Northern England & sticking out

I'm moving to Durham in 2006, and would like to hear of your experiences in the area re: being a foreigner.

The thing is, I've been to Durham and people were lovely, but I have heard from several people that there seems to be a clear-cut division between the uni students and the locals--to the point where local punters go around beating up uni students. I do know enough to take things like that with a grain of salt, but my thing is that hubs will be doing a PhD at the uni, and I'm supposed to find work. The thing I want to know is will I be able to 1) get a job (have an MA, do business admin type work) and 2) make friends with non-uni people?

I want to make absolutely clear that I'm not some upper-class twat who looks down upon working-class people, but I do know I could be seen as one, what with hubs going to the uni (even though the only way we're going is him getting a grant).

Will I stick out like a sore thumb and be classified as "one of the uni people" or will I fit in?

Hi.  My family moved to Durham this past fall from California.  My wife works for the University and I’m trying to pursue a PhD in British History.

The rumours you’re hearing all stem from the town/gown split at Durham.  Durham the University is highly regarded -- one of the select few universities beyond Oxford and Cambridge that is sometimes lumped into the collective phrase “Oxbridge”.  It’s also quite expensive.  Like Oxford and Cambridge (and unlike almost every other school), it is divided into colleges, some of which are very competitive and rather socially restricted.  (University College -- called “Castle” because it is housed in the castle -- and Hatfield College in particular; others much less so).

The Junior Common Room website for Grey College has a funny take on how to distinguish each of Durham’s colleges:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/grey.jcr/index.php/freshers/other_colleges/

As a result of all this, Durham is generally considered a “posh” school.  However, County Durham is anything but -- this is Northeast England, and the main industry and culture here for generations has been the coal mines.  For a very enlightening look at the general public in Durham, see the charming movie Billy Elliot, which takes place in County Durham during the late 1980’s coal strikes.  Ultimately, Thatcher beat the unions, and the coal pits are mostly closed now.  The community still feels this very deeply, and there is a lot of residual anger at Torys and by extension the affluent and educated.  Add to this the fact that the gulf between the upper-educated and the general public in Britain is far greater than in the U.S., and it makes for a decided town/gown split.  An analogy we employ to explain Durham to our friends back home in America is imagine if Princeton was located in the heart of Appalachia coal mining country.

But the rumour of violence between the two populations is greatly exaggerated.  Everyone, from the knighted and be-robed Vice Chancellor down to the blokes in the countryside locals have been basically accepting of us, if not out-and-out friendly and welcoming.

Furthermore, as an American and a graduate student, you will be relieved of the any general anti-posh undergrad bias that a local person might carry.

But just to be on the safe side, avoid the Fighting Cocks. (It’s a locals-only sort of pub).  J

And welcome to Durham!  Look us up when you get here!

     ~ Mark

Thank you for your post, Eustace. I am aware of the demographics in Durham (hence my post), and this is why I feel I need to take this seriously.
By the way, my hubs will actually go to Hatfield, LOL! Oh dear...

Also, I'd like to clarify that I won't be a student, which is why it's important for me to know what chances I have of establishing a social and working life outside of the university circles.

I am relieved to hear that the tension btw uni & locals isn't as bad as I thought.
Thank you so much for your help!

Hope you're looking forward to moving to Durham!  We live in Durham and my husband is a Theological Doctorate Student...been here almost two years.  I don't work, so can't help you in that area much, but I can say that Durham has quite a few "foreigners" living here, as well as lots of tourists from all areas coming through, so I think people are pretty used to it.  Most people don't say a thing about our accents, and just let us do our thing...which makes us feel like we're blending in a bit!  If you go out to smaller outlying villages, people might be a bit more curious and ask questions about where you're from and why you chose this area, but its always friendly.  I have never once had anyone say anything negative about us being from the States....oh I take that back - this past weekend at the local dump!  My husband did something kind of stupid, and a guy commented "damn colonist", but he was just joking as he said it with a huge smile on his face and a laugh.  So, if that's the worst it gets, that's ok!

Where are you moving from?  Excited?  A little nervous?  You'll be just fine.  Like Mark said, get in touch with us when you get here!  We've started a Bunko group with several Americans in Durham, and would love to have you guys join in the fun!

Karen