I was brought up in London but my dad was a Geordie from a family of 10 children.
As a kid growing up, and then as a teenager, most of my holidays were spent up in the North East visiting the family and my dad's old mates. I was always made to feel extremely welcome by everyone I met, not just family and friends, but even by complete strangers, who would joke at my "funny accent".
Whether they were supported Newcastle or Sunderland was irrelevent.
Now that I have sons of my own, we regularly come up to Northumberland, and the people of the North East are still as welcoming as ever. The first time I brought my wife up there, she couldn't believe how nice the people are, and how friendly they are compared to many southerners.
As a whole, the people from the North East have to be the friendliest people in the uk IMHO.
As a kid growing up, and then as a teenager, most of my holidays were spent up in the North East visiting the family and my dad's old mates. I was always made to feel extremely welcome by everyone I met, not just family and friends, but even by complete strangers, who would joke at my "funny accent".
Whether they were supported Newcastle or Sunderland was irrelevent.
Now that I have sons of my own, we regularly come up to Northumberland, and the people of the North East are still as welcoming as ever. The first time I brought my wife up there, she couldn't believe how nice the people are, and how friendly they are compared to many southerners.
As a whole, the people from the North East have to be the friendliest people in the uk IMHO.