Furries And The North/South Divide

[lupestripe]

Reading some of the reviews of the London Furmeet got me thinking about whether the infamous North/South divide in the UK is also reflected in the Fandom. It has been known for a while that RBW and ConFuzzled's rivalry is far from friendly and on many occasions it has become downright personal. Added to this, there is a significant section of furries who fly the flag for their respective regions.

Some of the Northern Furs believe that London Meets are cliquey and unfriendly, often citing toilet escapades and drama that has long been consigned to the past as their reason not to head to the capital. Meanwhile, some London Furs believe that it is not worth venturing north of the Watford Gap because London is THE place to be.

Of course a lot of this relates to local pride and this is why Northern and Southern Patriotism (if we are to call it that) exists in the UK as a whole. I think this is reflected in the Fandom too and I am unsure as to whether it is constructive. We are a small group so is it worth dividing ourselves even further?

It is fair to say that in my experience, meets in the North differ to those in the South. I agree that the Northern meets are often friendlier but does this reflect the oft cited friendliness of Northerners or is it because the size and dynamics of the meets are different? Some people believe that the Northern meets have lost impetus recently and need after-parties to boost their reputations and profiles. Whilst I disagree vehemently with this, if people think this then clearly there is an issue somewhere.

I know there are advocates of both regions but why is this the case? Is it a sense of local loyalty or something deeper? Is it related to a dislike of the other contingent? Is it a friendly rivalry or something more bitter? Is it politically or socially motivated? And are their regional rivalries between furries in other countries?

Comments

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I believe that the difference between Northern and London meets is that you could turn up to the Northern ones not knowing anyone and you could get talking far more easily than you could at a London meet. London meets have significantly improved when it comes to this though and I met a lot of cool new people the other day but again, it often comes in the way of introductions. Still, with the way the Fandom is online, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to meet people before the event.

I haven't seen nor heard of any kind of elitism going on to be honest. I certainly haven't experienced it but I am sure it exists everywhere, irrespective of which part of the country you are in. The furs I did meet in London were all affable and interesting.