Opinions on the UK

[killerglance]

Coming from someone born in a rough area (Blackpool, North West of England), I'm unsure about my opinion.
Some days, I feel very proud to be British...other mornings I wake up and I wish I was anywhere else in the world.

I was originally planning to go to University in Liverpool, but with talks of rising tuition fees I am just giving up hope. This town that I live in is slowly dying, which is a shame, as it once used to be a popular tourist attraction. Now all it attracts are criminals and disease.

Get me out of here, please.

 

[thylasos]

Other than that England is fine for the most part but it gets progressively less fine the further north you go. Unless you enjoy getting shot I wouldn't recommend visiting any of the northern English cities. The weather here is rainy and most people are detestable, but I expect the latter point is true of everywhere.

I have to say I do disagree with this, I live in the west mids and we're very friendly, and from my brief excursions upland I've never found the people to be anything less than nice. Of course go into the wrong pub in any area, north or south and your asking for trouble.
Although I admit we do have to rough it when compared to the likes of London but we don't get as much money. Actually I find the south to be not so much unfriendly as uncaring.

Absolutely. I'd go further, though I find London far more threatening than any Northern city. And dirtier. And less polite, in real terms. I come from Essex, moved to Yorkshire, and I'm not living back down south again for any period of time unless I have no choice. Which unfortunately may be the case, given I'm a linguist, and most of the jobs are in the Southeast.

 

[BGH122]

Except for this part. I live in one of the northern cities right now and I've never been shot at, I've been mugged, but I also got mugged when I lived in London so that doesn't really count as much of a damning statement.

You're one of the lucky few: you know that soft pitter patter of rain on your roof at night? It's not rain, it's bullets.

Haha I was being a bit emphatic to be fair, Manchester etc isn't exactly a DMZ. I should imagine that they're much like London i.e. if you go into the wrong neighbourhoods then you aren't coming back out.

Actually I find the south to be not so much unfriendly as uncaring.

Agreed, although I suspect it's like that in any metropolis. It's so huge and commercial that the sense of community is non-existent.

 

[gallaetha_matt]

You're one of the lucky few: you know that soft pitter patter of rain on your roof at night? It's not rain, it's bullets.

Haha I was being a bit emphatic to be fair, Manchester etc isn't exactly a DMZ. I should imagine that they're much like London i.e. if you go into the wrong neighbourhoods then you aren't coming back out.

We get so much rain up north that it's hard to tell the difference. HEY-OH! Thank you, thank you - anybody here from out of town?

I've never been up to Manchester myself (I went past it in a train once, looks like a sprawling mess of sin and depravity to me... I like that). But every town has their 'no-go' neighbourhoods, I reckon - places like Manchester and London tend to have more by virtue of their size. I spent some time in Royston, Hertfordshire a few years back - it's your typical old style country village. Everybody minds their business and says good morning, but there are still places that I would be terrified to walk down on my own.

But that might just be because I'm a massive coward, I don't know.

 

[Verlander]

Scottish people suffer from wounded pride that England is the richer, more successful part of the island.

Uh, what?

I shall rephrase slightly- Scotland hates that it always mistaken for England and not taken as seriously as it deserves for being a fantastic country full of it own unique culture and history.

The above is still true though

That's...uh, nice? I'm just wondering where you're getting your information.

I find it hard to believe, and slightly funny, to think that that is written down in some countries text books.

My grandfather is Scottish, and I lived on the border for 4 years. I love Scots to bits, but it's always there, a deep rooted desire to kill me and put my head on a pike

 

[Blanemcc]

Depression was born here, seriously, it is over cast most of the time and almost every city (I have seen anyway) is gray, it's so depressing.

Bill Bailey describes us as "just a bunch of stoned, illiterate, wheezing, shagging, lardy bastards" ... so there you go.

Eh, Glasgow is a great city. Good vibe to it. Edinburgh is nice looking but pretty meh

 

[TheReactorSings]

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/01/eccentrics200801

 

[Eumersian]

It was fine when I visited there 8 years ago. But all I did was touristy things, so my opinion probably isn't particularly valid:

It was nice to be in such a historical nation. The people were relatively nice. The city was overcast most of the time, which I appreciated since I don't like the sun. The countryside was exactly the place where I would love to have a nerf battle. The food was incredibly mediocre. Even most of the fun things to do weren't as fun as I expected.

I tried to be as un-American as possible. By this, I mean that I tried my hardest to not be that typical American tourist who goes to the local McDonald's just to say how they've gotten it wrong.

If you like history, especially if you're of Anglo-Celtic descent, you might find the historical sites nice.

That's all I've got.