3. Accidentally Being Caught Up In A Tour Group
Steve Parsons/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesLondon is such a massive tourist hotspot and people come from all over the world to see it's undoubtedly famous sights. You can spot tour groups a mile off and they are perpetually buzzing around the more popular hotspots such as Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square in large groups, all snapping away with cameras and checking in on social media everywhere they go. Northerners can unfortunately get swept up in these groups completely by accident as tour group leaders attempt to corral 50 tourists into one direction or another. Think of it this way, you're in an unfamiliar city, dressed for the north, attempting to navigate your way using a map of some sort and you may or may not have a backpack on, it's an honest mistake to make but it can make you seriously late for meetings if you don't pay attention to what's going on.
2. The Cost Of, Well, Everything
tumblrIt's no secret that London is an expensive place to be, it's forever in the news how much house prices are going up and that people are being priced out of the area, but what people don't seem to realise it how expensive EVERYTHING in London is. Let's have a little comparison of prices between Newcastle and London: Pint of Fosters - £2.80 (Newcastle) £4.90 (London) White shirt - £30 (Newcastle) £50 (if you're shopping on a budget in London) Chicken Salad Sandwich - £2.75 (Newcastle, Greggs) £4.75 (London, Pret-A-Manger) Surviving in London is an expensive thing to do and most northerners would balk at the cost of basics in London, let alone the luxuries. Property is especially the hardest cost to swallow. In Newcastle you can rent a house in a nice area for £500 a month - in London £500 wouldn't get you a bedsit in a bad area. The staggering differences though are when you look to buy a property, with one bedroom flats in desirable areas like Chelsea going for more than a five bedroom house with a garden and double garage in the North.
1. Condescending City Boys
We're a friendly bunch up north and we will generally give the benefit of the doubt to anyone but the one kind of person that is guaranteed to bring out the worst in a normally friendly northerner is the entitled city boys who spend their days making dangerous deals and lining their pockets with dodgy money. They're found all over London but a large amount seem to congregate in the area around Cannon St and they're unmistakeable; look for the expensive suits, pricey watches and the radiating waves of smugness flowing from their £500 hair cut. They're perfectly happy to heap scorn on anyone they feel doesn't fit in, they'll look down upon anyone in casual clothes on a work day and (in this author's experience) they'll even mock the kind of credit card you use to make a purchase. All of this is naturally done within ear-shot of you as they want you to hear what they think of you, it must give them some kind of validation or emotional boost. What they don't realise is what a sleep deprived, home-sick and money conscious northerner is capable of. It really is lucky for them that we're a very friendly people as there would be smiles wiped off faces across the financial districts for sure.
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