If you can say “Education for the masses, not just the ruling classes” and make it rhyme you’re from the North.

As a Scot I tend to view anything south of Glasgow as The South. However having lived in Cheshire and now Wiltshire and travelled widely in the UK I’d say anything north of Birmingham is The North.

The North of England starts at Lancaster/Sheffield (draw a line across, anything south of that is the Midlands… where the South starts I have no idea, I don’t go there!)

From where I live the south of the UK starts at the Pentland Firth 😉

I forgot to explain why the North of England starts there – south of Lancaster it is deeply congested, flat and boring. North of there you have ace pubs, hills and proper people. Mostly. Except ex-pat Southerners who move up and buy “quaint” cottages then throw a wobbly at everyone for living how they always have in the area cos it isn’t how they expected people to live/work/behave/drive/talk/drink etc etc etc.

Think you’ll find this explains it very well!

I live in North Nottingham, and go to uni in Sheffield. I always see myself as a northerner, as do people who meet me 🙄

From where I live the south of the UK starts at the Pentland Firth

You moved again Rob??

Me and MrFC out for drinkies later if you are in town!

From where i’m looking on the south coast, anywhere north of London is pretty north to me.

isn’t it anywhere you can walk into a chippy and ask for a pudding

Stuart Maconie has written a brilliant book which goes in to this subject in GREAT depth.

It’s called “Pies And Prejudice”.

His verdict was the North starts at Crewe.

Blimey this one ran didn’t it?!

I’m pretty sure I can call myself a northerner especially going by the “gravy on chips” and the “going into a chippy and asking for a pudding” statements.

I also find the whole Cheshire is a lost section of the home counties thing a bit strange. Yes, I grew up in Kelsall and it would appear at least 2 of you are are familiar with it, but when I grew up it wasn’t anything like the WAGS inspired sections of Cheshire you get now.

Personally I think that North is a state of mind, you either believe you are or you don’t. Anyway my hubby reckons if you aren’t from Northern Ireland you can’t say you’re from the North! 😀

You couldn’t ask for a pudding in a chippy in Darlington, but it’s definitely in the north.