Is it friendlier Up North?

I lived up and down the UK over 40 years and found people to be friendly everywhere. The one area I found less receptive of anyone with a different accent was north Wales. Even going into shops if you even said Hello on entering and if there was another customer in already they reverted to speaking Welsh even though I had heard them chatting in English on entering. Happened in a lot of places. I admire the Welsh for using their language but to obviously so deliberately change was to me very rude. Thankfully was only there for a year.

I was born in Ilkley in West Yorkshire but moved away as a child. In the mid eighties I moved back there and found it hard to make friends, I only made two friends in the 9 years that I lived there. I now live in Banbury in Oxfordshire and find it a very friendly place in comparison.

Aveline

Yes. Friendly people find other friendly people everywhere. It's up to individuals not geography.

I get your point, but in my experience, once you get to know them people are friendlier as a rule in small towns or country places than in the big cities.

City people seem really afraid that getting to know the neighbours will lead to them imposing upon your.

Perhaps as a rule, in the smaller places we are better at saying right out, "No you can't borrow any more sugar (or whatever) until you start remembering to return what you borrow."

Of course. Always has been friendlier and more generous up North.
A strange question!

I can only comment from personal experience.

I'm from the North West and have lived in the North East for many years, in all that time, the majority of people I've met have been warm, friendly, helpful and polite.
When travelling for work....again, most people have been great.

My worst experience was the Scottish Borders - that was deeply unpleasant, from being accused of 'stealing jobs', being ignored in local shops, to having Flower of Scotland played outside my house at 3/4 a.m. However fantastic experiences in both Glasgow and Edinburgh...the latter still makes me smile when two rubbish collectors, went out of their way when I was totally lost, to personally escort me to the address I needed!

No point in generalising about it. Just depends on individuals everywhere.

I find if you are friendly to people the reciprocate anywhere in the UK (including London) and around the world

Friendliest place I have known is Dublin, then Liverpool.
Have spent a lot of time in London without living there and always find myself talking to someone.
Found Surrey a bit stand offish on the whole, but again, friendly individuals, it’s hard to generalise.
I’m in the north but in a prime golf club area and the members and neighbours (but not my late golfing DH) can be a pain in the bum. Same with the local drama society. Neighbours keep to themselves.

I have lived up north, I am a Southerner, and now I am back down south, really as far South as you can get, I am in Brighton. Wherever I live I am friendly, I talk to people in bus queues or in supermarket queues. Saw a girl in the street and told her I really liked her hair style, she was really pleased and thanked me. I am now 80 and have always been this way, I remember my Mum saying to me 'You talk to anyone' and I do.

I'm Glaswegian, but have lived in London, Devon and now reside on Merseyside. Glasgow is definitely friendly, everybody talks to anybody. London was different, everybody always rushing about, no time to talk. Never really knew the neighbours. Devon was not good for me, I think they had a distrust of the Scots; I found it very insular, even after living there for over 30 years. As soon as I arrived on The Wirral, I felt at home. People are genuinely kind and caring, especially to older folk. They show interest in other people's lives (without being nosy) and are keen to help those less fortunate.

When I moved to England, The Midlands, I found it strange people not chatting to each at bus stops, etc; maybe it was my accent they couldn't understand though.... Then I moved around Warrington, etc and found they were more chatty and would say hello to you. I'm back in now in N.Ireland and we would chat away to anyone, even the dog in the street if it would answer.

aonk

If my Northern DILs family are anything to go by my answer would be no! I’m sure they’re an exception!

Agree. Married to a Yorkshireman for 50 years. Have been told to my face how unfriendly Southerners are and wonder why I cant warm to them. Had the mickey taken about my accent, had it stated that Southerners are stinking rich, self centred and selfish. This from my husbands family. I accept they are not the norm. There are all types of people, some friendly others downright rude.

My Mum was from Leeds and married Dad and lived in London all her long married life. She reckoned most Londoners were unfriendly, especially if they heard her accent. I wouldn’t know being brought up in London - they seemed ok to me but that was people I grew up with and went to school with. One thing I do know, Londoners are suspicious of strangers and often with reason !

No … I moved from the North back South few years ago,
The south seems more respectful and polite

Went on a visit this summer and the town I went has deteriorated badly, along with the lifestyle and first time ever I didn’t feel quite safe
Friends from the North found the same when visiting us and only stay in the North as it’s lot cheaper, ..

Yes it is. I'm a southerner who moved up North 12 years ago. In my experience, Northerners look like they're going to growl at you, but then inevitably are friendly.

As a northerner from Sunderland I’ve lived overseas and here visited most of uk and i can confirm we are lol i can talk to anyone anywhere but unfortunately not everyone in other parts of the country do. I dated a guy from just outside London and boy were his neighbors hard work even in the shops ppl wouldn’t even reply just ignore you. Being ex military I’ve yet to meet any other places that are like us but I’m a ppl person I’d talk to the wall if I thought I’d get a reply lol

yes

My daughter and family moved from Surrey to Northumberland this year (due to house prices) and they have found the people very friendly.

Scotland is a very friendly country - north and south, east and west.

but having said all of that above, I will talk to anyone here where i live if for instance waiting at the bus stop to make polite conversation nothing too heavy or personal of a conversation and that there is nothing wrong with being polite in a shop/store or a pub/restaurant helps the day be a better one.

Interesting question. Myself being brought up in the north of manchester moved south when i got married as my husband got job in hertfordshire - and such lovely people down there and we moved back north to then come down to warwickshire and had neighbours here who did not even speak to us for years and years - weird which i do believe stories like this if english people move over to Wales, and only have been to London on day outing but I DO BELIEVE ITS THE PERSON THEMSELVES AND NOT THE AREA BUT WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH.

I'd say (being a northerner who has lived in other areas of the UK) that northern people are more likely to chat to strangers on buses, at bus stops, in shops etc.

We moved to North Shropshire from Cambridgeshire nine years ago. Perhaps it’s the slower, more relaxed pace of life here but total strangers make eye contact and greet you on the street - it’s certainly much friendlier than when I lived in London! There’s also greater courtesy shown towards other drivers which has to be a positive thing.

That's lovely to hear Maggiemaybe just as it should be.
I've never, to my knowledge, been to Hull though I crossed the Humber bridge once.
I guess it's much the same as anywhere.
Some lovely people; some cross patches.
I'm a cross patch today as I've just had a front tooth extracted and can neither talk nor eat.
If anyone asked me for directions today I might shout swear at them!

Perhaps people are more outgoing up North - and round here we talk ourselves related to all and sundry, especially in queues or on public transport - but that doesn’t necessarily mean people are nicer. We’ve never been short of strangers helping us out when we need it wherever we’ve been in this country, even in that there London. As for Hull, we spent a couple of days there recently and people couldn’t have been friendlier. Whenever we stopped to get our bearings we got recommendations of where to eat and what to see whether we needed them or not.