The North/South divide: Northerners are people too

To be honest, the North/South divide was something I never really thought about until I moved to London.

I come from a small town called Chester le Street in County Durham, where pretty much every need can be satisfied by a trip to B&M Bargains (which I understand doesn’t exist here) or one of the town’s numerous takeaways and pound shops.

So, obviously, I anticipated a bit of a change when I packed myself off down south. However, in all honesty – it’s not even that different.

Probably not Northern

It’s pretty well known that up North people are, statistically, poorer and unhealthier than they are down south. Clearly, figures like this will create stereotypes.

But, contrary to apparently popular belief, not every single person beyond St. Albans is backward, pie-eating, poor inbred. Groundbreaking stuff, I know.

And anyway, from the queue at Greggs next to the Strand Campus on an afternoon, I’d say southerners quite like pies too. So really, you’re welcome?

Now we’re talking… Photo by oatsy40

What I’m saying, though, is that you can’t make sweeping generalisations.

There are rich people and poor people almost everywhere. And obviously, London’s economic growth is going to be greater than the North East’s: it’s the capital. In my opinion, the North/South divide, especially within university life, is mostly a cultural, anecdotal thing.

And it definitely isn’t helped by some southerners seemingly seeing the north as some sort of unknown, barren stretch of land running from the Scottish border down to the M25.

We tend not to wear red trousers

As someone who has lived at both ends of the country, I can confirm that northerners are not any more uneducated, alcohol fuelled or thuggish than southerners: they’re actually, on the whole, extremely friendly and very genuine.

I mean, there are some lovely people down south too, but you have to take your time with them – they’re well into stranger danger. Meanwhile, you can generally tell a northerner by their ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, anytime: you take them as they are, or not at all.

They will also offer to carry your suitcase, which is practically heavier than you are, onto the train back to Newcastle after you’ve just dragged it halfway across London without so much as a door being held for you (real life stories here).

No chatting on the Tube, please… Photo by Andrew Reid Wildman

But, really, that’s the main difference I’ve noticed. I don’t feel any different from my southern counterparts.

Okay, so I don’t understand rugby, and I think Pimms tastes awful. I don’t feel the cold when you’re wearing a whole flock’s worth of knitwear. One of my all time favourite foods is ham and pease pudding, and I probably do say ‘like’ a little bit too much.

But no, I’m not a miner’s offspring, I have no strong feelings towards Margaret Thatcher, and all the North/South divide does is stereotype, when really, I’m probably just like you.