Here it is, the age-old
debate: which is better out of the North and the South of England? Doesn't it
seem bizarre that there is such a large difference between two halves of such a
small country? Can you believe that around 7 million Britons have never
ventured across the north south divide? Three quarters of the British public
actually admit that they discriminate against those from the other side of the
'divide', with northerners thinking southerners are arrogant and up themselves,
and southerners thinking that northerners are backwards and bleak. So which
half of the country wins?
So here it goes, the top
5 best things about the North and South:
The
North:
1) The
People: In general,
although I hate to say it, I have found that the people in the North are so
much more kind and welcoming than those in the South. Always being more willing
to take the time out of their day to give you directions or just say good
morning.
2) The
Cost: Everything
is cheaper in the North! From houses to alcohol, it's just easier to live in
the North... The average house price in the South is around £280,000, whereas
in the North it is £140,000 - making it literally half as expensive to live in
the North as the South.
3) The
Beauty: Obviously this is
a plus side for both the North and South, but there is definitely something to
be said for the beauty of places such as North, on the whole it seems less
ruined than the majority of the South.
4) York: The South has London, the North has
York. Although these places are incomparable there is definitely something
to be said for York, this is proved by the fact that it is the second biggest
tourist destination after London. Considering York is tiny in comparison this
is pretty impressive...
5) Community: Generally people in the North feel more of
a sense of belonging to a community, this may well be due to my earlier point
about the people being kinder, but I think it is also because in the lifestyle
in the north doesn't seem to be so rushed and busy as it can be in the South.
The
South
1)
London: With hundreds of
attractions including the London Eye, Madame Tussaud's, and the tower of London,
the West end... the list goes on! You can be in London your whole life and
still be surprised by what you find, it never gets boring.
2)
The Weather:
Whatever the weather is like in the North, it's always better in the South...
Maybe it's because it's less windy, maybe it's warmer, and all I know is that
it always seems to be nicer...
3)
The Accents: (controversial,
I know....) This isn't really a sound argument for why the North is better, but
in general I just prefer Southern accents to Northern, the exception being
Newcastle which has a great accent.
4)
Cornwall: With the beaches
and surfing you can sometimes forget you are still in dreary England. Although
there are of course plenty of beaches in the North, I’m not sure that Blackpool
measures up to Cornwall when it comes to a summer holiday.
5)
The Businesses: Although
it isn't easy to find a job anywhere at the moment, there are more job
opportunities in the South compared to in the North. This is to be expected
seeing as London is the hub of trade in England.
The worst things about
the North and South have already been explained through the opposites top 5.
For example the main worst things about the South are the high prices and the
often rude people, whereas the worst things about the North is the weather and
the fact that overall it isn't as wealthy as the south. However seeing as this
is probably what makes the people kinder this is not necessarily a
bad thing...
So there isn't really a
better out of the two - it's purely a personal preference... In such a small
country it seems silly to have such a big split and to have formed such harsh
prejudices against the other side of the 'divide'. Everyone should just put
their pride to their side and admit one is not better than the other - they are
simply different.
