Wherever you look in Jesmond you will find beautiful houses, overflowing bars, independent shops, local coffee spots, and plenty of peaceful green spaces. However, beneath this idyllic image is a divide of cultures, one where the ‘Rah girl’ and the ‘Rugby Lad’ make daily life as a northerner that bit more infuriating.
I could never deny that I love living in Jesmond. Social Wednesdays with everyone in outrageous costumes, holding a pitcher of red pint whilst completing challenges is hilarious and great fun. Two pound Tuesdays, where affordable drinks are flowing and you’re squashed back-to-back with your friends is a personal favourite, made even more special as you stumble home wondering how two red pints turned into a pitcher with a side of 3 VKs. My time in Jesmond is never dull; I just wish the high-pitched ringing noise of arrogant remarks in my ears would stop.
"My time in Jesmond is never dull; I just wish the high-pitched ringing noise of arrogant remarks in my ears would stop."
The ‘Jesmond Girl’, struts around in her Tom’s Trunks and Longchamp, with a Starbucks coffee, asking “What school did you go to?” and turning in dismay when she realises you didn’t go to private school or grammar school, but just “State school”. What does that even mean? Why is a regular school not the norm? The term “State” almost becomes derogatory as it is accompanied with a scornful look. The competitive school talk and the big private school names being thrown around that make absolutely no sense to me, and have no meaning, will never not be humorous. I feel like an outsider in an inside joke.
"The term “State” almost becomes derogatory as it is accompanied with a scornful look"
The ‘Rugby Lad’ terrorises Jesmond, wearing a garish stripey suit accompanied with a matching hat and tie. Forcing one other to do horrendous things for ‘fun’, “chundering” into a pitcher, or robbing something from Waitrose, and much worse that I have tried to block from my memory. They seem to congregate in the North, despite their hatred for it. It is so bizarre how someone can insult an entire half of a country, calling it “grim” or “poor” whilst strutting around one of its towns in a bright suit, trashing its streets with vomit and cans. Why come here if you hate it? A question I am still unclear on the answer to.
Newcastle is a hearty northern city, and Geordie locals have openly displayed anger towards students for leaving Jesmond in a state of disarray. Locals often take to Facebook with complaints of anti-social behaviour, I reached out to local Jesmond Facebook group and one local described students as, “Wild animals, pissing, shitting and spewing in people’s doorways. Pinching plant pots and anything that isn’t nailed down”. Living in Jesmond and seeing the damage done, I can’t help but understand their frustration, I feel sometimes the student population treat Jesmond as a bubble, a theory applicable to both southern and northern students, but one that leaves this beautiful North East town fragmented.
Jesmond becomes idealised as a representative of the entire North of England. So many times, I have heard the phrase, “I love the North”, from my southern friends, who have only ever been to Newcastle. ‘The North’ being stripped back from a huge series of counties to a city, to the expensive and lovely town which mainly houses students, of Jesmond. Us northerners are proud and deserve more recognition as people, not as the forgotten part of the country.
"Jesmond becomes idealised as a representative of the entire North of England."
I love being a student at Newcastle University, and I love living in Jesmond, but if one more person asks me what school I went to, I might just pack my bags.