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March 28, 2024, 10:21:23 AM

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The UK - nice and that

Started by Ferris, June 28, 2020, 04:38:41 PM

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Ferris


Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on June 28, 2020, 04:38:41 PM
It is my contention that the UK is quite nice.

<Ray Davies gives up and bins third concept album due to waning inspiration>

Zetetic


Ferris

Quote from: Sin Agog on June 28, 2020, 04:39:45 PM
There is often a stifling, vampiric air about these fair isles that only really becomes apparent when you hit the mainland.  There's so much miserabilism, and hordes of broken people talking to themselves but not in a chipper way, not to mention most everyone from the different class groups having heavy chips on their shoulders which makes it feel less like you're talking to just people and more like tiptoeing around a minefield.  The oldness (which is still nowhere near as mature as a place like China, which had standardised testing before the Romans even conquered us) can make it feel immovable in the worst way.  The education system and economy does not encourage simple, happy lives, and the weather and urbanisation and illegalization of wild camping anywhere but Dartmoor can make you feel like you're living in someone else's barony.  Still, great bunch of lads is England.

Yeah the lack of wildness is a bit of a downer, every inch of the place has been fenced off and tended and belongs to some old prick so there's nothing to discover. I found that quite stifling, along with the class system and slippery shitty politics. Also the beer isn't very good on the whole.

Other than those things though? Nice, mostly.

Zetetic

We're building four new prisons to help local economies and support construction industry to invest & innovate.

Perhaps they'll take some English prisoners back to England.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on June 28, 2020, 04:38:41 PM
Continued from here:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,81062.msg4247567/topicseen.html#new

It is my contention that the UK is quite nice.

I was just thinking of doing the same thing Ferris and starting a thread like this, it's easy to be negative about the country, but we're shockingly lucky on some fronts to live somewhere like it. I know I keep on going on about this but culturally things are often amazing, the stand up scene cultivates some amazing comedy, theatre-wise we're capable of creating some truly unique art, and we've some of the best museums and art galleries in the world. Plus we still have freedom of speech, something we often take for granted but really shouldn't.

I fully expect this thread to be ruined by people shitting on the country, and of course there's a hell of a lot wrong with it, but it'd be nice to have one thread which doesn't highlight such things and I'm glad you've tried to show how great the place can be at times.

Barry Admin

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on June 28, 2020, 04:38:41 PM
Continued from here:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,81062.msg4247567/topicseen.html#new

It is my contention that the UK is quite nice.

You beauty! I was just sitting contemplating whether or not to split the thread, thank you.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

The UK is nice - I'm not sure too many people would argue with that.

What I think people are getting at when they are down about it is 1) how did they manage to fuck so much of it up 2) and why are so many people who live here such unutterable fucking cunts despite having far more than any person could reasonably expect out of life?

I'd also say the arts scene is pretty 'crumbs from the table' outside London and the UK capitals, with some rather tokenistic exceptions elsewhere.


Ferris

^had completely forgotten how excellent (and free!) the museums and galleries in the UK are. To take ferris jr and mrs Ferris to the Royal Ontario Museum here would be about 40 quid all in. The art gallery is nice because it is staffed by old artists and hippies who say things (last time my parents were here) like "your father looks rather frail (he doesn't), perhaps the lady with him (my mum) is his aide and would therefore be entitled to a free ticket?" to drive thE cost down but it is still quite expensive for us to go and have a gander. Not so in the UK.

I think there's a squeamishness about promoting the UK lest it all get a bit Tommy Robinson. I understand that I suppose, but there's a lot of good to say about the place.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on June 28, 2020, 05:06:28 PM
I'd also say the arts scene is pretty 'crumbs from the table' outside London and the UK capitals, with some rather tokenistic exceptions elsewhere.

Definitely. There's a paucity in many cities. And commuter towns are Malvina Reynolds-esque nightmares where you might as well be dead.

imitationleather

You can't beat British women!!

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on June 28, 2020, 05:07:30 PM
^had completely forgotten how excellent (and free!) the museums and galleries in the UK are. To take ferris jr and mrs Ferris to the Royal Ontario Museum here would be about 40 quid all in. The art gallery is nice because it is staffed by old artists and hippies who say things (last time my parents were here) like "your father looks rather frail (he doesn't), perhaps the lady with him (my mum) is his aide and would therefore be entitled to a free ticket?" to drive thE cost down but it is still quite expensive for us to go and have a gander. Not so in the UK.

I think there's a squeamishness about promoting the UK lest it all get a bit Tommy Robinson. I understand that I suppose, but there's a lot of good to say about the place.

The point is that all this will be gone very shortly. The neoliberal car crusher is about to be fed fresh state assets, obliterate and marketise the last vestigial remnants of the classicist sentimentalism that led Victorian philanthropists and industrialists to provide us with fine parks and art space.

In 20 years there will be Saltaire and (central) London's parks still untampered with (so long as hordes of Chinese people arrive) and buy ice cream. Leeds Royal Armouries will cost 20 quid to get in and have a shit restaurant that smells of fried egg.

Ferris

Quote from: Barry Admin on June 28, 2020, 05:02:34 PM
You beauty! I was just sitting contemplating whether or not to split the thread, thank you.

I live to give.

I wanted to reply to Sin Agog because the wildness of the UK countryside is something I had noticed, but it already felt a bit esoteric to keep going in a thread devoted to Labour Party machinations (not least because who wants to read the half formed thoughts of an expat?)

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on June 28, 2020, 05:06:28 PM
The UK is nice - I'm not sure too many people would argue with that.

What I think people are getting at when they are down about it is 1) how did they manage to fuck so much of it up 2) and why are so many people who live here such unutterable fucking cunts despite having far more than any person could reasonably expect out of life?

I'd also say the arts scene is pretty 'crumbs from the table' outside London and the UK capitals, with some rather tokenistic exceptions elsewhere.

Yeah I'm trying to avoid roasting the gammon, but it is fucking depressing sometimes. Re: crumbs from the table, maybe but Christ go have a look at Winnipeg (don't). In the uk, you are a few hours max from a major city full of stuff to look at.

Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 28, 2020, 04:52:56 PM
I fully expect this thread to be ruined by people shitting on the country, and of course there's a hell of a lot wrong with it, but it'd be nice to have one thread which doesn't highlight such things and I'm glad you've tried to show how great the place can be at times.

*shits on thread from a height, as is my patriotic duty*

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I agree with you regarding the cultural deserts elsewhere Ferris, 100%. Very sad to hear that's the case in provinces of Canada, a nation with the resources and wherewithal to change that. It's tragic to see.

However I have heard the argument that we are lucky to have what we have many times, and my argument remains that if you have something that's gold, why shit on it. We shit, and shit and shit on it, and eventually all that's left will be shit. In this thread we aren't shitting on it, we're pointing out that it's getting shat on, big difference.

Dex Sawash


Never been but must be a lot of work weeding it

Ferris

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on June 28, 2020, 05:16:17 PM
I agree with you regarding the cultural deserts elsewhere Ferris, 100%. Very sad to hear that's the case in provinces of Canada, a nation with the resources and wherewithal to change that. It's tragic to see.

However I have heard the argument that we are lucky to have what we have many times, and my argument remains that if you have something that's gold, why shit on it. We shit, and shit and shit on it, and eventually all that's left will be shit.

Yes, that's fair. It's the cumulative effect of living in a country of small c conservative small c cunts. My mum runs a free library for disadvantaged kids near where I grow up, she does a huge amount of work for not much money and spends her days dodging the layoffs and cuts. She's been forced to get a minivan license because they've sacked the driver. It's sad what is happening to the UK, especially because there is a lot of good worth staying and saving (he says, from 5000 miles away).

I thought it would be worth highlighting the bits that are worth that, from a bit of an outsiders perspective.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on June 28, 2020, 05:16:17 PM
we're pointing out that it's getting shat on, big difference.

People do that in every thread though (again, often myself included) - but wouldn't it be nice just for once to celebrate the positive things about the country?

Other things I like about the UK - A sod load of the people, who are caring, friendly, outgoing, self-deprecating, and give a fuck about everyone in the world, not just the people in their own country.

Sebastian Cobb

We can/could do good films, well drama's anyway. A lot of what production companies like Filmfour have done over the years is something we can be proud of.

Zetetic


imitationleather

For a relatively small country I reckon our serial killers are among the best in the world.

spaghetamine

Zero chance of getting killed by a bear

bgmnts

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 28, 2020, 05:27:28 PM
People do that in every thread though (again, often myself included) - but wouldn't it be nice just for once to celebrate the positive things about the country?

I think over the past few years we have been bombarded with the absolute worst this country is capable of. So maybe thats why people like me struggle to be positive about why it is great here.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 28, 2020, 05:27:28 PM
Other things I like about the UK - A sod load of the people, who are caring, friendly, outgoing, self-deprecating, and give a fuck about everyone in the world, not just the people in their own country.

This is a good thing about humanity though, not just the UK. Which countries have you visited (or spent a longer time in) and found the above not to be the case?

This isn't a matter of oneupmanship or my anecdotal evidence beating yours but (as that's mainly what I have to go on) I find most citizens in other countries I've met and discussed life with fit that description. In fact I increasingly get the impression continental Europeans are far more cosmopolitan than ours - even if they are less politically correct they have absorbed more surrounding cultures. The UK are importers and exporters. We import stuff and talk about stuff, but we don't interact much - outside London and university areas of other cities - with people - in this case a great spread of Europeans.

Despite available evidence showing a minority fuck over life for a majority, and that most of the things that divide us are arbitrary bullshit like language, borders, along with economic injustice, I also agree with you - I believe human beings to be intrinsically good, caring, friendly, outward-looking to an extent, definitely self-deprecating.

I would always contest someone like Twit2/Sam's worldview on humanity as I think our worst aspects are pandered to and reinforced by those (on analysis) meaningless divides.


BlodwynPig

Don't listen to Ferris, he doesn't know how good he has it in Canada. It trumps the UK in nearly every department. The only negatives are the supermarket food being equivalent to US standards, but you can get good food elsewhere.

Cultural desert? fuck that, Toronto and I suspect Vancouver and Montreal present a fantastic contrast between US city-saturation and rustic delights between the cracks.

spaghetamine

Regional accents - love 'em all!

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: BlodwynPig on June 28, 2020, 05:40:07 PM
Don't listen to Ferris, he doesn't know how good he has it in Canada. It trumps the UK in nearly every department. The only negatives are the supermarket food being equivalent to US standards, but you can get good food elsewhere.

Cultural desert? fuck that, Toronto and I suspect Vancouver and Montreal present a fantastic contrast between US city-saturation and rustic delights between the cracks.

I wasn't calling all of Canada a cultural desert, read his preceding post and cut me the minimum slack ffs.

For what it's worth I would rather be in Quebec City or Montreal right now.

BlodwynPig

I just think we don't need to be discussing things as comparators.

Celebrate your island but don't diminish the jewels that scatter the planet in abundance. The best thing I ever did was live overseas for a while.

Zetetic

Part of the stumbling block for me to say anything nice about the "United Kingdom" is that I can't escape the understanding that "the UK" is the political structure wrapped around Britain and Northern Ireland by a few centuries of war and haphazard ethnic cleansing.

The latter - the place and its people - has some nice points, increasingly, it feels, in spite of the former - its system of government.

It's like you're asking me to form a judgement on the "The Third Reich", and suggesting that the beer was quite nice (at least to begin with). Probably true, I suppose, but not quite the point.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on June 28, 2020, 05:38:30 PM
This is a good thing about humanity though, not just the UK. Which countries have you visited (or spent a longer time in) and found the above not to be the case

I agree, and I was in no way suggesting it was unique to the UK, just that it can often be found within the people who live here.