than it is to Manchester.

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Qyro@reddit

Urban vs Rural cultural differences are something every country shares but no-one seems to talk about.

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Teembeau@reddit

People always say "The French are really rude" then you ask where they went and it's Paris. And well, Paris is about as rude as London. Go to a village out in the Charente and people are as friendly as people in rural Wiltshire.

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anonymouslyyoursxxx@reddit

"Friendly as rural Wiltshire..." all packing round ere

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Prestigious_Seal@reddit

I went to rural France and they were rude there too. The shop keeper in the village I stayed in refused to speak to me when I was buying stuff. Not even a mutter or grunt. However, I did see him interact normally with French people/ locals. I went to this shop every day for a week to get my cigs and whatever else I needed. For the first few days I tried speaking to him in French (my basic french is reasonable - definitely intelligible), and I was being polite, but he literally didn't say a word. He just put the cigs on the counter, took my money, and gave me my change. It was bizarre. After 2 days of this, I also stopped speaking apart from saying Marlborough. I would then silently place whatever else I wanted to buy on the counter, hand him the money, take my change and leave. It was very awkward. There weren't any other shops near by, otherwise I wouldn't have willing given him my business.

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Snoo-55142@reddit

My first time in Paris was driving through it at 2am on a return trip to Spain. My friend and i drove through Paris as we wanted to see it at night. At one point we were waiting for a light to change at a junction where there were a lot of restaurants and were observing two twenty something Parisian lads in a heated argument which turned physical. Suddenly the two stopped when they realised they had an audience and one of them gave a friendly smile and shouted in English "welcome to Paris my friends!" (our car was RHD and had GB stickers so it was obvious we were from the motherland) . The previous violence was forgotten and we waved enthusiastically back and hit the accelerator when it went green. So that day I left Paris able to say that in my excitatory 100% of Parisians i had met were friendly.

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easily-distracte@reddit

I think there is something more than that. When I visited Liverpool, a waitress realised we hadn't been brought menus and said with a big laugh "Ah, we're shit here aren't we?!" In 12 years in London I've not seen many of the same sort of casual and friendly responses - not saying people aren't nice but generally a bit more standoffish. And that's not a rural/urban divide.

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SplurgyA@reddit

I know what you mean. I have had playful banter with plenty of waiters and waitresses or bartenders in London, but they're usually cheaper/more down to earth places and it's when they clock you're normal and friendly. The old stereotype of the chirpy Cockney sparrow points to how Londoners weren't always so reserved. You definitely do see the difference in other cities in the UK - those nice informal jokey moments feel more commob. I kinda wonder if it's a population density thing - first time I went to Manchester I was a bit taken aback at how much more personal space I had out-and-about as people weren't so crammed in.

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ulayanibecha@reddit

The difference between London and Manchester/Birmingham feels much bigger to me than the difference between Manchester/Birmingham and a small city/town tbh, just bc London is in such a different league. It feels much more like a global hub & people are incredibly international whereas Manchester/Birmingham feel very English and similar to “Little England” in so many ways in comparison.

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jamesn001002@reddit

Were you dropped on your head as a child

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ulayanibecha@reddit

What a strange question to ask.

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Turkish_Canuck@reddit

There must be a cut off though? It's definitely not as you describe in Newcastle, Liverpool or York?

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imminentmailing463@reddit

It's about the size and vibe of the city, more than North/South. Liverpool has more in common with cities in the South than it does small towns or villages in the north, that's my point. Likewise Newcastle. York is more similar to Oxford or Bath or Cambridge than it is, say, Bradford.

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Geekmonster@reddit

I'd say it's more like London and the home counties. I.e. all the people who commute to London from their country houses.

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Geekmonster@reddit

I'd say it's more like London and the home counties. I.e. all the people who commute to London from their country houses.

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Isaibnmaryam@reddit

Disagree completely, unless you consider the South East, London. You’re not getting a culture shock in Guildford or Basildon.

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buymybone@reddit

Fair enough boyo.

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Alarmed-Examination5@reddit

Yes, I say "Can you close the door" they say "Can ya close door".

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VampireKissinger@reddit

Outsider here (not British) but after living extended in both, I would say yes if you live there extended periods. The North has less of an edge to it than the South, it's far more chilled, relaxed, openly working class and there is definitely a Northern Culture that has more cultural influence than London. South has far more of an "edge" to it and there is far more influence of London on the South, people are friendly in the South, but it's just... different? The *vibe* is very different. Like even in the same scenes like the music scene, the culture down south is more edgy and sketchy. This might be the most hippy, lame thing I will ever say, but if we were talking Waveforms, the North would be a Sine Waveform, the South a Sawtooth. The most "Northern" vibe place in the South imo is Bristol, which reminds me a lot of Sheffield, but even then Bristol just has an edge to it that Sheffield doesn't have.

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LogAltruistic9222@reddit

Yes, there is a noticeable difference. I notice it in my relatives who live in the North compared to my own family in the South. It's very obvious to me. I recently learnt my friendly neighbour lives in the north u til she was in her 30s/40s. I suddenly realised why she is the "friendly" neighbour.

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The_Church_Of_Todd@reddit

Yes. Those southerners are savages. Basically Mad-Max south of Sheffield

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Gulbasaur@reddit

Look, that's just Kent, alright? The rest of us are perfectly civilised in our avocado towers and cous cous chalets.

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remarkable_poetry191@reddit

I find living in the south, especially in urban areas, that people do tend to be more shut off. I do find quite an attitude and demeanour difference when moving from south to the north.

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Gulbasaur@reddit

I'm from the South East and now live in the South West. (I've also lived abroad and in the North of England, FWIW) I do think that, broadly, the South East is less friendly. Oddly, I really notice it when driving - the little wave gets less and less prevalent the further east you go. The hellos in shops. Nonsense chitchat. That kinda thing. You get friendly people everywhere and grumpy people everywhere, but I do think that for casual friendliness that West Country is Best Country.

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dbxp@reddit

There's elements of a north south split still but I think urban-rural is more noticeable these days.

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Rubber_jimmy@reddit

southerners are cocky pricks imo.

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Alert-Stress4@reddit

I've never had a problem dude. My multinational phrase book is always in my inside coat pocket. I did get caught out **ONCE**, but fortunately, I'd taken a 4 weeks course on hand gestures and we got by fine.

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Spottyjamie@reddit

Its imo more about environment differences than regional Eg a well heeled village in north yorkshire probably isnt much different to one in berkshire A shit concrete town in cumbria will be like a shit concrete one in essex I guess a few advantages north has are lower house prices and a lot of the stereotypical grim northern towns arent too far from a big city for more cultural opportunities whereas some southern ones are maybe more isolated, ie not close to london

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glaziben@reddit

Have lived and worked in South-East England, North Yorkshire and Lowland Scotland. People in this island really aren’t that different from each other

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Diega78@reddit

I am from the south, but live in the midlands now and some of my best friends are from the north. I (like to) think it's just tongue in cheek banter but I know some people are bound to take it too far.

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Miserable_Mix_6253@reddit

You say Brits then imply the south and north of England. As far as I’m concerned south is pretty much geographically, in Britain, anywhere south of about Newcastle.

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BeardedBunn@reddit

Anything North of the the South Downs is too far north for me!

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Miserable_Mix_6253@reddit

I don’t even know where that is - foreign geography is not my strong point.

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BeardedBunn@reddit

They are lots of hills that run through Sussex and up to Surrey border right on the South coast. A beautiful part of the world but then I would say that, I live here 😄

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Miserable_Mix_6253@reddit

Ah that’s England isn’t it - not wales or France ;)

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andi-amo@reddit

The north starts at Hampstead /s

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Snoo-55142@reddit

The river thames

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LongjumpingPizza2675@reddit (OP)

As a geordie, i think even calling yorkshire northern is a bit of a stretch

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GaijinFoot@reddit

It's not a geographical line. It's a cultural line. If you're from London, North is past Milton Keynes.

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thebagmanchicanery@reddit

Meh I'd say Cambridge

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verysmallwilly@reddit

When northerners say the south they mean London Where I grew up is further from London than Newcastle and yes it’s in the south. And it’s nothing like London there, at all, even tho it’s almost the most southerly part of the fucking country South has nothing to do with it Northerners just think London IS the south.

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Frosty_Technology842@reddit

Absolutely. I grew up in Cornwall, It's 300 miles to Heathrow, 5 hr drive. Yeah sure, it's technically south of Birmingham (also 300 miles away) but no one in Cornwall (except perhaps diehard south eastern migrants) would say they're Southerners. In fact, does anyone ever say "I'm a Southerner"?

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verysmallwilly@reddit

They may do around south east England but I echo what u r saying as I grew up in Cornwall absolutely no one identifies as a southerner in fact I felt like I had nothing in common with anyone “southern” I ever met east of Exeter. And I think we out northern northerners in many northern trait departments. The whole north/south debate is totally redundant due to the width of the country in the south compared to the narrowness of it up north. This country is a triangle and it’s a pointless comparison, but one northerners are obsessed with.

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dwair@reddit

> I had nothing in common with anyone “southern” I ever met east of Exeter. As a resident of Cornwall I believe this this to be very true. I think we have nothing in common with other "southerners" and tbh, very little in common with the rest of the UK. Northerners are the closest and maybe those up in the NE of Wales but on the whole I feel only a tenuis connection to those who live on the other side of the Tamar.

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Kid_Kimura@reddit

This is exactly it. I like like 40 mins outside London and have more in common with my Northern cousins than I do people from London.

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LJA0611@reddit

As a northerner I think it’s bollocks - I’ve met friendly (and not so friendly) people all over the country. Including London! I find it a bit patronising tbh.

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FloppedYaYa@reddit

I can't stand any shit that generalises people into groups. It's more often than not laughably wrong.

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LiverpoolBelle@reddit

Generalisation are shite

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pinpoint321@reddit

Also a Northerner. I have a healthy skepticism towards that London, it’s not for the likes of me, you know. But this whole thing about no one ever talking to strangers is in my experience bollocks. I don’t know if it’s to do with space but one thing I noticed is that if there’s a space at your table someone wants to sit there. That doesn’t happen where I’m from. And then when they sit down they’ll very much talk to you.

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Downtown_Hope7471@reddit

London is a mirror. How you treat it, is what you get in return. If you walk around all angry that is your world. Same if you are friendly and smile.

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Pleasant-Plane-6340@reddit

Exactly, I chat / banter with strangers all the time in London

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Downtown_Hope7471@reddit

Is that because you are a geezer?

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JayR_97@reddit

London is great if you earn decent money, but on <£35k its awful.

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Downtown_Hope7471@reddit

I think its. Ore being older and having a house with family and friends. And whether you’re happy to sit on the edge of Epping Forest vs a flat with bankers in Clapham

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Sproutykins@reddit

People talk to me all the time here in the North! The other day, a fellow whom I’d never met in my life before threatened to stab me!

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Deus_Exx@reddit

If Scotland were to declare war on England I'd probably join the side of Scotland, it feels that way sometimes. But the whole reason for the whole North South division is due to the economic wealth disparities between the regions. This probably goes back many many years ago.

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superjambi@reddit

I’d say most of the cultural differences between north and south are just repackaged rural vs urban differences or social class differences. It feels like there is a substantial cultural difference between London and the rest of the UK though.

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Isaibnmaryam@reddit

Nah, depending on which part of London you’re talking about there’s usually overlap with the Home Counties. In East London for example I wouldn’t say there is a big cultural difference as it transitions to Essex.

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Nanoid321@reddit

Northern lass here in the south... Love it when hear a northern accent

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NoPalpitation9639@reddit

Usually accompanied with a Leeds/Villa/Liverpool/Everton/Sunderland football shirt

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Nanoid321@reddit

Don't forget Donny rovers lol

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NoPalpitation9639@reddit

Not one I've seen to be honest!

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Nanoid321@reddit

Ha ha

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FloppedYaYa@reddit

I imagine this means zero Wigan Athletic shirts either

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NoPalpitation9639@reddit

I've definitely seen wigan unfortunately

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FloppedYaYa@reddit

This shocks me

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NoPalpitation9639@reddit

As shocking as it may sound, I think they were glory hunters from the premier League years

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GaijinFoot@reddit

Very much so. For example in the south we put cream on first then jam when we eat a scone. In the north? They eat babies. Big difference

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CheekyGeth@reddit

cream first is literally worse than eating babies wtf literally every logical notion in my brain is screaming that it's self evident you put the thicker, stickier, lesser stuff on first or you won't be able to spread it properly maybe that's just the north in me but wtf

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GaijinFoot@reddit

Do you make a sandwich with jam and then butter on next? No. You make them with babies.

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Leifang666@reddit

On the scones, a Devonshire and a Cornish cream tea is very much entirely based on what order you put jam and cream. Your Southern debate has simply spread from the South West all the way across the country and over the Welsh and Scottish Borders. We don't eat babies up North but i have heard people put pies in a sandwich, which is basically the same thing. (Never seen anybody do this but I do believe it happens).

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tupped@reddit

Yes, you lot don't eat your kids, you marry them.

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LongjumpingPizza2675@reddit (OP)

don’t diss them until you’ve tried them. fry them with a good amount of seasoning, generous with the garlic and you’ve got yourself a good meal.

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GaijinFoot@reddit

Yeah so I've heard. Gravy chips alongside and you've got a boxing day dinner going

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SuperBiggles@reddit

Honestly, to me it always boils down to London versus the rest of the UK. Media, news and overseas image essentially paints London AS the UK, nowhere else in the country even exists to the average punter. This is compounded by the fact that London, and to a large extent it’s populace, honestly do think the country revolves around them. And that they are the be all and end of al of Britain. It’s infuriating. It’s even down to embarrassing memes like “British people be saying like Bri’ish”, etc… like cockney London accents are the only exported ones.

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LordofFruitAndBarely@reddit

No, I wish people would stop harping on about it. Maybe 50 years ago things were different, but now everything is the same. Same shops, same foods, same old shite

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matomo23@reddit

I do think the internet has probably brought us closer together. Sounds silly but we’re all chatting on here right now aren’t we? That just wasn’t happening in the same way decades ago.

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LordofFruitAndBarely@reddit

No we’d be congregating in a thriving social club, and engaging in group activities

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CosmicBonobo@reddit

Coming together to witness a man stuff a ferret down his trousers.

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LordofFruitAndBarely@reddit

Those were the days

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matomo23@reddit

We would, but in our own areas.

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LordofFruitAndBarely@reddit

Yes, good

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JN324@reddit

It’s more urban vs rural if anything, North vs South is hammed up but not that deep.

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g-the-explorer@reddit

I think it's a narrative perpetuated by the chronically online. I live just outside of SE London, always have done, but my work takes me regularly up North - and I mean actually up North in Whitehaven etc. People are the same everywhere you go. If you're friendly, they'll be friendly back. If you give off 'dont talk to me' vibes, you'll be left alone. I seem to make a new friend wherever I go. My only qualm about up north is the lack of uber services and the fact no one is in a rush to get anywhere, ever. They'd be going in reverse if they drove any slower. As someone who spends 90% of their time in the city I want to get to where I'm going ASAP. Otherwise, and particularly in regards to people, I think our communicated world has broken down lots of the pre-existing barriers.

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digidigitakt@reddit

No. Nobody cares.

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ManyHabit8785@reddit

No real difference. There’s just as many cunts up north as down south, and visa versa.

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matomo23@reddit

Mastercard versa also?

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Lisanolan2010@reddit

I think it's just a bit of harmless fun to be honest.

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Shoddy_Pie6514@reddit

Nah everyone's different. Hiveminds dont exist in humans

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Jack-Rabbit-002@reddit

One should come from the Midlands or as I like to call it the Middle Kingdom Under Heaven like the Chinese use too Lol Have fingers for the South and the North 🙂 Lol

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joshharvey02@reddit

No however I think that difference exists inside vs outside of cities. In a city nobody will say hi, smile at you etc. In a small town/village they will. North or South of the country.

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homealoneinuk@reddit

Yes. I've spent 15 years between the south east-west and couple in the middles. 2 years ago moved to NE (newcastle area) and there are couple diffrences noticable straight away. Some of the hard truths obviously will be hard to swallow to i expect to be heavily downvoted. Just for context - i work in big warehouse and mostly connect with working class blue collars. Mental health issues seem rampant. Whenever it is due to fact that people are just more open to talk about it, this area of the uk being much poorer overall, or other reasons, thats not up to me to judge. But i work in a large corporation in a managerial role and ive never see that many cases of mental issues across all ages, but especially among younger generation. Approach towards foreigners - while i wouldnt say people are hostile or discriminating , reception is definitely colder. Might be due to fact south has been way more diverse for a while now. Work ethic is much better - you can see people have been grafting here for generations and are much more focused on work and are more disciplined about it. These are just a couple i can think off top of my head atm. Overall im happy i moved here, but theres 100% feelable diffrence.

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legrand_fromage@reddit

I guess it depends where you are down south. In London people are closed off but in Kent villages people will stip & chat. Was in Scotland recently & people would stop & chat to us in the supermarket just for hearing our southern voices. People down south wouldn't strike up convo in a supermarket with someone just for having a different accent. Happens in Manchester too people always stop to chat on the canal, I never have random convos with people in London unless they're drunk.

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DennisDingo@reddit

I say hello to everyone in my village. Couldn't get more south than here. Just London cunts that are rude in general I believe.

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Frontle1@reddit

It’s nice up north but boy, it’s soft down south.

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tyger2020@reddit

God no, its hardly even a real thing outside of a few words. Even so the trope about Northerners being super friendly is rubbish. I've lived in the north my entire life, I walk past plenty of people every single day and none of us acknowledge each others existence. A lot of it is just stereotypes more than anything

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Joseph_HTMP@reddit

>So I guess, are southerners really that closed off with people they don’t know? I was always surprised about how friendly people in Brum were after living in London for such a long time, but then I moved back to Milton Keynes and people were just as friendly. I think London is such an exhausting, difficult place to live that that kind of thing gets pushed to the back a bit.

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michaelisnotginger@reddit

London politeness is respecting people's social space. Other places that are less crowded politeness is being openly welcoming. You see the London politeness anywhere where there's lots of people

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lumpnsnots@reddit

When you spend an hour every day squashed into someone else's aromatic armpit on the tube, I can understand why Londoners might be less sociable

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WhereasMindless9500@reddit

It's like if you go for a hike, if it's a quiet route you're likely to say hi to everyone you pass, but if you're going up Ben Nevis on a bank holiday you won't.

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SickPuppy01@reddit

I live in Wales but work in offices in Leeds and London, so I get to see the differences all the time. 99% of what you see and hear between the areas is banter. It is the same between England and Wales. It is all for laughs (there is that 1% that take it a lot further than banter). The people of Wales and the North are far more open to friendly exchanges and having a chat, than Londoners. However that doesnt make Londoners less friendly, in my experience once you get past that initial barrier they are just as friendly and helpful as northerners and the Welsh.

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the_real_grinningdog@reddit

Depends on how far south you go. On the Isle of Wight I couldn't pop into the Co-op for a packet of biscuits without it taking 20 minutes. That's 3 minutes shopping and the rest just chatting to friends and neighbours.

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Incubus85@reddit

I'm from Somerset. Moved up to North Notts about 20 years ago I am still constantly met with 'Somerset. That's near London isn't it... despite the fact where I live now is further from London than where I used to live 🤣 'Hi this is x.... he talks a bit different he's from daaahn saahf..' 'oh london nice!' .... yes.. London.. let's all move on

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Downtown_Hope7471@reddit

I was born and bred in the North. I grew up with people talking utter shit to you at bus stops, having conversations with you in shops and all that wonderful northern friendliness. I've lived in London for over 30 years. And thank fuck. You don't get moronic bullshit just trying to get to work. Just reading doesn't result in people asking you 'what you reading for?" People down south are extremely friendly, kind and helpful. They don't just go around jabbering like an excited person, to anyone in the street. Unless they are care in the community.

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walnutwithteeth@reddit

I think people associate "the South," with London. Go to any smaller town, and people will still generally say hello and make eye contact.

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Incubus85@reddit

Or say hello and swerve the eye contact.

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Purple_ash8@reddit

True.

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N0elington@reddit

I live in Devon and anything past the border is northern and scary and further south down to cornwall is just backwards and wanting to be devon. The cornish have a better pasty which I will hate to admit but everything else is just pure savagery.

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abfgern_@reddit

Yes having lived in both its almost exactly the same, everyone over exaggurates everything

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fernincornwall@reddit

I live in the south and I’m too busy avoiding eye contact to answer you.

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LongjumpingPizza2675@reddit (OP)

does eye contact result in a stabbing?

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AkimboFrice@reddit

Asking about a stabbing could result in a stabbing, you a snitch G? This is Hella bait and I ain't even being par Bruv. What's it to you?! Keep fucking walking.

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