What does the rest of England think of the North East? Do you still see coal-mining and allotments?

Question

I have always wondered what the people from, say London, think of the NorthEast of England, ie, what do they think of when someone says North East?

Answer 1

cold, damp, you speak with a funny accent that only the scots can decipher, you have that metal sculpture thats going rusty, oh! it should be like that..........

Answer 2

I live in Scotland but I was born in South Shields and lived most of my early life in Washington, Tyne and Wear. I get told I am a Geordie when really I am a sand-dancer but I get different views of the North East from different people. Some people hear my voice and assume I am un-educated and not worthy of their time.Quite often this assumption comes from males over a certain age, bred in the more sophisticated areas of Southern England! Some people assume I am Scottish (but only non Scottish folk!) and some delight in telling me how great their last visit to the North East was, how much they enjoyed the nightlife, the culture, the shopping and the history of the area.

I guess it is the same with most things these days, people believe stereotypical images of places, people and cultures etc. It is only once they have experienced it themselves that they can make informed decisions. It's true that some people will still think of the North East as full of stupid young girls and ignorant boys, working class, council houses, coal mines and Geordie's.

However good things came from the North East. Ant and Dec - sorry about that! The leader singer of Franz Ferdinand, football - though not lately, Bryan Ferry, The Metro Centre, Castles, museums, churches, art galleries and me!

Answer 3

My impressions have been moulded variously by having to study Anglo Saxon; by the beauty of Durham Cathedral and, for that matter, the rest of Durham; by the ebulliance of Newcastle, that great shopping haven for Scandinavians and the place where one catches ships to cross the North Sea; by the friendliness of the people and their enchanting accent and by the short holiday we took this year in Hexham, visiting Hadrian's wall, admiring the wonderful scenery, enjoying the delights of the farmer's market and wondering why they keep all those delicious foods up there for themselves when the rest of us would love to be able to get hold of them. We saw plenty of farms and picturesque villages, but not a single coal mine or allotment. We did, however, visit someone with a spectacularly beautiful and well stocked garden.

No, sorry; my impression of the North East is one of beauty and abundance. I'll have to make a point of looking up some coal mines and allotments next time!

Answer 4

Traditionally the Southerners in England tend to think of the North in stereotypes if they have not been there themselves. It is an image which has been perpetrated by certain television programmes. But those who are familiar with the region realise that the Northerners are canny despite their supposedly rustic or broad accents and they live in areas of outstanding beauty, not just in rows of one up one down houses.Things have moved on since the Brontes, Catherine Cookson and Hannah Hauxwell. Towns like Newcastle and Durham have never been backward in an artistic or cultural sense and they harbour vibrant communities and excellent universities. Even small towns have made the most of their local amenities and have as much panache as their counterparts in the south. The air is clear up there and you have a quality of life which is immensely preferable to that of the South East even if it is colder and wetter.

Answer 5

auf wiedersehen pet.

i think it's cool - i went to newcastle last month and it seemed very cosmopolitan - with lots of pizzerias...
anyway, i think it's a nice place, if a little cold.

plus, i love the accent.

i never thought of the northeast of coalmines and allotments - i thought that was much more of a yorkshire thing (where i'm from).

in short, cool people, cool place, in both meanings of the word.

:-D

Answer 6

Yes, I see it still through the eyes of a child, the ship-builders, the harbour, the coal mines, rows of tiny terraced houses. It is where my late mother Georgina was born.

Answer 7

North East is the best part of the UK. When I go down south its full of flash cockney w**kers and immigrants.

Answer 8

I am from London an me ol nan was from Newcastle, Benwell.I miss her cookin Black puddin ,stews, fried liver an all that.Them geordies are pretty much like londoners anyway friendly an such

Answer 9

I'm not English, but as a Yank, I was quite impressed with Newcastle a few years ago, a very vibrant place - not the old industry-town image one associated with it.

Answer 10

White Stilettos and tattoos always reminds me of Whitley Bay