10 Things I've learnt after living up north.

Nine months ago I moved 250 miles away from a small town in West Sussex to the bustling northern city of Manchester for university. I've learnt a lot in my first year, but not just in terms of my degree. Living up north has been an eye opener and kind of a culture shock. Here's 10 things I've learnt since living up North.


1. They are Greggs EVERYWHERE. 
It seems that northerners can't go far without the prospect of being able to buy a pasty. There seems to be a Greggs on every street corner, the equivalent to Starbucks in New York.

The holy grail of the north

2. Lunch is Dinner and Dinner is Tea.
When I was working in my first semester my bosses would come up to me and say "Have you had your dinner yet?" It would always confuse me, as I worked mornings, not late evening. I felt like saying "Of course not, it's half twelve." I soon realised that "dinner" is northerner speak for lunch. Tea up here refers to your evening meal. I tried to explain the concept of afternoon tea to my friend from Blackpool and he was very confused.


3. People actually talk up here.
I'm used to not talking to people in public, feeling guilty when I sneeze or cough on the tube and avoiding eye contact with people in a lift. When I moved up here it was weird at first that people would and wanted to talk. The small talk at the checkout is actually genuine, rather than forced for good customer service reports. It's now something I love. I got a shock today though, when back down south, I had bad, rude service at the checkout in Wilkinsons.

4. It doesn't actually rain that much.
When I told my friends and family that I'd chosen the University of Manchester as my firm choice I was bombarded with jokes about it being the rainiest place in the country. But it actually seemed to rain a lot less than down in the south. I can count the number of times I've been caught out in he rain this year on one hand, and even then it's only been spitting.

5. It's so much cheaper.
Despite the fact, that I live in a city. I'm paying around £90 less a week for rent, than my friends at uni in the south. And I'm not shelling out ridiculous prices for alcohol either. I can finally afford to drink in places other than Wetherspoons.


6. They like their terms of affection.
Most times I'm served in a shop or ask for something in public I'm greeted with the term "love", which is very friendly and something I miss when I'm back at home. Amongst friends "chicken", "flower" and "petal" are commonly used.

7. Chip spice is a thing.
Before I went off to uni I thought I knew about most things. But low and behold on my first night of freshers, I discovered something totally new. It's called chip spice or red salt. You sprinkle it on your chips and they taste amazing.

NOM

8. They bloody love Vimto. 
Vimto was invented in Manchester in 1908 and the city can't get enough of the stuff. You can get hot Vimto  (I didn't even know this was a thing.) in most coffee shops and in every cafe on campus, and most clubs sell "cheeky Vimto", which is the well loved soft drink paired with vodka.

Mancs love the stuff.

9. I do have an accent.
I lived 19 years of my love thinking I didn't have an accent.Then I moved up north and realised how posh I sounded.

10. They think everywhere down south is London. 
Everyone assumes I'm from London when I say I'm from the south and look bewildered at me when I say Sussex. Normally I just give up and say "I'm an hour from London".

Don't even get me started on the bread debate.