I have always found the use of negatives common, if sometimes irritating, in the North of England. I can't remember the exact saying but for example, rather than ask "Did you like that?" I often heard "Didn't you like that?" said without the tone of voice which would imply anything negative.

This often leads to long, winded double negatives like "Were you not thinking of not going out today?" They tend to sound better spoken in the local accent, such as the North Yorkshire/Lancashire border, not far from Rhubarb Commando, where there is a lovely singalong accent. I used to enjoy sitting back and listening, rather than trying too hard to unravel what people were saying.