I know that many people on this site may well think that I moan about the demographics of where I live, and that it is probably me that is a bit of a misery-guts
Well, just to prove a point, this is an advertisement in the local list rag, for live music at a pub in a nationally recognised local 'holiday' resort, and I quote:
"Vomit, Muffwings and Potential Victims".
Says it all. No wonder I feel ill.
Written by
Schenks
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In a way I know what you mean. I feel detatched and upset at the way people voted in my neck of the woods and I hear such prejudiced and awful things come out of people's mouths. I'm not getting political, honestly but it's that feeling of being surrounded by people that are a bit alien to me and I have few values in common with.
I will not disagree with you. It certainly is ...but it seems that there are several degrees of thyroid backwardness in the UK and some areas are more backward than others...
I often feel the same way about the rural area I live in. Here, we're divided into Locals and Incomers. An Incomer is always a Townie to a Local, even if she/he grew up in a rural area and has family from a similar farming background, like myself. I have to keep reminding myself that not all locals are 'that' way - one of them once told me, "The further up the dale you go, the narrower it gets, and so do the minds."
That is interesting. This area was once both rural and heavy industry, with farming and fishing abutting the ICU right on the coast. So the DNA pool is as broad as the travel reach of a drunken bike ride on a Saturday night binge. But now it's mainly suburban-type sprawl for the proletariat masses, largely filled with ignoramuses who hated school and therefore refused to learn how to think.
The yokels, sorry, locals, are also narrow minded and insular, but have the added quality of being utterly disagreeable. At least in Kent they were just cold! Here they are actively hostile.
But one always thinks of rural communities being friendly and helpful. It's so sad. Mind you, my OH says that the Dales people might grudgingly accept you after you've lived there for 30 years. What gives?
30 years? That's nothing! You need to have had family here for at least three generations to be considered a local, and the 'true' locals will still make remarks like, "Of course, they've only been here since the war..." if they happen to have had a disagreement with the faux-locals in question.
I grew up on the edge of the Peak District, actually within the Sheffield city boundary, which extends westward into the PD National Park. I had the best of both worlds, rural and city, and I was naively astonished when I moved away at 18 that other people in other parts of the country weren't as friendly to strangers as my own community was.
Now I'm living at the opposite end of the Pennines, not far south of the Tyne Gap, and people here are incredibly insular, as well as being small 'c' conservative. But there's a meanness that goes with it that I find impossible to accept. Locals like to say that they're 'independent', when they really mean they're frightened of anything or anyone from 'outside'. Doesn't stop them bogging off to Tenerife come summer though.
No seriously, that sounds a tad sanctimonious without understanding the ten years of trying to be friendly and the small, daily, petty hostilities, both by commission and omission, by passive and active aggression, from neighbours either side. Until you are aware of how tolerant we have been and are forced to be, it reads as patronising, to be honest.
Aw Schenks that wasn't my intention and sorry you took it that way. I guess I just have an acceptance that everyone is different, it doesn't mean that they're bad or mad or it's possible to fathom them out. But I'm weird so what do I know!!
Well, if tolerance and understanding makes you wierd, then so are we. And just because everyone is different it doesn't mean that they are NOT necessarily mean or bad or bitchy or ignorant. But you don't have to be wierd to understand that, either.
Life is far too short to spend it trying to make friends with people who aren't worth it... but sometimes we don't have much choice due to unfortunate circumstances ;(
I am in Chester which is my home town, have lived in Huddersfield, Sheffield, Manchester and Lancaster also but back in Chester now. Its a lovely city for shopping and tourism but soon wears off when you live here. It very much has an image to uphold and something that rubs off on the place to the core. It's a very conservative area. People in high places like to cover things up a lot in order to maintain that 'image'.
Yes they were nicer than Chester. A lot more down to earth I think and approachable. Sheffield people were nice also though. I can't make my mind up between the two places really.
I love Manchester because I love music and live bands and was there when all the indie scene was going on. So much to do and great places to visit. I do miss it. Chester is very flat towards there. It can be lonely also Manchester as its such a big city but the people are so down to earth. I also really like Liverpool and the people there but never lived there. Don't know what it is with Chester it's just snotty and a lot of people think things are beneath them haha x
You should I went to a gig there recently and the entire city centre has changed its crazy. Used to know it like the back of my hand but not anymore. Yeah I just wanted to stay though I know what you mean.
Having originated in Kent and gradually moved northwards during my life, I am currently living in a small Lancashire village outside Chorley. Certainly my experience is that the further north I have travelled the friendlier people are, more willing to say good morning and give eye contact to strangers. Dogs of all kinds abound and pubs are much more relaxed about having dogs in than in the gastro empire that is the south. When the brexit vote came in I did inform my husband that we would be moving north again to Scotland, but he is not convinced that my reasons are political, he thinks it has more to do with whisky and the rugby team!
Funny - I lived in Scotland until marrying an Englishman, and the difference between the Scots and the English is like the difference between a glorious banquet and cold, leftover stew. With no salt. The Scots are, to a person I met, curious, feeling, socially-conscious and generous, without being effusive. And I'm English, by the way.
My experience of Kentish folk was so at variance it was culturally shocking. However, the hostility did not manifest until we arrived near the coast in Lancashire. So I guess the ignorance and disagreeableness is cultural, according to the subculture.
You're right about northerners generally being friendlier than the south. I've lived down south, so I've experienced the reserve/unfriendliness there. I think the place I live now is quite unusual in its attitude of suspicion, even hostility. Neighbouring dales don't demonstrate such attitudes to the same degree.
We did some desultory house-hunting in Scotland after the Brexit vote, even though we don't want to give up the house we're still renovating after 20+ years. The nearest part of Scotland is just a bit too far for my husband's daily commute, so it's definitely off the cards for now. I think if the north-east could join an independent Scottish nation, that would be ideal.
I don't know what any of this has to do with Thyroid problems but at least it made me laugh this morning. That I've needed after the last few days, a close favourite relative died Tuesday. Regarding people being miserable and insular I came from Surrey to Buckinghamshire where I'm now living. We were with a conservative club for 28 yrs, we were friends with members so joined. Besides the people we already knew we got to know 3 or 4 new people! Talk about a bunch of miserable insular individuals. They're stare at you but at friendly attempts to get them to talk to you? Nothing. I've stopped going there now as most of our old friends have moved away. I find that I talk to more people walking round our conservation area than in the clicky club. Better for me anyway, health wise. Also I've found that there's a friendly crowd who use my gym and the staff are lovely. The gym's been excellent for me as some of the weight came off even before I started the Levothyroxine. Actually when I was unaware of my condition. It motivated me. But now I've lost 10 lbs and I've only been taking the medication for 7 weeks. My cholesterol has jumped down to 7.1 from 12.3 as of last week, that was the first blood test since starting Levothyroxine. Still high but what a difference! No wonder I feel happier and energetic. I'm practically 'zooming' around now. I've had odd things occur but it was a mild case of shingles. The doctor said my body was stressed and now luckily I've started to settle down obviously becoming used to the tablets. I had excruciating backache, recurrence from previous case of shingles years ago. But that's now disappeared. A few things I had before the tablets but doctor has given me medicine to help if it occurs whilst my body is trying to cope with this huge change. But diet seems to have also helped. Just realised I've been terribly long winded. Apologies. Have a great day folks xx
Nice ramble, though! Condolences on your loss, envy at your environment and jealousy over your weight loss! You've given me a tour of my grrr emotions! Maybe we could come and live with you!
Thanks so much I thought of mentioning 'Ramble on' Led Zeppelin as well as I thought that was appropriate. I'm really pleased I joined this forum as it's allayed my fears. I now know other people have this problem. So much so that I now have found out that 2 cousins have the condition and a friend has been diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Makes you feel normal!
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