The map above, created by reddit user holytriplem, looks at stereotypes of the UK from one North Londoner’s perspective. If you’re from North London, you may find yourself agreeing with many of the stereotypes.
However, if you’re from elsewhere in the UK you may just be thinking to yourself that this is just one more reason to hate London.
And of course, if you’re not from the UK at all, you might be scratching your head at this map. But don’t worry, holytriplem has provided a few explanations:
- Miserable walking holidays:
Cumbria/The Lake District. The closest England gets to actual mountains. Lots of tourists go there on hiking/mountaineering holidays, and to profit from the beautiful scenery. However, it is also one of the rainiest parts of the country, which is why I said ‘miserable’.
- Cheryl Cole:
A former member of the girl-band Girls Aloud, who then became a judge on the X factor/Britain’s Got Talent, and who came from that part of England. Known in particular for her Geordie accent. Rumour has it that she was axed from the American X Factor as nobody in the US could understand her accent.
- Depressed people who own ferrets:
Yorkshire. People from Yorkshire are viewed as being a bit glum, especially since you get films like Kes/The Full Monty etc (nicely summarised by this sketch) which paint a picture of post-industrial decline and depression. It’s basically characterised by the rest of the North, but for some reason you also have the stereotype about people in flat caps who own ferrets and race whippets. Also lots of brass bands in Yorkshire. Please don’t ask why.
- Thieves:
Liverpool. Scousers (natives of Liverpool) and their accent are not popular among other Brits. They live in a city that was once one of the largest ports in the UK, but then it declined dramatically during the 70s/80s. It is basically considered our Detroit, with lots of boarded-up houses/shops etc. Its reputation has been rehabilitated slightly though since it was designated European Capital of Culture a few years back and they built a whole load of art galleries there. Also known for the Beatles.
- Massive shithole:
Hull. All the stereotypes of the North rolled into one city.
- The North:
Our rust-belt. Former the industrial centre of the UK, until Margaret Thatcher destroyed the manufacturing and mining sectors and left large swathes of the country unemployed and in poverty. Most southerners hold the view that ‘it’s grim up north’. Also the weather’s pretty miserable too.
- Sheeposexuals:
Wales. A hilly, sparsely populated part of the country known for its large number of sheep. For some reason Welsh people are stereotyped as being sheep-shaggers.
- Second homes:
Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. Lots of staycationers who go to seaside towns there and price locals out of the market.
- Farmers:
The Westcountry. Rural area usually associated with yokels/country bumpkins (what we call hicks) who drink cider and speak with a Hagrid/Pirate-type accent.
- People who shop at Waitrose:
The Home Counties/South-East of England. Waitrose is a supermarket which is quite expensive and is known for its posh clientele. People who live in the South-East outside London tend to be thought of as either posh people or middle-class commuters who can’t afford to live in London.
- Chavs:
Essex. Uncouth working-class people (I guess our equivalent of rednecks, but not necessarily rural) who moved out of the East End of London as they couldn’t stand to live with all the immigrants there. The Only Way is Essex, which is a bit like our equivalent of Jersey Shore, has entrenched some of these stereotypes about people in Essex. One of them is that they’re into fake tans, hence the orange colour.
- Inbred farmers.
East Anglia. Another rural area whose inhabitants talk a bit like their Westcountry counterparts. I have no idea where the ‘inbred’ stereotype comes from though.
- San Francisco:
Brighton. Known to be slightly hipster-y and bohemian, and in particular for its LGBT scene. The only place in the country that voted for the Green party.
There’s also an extra element of humour here because the map entirely disregards The Midlands, since Londoners typical regard anything north of the Watford Gap as being the North.
And for the areas not explained by holytriplem:
- Terrorists and Crazy Christians: Refers to the Northern Irish Troubles.
- Their cuisine leads to cardiac arrest: A reference to Scottish cuisine.
- Gang warfare and loan sharks: Refers to Glasgow’s reputation for high crime, including such things as the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars.
- Here be dragons: A reference to the fact that North Londoners rarely, if ever, go south of the Thames to South London.
Finally, while not included on the map, holytriplem also gives the following places some honourable mentions:
- Oxford:
Ex-public schoolboys with a false sense of entitlement
- Durham:
Ex-public schoolboys with a false sense of entitlement but who couldn’t get into Oxford
- Luton:
Radical Islamists
- Milton Keynes:
Roundabouts with Concrete Cows
- Nottingham:
Gun crime
And in case you thought holytriplem was alone in their stereotyping, here’s another map from London reddit user Professional_Bob:
And to show we’re not completely London centric at Brilliant Maps, here’s a stereotype map from reddit user lgf92, from the North-East of England:
You can learn more about the British, English and the UK from:
- The English: A Portrait of a People
- Watching the English
- Life in the United Kingdom: a guide for new residents
What do you think of the maps above? Leave your comments below:
Carol Setsmad Monaghan says
The “in-bred” bit about East Anglia has come about due to the fact that large swathes of the countryside were once upon a time flooded during the winter months (and probably the summer too). People were unable to leave their hamlets and villages during flood-times to find marriage partners, and resorted to “playing at home”.
Hope that helps…..
Winston_from_the_Ministry says
Not true I’m afraid. Rosemary Hayes is a great source if you actually want to find out facts about the area’s history.
http://the-history-girls.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/skullduggery-and-sabotage-in-east.html
Paul Taylor says
And since then it´s become a local tradition:)
The Horrible Helge says
My map is simple. While I currently live in Cambridge, with 16 years in Aberdeen behind me, I’m originally from Trondheim in Norway. So I go:
– Shetland & Orkney: Old Viking territory, Norwegian in spirit
– Rest of Scotland: The South (Sutherland actually means “Southern Land” in old Norse)
– Rest of UK: The Deep South
Alexis Smith says
Heia, Norge! fra larkolljenta
Serrecko says
I consider the whole of the UK nothing more than America north of Virginia. Meaning… too damn small to have so many different divisions and a queen.
Mick Wood says
Who would want to be part of America – stole our language and place names and butchered them both …..hmmm, isnt that a theme the yanks have?
Rob S. says
How the fuck are we being dragged into this ? But, we do have abundant land, a
can-do attitude, optimism and run the world…..not a bad start…..
Mark Longly says
Quaint how some Americans still see themselves as running the world……
David Britten says
I think you mean ruining the world don’t you?
Mick Wood says
Cant-do- shit attitude, egotism and ruin the world more like. Give the land back to the real NATIVE Americans – stop blowing smoke up your own ass and turn your guns on yourself. Nobody would miss you!
Dave says
land conquering has been going on since the beginning of time. Native Americans lost, they should get over it. Anglo-Saxons took the British Isles from the Celts too, maybe give that back first.
Rick says
American north of Virginia has a queen? Where’s she hiding?
christo says
Hilarious …imagine I was born in the north …lived there for a bit then fled soutnthnly to become a waitrose shopping ukip voting home countieser..great I enjoyed it immensely ..you should sell calenders and mugs and t shirts so we can just send em to random addresses ooop north …iit,l be a treat for em …clothes that is
Geoff Taylor says
FYI…the Liverpool part…no-one ever ‘Built a whole load of art galleries there…’ since the 19th Century. And the ‘with lots of boarded-up houses/shops etc….’ part? That’s The North in general. You’re welcome.
Chris Dorgan says
LOL blinkered bellends!
Mick Wood says
As a North Londoner I can categorically state this is a LOAD OF BOLLOCKS!
Michael Rigby says
There’s only two parts to England, Yorkshire and the lesser counties.
Richard Freeman says
Well said that man!
Bagsy says
What’s a ‘Yorkshire’? Never heard of it
Ryan says
It’s a form of pastry that you have with a roast I believe….
Saam Amerat says
It is really nice. A sort of pancake you use to wipe the last of the gravy off your plate after a nice meal.
Clare Hudson says
Yorkshire Pudding is a baked batter that you have with a roast beef dinner (although we have it with many meals now) It was originally a cheap, filling extra with a meal for the poorer people and extra Yorkshire puddings were then eaten as a sweet with honey or syrup. It is now seen as a “proud moment” when you can get your Yorkshire puddings to rise properly and recipes and tips are swapped or kept as family secrets
Fir Cough says
Why is there always some prick from Yorkshire that has to pipe up with this?
Michael Rigby says
Why is there always some prick who lacks a sense of humour who feels they have to comment because they come from some dreary shit hole that isn’t in Yorkshire?
Dee Taylor says
Lol Michael, it would appear some folk have had a soh bypass when it comes to these kinda things they feel the need to give mini History lessons as to how an area derived it’s name – for me, all this map’s done is confirmed what I always tell folk “I’m from No Mans Land” but could be a lot worse – I could be a Brummie! As it is, I’m a 100% proud Black Country Wench 🙂 Btw, I’d choose N over S everytime 🙂
Neil Ashley says
Well Yorkshire has a larger population and a higher per capita income than Scotland so they can argue that “God’s own county” is fairly important in its own right.
Charlie Robertson says
Yorkshire people remind me of Scots…….with all the Scottish generosity squeezed out of them. 🙂
Michael McQuown says
In 1985, my US ECW group attended the reenactment of the Siege of Berwick. We were horrified by the locals putting chips on everything, even fried bread.
I still remember the line from “Man For All Seasons”: “For Wales, Richard? For Wales?” when Richard Rich betrayed Sir Thomas More.
Gordon Murray says
How can the Midlands be 100miles north of London? When I lived in Hertfordshire Watford was ‘up north’ to most Londoners.
Does anyone from North London give a damn about anywhere outside of the M25?
Scream Nevermore says
I didn’t when I lived there!
PC says
No one in North London gives a damn about anywhere outside of Hampstead.
Dr John C Bullas says
Can anyone point me to a scan of the map of the UK that featured in the Sloane Rangers Handbook, it was central London centric and very funny… sadly my copy was lost following the final time my dad smoked in the shed (the fire brigade commented on the fact the torrential rain resulted in the half destroyed shed looking like a shiplap version of the vicar that spontaneously combusted, but with more smoke)
Antonia says
Found it! Knew I had a dusty copy somewhere. It’s a map of the world, or Rangerland: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8581/16661192732_bd9d5e6f33_o.jpg
Dr John C Bullas says
Any way you could loan me the book or get a flat hi res scan of it done?.. I want to use it to bait a project manager who seems quite unaware of the provinces when resourcing work! ta!
Craig says
Surely you can simplify it even further – this country is just a great swathe of unemployed people wrapped around London!
Jane Allison says
I know this is all just fun, but as one of the silent majority who voted no in the referendum last year, I am seriously confused about why you’se all don’t join us in wanting nothing to do with them Londoners! PS Was in Liverpool last year for a short break and it was lovely! I saw no boarded up shops/houses! PPS Glasgow city centre is now beautiful, and has by far the best shopping centre in Scotland!
Em says
Hahaha. Who cares what the Londoners think. The less people coming to gorgeous Scotland, the longer it stays gorgeous!
Em says
Also, i think the scouse accent is the best in England. So colourful and fun!
Mark Longly says
Agree, the Scouse accent is all you hear on D Wing.
Norseman says
OK. London – a filthy, fetid, over-populated, over-priced slum – to be avoided at all cost.
The True North – the ancient kingdom of Bernicia, from the Humber to the Firth of Forth.
Fact ! God made the world in 7 days. 6 Days to make the True North, and 1 day to make the rest of the world from scraps and reject left-overs.
Chris Sharpe says
Errr everyone in the UK calls everyone else mate… It’s just that we don’t mean it.
Charlie Robertson says
It doesn’t matter where you live if money is no object.
A broom cupboard in Central London was recently sold for more than a four bedroom detached house in Dundee.
Broom Cupboard Owner says
That’s because no one wants to
live in Dundee
nerdist says
did harry potter live there
David Britten says
There’s no place like Britain, which is why I left to live in Spain! Looking at was once my home from afar, the view is much better….
matt jordan says
You’d be fucked financially, tho, wouldn’t you, since London and the South-East is the only region that pays its way financially, and subsidizes the rest of what would be the dead weight of the UK if we didn’t take all your intelligent people…?
Emma says
Are you taking the piss Matt?
Zinzan says
Hmm not so intelligent are you Matt, seems you can’t spell though.
matt jordan says
And where all the intelligent people leave to live in London…
Simon Tedeschi says
The point being is that if you’re at the Watford gap, you’re on the way to some northern monkey place. Thats why Watford gap is considered the boundary.
If you’re in Watford at least you can turn around easily.
Neil Ashley says
It’s in Northamptonshire FFS but 45 miles from London is the outer darkness as far as N Londoners are concerned. I lived in N London for 27 years and it has an uncomfortable smidgeon of truth. Now I live in rural “inbred” East Anglia on the edge of the Fens.
Jherad says
The US equivalent of a chav/chavette is the Jersey shore ‘guido/guidette’. Referring to a stereotypical behaviour, culture and way that people dress, rather than an ethnic background however.
Andrea Kirkby says
Luton – radical Islamists? Local boy Monty Panesar may have a beard and a turban, but last I heard he was still a pretty good spinner. Oh, and a Sikh.
SarahHodgkins says
Interesting the Northamptonshire shaped section at the bottom of ‘The North’ … Watford Gap is actually 2/3 of the way up Northamptonshire geographically so most of it is South of Watford Gap. I live in South Northamptonshire and I can assure you that you would struggle to find any natives calling themselves Northerners.
Pat Tilley says
If it’s not from Yorkshire, it’s SHITE, seriously though, that map was hysterical, LOVE IT, we’re all still tribal, GB is a beautiful place, and I thank GOD, that i’m not from Birmingham, Holy sh…, why do they sound so thick. I really feel sorry for the true Londeners, the Rusians have made it too expensive to live there anyway, and where would we be without the Bronte sisters, Hollywood would’ve gone bust. xxx
Sadie says
Although this is very tongue in cheek, my own experiences as a northener working with people from all over the
Country, is that southerners who have never ventured past Watford Gap, are really good at showing their ignorance!
Yorkie Lad says
Australia………….a land where men are men……..and sheep are nervous.
Ralph says
I heard that about Uttoxeter some years ago.
South Londoner says
Worth mentioning that in the UK, “public school” actually means “private school”.
Disaffected Londoner says
Born and bred in London. Moved away in 1983. It slowly became a different land with the influx of immigrants. Its a overpriced shithole and I would never go back their to live
Snowblind says
Travel over the UK on business for more years than I want to admit .Two things in my mind are firstley the further north of Watford you go the peoples arms get shorter and their pockets get deeper .And secondly I still get a nose bleed any time I have to go outside the M25
Dazzadaman says
I think the stereotype of flat caps and ferrets comes from the British comedy “Last of the Summer Wine” which is set in Yorkshire
laslo says
Well funny, I love it when people show their complete ignorance…
Jack the hack says
They didn’t mention the north London connection with bumming each other in private school, jamming each other’s knobs on doors, and trying to shag watermelons in private school…. Right after the prefect buggered them of course
Les says
When I lived in NZ we used to call you the West Island…… actually I loved the Aussie-Kiwi rivalry, especially after THAT cricket match in the early ’80s. But you’re right about the tribal mentality, I live in a part of the UK where there’s a big chip on some – not all, mind – peoples’ shoulders if they’re a “local” with an attitude towards “outsiders.” Whenever I’m asked “are you local?” I just say, “Yeah, I’m from Earth.”
violets49 says
‘North of watford’ refe4s to the Watford gap in Northamptonshire. Its the boundary between the ‘Southern’ accent and the ‘Northern’ accent.
Mick Wood says
Where you from Arwen – Hackney?
Rebe says
Good comment
Ravey Davey Gravey says
The map misses the cultural melange that is Broughty Ferry (Dundee). Home of Sir Bob Servant, the glorious victor of the 1980s Burger Van Wars that ravaged that fine city.
jjpwfelli says
This map missed Mawdesley. Although located in West Lancashire, it is essentially a tiny, inbred snobbish Surrey retirement/commuter village dumped on a flat, desolate inbred “Norfolk-esque”, montonous,industrially farmed countryside. Mawdesley is the worst of Surrey (snobbery), the worst of East Anglia (flat, inbred), dumped on some drained bog land in the arse end of nowhere.
Robert Basset says
London: Lots and lots of Islam, foreign ghettos and a white British minority circling a central core of bankers, millionaires, more Islam and baffled tourists visiting the remnants of prior glory.
Soarintothesky says
No. Watford Gap was the original.
Rabzy says
Because you are all inmates