American Reacts to Britain's North/South Divide

Let's check out Map Men's insights on Britain's North/South divide. From historical roots to cultural differences, we'll unravel the complexities that shape this intriguing and elusive division.
Original Video: • Where is the north/sou...
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[@JimBlizz]

Eton is an extremely exclusive school that is notable for being where lots of former prime ministers, royalty, and such went.

[@kyleklukas4808]

Really

[@KenFullman]

Northerners use it as an insult because Eton turns out more tossers in relation to it's student count than any other educational institution. ... ... ... In the world

[@originalshadowfax]

and very very expensive

[@redladybirdmay7611]

​@@kyleklukas4808yeah

[@dib000]

​@@kyleklukas4808yes!

[@lenaoxton8827]

Thank you so much for being a reaction channel that actually REACTS to things!! Too many people think “reacting” means doing over the top emotions or being full of expression, but I love that you react genuinely, by googling things, trying things out, going back to listen again, and giving your thoughts and opinions as you hear new information. It makes it feel more like we’re learning new things with you and it’s so much more enjoyable to watch. I’m sure it takes a lot more effort on your part than how a lot of “reaction channels” do things, but I appreciate it a lot!

[@paulastapleton9072]

Totally agree. Well put.

[@GnrMilligan]

I do appreciate the fact that you regularly pause to look something up. It shows a real interest, and shows that you want to understand any relevant context! And you come across as a very likeable chap!

[@AlanEvans789]

And also unlike many other reactions channels, it's obvious that he's actually learning stuff. Because of the number of Oh yes we learnt about that in such and such video comments that we hear.

[@Isleofskye]

I mentioned that but you have nailed it:)

[@jointgib]

yes i like the little sideroads he takes you down

[@Bumphuk]

Just incase you were wondering, the question at the beginning of the video (How do you pronounce this [BATH] word) is something that is often bought up when differentiating north from south. Southerners tend to pronounce their 'a's as though there is an 'r' after them, for example, barth, grarss, parth and so on. Where as northerners pronounce them like normal people.

[@robertburton9325]

Or “correctly”

[@MrBulky992]

Remember you are talking to an American: if you say people in the SE pronounce it as though there were an extra "r", he may be misled into thinking they actually pronounce the "r" the way Americans do! It might be better to say the sound is the vowel Americans use in the first syllable of the word "pasta" (which no one in the UK does).

[@visualdrone]

Which is confusing, as I'm from Devon and less than half the people I talk to here have that "Southern" type A. I feel like the Devon, Cornwall and Somerset area is basically it's own region separate from the "south" and "north"

[@pedanticlady9126]

​@visualdrone How about "The South West"? 🤔😉😊👍

[@barriehull7076]

like or as normal people down south, oik.

[@wolfie854]

I like you. 😊 Love your videos. Like your sense of humour. Keep them coming. As a man of the Midlands, it is clear to me that the north south divide is split by the west and east Midlands, which are neither north nor south. Just as Wales has a north south divide split by mid Wales. A lot of it is to do with accents of English, there are northern accents, midland accents, and southern accents which cluster together in those groups of similar dialects. North Welsh accents and South Welsh are really different too.

[@mericet39]

In the UK, people from the North are staunchly proud of being Northerners, people from Yorkshire are even more proud of being from Yorkshire, people from London think they are better than everyone else & rarely leave London so have no idea what the rest of the country is like, and people from the South (apart from London) aren't proud of it, they just take it for granted that South is best.

[@keithjackson8248]

As someone who is from the North east of England I can agree that the North are proud to be from the North. One big positive is that everything in the North is cheaper than the south

[@noggintube]

I'm from the midlands and have worked and lived in both the north and south. One thing I realised was people are just people and just get on with life. When you're not from the area it feels like people are very different, but it's more a case of regional etiquette etc. once you get used to it everyone's not as far removed as they think they are.

[@Burglar-King]

Here is a saying. If you have nothing nice to say….DONT say (write) it at all

[@cjr-en4wr]

People form the North are generally a bit thick, quite racist and very inbred.

[@georgehelyar]

The northern pride also means that people from the north are a bit more anti-south than people from the south are anti-north I find, where most people from the south don't really think about it that much. You get rare posh people but they just think they are better than everyone. Worth remembering, the much bigger big town right next to Windsor and Eton is Slough.

[@BZ2YYZ]

The Midlands definitely exists. Its split into two, East and West. I'm from one of them. Its an area where southerners think you're northern and northerners think you're southern. I would say the East Midlands feels much more Northern than Southern, though. It's more industrial historically and linguistically is closer to northern dialects.

[@Tomc_vodslam]

I'd say the same about the West Midlands as well. Damn northerners and southerners pretending we don't exist 😂

[@roserobson6707]

Best way to describe it is when your in the Midlands, anything past York or Sheffield and continues down south, that's the parrel line of North and South, the line is between Horizontal and Vertical, hence the midlands are often referred to as East or West midlands. As you look at the map, all you do is draw the line in the middle of Wales, then once passed wales, draw a straight line going up through Sheffield and York, there you go. You know understand where South of England Begins and same with North. Bigger question is this, where's the line for East and West at for United Kingdom.....?!?!

[@sarahk3925]

​@@Tomc_vodslamI see you midlander lol, Midlands, but fit in with the Northern vibe much more than the South

[@Tomc_vodslam]

@sarahk3925 I tend to agree, where I'm from people worked down the pit and on the canals. Quite a lot of similarity to places like Manchester and Liverpool. I am fiercely proud of being a brummie and a midlander though 😃

[@Martin-88]

I'm from Sheffield and would say the midlands feels more culturally like the north. Especially places like Stoke, Derby and Nottingham. I'd probably draw the line just below those three.

[@speleokeir]

When people talk of 'Southerners' they mean London and the SE. I grew up in the West country where people take offense at being called 'Southerners' as they don't want to be lumped in with those buggers. 'West is best and East is least' is a common saying amongst West country folk😀. As they briefly mentioned the North South divide goes back to the viking period where for several generations the North of England and much of the Midlands was under Danish rule and so absorbed a lot of Norse culture. This was further emphasised during the industrial revolution with most of the primary industry being in the North and Midlands. The rapid growth of those cities lead to a lot of slum housing and poverty, whilst much of the countries wealth and power remained in London. The British Government has always neglected anywhere outside the South East which further exacerbates the divide and which fosters a lot of resentment.

[@antonycharnock2993]

Hear! Hear! Well said old chap/owd mucker.

[@visualdrone]

I've lived in Devon all my life, and that's only 18 years, and I've heard plenty of people express their hate for the south east, they have a poor reputation over here

[@Isleofskye]

@@visualdrone Well I enter my 8th decade, next May, and have had a wonderful life in Inner London(29 years) and then moved just 11 miles to The Outer London Suburbs since. We can enjoy London's 100,000+ "Places Of Interest" while having 76 Open spaces within a 6-mile radius including a 185-acre park just 80 mretres away and a 245-acre park close by.

[@FattyLumpOfPoo]

anything past portsmouth is exactly that

[@jonntischnabel]

I live in the peak District and wholeheartedly identify as a NORTHERNER, however the mainstream media always refers to where i live as "the midlands" . Trust me , nobody round here thinks that. We are proud northeners. ❤

[@antonycharnock2993]

Derbyshire is a weird one. I live near Sheffield and consider anything past Derby/Nottingham as Northern. I think it has a lot to do with the old mining settlements. Anything below Derby is definitely Midlands though. It's the change in scenery.

[@roserobson6707]

Anything past Sheffield is more Northern, I live up in North of England and when you enter the Midlands, you'll notice the divide starts from South West of England and continues into North East, this goes upwards and it's always been that way due to Wales. Look at Wales from North to South, then draw a vertical line through the midlands, there you'll see a North and South divide.

[@roserobson6707]

Chesterfield is in the middle, yes apart of Midlands too, yet right through Chesterfield, you'll notice pronunciation changes in the English language.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

I'm from Yorkshire, and I would say that as the Peak District is the southern end of the Pennines and they are in the North, then you are definitely Northerners.

[@DevonExplorer]

I'm originally from the Midlands (Worcestershire) and I've never known another Midlander think that the Peak District is in the Midlands either. So you must be Northerners, lol. :)

[@tdg6372]

Keep it up man! Rooting for you on here. Easily the best US reaction channel

[@Isleofskye]

Really Good but "NO PROTOCOL" is excellent and her intellect and thirst for knowledge is quite amazing:)

[@geekexmachina]

So the b/w picture is of Etons “bullingdon club” you can see boris Johnston and david camron. The club was famous for wrecking Restaurants and paying iff the damages.

[@lethewardssunk5833]

I love this particular Map Men video and it gives me great joy to see a foreigner enjoy it so heartily l. Thanks JJLA!

[@marktubeie07]

05:06 😂😂😂😂😂😂 your timing ! Oh, there are a lot of musical jokes in their videos as well - the theme at the end is from the UK TV series 'Coronation Street', which makes a comment on a certain section of London.

[@Isleofskye]

Sadly,I am old enough to have watched the first Coeeie in December,1960 and the only characters I know are from that original cast:)

[@jimfdowning]

You're awesome by the way. From the mighty UK

[@Jimmy_Jones]

Beardyman is Jay Foreman's brother. He's one of the best (if not the best) beatbox loop station artists. One of his best pieces (in my opinion) is the Grand Beatbox Battle Showcase in 2019.

[@tawa7546]

Love your map men and Jay Foreman reactions! Keep up the great work! 🤗🌸

[@SkipperTheEyeChild]

I love seeing Map Men getting the love they deserve! Jokes crammed into every second of informative show. Just unbelievably wonderful film making, script writing and editing. JJLA I love the time you give to the videos you watch, and how quick you are to catch all these britishisms (with it's UK focused) It's delightful to experience these videos again with you! I want the MM to make a living from their amazing content, I just hope that your content also feeds int them. No one deserves it more!

[@andyleighton6969]

Historically the line of the River Trent was regarded as the North/South divide. The Council of the North which existed [with gaps] between 1484 and the Civil War held sway North of the river. The royal forests were also administered on the same lines.

[@SongBillong]

Many people would agree that the North starts after Stoke (draw a line from Stoke to Skegness, basically). It's definitely a case of North, South and the Midlands, though. The Midlands cannot be placed into either category. There's also plenty of debate about where the Midlands start and end. For example, some say Gloucester is in the South but Cheltenham, just a few miles north, is in the Midlands.

[@cdawvq]

Crewe starts the north, then south is below Milton Keynes anything in-between is midlands in my opinion

[@SongBillong]

@@cdawvq That's about right, aye

[@kittyjohnstone5915]

He drew the Island of Great Britain yet the Southern/Northern divide refers to England. Scotland and Wales have their own versions of North/ South divide though😉

[@valeriedavidson2785]

Eton is a place near Windsor. It is also probably the most prestigious Private school in England. A lot of the top Government people went there.

[@davidfuters7152]

My geography teacher always got us to draw Great Britain by saying it’s a witch riding a pig 😊

[@trevorveail]

It was good to see that the mapmen originally drew the line through one of the shoping centres of the town of my birth -Scunthorpe. I left there when I was 18 in the 1960's and lived north and south of the dividing line. For the past 25 years i have lived in the south in Essex.good old TOWIE.

[@ItsmeAz]

It's always irked me how casually they dismiss the Midlands theory, since acknowledging it uncomplicates the north/south divide considerably. Midlanders don't neatly fit into the North or South category; we're a mix of both. It's easier to categorize regions above the Midlands as North and those below as South.

[@Shell2164]

Do you feel Northern or southern being from the midlands?

[@antonycharnock2993]

But what about Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire & Lincolnshire. Because of their shape they encroach on what is classed as the North. Hallam FM the radio station for Sheffield used to say broadcasting to South Yorkshire & the North Midlands.

[@Escapee5931]

​@@Shell2164Neither - I'm a Midlander.

[@MrBulky992]

There's the"bath/trap" split. Some areas of the UK (most?) pronounce the "a" in those two words the same way (like you do in the USA but it's a different vowel from yours). The rest pronounce them as two different vowels. Ths latter group are concentrated in the south east of England but, because, that is where London is situated, that's regarded as the default English pronunciation of "bath" ("baah-th"). Many other words follow the same pattern but not all speakers agree on which vowel to use in which word: e.g. "transport", "photograph", "Sandringham" and then you have universal inconsistency: "graph" and "graphic", "pass" and "passage", "staff" and "Staffordshire" "pass" and "mass". The word "mass" meaning the catholic eucharist has changed pronunciation: it used to be "mah-ss" and now you only ever hear it pronounced the other way (as in "massive").

[@georgehelyar]

I think it's a bit wider than just the south east, but it's in that general area. I expect if you measured it by population it would probably be a decent chunk though, maybe 40-50% but that's just a guess. Probably a slight minority.

[@Ironage99]

Who would have thought that a guy on a channel called Map Men would be able to do a rough sketch of where he lives in a short time. Must be gypsy magic.

[@TasteTheD]

Just a little note to JJLA's family. We love him and if he comes to the UK we might try to keep him

[@Crunch2327]

Us lot in the southwest dont consider ourselves part of the "south/southerner" grouping.

[@geemo4284]

Too right, but everyone forgets the South West exists when they come out with this North/South divide stuff

[@avengingterrier3244]

The situation with the British is best summed up with the phase, ''The South love themselves, and the North hate them for it.'' Traditionally, London, and anything in line (horizontally with London) is considered the South. But the South is in fact closely linked to the counties in line with London and south of it. To wit: Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire (and the Isle of Wight), Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. Sometimes, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex are included, but they are less 'southern' than the aforementioned counties. Now, from a historical perspective, the South grew rich and fat on the Industrial Revolution while the north of the country was where the actual machinery of that revolution was based, as were the foundries, the mines, the labor in Poor Houses etc. To see this in a historical context, just study the Dickensian novels, that was the true state of the north/south divide which is as true today as it was back then. For the north was the source of inexpensive labor, essentially slavery with children down the pits, in the ironworks, making clothing, and the money that this generated was collected and kept by wealthy industrialists and investors in the south, and this in part is why the city of London flourished in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries. Now, from a cultural point of view, the people of the south have kept the opinion that anyone from the north of England is less well educated than those in the south, and as such are little more than dumb labor, while the people of the north seeing the rich and cud-chewing southerners see them as objectionable and stupid for being full of themselves - a complete reversal in fact of the American North/South divide, where as you know the North was the powerhouse, and the south was the land of cotton, mollasses and forced labor in the form of African-American slavery. Now, I'm not British, let me make that clear, I'm actually from central Europe (and from the British perspective, people from central and Eastern Europe are dull, stupid and essentially the last dregs cast off by the failed experiment that was Soviet era communism. I have lived in Britain and was with their armed forces as an advisor for a time, but have seen with my own eyes the British north/south divide and how it works. I'll add one last thing, as its important. The South traditionally goes North to enjoy the landscape of places like Yorkshire, the Lake District, even as far north as the Borders with Scotland - while Wales also proves to be a popular, if damp vacation choice. And as a rule the people of the North are friendly, willing to entertain strangers, and very generous. It was said at one time that the North was so friendly that they didn't lock their doors, while the complete opposite is true of the South where wealth and prosperity has led to them being cautious and locking their doors. The people of the south are friendly, sure, but they are also careful with their wealth, and beneath the cultural norms of British culture, there is now a desperate POVERTY forced on many of the people who live in the south, with many of them forced to live in projects (what they call council housing on estates [projects]) although the wealth still resides in the hands of a very small percentage of people, historically rich whose politics and lifestyles never rub shoulders with the poor. This issue is compounded by illegal immigration which most of the British don't like or want, yet they see their government as incapable of stopping it. It is for this reason that many southern counties in England are now home to people from the other side of the planet, including my own Eastern Europe and many of them are incapable of work, or bluntly unwilling to work for various reasons, so choose to live off of a hand out of money known as the 'dole' which is calculated based on their circumstances. Many of them are given places to live, their rent is paid by the government, but they have to pay their bills, pay for the groceries with the dole money. Originally dole money was only paid to people who had paid into a system known as the NATIONAL INSURANCE (NI) and yet the reason for the mass illegal immigration/migration to Britain is due to those who are successful in landing, and in getting residency that they don't have to work - ever - they just claim the dole money and effectively live like kings/queens while not being expected to pay anything back! Mass immigration has also seen a very large number of people from the Indian subcontinent and other neighboring states move to the midlands of Britain, and now whole towns, even cities are predominately Asian/Indian. There is in fact one town in southern England close to London named Southall where the local road signs are not in English, but are in Punjabi, such is the dominance of people who speak and use the language. So, it is fair to say the British (native to Britain) have absorbed a lot of non-British, and have had their culture altered dramatically in the process, and this is in part another factor in the North/South divide. Sorry for such a long-winded reply, but from my own experience, its a very complicated problem!

[@Rhianalanthula]

The music when they drew the map! I still remember Take Hart. The children's art show that gave us Morph from Ardman Animation who then gave us Wallace and Grommet.

[@carolineskipper6976]

Even before Take Hart that was used in Vision On (which also starred Tony Hart)

[@bobsatan8703]

Full as allways M8 Love your Reactions

[@Patriiiiick]

Props to the geography professor for putting Grimsby and Cleethorpes in the North. Cheers fella.

[@bareakon]

Speaking of Jay Foreman's talent, his brother is an extremely skilled and funny beatboxer and producer called Beardyman.

[@dominicfay4165]

Really enjoyed your video. I’m from Devon, in the south west of the country, and I think anywhere pastBristol is the north.

[@JungleTunes94]

Interesting, im in Southam (6:00) and its a small town of 8000 people so nice to be on the map. We feel like we are more South than North and certainly are from a geographical point but interesting to see from this map also. At the same time people in London probably have more in common with people from Manchester and we have more in common with people in Bournemouth. We are only 5 miles off the Oxfordshire border at the bottom of the county yet Warwickshire ends up north of Birmingham at the other end so its a long thin county but seems like its slap bang in the middle..

[@Jack-uy7ie]

Consider any British colony to have rivalries that go up in tiers. We hate those across the street, band together against another town, band together against another county and so on an so on till we get to the national level. Fibonacci eat your heart out.

[@paulpaulleey198]

The river Trent is the North/South divide in the East Midlands. With Notts north of the Trent and Leicestershire south.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

Think of the American north/south divide, but flip it, and you have the English north/south divide. Northern England historically were hubs for heavy industry (even further back Scotland would regularly raid north England), the south is typically where the more academic hubs are. There's also the Viking influence on northern England which may explain the divide, or even further back when the Angles and Saxons first arrived in Britain, the Angles settling most of the North and the Saxons in the south (typically why the "something-sex" towns are in the south, the "sex" part means "saxon")

[@themoderntemplar1567]

The North -South divide is a consequence of Viking invasions, the North was the land the Vikings ruled and was called the Danelaw and the South was controlled by the Anglo-Saxons under the King Alfred the Great. There's still a pronounced cultural divide stemming from these times.

[@MrBulky992]

The Danelaw stretched down to London and included London itself, Essex, East Anglia and Lincolnshire and the present day counties to their west including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northants, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire. It did not include Cheshire, Northumberland or Durham. That does not sound like a boundary between north and south that many people would recognise! I love the idea of London and some of the Home Counties being in the north.

[@richardjames3022]

The Watford Gap is the North South divide, for me

[@stephenlee5929]

Whilst I understand, it does suggest Birmingham is in the North. I'm not fully convinced.

[@O.P.A.F]

Nice introspective journey at the start of the video. 😂 I can relate, I'm from the eastern part of the Netherlands. The south American part of the Netherlands.

[@VintageMillyBooks]

Why watch if they do not like you? Well, balls to them, you are spiffing 😊

[@Isleofskye]

He is jolly spiffing,if you ask me though I saw Bradley Walsh 14 times and still don't like him*** *** Yes,that IS a joke, my friend:)

[@janneroz-photographyonabudget]

There's no north south divide, it's a London - rest of the country divide.

[@lenaoxton8827]

As a Londoner I feel this in my soul.

[@MrKJDavies]

As a northerner, I can tell you this "London - Rest of the country divide" is BS 🤣 You're just another southerner my friend :)

[@janneroz-photographyonabudget]

@@MrKJDavies It's not as you so eloquently put it, BS. I am from the south yes, the south west. Deepest, darkest south west. One of the most deprived parts of the country where incidentally, although being so deprived, it's one of the most expensive places to live. People see what they see on tv, sandy beaches, blue seas, rich people that have moved there from the south east. Another poster on here has already stated that the bonus of the north is that it is cheaper up there. Relatively, you get more bang for your buck. I have lived all around this country. I have friends from all over this country. I would add that the consensus from all of them is pretty much the same, even including people from London and that area surrounding it.

[@Martin-88]

I think London and the south east would be more accurate.

[@janneroz-photographyonabudget]

@@Martin-88 Yes, I think you're right there.

[@robertburton9325]

A more accurate guide is to ask what the mid-day and evening meals are called. Is it Lunch and Dinner, or Dinner and Tea?

[@Rhianalanthula]

I no longer use dinner. Makes life less confusing.

[@andyonions7864]

I believe Map Men do in fact watch you. They are in awe of your internet cross referencing when reacting to their videos.

[@nolajoy7759]

I think your number of subscribers speaks for itself! 😊😊😊

[@kinkyplunk]

Your drawing of Britain looks like a cute T-rex sitting upright

[@spruce381]

I could do the Us state thing - starting with Alaska and Hawai in the west and ending with Maine and Florida in the east. San Jose is the second oldest city too.

[@unclenogbad1509]

Roughly speaking, our North-South divide runs from the Severn Estuary to the Wash (you'll have to look those up, I'm afraid). The Midlands straddle this line, giving them a bizarre mixture of accents, which you will know if you are familiar with Ozzy Osbourne. The Northern part was taken over by the Vikings for a while, which has landed it's denizens with their slack vowels and weak consonants. The Southern part remained Anglo-Saxon (until the Normans took the whole lot), and hence our stronger vowels and general slurry drunk-sounding diction. Hope this clears the matter up. Really like your vids, btw.

[@DevonExplorer]

I'm originally from the Midlands but have lived most of my life in Devon, which is in the South-West, and I insist - absolutely insist - that I am NOT in the South, but the South-West, which is completely different, lol. Like many of us older ones from the North and Midlands, I was brought up to hate London and the South-East with a passion and I can attest to the fact that it definitely wasn't a playful rivalry. I don't know about today but hopefully it isn't as bad as that now...maybe! ;)

[@brianhanna3128]

Don't let the bastards get you down dude, as some Roman once said to another in Latin and somehow I heard about it. I always enjoy your videos and you're a capital fellow :)

[@clockworkmonsters8590]

As a Kiwi (New Zealander) who's lived on both islands, while there is something of a "the South Island wants to be separate from the North (mostly because all the insufferable politicians are on the North Island)" going on, it's more notable divide is Auckland versus the rest of the country. The largest amount of the population all live in Auckland, it's prices are ridiculously high, they are slowly encroaching on the rest of the north of the North Island, there's lots of awful rich people who raise prices on holiday homes and ruin beaches, etc. Nobody likes Auckland except Aucklanders, and sometimes not even then! XD

[@kdog4587]

As someone from the east Midlands (Leicester to be precise), I feel violated hahahaha.

[@geemo4284]

And the South West, apparently, just doesn’t exist, as usual, in this crass North/South division theory. The fact that Cornwall is one of the poorest areas in Europe and also has a similar mining heritage to areas up North never gets a mention

[@rogerbarrett8744]

True, I'm from Wales and I can't count.

[@edwardlane1255]

that makes a number of us - I could count, but I don't

[@rogerbarrett8744]

I got to 3 once, had to lie down for the rest of the day.

[@user-gf1jt2hp4m]

We love you because you are like us. I live in west midlands so am i a ghost according to the map men lol

[@MJS-vx3oj]

Another important contribution to the divide was the Danelaw and Anglo Saxons. You can tell it in place-names, for example, nowhere in the south would be called Grimethorphe and nowhere in the north would be called Cerne Abbas due to linguistic differences between Scandinavian and Anglo Saxon.

[@skankingiant]

I'm from Cornwall... Hate the fact we are bundled in with that lot from up London way as "Southerners".

[@user-lm8ou6rw9e]

I'm from Somerset and I agree!

[@tomchitling]

Being from Leicester, I say Leicester is in the north. I'm convinced the boundary must follow the line of the water sheds. Those areas with streams running to the Trent and Humber, (or Mersey) are in the North. Areas whose tributaries flow into the Welland, and The Wash (or Severn) are in the South. So the border is about 8 miles south of Leicester at Kibworth.

[@roserobson6707]

If the line was horizontal from the divide of Wales North and South, then yes, yet if we did move the line partly vertical then Leicaster is more Southern. Over here around Durham, we are the types of Northerners that have that kind of accent which is Midlands Southern, as for Newcastle or Sunderland ect they have more of a Northern accent, it's a bizarre country will tell you that.

[@tomchitling]

@@roserobson6707 Accents can be misleading. Workers from mining communities in the central north including Durham moved east to the coast and south to the East midlands, including west Leicester bringing their accent and culture with them. South east Leicester also had an influx from London, confusing the picture.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

No, Leicester is in the Midlands, even though I love your red cheese.

[@gwaptiva]

If you drive along the M25, which is the large carpark^D^D^D highway that circles London, you'll at some point come across signs that point to The North. If you follow those, up the M1 or the M5/M6, at some point, those The North signs disappear. I'll assume that at that point you're in the North. And then God's country is to the north of that.

[@jordizee]

I LIKE YOU...I THINK YOURE GREAT! 🇬🇧

[@kerryannestevenson6099]

I like the way he says Channel,and how he researches in real time.

[@DJF1947]

The British divide is at Watford Gap. This is because William the Conquerer realised that he could not control all of England for long with his available forces, so he destroyed everything (people, animals, crops, usable land [by salting]) north of Watford: an impoverishment from which the north has never fully recovered.

[@Code123579]

I love the (sort of) joke that anything north of Watford is "The North" and glad to see the idea gaining traction

[@stuartmcivor2276]

The North starts at the River Tees. But I didn't think that when I lived in South Yorkshire!

[@InceyWincey]

“Everything North of Watford Gap is Barbarian Land.”

[@Isleofskye]

Gaining traction? We used to say that,in London,over 60 years ago :)

[@ratsters7]

The vast majority of us DO like you! 😊

[@user-fp5vv6op6i]

I feel it’s all related to the Danelaw and attitudes remain the same

[@hiramabiff2017]

While the USA toiled with it's own historic race demons the working class British had been a free people for hundreds of years. What is always overlooked is the " Class System " that was on par with Apartheid in it's segregation and oppressive attitude to anyone who was from a working class background. Only when "forced " early 1980's did the establishment start to drop barriers and acceptance in civil service jobs to allow non university educated dept heads. The North/South divide is a spin off from those days. Then again, N/London hates South/London historically and even post code (Zip Codes ) wars have been common for generations. You can drive 40mns up the road and encounter a different British dialect and outlook. Our Island truly is such a great place to live.

[@elaines.8038]

The south starts at Scotch Corner as far as I'm concerned .... I'm from the north east .... Sunderland.

[@lewis.b1139]

Very rare shoutout for my hometown of Scunthorpe. Unfortunately in this case it adds to the stereotype that Scunthorpe is actually purgatory and sits on the line between existences😢

[@thatdmguy4512]

I did an entire dnd episode where we argued this matter for 2hrs

[@craignicklin4573]

just from the game of bowls, there is a north south divide, crown green in the north, flat green in the south

[@tonytwobins4964]

You go less than 10 miles our accents change .Eyup from S Yorkshire.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

That's true, ey up from Donny

[@jackdubz4247]

It's England's North/South divide, not "Britain's".

[@carolnoble4615]

I am from the north and we are totally different to those in south. Based on the different types of resources and businesses we used to make. Ships, mining, just two of the many industries we used to have.

[@terryhunt2659]

You know that there used to be coal mines in Kent, right?

[@carolnoble4615]

@@terryhunt2659 I know there were coal mines all over the UK but we also had Iron mines, lead mines and other industries around us such as ship building, steel making. The lead mines also had silver in them. I am not saying the south did not have similar industries but the north, especially the north east had many types of industry which outshone the south. Why do you think Nissan have stayed as long as they have? Because with so many factories around the world the Washington factory was always considered the best. There has been a determined attempt to destroy Co Durham recently. Are you aware there used to be a Palatinate in Co Durham. It was there for centuries. But the people in the south, namely big business, did not like it. the Conqueror created the Palatine but the Tories got rid of it in 1974 so that they could pass on the shipping rights of this country to the trade group of the time which later was made the EU. The palatine was in control of the shipping in the water in the south part of the River Tyne and down the coast to Yorkshire. It always collected its own taxes and was administrated by the Bishop of Durham.

[@terryhunt2659]

@@carolnoble4615 Calm down, it was mostly a joke (though factually true). And though I attended school in Kent, my Mother was born in Annfield Plain and I was partly raised in her parents' household, so I am somewhat aware of County Durham. (I have also lived for periods in Halifax and Manchester, as well as several other places further south, and spent 7+ years in Fife.) My perhaps over-subtle point was that, although there are of course North-South differences in Britain, they are in my experience greatly exaggerated: there are well-off people everywhere, working-class people everywhere, and industries everywhere (though in varying concentrations). There is also snobbery and inverted snobbery everywhere, but it's perpetrated by shallow-minded people - most sensible ones know better.

[@TheHarrip]

This was super brill

[@watchreadplayretro]

lovely

[@rupertharrison4977]

The West Country withdraws from this argument!

[@David.Maughan]

As a Geordie I can confirm the North ends just south Sunderland, ones you have gone further South than Scotch Corner which is just past Middlesbrough youre in the midlands.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

Excuse me, the whole of Yorkshire is South of Middlesbrough and we are definitely in the North. This also goes for our awkward Western neighbours, the Lancashire people.

[@Martin-88]

Scots would say anything below Berwick is in the south ;)

[@grahamstubbs4962]

Where is the North/South divide? Just north of here, thank you.

[@stephenlee5929]

That sounds about right.

[@Tony2438]

Each country of the Union has it's own flag the Scottish Irish and English put together make the Union flag I think the reason Wakes is left out is because it was considered part of England so wasn't it on the flag

[@riverraven7359]

Look at a map of the Danelaw and push the eastern edge above east Anglia you've pretty much got it

[@Fiona77h]

The UK is easy to draw if you think of it as a bunny sitting down

[@sarahk3925]

Love those map men, very quirky. Northern is everywhere past Birmingham, which is the Midlands Everything past Birmingham is South. I'm absolutely right as I am Northern, in Lancashire. Love your videos btw

[@Isleofskye]

No!! You believe you are right because you are a Qoman but then what happens when a Woman meets another Woman, with an opposing viewpoint, who, ALSO, believes she is right, Sarah?😀😀

[@Isleofskye]

WOMAN, not Qorman ! It is 7.30am in The London Suburbs:)

[@coop66kc]

I live in East Anglia so don't class myself as a southerner, but we are slowly getting taken over by Londoners.

[@Isleofskye]

All from Ilford! My M8 told me,10 years ago when he moved to Norfolk that when he first moved,almost everyone had a local accent but now most sound like they come from Ilford (and,probably, do" lol

[@benlee8436]

We have all four compass points and a middle. It's just that people in the north and south are stuck in a feud and easily confused which causes them to struggle with advanced concepts or remember that large parts of the country exist. I'm in Peterborough, which is annoying as it's too far east to be in the Midlands, but too far west to really count as east. And we say parth or paff, on a whim. Middle East?

[@pedanticlady9126]

Shout out for East Anglia! 👋

[@carolineskipper6976]

Eton is a top tier public school, (ultra top private school) where a disproportionate number of Top Tories over the past decade were educated. I live in the Midlands, which is always forgotten by those discussing the N/S Divide. Think of it as a Neutral Zone between the two! Here's Toby Campion's Poem 'From the Midlands' to illustrate. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJmtioWIo7JppsU

[@InceyWincey]

More Labour MPs have a public school education than Tories. Ironically there are more upper class Labour politicians than Tories, and more middle and working class Tories than Labour MPs.

[@PaulieR1976]

Love you mate! Dont listen to the rest! 😂

[@TheGreatLordDufus]

Probably already mentioned, but I am guessing Wales looks odd on Jay's map because it isn't there. The divide is English, so I think he only drew England. North and South Wales is a different thing.

[@atay6413]

As a Bradfordian Sheffield IS in the south.

[@missharry5727]

I fully agree as a person born in Leeds and growing up in Queensbury. You as a Bradfordian may well be the only other person in this chat who knows where I mean.

[@Gulliedoutbigup]

fun fact of jay, hisbrother is a very famous beat boxer called beardyman

[@eyesofisabelofficial]

Post Ice age there evolved an East-West- South divide with the ice free south never having been depopulated but the north losing it's west, and much hunting territory, to what became known as the Irish sea, and the north (east of the Pennines) losing virtually all it's surface area to the formation of the north sea as the land forms caved in, the following sea enveloping Doggerland. All this happened whilst humans lived here.

[@mirandahotspring4019]

After the 1860s gold rushes in the early stages of Pākehā (European) settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth. But that has changed a lot! We in the south don't exactly hate North Islanders, (also known as Pig Island) but as the largest island we are considered to be the Mainland, so we have a sort of pity for them. I mean we have the beautiful scenery, the Southern Alps, the lakes, and with a population of 1,225,000 as of June 2023, the South Island is home to only 23% of New Zealand's 5.2 million inhabitants. In Auckland alone there are about 1.7 million people or about a third of the total population. In the south we refer to the place as Dorkland, and the inhabitants JAFAs. (Just Another F****** Aucklander) I was travelling through Christchurch with a friend from Auckland who always used to chide me about referring to Auckland as Dorkland. As we were driving the news came over the radio and in the sports update the announcer said, "Ha, ha, see Dorkland lost the rugby! Go Crusaders!" The Crusaders are the Christchurch/Canterbury team in the super rugby competition. My friend looked at me in alarm and said, "They really do call Auckland Dorkland down here!"

[@geekexmachina]

Some people would say north south divide has aspects of social class and economic wealth. It is a very big issue politically also as voting habits are effected in certain parts of the country.

[@dib000]

But that's rubbish, there is as many economically deprived areas in the south as the north.

[@werty21100]

@@dib000even if there is many deprived areas in south England the north of England is in a much more worse state then the south of England and has been liked that a lot longer then south of England and I should know I was born, grew up and currently live in the north of England

[@jamesburrell8782]

We live in North London - that’s far enough north for me.

[@andyleighton6969]

The North starts where people are insulted at being called a Southerner...in the Midlands!

[@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567]

Do you really receive negative comments? I am surprised tbh and the ones I have seen are generally rather positive. Personally I enjoy your videos and the fact you will pause, look things up and share that with us too, along with other interesting asides, plus your manner is very calm, friendly so yeah, if there's haters just ignore them, afaik & fwiw(!) you're fine! ☮

[@njp9554]

Anything after Sheffield for me and I live in north east England

[@jasonyoung7705]

Simply dig a trench, about 20 meters deep, 1/4 of a mile wide, between the Mersey and the Humber. make it 1 great river. Theres your divide. As a bonus, you can bulldoze Barnsley on the way through.

[@stevemarks9360]

There are three distinct regions, south, Midlands and North. South is warmer, and has the money.

[@geemo4284]

Have you completely forgotten the South West, which has little in common with the South, Cornwall being one of the poorest areas in Europe and with a very different history of development from the South

[@Brucemcleod2345]

South Island wanted independence from the North Island up until the 1980s