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I am an immigrant to the UK - came here as a child - been here 30 years - a professional career lady educared in the UK - now married to an immigrant from my native country and we have a 7 year old son.
I thought you might be interested in an immigrant's perspective ?
Never lived anywhere north of Cambridgeshire. I have lived in Oxford, Cambridge, various parts of Dorset, Hampshire, London and various other large southern towns - I am currently in one of the latter. Found most of them very very clannish and unwelcoming to outsiders.
Where I live now (I would rather not name it so please don't ask !!) has a particulary bad reputation. In a survey done by a FTSE 100 company my town has been voted as one of the top 10 MOST unfriendly places in the UK (the surevy is from a mixed population so it would include both English and non-English views).
London is perhaps the most diverse in terms of both friendly and UN-friendly. I can only talk from the perspective of some one who had quite a good standard of living there though and had the kind of career where I was able to mix with all sorts of nationalities.
My views of London in general are very positive. It is probably one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world, it has the advantage that you are able to mix with lots of different nationalities and backgrounds (i.e different "classes" of people). If you can afford it, I would also say that London is one of the best university cities in the world. I would have no problems encouraging my own son to go to the University of London, I think he would have a great time there just as I did.
I agree with the comment that East London and Essex are far more friendly that the more "upmarket" West and North London areas. As an example, we went to an Essex beach last summer where everyone instantly started speaking to my son and I, something that I have rarely seen happen on any other southern/eastern English beach where people just don't talk to you !
I used to visit Liverpool a lot because I had a friend at uni. there and found it 100% more friendly than anywhere I have lived in England. I think there is a lot of truth to the North - South divide.
I generally find the Scottish and Irish far more friendly than the English - not sure why that is but many of my immigrant friends have commented that they too think this the case.
I would not agree the Irish and Scottish are more friendly than northern English people, but the southern English, particularly away from east London & Essex are what many foreigners imaging all English to be like, ie less welcoming & more typical of the Hollywood portrayal of the stand-offish Englishman/woman. Ironically in London, it tends to be those not born in the England, who are the least friendly.
I would not agree the Irish and Scottish are more friendly than northern English people, but the southern English, particularly away from east London & Essex are what many foreigners imaging all English to be like, ie less welcoming & more typical of the Hollywood portrayal of the stand-offish Englishman/woman. Ironically in London, it tends to be those not born in the England, who are the least friendly.
I wouldn't agree that 'friendliness' is centred more in one place than another. I have met both very friendly and welcoming people all over the UK, and nasty cold people all over too.
London and the bigger cities tend to be more frantic than other parts which naturally lends itself to stress, but I don't agree that one region is 'friendlier' than another.
Something I have learnt on my travels is that people are people wherever you go.
As a visitor from the US I was shown incredible hospitality on the south coast of Wales (Swansea area and immediate vicinity). I also agree with those who have mentioned Liverpool (although my friend from Cornwall warned me before I went that their accents are so thick that even the English don't always understand them). Liverpudlians seemed genuinely interested in what I thought of their city, if I was likely to return, and so on. Thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
Isn't it the same all over the world? The smaller the village/town you're in, the friendlier and more open to strangers people tend to be. Big cities are tougher - perhaps 'unfriendly' is the wrong word, but it certainly tends to be more impersonal and more difficult to strike up a conversation with a random stranger.
I have lived in the uk for 10 years and have always been friendly and outgoing...I have lived and worked all over England and can say I have made few close english friends or acquaintances even. My closest relationships have been with foreign people. I don't know what it is...English people tend to stick to themselves.
Aren't some villages reluctant to open to outsiders? Especially quiet ones full of old retirees
Not just the quiet ones full of retirees.
Life in places like Midwich can be trying.
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Perspective
