The Chief

Out of the big towns most definitely, webbed feet and all that, 3 eyes etc etc.

And i thought they were some strange folk up where i live

Leslie

I am afraid that you are mistaken. Those ones are the "visitors" who come here in the school holidays walking around either in lifejackets meaning "look at me I have got a yacht", or in string vests and shorts regardless of whether it is sunny or pouring with rain eating chips at all times of the day and dropping the rubbish in the road!

Les

The Chief

You mean the ones from Bristol Les? you are quite possibly right on that score

Devildog

LOL

I love these threads. Everybody "hates" the English. Even the Cornish "English"

The difference in the way people treat you anywhere I've travelled outside of Great Britain when you eplain you are not "English" makes me wonder what "you" must have done to be so universally disiked as a nation.

Rather than trying to answer why by finding fault with everyone else, perhaps some inward examination is required here

The Chief

I think we as the English are maybe a little insecure but everyone hating us?

Well you have to ask why? maybe its jealousy of our past successes which breeds bitter resentment by other regions especially those that border us. Its like people trying to keep up with the joneses that exists on almost every street. The guy resents his neighbour because he has a better job/wife/car so resents him but deep down wishes they could be like him and in fact secretly admires him.

I find this recent article very interesting and explains it better then i ever could.

Flawed Scots schizophrenic, says McLeish - Scotland on Sunday

Diesel

Its probably more to do with behaviour away from home rather than 'past successes' mate - although us Welsh do now like charging you to re-enter your old castles here LOL

Seriously often it is a common theme of big-city dwellers with more cash thinking they are better/richer/louder/cleverer than the locals and then they also lock them out of their communities by (inadvertently) inflating local home prices. I'm not even including continental Europe here (where they all speak terrible-funny English - the numpties)

D

PS none of this is specifically an 'English' thing; its a trait you find amongst Thai's, Venezuelans, Greeks etc. Hell even people from Holyhead think the 'main island' dwellers are proletariat yokels and a bit beneath them 'big city' types!!!!

The Chief

Neighbours have a tendancy to dislike each other i.e. North V South, Scotland V England, Manchester V Liverpool, then you get your smaller towns disliking each other like say Wigan and Bolton

Diesel

Bolton??!!! Dont get me started! Rough, uncouth, bit thick and that simple broad accent. They come to Wigan in their cheap cars, shouting at their kids and think they own the place. Absolute rubbish!

D

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Go to the north-east USA - especially around Boston.

Say you are Scottish, Irish or Welsh and everyone is your friend. Say you are English and it all goes very quiet. In some bars in Boston it is positively dangerous to say you are English.

The Chief

Bolton is posh compared to some parts of Oldham

S3TH

iTrader: (2)

Really? Not disputing your claim but can you elaborate?

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Based on my personal experience of being there!

Generally there is more of a love of the Celtic nations.

And remember that even though the 'troubles' are over there are some very, very republican bars in Boston and New York where in the old days you had a bucket come around every evening for contributions. The buckets might have gone but the republican nature is still there.

Remember all the way down the East Coast the Police force and fire service is still strongly Irish/Celtic and the gangsters who aren't Italian or Russian will be from the 'Old Country'. Check out Brotherhood and The Departed - fiction based on a lot of facts.

Devildog

Thank you for demonstrating my point

Devildog

There is undoutably an amount of truth in that article, notwithstanding the fact that McLeish is an arsehole of the highest order.

Doesn't explain why everone else has issues with "the English" though, does it?

Leslie

Its the Birmingham "Navy" which comes to mind!

Les

The Chief

Your bound to have that opinion of him if you are Scottish it stands to reason, i certainly would if someone was slagging the English.

They dont - or not in my experience anyway, its just the Scottish that seem to have a major chip on their shoulder against the English, thats why they will cheer for any other team in a world cup even south American teams rather then England.

If in next years world cup you feel the need to cheer on any of the opposing teams that are playing England your closest neighbour i'd ask yourself is there any truth in that article?

Devildog

McLeish is an arsehole full stop. Nothing to do with his slagging the Scots - everything to do with his conduct as a politician. I did state that there was some truth in the article. We are terrible as a nation for lacking in self belief. But this thread isn't about us (although maybe that;s why Scottish people are more accepted on a global scale?)

Even English comedians joke that "everyone hates the English, even the English" Its not just the Scots - although you seem intent on heading down that road.

Cheering for anyone but England at football is more to do with the hype that surrounds them, than anything else TBH. And far from every Scot does it. Its been done to death on here.

Maybe the English as a nation are just ofensive on a global scale. Maybe not.

I don't really care, to be honest, because once I've said I'm Scottish, its never been a problem wherever I've travelled. I'd even go so far as to say that being Scottish has been a positive advantage in that respect.

Go figure

Chip

It's not just the Cornish who don't like the English either

Chip

mykp

The only severe resentment I have come across to someone from out of town was when I went to Hiroshima. However as soon as they find out you english, and not american then the resentment disappears. Hardly surprising really!

ScoobyDriverWannabe

I used to help run a gaming forum a few years ago. On the user profile section there was an option to add a mini flag. We had all the usual ones Eng, GB, Wales, Scotland, Euro etc.

Some guy started a campaign to get people to boycott the site claiming the site was racist.

The reason behind this was because we didn't include a Cornish flag, I didn't even know Cornwall had its own flag.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

You think thats bad. Some of the official forms you have to fill in down here have Cornish as a nationality!

mykp

personally I think that cornwall, wales, scotland should be given there own freedom to run their own affairs. get your own income and distribute your own wealth.

I wonder how they'd cope?

hux309

Technically cornwall isn't a part of england as it wasn't done officially.

As for the cornish not liking the english, it's usually because they come down here haring about at 100+ trying to change our way of life, not going to happen in this lifetime.

The Chief

But how would Cornwall's already poor economy cope if they A: went independent and B: If the tourists decided to bugger off and went to Devon instead?

After overhearing a conversation a couple of years ago by a load of fishermen in some scruffy portacabin cafe in Padtsow (who happened to do the best brekkie ever btw) the fishing industry in Cornwall is absolutely buggered anyway and as far as i know the biggest industry is tourism closely followed by fishing.

I just cant understand Cornwall insiting that they are not English - well i'm sorry the last time i looked they bloody well are. Its like Lancashire or Cheshire wanting to become independent - it aint gonna happen.

mykp

according to the bbc chief, cheshire doesnt exist!?!

The Chief

lol.

You know how i feel about Cornwall Mike, I love the place and the people there (face to face at least) have been very accommodating and friendly.

For me Cornwall is very significant as my Grandparents met in Carbis Bay so possibly without Cornwall i wouldn't be posting this nonsense

I just get the impression that some of them dislike and almost detest the English - i mean for f**ks sake dont hate us, maybe hate Jamie Oliver but not all of us.

G-string

iTrader: (1)

Agree with The Chief, if it wasnt for tourists cornwall would be F@[[ED alright the house prices have gone up but im sure a lot of cornish people who own houses are not moanin about this ;-)

mykp

as said previous times, If I could move down there tommorow wouldnt be soon enough. However my business is in Macclesfield so until I can sell it or my work changes so I can work at home completely i'm stuck here.

Ive come across the a-holes some of the Cornish are on about and these people tend to be shocked when there spoken to in the manner they speak to others!

Leslie

Unfortunately the locals lost in one village where the fishermen wanted to build a new quay to improve their industry and the holiday home owners all objected to it for their own selfish purposes and won the day! Can't remember the name of the village now.

Les

mykp

pretty sure it was Helford Passage