How different can the North East be?

I have lived in a lot of places. I was born near Manchester before trekking the country in tow of my father's job to Northumberland, just outside of Bristol and Essex before setting off on travels of my own. University took me to Lancaster and Morecambe before post-university took me to the United States for a few months. There I called Sandusky, Ohio my home. I met the wide in Chelmsford and we spent some time there and in other parts of Essex before moving to the North East. We had always laid plans to live here one day and a series of events lead us to ask the question, "why not now?" And we moved.

The reason I tell you all of this is because I have experienced different attitudes in different parts of the country. Now, I'm not referring to 'attitude' as the negative embodiment of the way someone acts. I simply mean the outlook on life displayed by the different people of the country. If you have never been to the North East, then you may not have come across an attitude like it.

There isn't a single adjective that I can find to describe the way that the people of the North and particularly North East act and view themselves. I think I would throw in -

• Humorous
• Neighbourly
• Ruthless
• Pragmatic
• Down to earth

And I'm sure there will be more before this article is out. This can be a stark contrast to people from other parts of the country, or other parts of the world, that visit here for the first time.

Prepare yourself for this part of the world

The people here will treat you like one of their own, from the moment they meet you. This is just the way that they are. There are no outsiders, and all are welcome. A new visitor or resident is a sign to the people of the North East that they are living in a place that people want to visit or live in. Unlike some parts of the world where an outsider might be viewed with suspicion, you won't be here.

This means that they will ask you about your life. You will receive questions that might not rub anywhere else in the country, especially in London for instance. You can offer as much or as little information as you like, but be warned that you will get to know people in the North East. They will tell you their life - often in the finest detail. It's all part of the sharing community we have up here. Think about how much information you would like to know, multiply it by ten and you probably still won't come close to how much you will be given.

How different can it be?

This was a question I asked myself when I first moved up here. It is still part of the country that I have spent the vast majority of my life in, so how could it possibly be different? It is different in so many ways. The people are different, the scenery is different and the way of life is different. If you read back through my blog then you can see how the folk up here -

Drive differently

Dress differently

Talk differently

Eat at different times

It all adds up to a new experience. I am one of these people who believes that life should be a series of experiences. I think that doing the same thing day after day, week after week from one month to the next will send you around the bend. I think that doing different things, seeing different cultures and trying to expand your horizons is a necessary part of life. It is something that I am trying to instil in my children. The North East is an experience all of its own. If you are from another part of the country and have never experienced this part of the world then get yourself here. Don't expect the best weather or sights on the same scale as London. But do expect to be dazzled by the people and the place.