In a few of weeks a wonderful thing is going to happen.
Thousands of students are going to descend on Newcastle’s two universities. Alright, that might not sound like the most wonderful thing – loud, brash and up for a party, the student population of Newcastle live up to their reputation for playing hard – but it is. Because thousands of students are going to descend on Newcastle and its two universities and be greeted by the friendliest people in the country.
A new poll of 5,500 people (LINK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8207836.stm ) saw Newcastle beat out Liverpool and Manchester in the friendliness rankings, which will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one who lives here.
And what will happen in a few weeks time is that those thousands of students will come bright-eyed into Newcastle and wander down Northumberland Street for the first time and be overwhelmed by the generosity of locals. They’ll get lost and find people willing to help. They’ll do their first food shop in the draughty Grainger Market and at first be confused but then pleased at being called “hinny” and “pet”.
It’s the Geordie way to give a warm, open-armed welcome, and it’s that quality which has been recognised in the national poll. Hard factual data will undoubtedly be backed up by first-hand experience for thousands of nervous undergraduates next month.
Read more at:
Auld Reekie tops city wish list – BBC News
This blog post has been contributed by Chris Stokel-Walker.
Visit Chris’s website to find out more about him.
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