Northerners ‘are the friendliest neighbours’
NORTHERNERS are more neighbourly than Southerners and Midlanders, a study claims.
Neighbours in the North of England are more likely to chat over the garden fence, feed your pet, accept deliveries and keep an eye on your home when you’re away, the findings suggest.
From Liverpool to Newcastle, the streets are apparently teeming with people who would lend you their lawnmower or a cup of sugar, give you a lift and put your bins out, according to social networking service Nextdoor. They might even join you on a trip to the pub or invite you over for a dinner party.
But if all this sounds like your idea of hell and you’d rather just be left alone, you’re better off living further south, the study found.
In the research, Nextdoor totted up points for each “neighbourly” attribute, such as knowing the names of your neighbours, and came up with a Good Neighbour score out of 100. Top of the list, scoring 72, was Liverpool – closely followed by Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle. Surprisingly, London – normally seen as home to people who are more aloof – was not bottom of the list.
Miserable
That miserable “honour” went to Norwich, scoring just six out of 100, but the capital was next on seven points, followed by Nottingham, Birmingham and Brighton.
A spokesman for Nextdoor said: “If you want good neighbours, the secret is to move up North.
“Our study found that northern neighbours are nicer than those living in the South, with Liverpudlians coming out on top as the friendliest.”
Of course, neighbourliness goes two ways – and there’s nothing stopping you being friendly, no matter where you live.
Nextdoor UK boss Laura Roche said: “It can be daunting to introduce yourself to a neighbour.A simple hello can go a long way.”