Go north for fun, south for culture in UK

Newcastle has been voted the UK’s friendliest city by the British in a survey of 14 city break destinations.

North-west cities Liverpool and Manchester came second and fifth respectively in the list of the UK’s most hospitable places in the study by travel company Wimdu.

Voters said Newcastle was the least expensive place and Liverpool the third least expensive, with 91 per cent of UK residents who took part in the poll naming southern cities as the priciest.

The south was, however, voted the hub of culture in the UK by over half of Brits, with a score of 52 per cent.

Northern cities received 40 per cent of the culture vote, while London – a magnet for Maltese culture vultures – was voted as the hub of UK culture with 39 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, Liverpool – 2008’s European ‘Capital of Culture’ – was voted the UK’s fourth most cultured city, while Manchester took seventh place.

Cardiff, which was 2008’s ‘Centre of Culture’, was seen as one of the most uncultured cities, and received only one per cent of the vote. Newcastle, Leeds and Southampton came at the bottom of the most-cultured list.

Wimdu UK’s CEO, Michael Riegel, said: “There is a clear dotted line dividing the nation. The results show that the north/south divide is not our imagination, but it’s stronger than ever.

“Britons instinctively head to the north for fun and friends and the south for culture so when you’re choosing a city for your weekend break this autumn, you should decide what is most important to you then choose your destination.”

The travel company’s survey was filled in online by 2,143 British adults, who were asked what they thought of 14 UK city break destinations.