North/South Divide

Now...I hope this doesn't turn into a heated discussion. This is just my personal experience and I'm by no means suggesting it is the rule!

I was just wondering why it seems that so many southerners have such contempt for anyone they consider remotely 'northern'. I'm from the Midlands (but no southerner I've ever met has acknowledged this...) and go to university in the south.

Basically (and this is just based on personal experience) I was just wondering if anyone else has this experience of southern people essentially viewing anything above London as some sort of lesser place? I have a friend from Kent who, having never actually travelled further north than London himself, holds the opinion that anything remotely 'north' is grey, industrial, boring and destitute.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm hearing about how **** the north is everyday but I've had enough experience of it having lived here 3 years to wonder what's going on! Nobody I know from home has anything bad to say about southerners (although I would now say that some are perhaps a little ignorant!) although I haven't had much experience of what those who live in the the 'proper' north (Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle etc)...what do you think?

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Reply 1

Sheep

I'm from the north and I can totally agree with your kent friend lol

also I think this has been a common thing in British history, just look at game of thrones for reference lol

Reply 2

venenecinema

I am from the south and I think that it's often joked about in good spirit, and I have definitely heard the term "southern softy" thrown around a bit

Reply 3

chronic_fatigue

Original post by Sheep

I'm from the north and I can totally agree with your kent friend lol

also I think this has been a common thing in British history, just look at game of thrones for reference lol

When I read the books I thought this like the north/south divide in england. Are the wildlings supposed to be the Scots lol ?

Reply 4

kopite493

Original post by venenecinema

I am from the south and I think that it's often joked about in good spirit, and I have definitely heard the term "southern softy" thrown around a bit

tbf the term southern softy is usually quite accurate for well some places in the south kent, brighton, southampton being the major contenders there

Reply 5

kopite493

Original post by chronic_fatigue

When I read the books I thought this like the north/south divide in england. Are the wildlings supposed to be the Scots lol ?

they are yes

with the north being liverpool,manchester,leeds and so on 'the real north'

riverlands,vale,stormlands are the midlands so birmigham and areas

with kings landing being london, the iron islands are island the reach is wales no idea what the lanisters and dorne are meant to be though

Reply 6

Raiden10

Original post by kopite493

God knows the people in Southampton, they must be the softest most rubbish people ever. I mean, they're so far south.

The South are so naive it's got to the point where they don't actually know anything.

It is said that someone once raised a stick at a Southlander and he fled in fright.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 7

Manitude

I find some Southerners ignorance about the north to be quite amusing. Though as the only remotely northern person in my house currently (second place goes to Peterborough) I get a lot of abuse for it. I went even further north to university to get AWAY from you people dammit!

Reply 8

Stevo112

I went for a PGCE interview in canterbury last week and it was possibly the funniest interview I have ever had (i'm from near liverpool with a hint of the accent)...

Ok most there were normal people, but they did seem very dismissive of my ideas at times. As soon as I opened my gob some did seem genuinely irritated. There was this one bloke though... my word was he a weirdo. I could describe his personality but suffice to say his moustache summed it up! A long one with curly ends. He spoke extremely posh and eloquently. He is probably the son of the best lecturer in Cambridge. In contrast he sat next to me, a smiling, chatty and slightly goofy scouser (certainly not eloquent!) We were quite a pair :colondollar:

I think he actually hated me! :tongue:

I think the university is going to reject me though, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was based on cultural aspects (ie discrimination). But I could never prove that anyway, I just get that impression because the interview did go down really well. I did engage the interviewers really well and got them smiling but ultimately i'm not sure they really want someone different!

But yea, the northerners seem to be so much friendlier! Spending some time recently in and around london you really do see the difference between north and south people. I was walking near euston station the other day and there was a bloke who looked either dead or comatose (he wasn't visibly breathing) just lying on the grass in the public. I stopped to try and spot if he was breathing and must have clocked about 15 southerners who simply ignored this poor bloke! I went over to check him and he was actually breathing so just rang the police. Still though, londoners suck! For all the bad things I could name about liverpool I could never criticize the normal average joe who would help out their fellow man without question which happens a lot on a daily basis around here.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 9

kopite493

Original post by Stevo112

I think he actually hated me! :tongue:

technically your not a scouser :wink:

but aslong as your not from the wirral ill let it slide :tongue:

Reply 10

elixira

I've found southerners tend to just joke about northerners, however I know SO many northerners who seem to really hate southerners!

I'm a northerner who's lived down south by the way, and realised that people are just people...

Reply 11

kopite493

Original post by elixira

i don't hate southerners, i do hate there inability to drink though, every-time i want a decent drink i have to go back up north cause people down south have like 8 drinks and there ****ed

i find this is like 95% of southerners im sure there's a few who can drink i just have yet to meet any

Reply 12

Stevo112

Original post by kopite493

technically your not a scouser :wink:

but aslong as your not from the wirral ill let it slide :tongue:

wallasey

Reply 13

Psyk

Original post by chronic_fatigue

When I read the books I thought this like the north/south divide in england. Are the wildlings supposed to be the Scots lol ?

That's what I figured, but they seem to have Geordie accents not Scottish ones.

Reply 14

kopite493

Original post by Stevo112

wallasey

why do you people insist on comparing that horrible grindy noise you make to the scouse accnet :mad:

Reply 15

username402722

There is a north/south divide- that's why I avoid going down south of the Thames if at all possible.

Reply 16

Stevo112

Original post by kopite493

why do you people insist on comparing that horrible grindy noise you make to the scouse accnet :mad:

actually i speak relatively posh for someone from wirral :tongue:

Reply 17

Snagprophet

Most of the English population is in the south though. I don't normally go north unless I'm going to Hull or Arbroath.

I'll just say that this 'North/South divide' is usually between London/South East England vs everywhere else, even if you include East and South West England. I sometimes think of myself as a Westerner.

Reply 18

SilverArch

Hi from the Midlands everyone!! :wavey:

Reply 19

Blackburn_Allen

Of course there's a divide. The social aspects of the North and the South are so different it is unbelievable and let's not bring the economic divide into it.

The North is often ignored whilst the South is catered for in excess. However, to say the North is grey and boring is ridiculous. The North of England is home to some of the best places in Britain and, in my opinion, is far more culturally diverse than the South could ever dream of being.

However, the thought that the Southerners are soft and the Northerners monkeys shouldn't really enter your mind. It's only a bit of banter and I don't think either side hold any real malice to anyone born in the opposite side of England to them.