Tartan???

[al' Sporrano]

Or the fact that southerners don't, as a rule, like and respect northerners.

Al,

You are guilty of adopting the same stereotypes as the Londoners use. Most Northerners, when referring to Southerners, are really talking about Southeasterners and Londoners in particular. They forget that the South consists of much more than just London and the Southeast. This is just as bad as Londoners thinking that Newcastle is exactly the same as Liverpool.

When I first moved to London from Devon, they all assumed that I came from some mucky old cattle farm, because thats all there was in Devon, wasn't there?

The Northerners weren't much better. When I was travelling on a train from Preston to Plymouth, my fellow passengers (Northerners, who were travelling as far as Bristol) thought that Plymouth was two or three miles past Bristol. When I told them that Plymouth was further from Bristol than Bristol was from London, and that Plymouth was further from London than Liverpool was, they refused to believe me.

Ignorance comes in all shapes and sizes I am afraid, and some of them are even Northerners.

Rob

Hi Rob

You have a point as always.

When I was talking about southerners I wasn't talking about those in the WEST country. Much of my attention WAS on the capital and surrounding counties. And of course, my comments are general - some 'southerners' I know are very nice people. Take Hamish for example.

But these old feelings are based on past and current prejudices which exist even today. And we in the north east (rather than just the north) have born the brunt of it over the years.

I can understand your frustrations as well. The image of country yokels in smocks, straw hats, chewing a wheat stalk, whilst milking cows and eating cream teas. The WORZELS have a lot to answer for.

I don't like London. I do like Edinburgh. Let's just leave it at that.

Al