London Baby!!!

Skinto_7

Caroline_a wrote: »

I was born a Southerner and lived in the North for 20 years before I came home again. I was always considered an outsider and a 'bl00dy Southerner' when I lived up north, despite my best efforts to acquire a northern accent and fit in. I did find that for the most part, the North/South divide is live and kicking in the North, particularly the part I lived in, whereas for the most part people in the South don't notice it.

I have a few southern mates who live up here and they are absolutely spot on, no superiority complex or anything, ironic that its the notherners who spend 5 minutes down there that seem to aquire it!!!

Alikay

Ahh... I recognise the syndrome well :rotfl:
DS1 now lives in a hipster enclave in London and enjoys hanging out being achingly cool with his arty/techie buddies down there. He occasionally makes it back to the Midlands and can be inclined to look down his nose at our provincial little lives. It doesn't bother me too much: He's still young enough to know everything and sooner or later he'll grow up .

I hear the same thing can happen when people go away to university too.

maurice28

Myself and my group of friends from school are all now 28/29 and we grew up in a large village/small town just outside Manchester. Out of eight of us, five have moved down to London either straight after uni or in the subsequent years.

I think a few of them have the same attitude as your friend. They come home and are like 'oh I could never move back up here now' and I do get the impression they think it small minded of the few of us that have stayed here. I personally stayed round here because after travelling and doing other things, I still found I loved Manchester. The village I grew up in offered beautiful surroundings while only being a 30 minute train ride from the city centre, where many jobs could be found. I didn't see the point of moving for the sake of it.

The few that have 'changed' go out in Manchester and often say things like 'I had no idea you had that lager up here!' or 'I thought that restaurant chain was only in London!'

I do feel like pointing out that Manchester is England's second city (no offence to Birmingham!) and that we even have electricity and running water nowadays! Oh, and if another London resident tells me I haven't lived until I've had a Byron burger I'll scream.

The fact is though, I do see a pattern. The majority of my friends who moved to London are now getting sick of it as they near 30. They have met partners and are thinking about settling down, buying a house, having kids. They know they can't really do those things in London and so are looking to move back up north. And they are envious of those of us who have stayed up north and now own houses and cars and things they don't.

I think fair play to them for going to London and enjoying six or seven years there, and fair play to the ones who will probably stay there. But I do agree that it is annoying when they seem to think staying up north is narrow minded, rather than the conscious life decision it is!

Skinto_7

Alikay wrote: »

Ahh... I recognise the syndrome well :rotfl:
DS1 now lives in a hipster enclave in London and enjoys hanging out being achingly cool with his arty/techie buddies down there. He occasionally makes it back to the Midlands and can be inclined to look down his nose at our provincial little lives. It doesn't bother me too much: He's still young enough to know everything and sooner or later he'll grow up .

I hear the same thing can happen when people go away to university too.

DS1 doesnt live in a shared house with a snobby older scottish guy by any chance!!! :rotfl:

At least he has the excuse of youth on his side, my mate is struggling with that one!!!

Domayne

Haha I'm a londoner...and have no idea what a byron burger is? *hides in corner of shame*

aileth

Domayne wrote: »

Haha I'm a londoner...and have no idea what a byron burger is? *hides in corner of shame*

I suspect it's popular with these types:

maurice28

Domayne wrote: »

Haha I'm a londoner...and have no idea what a byron burger is? *hides in corner of shame*

Ha, it's a chain of burger restaurants similar to Gourmet Burger Kitchen. It used to be London-only but now they are popping up everywhere!

Domayne

aileth wrote: »

I suspect it's popular with these types:

Ah. Then I suppose its unlikely I will ever find out what it is either

aileth

Wasn't it a Byron Burger that George Osbourne was eating when he tried to get 'hip' with the common folk by eating some of our 'common' food?

tea_lover

I've got a few friends (well, aquaintances these days) from school that are like this. I like visiting London, and can understand why people would like living there. What I don't understand is their seemingly constant need to slag off the life choices that other people have made.

I chose to move back to my home town a few years ago for various good reasons, and I love it here. But for some reason that seems to genuinely offend some of them.

I've never noticed it with people from London.... just the ones who move there then feel the need to belittle everyone they grew up with.