In this post we look at 10 things Southerners just don’t understand about Lancashire. Why do people from the south find our way of life so hard to understand?
1. Where it is
When in conversation with anyone based south of Birmingham, trying to explain where you live in Lancashire can be a bit of an ordeal. Unless it’s Blackpool, which people have at least heard of and know it’s on the coast and hosts the Tower. This invariably boils down to “have you heard of…[insert nearest big town or city] and building out from there before settling on “it’s near Manchester.”
2. The Weather
OK, so it does rains up North, and quite a fair bit. This helps provide us with lush grass, green fells, healthy livestock, glorious gardens and a sturdy, if rather damp – resilience. We Lancastrians are of hardy stock and don’t get put off by a bit of rain. However, the perception ‘daan saaath’ is that it is permanently grey, damp, dark, bleak and miserable. Although this can be true some of the time, when the grey clouds scud over the Pennines and the sun starts to shine we know how to enjoy ourselves on those expansive beaches and in parks and open spaces which are a little greener over here.
3. The Lingo
There are many phrases only heard in and around the Red Rose County which sound like a foreign language to Southern folk. Phrases such as ‘Flippin Eck”, “Oh aye”, “Proper reet good” and “Ay Up Cock” are all synonymous with Northern Folk but would never be said by our Southern counterparts.
4. Saying hello to each other
Perhaps this is a result of us not being crammed into underground sardine cans every time we want to go to work, but in Lancashire we tend to say hello to each other as we pass. It doesn’t matter if you’ve no idea who they are and this is particularly true on the morning dog walk. This is more that can be said for Southerners who would rather ignore any passers by.
5. Chip Barm
Having chips on a sandwich is a pretty out-there sentiment when you get further down south. Bread with pretty much anything goes in Lancashire. If you were to mention a ‘chip barm down south’, you would get a strange reaction.
6. Lancashire Hotpot
Okay, so the prospect of a Lancashire hotpot is confusing enough. Not only do we eat this, but we regular have it at christenings and other such functions. It’s even been known to make an appearance at a wedding, complete with red cabbage. This is something very alien to the general southerner, who would likely view this is a medieval tradition.
7. Humour
No other county can claim a comedy tradition to rival Lancashire where there is a true legacy of laughter. The list of our great comedians includes George Formby, Victoria Wood, Les Dawson, Ken Dodd, Peter Kay and scores of others who pour scorn on the old claim that it’s grim up north. And we don’t have to rely on our famous names to provide the laughs, either; visit any pub, stand in any queue or wait at any bus stop and it won’t be long before someone has you chuckling.
8. House prices and the rental market
Now, house prices in Lancashire broadly speaking are not cheap. And the rental market is still a bit of a con wherever you go. But compare it to London, or its pretentious cousin Bristol, and we’re doing okay. So the average house prices in Lancashire is £175,000. In London, it’s £650,00. The rent is similarly daft.
9. Price of anything
People in the south tend not to bother trying to get a mortgage on a property. The reason for this may be because they have no disposable income due to the cost of an average night out. The realisation that pints for less than £3 is not only possible in Lancashire, but not really that hard to find, must come as a bit of a sickener.
10. What’s a brew?
Up North, we often refer to a warm drink (tea or coffee) as a ‘brew’. This is because traditional tea is made by brewing tea leaves in a bag in hot water, although the phrase ‘brew’ can also refer to a cup of coffee. Practically meaning ‘Would you fancy a cup of tea?’. when someone asks you if you fancy a brew, they’re asking if you’d like a hot drink! This can be highly confusing for people down south who don’t understand this terminology.
In this post we look at 10 things Southerners just don’t understand about Lancashire. Take a look at our other blog posts here.
