The Friendly North; Not the Stupid North.

It has not been too surprising to hear today on the news that people from the north of England are more friendly than people from the south. London and its suburbs have become as cold and hard as the money that flows through its arteries. Neighbours hardly talk anymore, men no longer offer their seats to women on the train (even pregnant or elderly ones) and communities are segregated by class, race and/or religion.


Travel an hour up the M1, M11 or A1 and things start to get a little friendlier. House prices drop, people drive and in deed walk a little less aggressively and when not in their cars will even usually reply if spoken to. In some extreme instances, some will even offer you a voluntary greeting with a smile upon passing you in the street whilst walking their dog or simply going for a stroll.


Anyone from London with any experience of travel up north will tell you the same thing and I think that as Londoners we should learn a few things about manners and life from our northern brethren. This is nothing new though, in the eighties, they were still leaving their front doors unlocked in some places whilst Londoners buttoned down the hatches due to increases in burglary and rape at the time.


What makes me angry is that the report that tells us what we already know may have in fact been paid for by us, the tax payer. The Institute for Public Policy Research North is part funded by the Northern Rock Foundation which was established upon the temporary nationalisation of Northern Rock earlier this year. Northern Rock has to give the trust £15million a year for the next three. Now I don't know much about the cost of this report , but I feel a little bit irked that whilst banks including Northern Rock are not making life easier for their mortgage customers despite Bank of England interest rate cuts, that £15million a year would not be better spent than telling us things we already know.


The IPPR North states on its website that its aim is; "to be a force for change by delivering far-reaching and realistic policy solutions that we hope will produce a fairer, more inclusive and more environmentally sustainable society"


When you look at the website and read the comments about this report, by the organisation itself, it is only then that you see the absolute futility of this report and how little it has to do with creating a fairer, more inclusive and environmentally sustainable society. It is obviously all about getting more money into the area. According to George Hepburn OBE being friendly, "is not all good news, as these strong networks could be a sign of inward looking communities and a lack of geographic mobility. The report challenges us to find ways in which we could be better connected nationally and internationally and to maximise opportunities for local people to look outwards and play their part in the wider world."


What I fail to appreciate is why the friendly people of the north of England would want to be better connected nationally and internationally than they are now. I also think that it is a bit diminutive to suggest that northerners do not in fact look outwards and play their part in the wider world. Look at the Beatles or Manchester United or even the contribution to developing industry, engineering and architecture that the good people from the north have made for centuries. They have defended our nation and bled in the same wars as people from the south.


What occurs to me is that some people have to judge everything by the standards of London. In other words, London is the biggest, therefore London is the best and I cannot agree or condone that type of thinking. Our cities are already loosing their character as commercial needs have overtaken social needs. They all look the same now and although this report seems to be innocent, it is not. It has money and economic development at its heart and that is all. If people from the north wish to maintain their civil, friendly lifestyle they too should condemn this report, otherwise we might as well just change the name of our country from England to London and lose our personalities, humour and identity in the process.