One of the things I discovered within my very first weeks of being in London (which now feels like such a long time ago) is that Londoners are thoroughly misjudged.
There is this stereotypical perception up North (by that I mean anywhere above Watford of course) that the further south you go the more reserved, cold and unhelpful the people are. However, in my year here I have found very little evidence to support that claim. True, when you go into a shop you don’t get the shop assistants entire life story as you might expect to in somewhere in Yorkshire, but that doesn’t say that people in the Capital are so inward thinking that they don’t talk to each other. I can’t deny that life certainly moves at a speedier pace in the Big City and there are definitely certain social protocols applied when on public transport, however, I have found many Londoners who are incredibly caring, helpful, approachable and nonjudgmental! The way someone would offer a tissue to a crying person on the bus, or call after them if they’ve dropped something, or help parents with a carrying a pushchair, or simply remembering you. These may seem like common courtesy to some of you but you ‘d be a amazed at how little you spot them nowadays, the attitude in our culture too often seems to be, if it’s not essential, I won’t do it, but when that personal connection is made, that support is offered, the change in mood is so rewarding.
The other fantastic, thing about London is the Weird and the Wonderful, one thing that cannot escape anyone’s notice if they spend time in this city is how accepting London is of who you are and whatever you want to be or do, whether this is juggling or doing yoga alone in the park, or doing the conga through the tube station, or walking round in onesies, or your determination to make it in the world, the attitude seems to be be exactly who you are, the crazier the better!
This is just my observation from being a Londoner, and yes, I do consider myself a Londoner as I believe the term describes, not where you were born or where you have lived for a substantial amount of time, but all of us who have found a place where we can be who we truly are, a place to belong, in London.
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