We are not the minority.

[NorthernRaider]

Joking aside there is I honestly believe a major cultural difference tween northerners and southerners, it could be based possible along the old Danegeld tribal lines perhaps, but the old analogy of Northerners work to live, but Southerners live to work. It translate generally to the north elects quality time with families ahead of careers and vice versa for the south. You see the arguments for both sides time after time, a northerner will be perplexed and baffled that a southern family will decide to have children then they at the earliest opportunity bang them into nursery pre school often as early as 6AM and not pick them up again until 7PM on the evening, with other slightly wealthier folks bundling infants off the boardsing school so the parents can get on with their careers. Whats the point in having kids if you are not going to spend every possible moment watching them grow and develop!!. Yeah I know theres other sides to the issue, but I came across a perfect example with one of my wifes colleagues. Both of them were doctors one a GP tother a SHO, they had three kids all under 9, They got a nanny to look after them because neither would cut back on their careers though the option was available to both. the nanny adored the kids, loved em to bits, she would do anything to make the kids happy, healthy and well balance.
The parents got rid of her after 2 years cos the youngest said to her parents " I wish Lucy was my mummy" and the other often refered to Lucy as their "propper mum". The kids got shipped off to a combined boarding and day school in the Dales where all three were miserable.

I find folks from the south west in general have the same family / community/ environment first mentality that dominates the north east, we too have have some serious negative influences from middle class south easterners moving into the area.