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I'm not too sure about that having never really come across it at all. I've seen the English Out! Grafitti painted on walls in Wales and Scotland but never their opposite numbers in England (although I admit I haven't seen every wall in England).
But the thing is I think that these stereotypes and rivalries would probably die a natural death now if it weren't for them being brought up in the media so often (see the northern cities "beyond revival" uproar last summer) because the vast majority of people of people from all over the island just don't seem to really give two figs about it anymore.

I dunno about that.

There is still a lot of anger outside the Home Counties about how badly the areas got screwed over by Thatchers regime.

Closing down the Mines, selling off Companies. I understand and get the reasons for that (overall saving money) but that the South East was the only part to truly reap the rewards at the expense of the areas affected took the piss. Sure, close down the Mines if they are not cost effective. But do not, do not just leave the areas to rot. Entire communities depended, rightly or wrongly on specific industries. To take them away and not offer any retraining etc to the populace is wrong, wrong, wrong. I've driven through Welsh Mining towns, and I never wish to see such abject poverty and desolation ever again. We are a civilised country, so how can we treat our countrymen with such casual disdain?

But again, not that the South East cared. They were alright, and had all the money.

That sort of resentment does not die down easily.

Doc, so your willing to blame everyone from the south east now because of the decisions of 1 person?
correct me if im wrong, but no one from the south east actually did anything, it was thatcher who did it.
seems like alot of pissed off people with missplaced hate to me.


Edit: ill be lurking while trying out the res. evil 5 demo

It's more jealousy to be honest.

THe South East did very well out of Thatcher, and thanks to the Tory Strongholds therein, kept the mad old cow in Power.

Plus, the Media at the time was firmly based in London (possibly still on Fleet Street. Not 100% on that) and it was the Media who kept on backing her, and rubbishing the Left. At this point, it is forgivable for someone to start developing a persecution complex, or at the very least, wondering if there is a conspiracy to keep the old hag in power. For a long while it felt like those most affected by her actions weren't allowed a voice. Trade Unions closed down, Striking Workers arrested by the police for daring to try and save not just their jobs, but their community. Thatcher condemend them, so did the popular press.

All that added up to the malaise, distrust and jealousy of the South East. It's not so much directed at the people, but at the area. They never realised just how bad things were, because it wasn't until much later the media began reporting on the effects.

And consider what those most affected by her blase attitude saw on Telly. Yuppies in London swanning around with pockets full of cash, eating Nouvelle Cuisine, where a baked bean on a lettuce leaf would cost £50. The people watching would see those images, and know that whilst they struggled to survive and feed their family, those in the right place were having a whale of a time at their expense. It was disgusting, insulting, and upsetting. And it still goes on today. Take the London Olympics. Only London is going to benefit. Nobody is going to stay in Kent or Sussex. They might travel through, landing at Gatwick or coming up on the Eurostar. And what has happened? Lottery Funding cut in order to provide for the games. WHY? London is the richest city in the UK. They want the games, they pay for the games. Why should charities elsewhere in the UK face reduced activities, just so London can get yet more tourism? It is genuinely disgusting. Did you know Lottery Funding in Scotland alone is going to be cut by around 25%? I'd imagine other English areas are looking at similar.

So yeah, hope that helps to explain a bit better.

I think jealousy, distrust etc. plays a part but I think also there's just a general culture barrier between the south east and the rest of the UK. Mainly brought on by the south east's financial uprisal at the hands of thatcher like mad doc has explained. It's just an unfriendly place to live now. I feel bad that a tourist comes to london and goes away thinking they know the country when in fact it's an almost entirely different place.

Good point about London there.

Whilst London is an important cultural part of the UK, viewed in isolation it gives quite a false impression of what Britain is/can be.

Isn't this regional "rubbish" kinda last weeks news?

I'm London born, I don't drink lager I Do drink tea.. and sometimes coffee.

I couldn't give a stuff what people think of my country, I'm English and occasionally proud of it... Unless it concerns any sport.

There used to be miners in Kent you know!

The problem with Britain isn't the south-east it is the concentration on the health of the City Of London (financial service industry) at the expense of much of the rest of the country.

London contains some of the most deprived 10 boroughs in the UK.

Kilkrazy wrote:There used to be miners in Kent you know!

The problem with Britain isn't the south-east it is the concentration on the health of the City Of London (financial service industry) at the expense of much of the rest of the country.

London contains some of the most deprived 10 boroughs in the UK.

I live in one. And I'm a Northerner. Northern people are more friendly, it's a cliche, but it's true.

I think it's true.

But it's not because northerners have a special "friendliness" gene lacking in southerners. It's because if you live in London you contact dozens or even hundreds of strangers nearly every day, nearly all of whom you will never see again.

Humans just can't be nice to everyone at such a relentless pace. That makes Londoners (and all big city dwellers) much more reserved in their public contacts.

Hm. But again there you're confusing 'London' with all of the South, or at least all of the South East, although the city issue holds very true for the majority of the bigger cities.

I still hold that the stereotype of people from the South East being cold, arrogant and unfriendly is untrue although it's certainly true in London- it's something I see there everytime I go and is one of the major reasons I avoid the place like hell if I can. But that's personal experience, of course, and the other end of that is having grown up in the South East (not London) and barely ever seeing any of those characteristics in any of the people I knew. But that's personal experience, of course, and I'd just as easily apply the unfriendly characteristic to the Northerners who sometimes don't take kindly to us Southerners walking into one of their pubs and loudly ordering lager tops

The population of Greater London is well over 7 million. Obviously it isn't all the people and cities in the south-east but it is a ig proportion. The satellite towns and cities (eg. Brighton, Slough or Reading) have got such a connection to London through commuters, that they are like extensions of London.

You only have to go to a small town like Dorking in Surrey, or Bridport in Dorset, to find a completely different atmosphere.

When I was out in Exeter I found people to be tremendously warm and welcoming. In fact in general, any time I've been in the UK I've found myself having a wonderful time- my trip to london last year was brilliant.
Same was true of going out in Liverpool. Though man, northerners don't wear much in the cold, do they?

England: Gingers, lasers and gold
Scotland: Loch Ness and skirts
Ireland: Guiness and fighting
Wales: Sheep and dirt.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:It's more jealousy to be honest.

In a nutshell.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Crap, I just did thread necromancy. My mistake.

Heh, I remember this thread. Awww, this is the CUDDLY kind of necromancy.

It wasn't so much the last posting date. I was investigating what threads namegoeshere had started, pulled up this one, and went off and wrote a draft of my personal statement for my masters application. When I'd stopped doing that, I accessed this page, and thought it was current, forgetting I'd been digging around.

Anti-Mag wrote:Definition of an English person: Sitting quitely on the tube, headphones in, who will say ''sorry'' when you walk into them.

That is me x1000.
seriously, even if it's completely the other person's fault I still apologise for some reason.