This may seem like a silly thing to get irritated by because wrapping up in cold weather or on nights out actually makes total sense. Our data suggests that negative perceptions of the Westminster government might be widespread among the general public in northern regions, not just among northern mayors. We asked: “In general, which regions, if any, does the government look after best, and which the least well?” We found that when a region is more negative about how well the Westminster government treats it, it is also more negative towards southerners. The people of the north must be vigilant against wildlings who manage to bypass the Wall. One King-beyond-the-Wall, Raymun Redbeard, was defeated by the Starks and Umbers at Long Lake. [68] If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the most minuscule accumulation of sun, your presence is required at the local chemist. It does not matter if you need anything from there, it is just something you're supposed to do. There is nothing sillier than a Southerner imitating a northern accent, unless it is a northerner imitating a Brummie accent.

The Starks led the north to war during Aegon's Conquest. After the Field of Fire, however, King Torrhen Stark knelt to Aegon the Conqueror rather than face his dragons. The north was included in the Seven Kingdoms and owed allegiance to the Iron Throne of House Targaryen. The Stark Kings in the North became the Lords of Winterfell and Wardens of the North. Some northmen who refused to bend the knee fled into exile in Essos and formed the Company of the Rose. [64] Living costs up north are actually affordable and the standard of living is just as good, if not better. But, northerners, stop using the whole ‘bath doesn’t have an ‘r’ in it’ excuse when the town of Marske in North Yorkshire DOES have an ‘r’ in it, and yet you still pronounce it the northern way. But how can we ever hope to achieve world peace when the northerners and southerners of one small island can’t even figure out how to get along?A night out in a northern city is frankly terrifying for southerners, because binge drinking somehow makes northerners both even more overbearingly friendly, and also significantly more likely to punch you for no reason. This is something that even northerners can find confusing, so for a southerner this can be a nightmare.

Among people who think of themselves as Scottish, nearly 90% felt that fellow Scots were people who “share my values”. Less than 60% felt the same about English people. People who describe themselves as English also show substantially greater affinity with other English people than with members of the Scottish “out-group”. Yes, this might be hard for southerners to swallow, but many in the north actually refer to lunchtime as ‘dinner’.The north is strongly affected during the long winters, with thousands of people killed and famine a common occurrence due to poor harvests before winter or the inability to raise crops during the longer winters that last for years on end. Some greater lords maintain greenhouses at their castles, such as the glass gardens of Winterfell. [23] That being said, I wish Groom had gone into a little more detail in places. This study could never go into too much depth, but I felt the absence of some chapters. In particular, since my research involves crime, Groom says nothing about the Moors Murders or the Yorkshire Ripper, significant parts of the North's history, whether it likes it or not. This criticism is personal, however. The only other criticism I have is that there was some repeated information towards the end of the book. It would have been better if Groom only wrote new information instead of repeating points made in previous chapters. One thing that proper annoys me is when some people think Birmingham, and other places near that, are northern." – Richard, Manchester Did you just smile at that stranger?' It's always slightly depressing when I go down south and no-one thanks the bus driver when they get off. I think that's really sad." – Abbie, Newcastle The North, from the early days to the present, has always been influential and important and the author reminds us of this fact in every chapter. He is a journalist so knows how to tell a story, and the stories he tells here are never less than gripping.