Sheffield named most generous city

[northwichcat]

These are Britain’s most generous cities, according to a survey of 2,000 people across the country.

Percentage who say they carry out acts of generosity at least once a week:

Sheffield (84 per cent)
Edinburgh (78 per cent)
Liverpool (77 per cent)
Bradford (76 per cent)
London (69 per cent)
Birmingham (68 per cent)
Glasgow (67 per cent)
Manchester (66 per cent)
Leeds (63 per cent)
Bristol (61 per cent)
The survey was carried out by Vision Critical for Fox Biscuits in October 2014. They also researched the cities most likely to perform certain good deeds.

Cities most likely to …

Wait to hold door open – Sheffield (86 per cent often do this)

Hand you a parking ticket with credit left on – Manchester (59 per cent)

Cook you an unexpected meal – London (41 per cent)

Offer you a lift – Leeds (57 per cent)

Give you directions even if in a hurry – Liverpool (59 per cent)

Hand over a book once they’ve finished reading it – Edinburgh (57 per cent)

Make a cup of tea for a busy colleague – Bradford (55 per cent)

Post you a card out of the blue – Birmingham (22 per cent)

Give clothes to charity – Sheffield (83 per cent)

Be given a tip twice the normal rate – Bristol (33 per cent)

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/these-are-the-most-generous-cities-in-britain--lkKjFboMDg

Surprised the survey was commissioned by Fox Biscuits!

 

[trentside]

I spend a bit of time in Sheffield, and concur that the culture there seems very friendly.

Just don't ask them to spend money, as that's a stereotype their keen to encourage.

 

[telstarbox]

Sheffield is very friendly on the whole. It doesn't surprise me that Manchester comes even lower than London though!

 

[trentside]

I find with London that a lot of the time, you get out what you put in - the are unfriendly people as with anywhere, but being polite and friendly will get a similar response in a lot of circumstances.

 

[Johnuk123]

Sheffield is very friendly on the whole. It doesn't surprise me that Manchester comes even lower than London though!

Having lived and worked in London I find it hard to believe anywhere would be ranked lower.

 

[Haydn1971]

Smug Sheffielder Grin

 

[Merseysider]

I've lived in Manchester for a couple of years now, and have to say a lot of people here are quite grumpy. Yet I was in Sheffield only last month and was surprised at how chatty/friendly/patient people were.

Liverpool is rather 50/50. You can find quite a few unpleasant youths hanging around but the general non-chavvy population are a great bunch of people.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I was surprised tipping was on there. Is tipping something that happens now? I've always assumed it was a North American thing. I mean, the last tip I gave was to Viz.

Smug Sheffielder Grin

Like there's any other kind of grin in Sheffield...

 

[Gemz91]

Spent two years living in Sheffield, never found it particularly generous/friendly, but if its something your used to I suppose you don't realise.

Spent my first 20 years in South Leeds (Beeston/Holbeck), went to Sheffield for 2 years, then back to Headingly in North Leeds. I always said there was a huge difference between the friendliness of Headingly compared to South Leeds. Always found South Leeds very friendly, would happily say morning to people I didn't know walking past them in the street, chat to people at the bus stop and so on. How ever, never seemed to experience this in Headingly. Found them much less friendly. Always put it down to the fact Headinly is made up of a large proportion of students, so came to the conclusion that they were out of towners, and thus watering down the imagine of friendliness of Leeds.

 

[Starmill]

I like Sheffield and I can't say I don't consider it to be friendly! But there is something... just something that I can't quite put my finger on about the place that, whenever I am there, just doesn't seem quite right. I've never had this feeling in Liverpool, Leeds, Hull or York, but I do also feel it in Nottingham, but I've spent far less time there.

I wonder why. Being a Mancunian I think we are underrated for cheeriness, but then, I can see why.

 

[Hyphen]

Having spent several years working in Sheffield (some of it doing weekly commutes from Swansea, then later living just over the border, but I won't count Chesterfield in this) I can happily concur that those in that city really are a friendly bunch.

I'll never forget one December when a crazy amount of snow fell and crippled the transport system - people were up early and walking into work (many of them doing several miles into the city - I was going the opposite way towards Crosspool). There was a great atmosphere amongst them - almost everyone said good morning!

I've never had this feeling in Liverpool, Leeds, Hull or York, but I do also feel it in Nottingham, but I've spent far less time there.

As a Nottinghamian born and bred I'd tend to say that we're a fairly friendly city - I often darkly joke that we'd certainly give you the time of day before stabbing/shooting you

(Note: I've never been stabbed or shot in Nottingham)

I do love Nottingham people - they have a tendency to say things exactly how they are, no mincing words. One of my favourite ever quotes was from the guy who egged Farage earlier in the year:

I saw the guys outside the town hall about 10 minutes ago. I went to Tesco, bought some eggs.

 

[Busaholic]

Sheffield gave the rest of us Nick Clegg, an act of unparalleled generosity which I hope they repair next May

 

[northwichcat]

Sheffield gave the rest of us Nick Clegg, an act of unparalleled generosity which I hope they repair next May

Well thanks to Nick Clegg & the Lib Dems a lot of people saw their net pay rise (due to the rising of the personal allowance) at a time when most employers weren't able to offer pay rises.

 

[Merseysider]

Well thanks to Nick Clegg & the Lib Dems a lot of people saw their net pay rise (due to the rising of the personal allowance) at a time when most employers weren't able to offer pay rises.

Thanks to Nick Clegg, I'm going to be £50k in debt to the government in two years' time. As are roughly a million other students.

 

[Busaholic]

Well thanks to Nick Clegg & the Lib Dems a lot of people saw their net pay rise (due to the rising of the personal allowance) at a time when most employers weren't able to offer pay rises.

I've voted Lib Dem at the last five General Elections at least but never again even to try to keep the Tory candidate from being my MP. The age-related personal allowance was scrapped two weeks before I reached 65 which means I have to pay tax where before I didn't, and that situation will continue until 2016. My Lib Dem MP took three months to reply to my email on the subject (the only time I've ever written to him) and sent a 'general' reply which didn't mention my specific point. So, thanks to the government of which Nick Clegg is a part my personal allowance decreased. Clegg is also the most vociferous about restricting bus pass use i.e. means-testing it will cost more than the benefits accrued from it so it will wither even more. If Labour are the largest party next May they must under no circumstances allow that lot (whatever rump is left) anywhere near government

 

[northwichcat]

Thanks to Nick Clegg, I'm going to be £50k in debt to the government in two years' time. As are roughly a million other students.

At least you've got a clause saying any balance remaining 30 years after graduation will be written off. A government minister said he expected 60% of loans to never be paid back in full.

I have a pre-2006 loan which can only be written off if I reach pension age or die and I struggle to get the interest paid off, so at the moment I'm doubtful of it being paid off in full before I reach 65 unless I make overpayments.

I don't know how the repayment terms will compare between the two types of loans.

 

[me123]

At least you've got a clause saying any balance remaining 30 years after graduation will be written off. A government minister said he expected 60% of loans to never be paid back in full.

Pretty shocking that they still expect 60% of graduates to be paying back their student loans some 30 years later, mind you. Almost penalises those with the ambition to obtain a degree when you're almost guaranteed half a lifetime of debt, and that's before you start to consider other debts that people will start to accrue (most notably, a mortgage).