Nestled on the northeastern coastline is the city of Sunderland, home to more than 270,000 people with a rich shipbuilding history behind it. Perhaps you know it for its seaside or for its football team which had its own Netflix documentary ‘Sunderland Til I Die’. For me, it’s the place I lovingly call home.

However, according to a recent study by Preply, the city was dubbed one of the “least polite cities in the UK” along with London and Manchester.

To conduct the study, the company compared TripAdvisor reviews and statistics from Numbeo to give each location a score out of 30. The lower the score, the less polite the city was deemed.

TripAdvisor reviews were scanned for keywords such as “friendly”, “fantastic”, “polite”, and “friendly” while Numbeo’s data included information such as a city’s safety index and a cleanliness score.

According to their research, Sunderland scored just 8.6, only slightly higher than Manchester and London. But having lived in the city for the majority of my life, and now returning to visit family, I completely disagree.

In the North East, it doesn’t matter where you go, you’ll find friendly people who are happy to have a chat or help you out if you need it.

In London, people rarely speak to me on my commute, but in Sunderland, it’s not uncommon for someone to strike up a conversation at the bus stop or to meet a friendly bus driver.

The North East also regularly tops surveys as having some of the friendliest people. According to The Chronicle, it’s a widely accepted stereotype that Mackems are friendly. For reference, Mackems is the name given to locals from Sunderland.

Seaburn Beach is a vast stretch of flat, sandy shoreline, which is popular for coastal walks all year round. Over the last few years, it has also become a popular area for brave wild swimmers who don their wetsuits and head into the North Sea for a dip – even in the winter.

The seafront has become a hub for new businesses, with an array of new cafés, bars and restaurants springing up.

One of the newest ventures to arrive on the seafront in recent years is The Stack, a leisure and community hub made from shipping containers, that is home to several street food vendors, bars and retail outlets, as well as being a hub for entertainment. There are also the typical arcades for big and little kids to enjoy.

Or walk just a little further along the promenade and you’ll find yourself at Roker beach. A smaller, sandy beach which is a popular spot for water sports, including paddle boarding.

The beachguide.co.uk described Roker Beach as “one of the unsung hidden gems of the northeast English coast”. It’s also a short walk from Roker Park, a lovely green spot which shares its name with Sunderland’s former football ground, before the arrival of the Stadium of Light in 1997.

The city centre is also going through a major regeneration project, with a swathe of new businesses arriving in Sunderland to enjoy.

Whether you’re enjoying a meal at one of the new restaurants, such as Jack’s Thai or ramen restaurant Koji, you can expect friendly service and staff who are willing to have a little chat.

If you do fancy a mini-break in the city, the good news is that it has welcomed a few new hotels recently, including an £18 million Holiday Inn hotel in Keel Square.