| Miserable Britain 21:42 - Feb 14 with 10588 views | FearOfAJackPlanet |
One of the fondest memories I have of my late father is walking hand in hand around Brynmill with him as a kid, and, whilst the best thing was probably the way he'd hold his arm up high when a curb approached so I could swing like a monkey up onto the pavement, the next best thing was how he always greeted passers by with a nod or an 'evening', 'good morning', 'afternoon' etc. now, I wasn't only impressed by my dad's grasp of the time of day, it was the fact he'd greet random passers-by whether they were known to us or not...an open-hearted, decent way to travail the social landscape...
...it made the world seem such a collective, nice place.
Despite being a committed introvert (like my dad was), I have tried to keep up this ideal, but is it just me, or are we the most miserable, suspicious generation to have walked the earth? I'm not like a manic attention-seeker, but it seems a natural thing for me to give a basic greeting to to people I come across who make eye contact, a quick smile, a nod, a 'yep, lifes a f*cking sh*thole, but at least we're all still here' type of acknowledgement...but...most of the time, if you try to commit an act of basic communal courtesy you're greeted like someone suspicious of being...a rapist/paedo/homo/weirdo....
Maybe it's just London, but, f*cking hell people, nothing wrong with a 'good morning' to someone you cross paths with at a bus-stop. They're not here to kill you or enslave your kids.
[Post edited 14 Feb 2015 21:43]
| |
| |  |
| Miserable Britain on 13:17 - Feb 15 with 1909 views | londonlisa2001 |
A lot of people have commented that London is unfriendly (most if not all being people that haven't lived her I think).
London gets tarnished because people's impression of it comes from being on the tube in the morning when most people look pretty miserable because they're on their way to work. I've never noticed a bunch of happy smiling faces in cars in the morning rush hour in Swansea either to be honest.
London itself though is just a series of interlocking separate communities, which vary greatly in terms of community feel, often dependent on whether they are communities of houses (settled people, lots of families) or flats (more transient, not so many families, people less settled and not putting down roots).
Where I live in London, we have a brilliant community. Everyone knows each other, people are friendly and stop for a chat, we have local markets at the weekend, everyone goes to the same pubs, everyone knows all the local shop keepers (to the extent that you could pop in for an emergency loaf or pint of milk and if you've got no money they will tell you to pop back in and pay later). Even the staff in the supermarket know everyone.
We had street parties for the jubilee (after everyone had walked down to the river to see the boats all sailing past), we had drinks in the pub after the royal wedding (not that anyone cared much about the wedding - it was just a good opportunity to have a few drinks).
We have a local park where people go to walk their dogs and the old blokes play chess, it even has an opera festival every year (where locals can get tickets for £12 and where this year it'll be graced by Fflur Wyn singing - many on here will know her Dad Eirian who did the quiz in the West Stand after every Swans match).
It's not perfect of course (we are quite near the Lycee, so there are quite a lot of French here and the French community are pretty unfriendly to be honest) but it's no more friendly or unfriendly than Swansea or anywhere else. It's just I think that Swansea tends to be like that for more of it (more parts are settled communities) and in London it depends very much on where you are. One thing though - when you are in a good community in London, because you rarely drive anywhere (everyone either walks or gets public transport because you can't park and because of congestion charge) then you tend to see each other quite a lot. One of the things that has led to people chatting less in general is because people seem to spend most of their time in their car, so don't actually see each other much compared to 30-40 years ago when people walked more or were on the bus. [Post edited 15 Feb 2015 13:34]
| | | |
| Miserable Britain on 13:20 - Feb 15 with 1898 views | Darran |
Where to are yoo Lis? | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 13:29 - Feb 15 with 1884 views | londonlisa2001 |
place called Brook Green - quite near to Holland Park (the actual park). No one outside London tends to have ever heard of it. Basically it's the area behind Olympia, south of Shepherds Bush. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 13:31 - Feb 15 with 1878 views | waynekerr55 |
Well said Lisa.
It's actually quite surprising the amount of 'suburban' areas that exist in London. Got to say I find people walking the dogs a lot more friendly in Abbotts Langley than back in Swansea. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 13:32 - Feb 15 with 1872 views | swansRus |
heard a story this week that symbolises all that's wrong with modern attitudes to manners
my wife works in local nursery school - another member of staff was called in to see the head this week - and emerged really upset.
A parent had called in to complain that this staff member had asked her child to say thank you when receiving an item from the catering staff
the parent had told the head that it was up the child to decide whether to say thank you and manners should not be imposed by the nursery staff...
speechless | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 13:48 - Feb 15 with 1854 views | max936 |
That's modern Britain in a nutshell. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 13:49 - Feb 15 with 1854 views | waynekerr55 |
Very true.
As the saying goes - "you have to meet certain regulations to own a pet, but there's no such thing for reproducing humans" | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 13:54 - Feb 15 with 1849 views | NeiltheTaylor |
As can be seen by dailew down arrowing my innocuous post saying fear's was a nice memory. Fella has some serious issues and adds absolutely nothing here but negative nonsense. [Post edited 15 Feb 2015 13:56]
| |
| Joe_bradshaw -I thought the cryochamber was the new name for Cardiff's stadium.
|
| |
| Miserable Britain on 14:01 - Feb 15 with 1837 views | Lohengrin |
I know it. I went to see a speaker there many moons ago where Brook Green meets the Shepherd's Bush Road. I think the place was called The Brook Green Hotel, as I recall. Is it still there, Lisa?
Nice area, by the way. You have done well for yourself.  | |
| An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it. |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 14:06 - Feb 15 with 1828 views | londonlisa2001 |
It is still there. Really nice pub - owned by the Youngs brewery (which is quite rare these days - not many of them are brewery owned any more). They did it up a couple of years ago and it's a really nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Good food, lots of sofas, TV in the corner where they'll always put on the Swans if I ask them, all the papers and lots of board games as well.
It is a really nice area. - we're lucky to live here. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 14:16 - Feb 15 with 1813 views | Darran |
I've been to the Shepherds Bush Empire a couple of times.  | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 14:32 - Feb 15 with 1797 views | londonlisa2001 |
It's the O2 now (one of them). I saw Paloma Faith there quite recently. Quite handy having both that and the Hammy O close by. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 14:42 - Feb 15 with 1788 views | Darran |
All the old Academy's are now O2s.
I've been the Hammy too what a ferking dump. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 14:45 - Feb 15 with 1787 views | londonlisa2001 |
not now it's not. It reopened last year after a complete refurb. They've reinstated all of the original art deco features - it's very good now. I went to see Texas there when it had just reopened. Great live band by the way if you've never seen them. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 14:52 - Feb 15 with 1780 views | Darran |
Oh yeah I'm sure I posted it on here when it reopened now you mention it.
If Texas come close I'll go. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 14:55 - Feb 15 with 1676 views | londonlisa2001 |
would definitely recommend it. I've seen them a couple of times and also Sharleen Spiteri with her solo album. A really good night out - she is excellent and quite a good laugh as well. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 18:25 - Feb 15 with 1619 views | Treforys_Jack |
How was Paloma Lisa? off to see her in a few weeks? | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 18:29 - Feb 15 with 1615 views | londonlisa2001 |
Really really good.
They had a few problems with the sound for the first 10 minutes or so which was irritating (balance between her and the band was dreadful) but sorted it out and after that it was excellent.
She's got a great voice and is a funny woman as well - had some great little anecdotes. I'd definitely go to see her again. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 18:39 - Feb 15 with 1602 views | Treforys_Jack |
Cool, will look forward to it, got Mike Peters from The Alarm and Simple Minds, all within a few weeks, yayyyyy | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 19:51 - Feb 15 with 1571 views | londonlisa2001 |
Excellent line up!
I'll always remember the concert I saw 1986 ish. The Alarm, INXS, Status Quo, Queen. Wembley stadium. Hot summer's day. Freddie at his absolute best for the It's A Kind of Magic tour. Driving back down the M4 in the middle of the night - great memories.
Never did see Simple Minds though.
On a similar (ish) note to Paloma Faith, I am looking out for the next UK tour of Caro Emerald - really love her. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 19:55 - Feb 15 with 1567 views | exiledclaseboy |
Queen's final tour that was. You lucky girl. Proper jealous. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 20:03 - Feb 15 with 1554 views | londonlisa2001 |
I know - brilliant!
Seen it so often now on the TV, but was one the of the things I will never ever forget.
Remember meeting up with my friends in Briton ferry at silly o'clock to get up to Wembley on time and arriving back home in the middle of the night.
So lucky to see that line up. Still makes me shed a tear to see the documentaries about Freddie though. God, what a talent. Went to his house in Zanzibar once as well where they have a little tribute to him and then went to Mercury's cocktail bar / restaurant there. Can't help but think that if he had only been diagnosed a few short years later that he would still be alive, and who knows what music he would have produced in that time. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 20:06 - Feb 15 with 1551 views | exiledclaseboy |
I was 15 at the time of the Magic tour and my mother wouldn't let me go despite my constant and unending pleading. I did go to the Freddie tribute show in '91, which was pretty spectacular, and saw Brian May and Roger Taylor with Paul Rodgers a few years ago, which was good. But it's a source of regret to me that I never got to see Queen live. | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 20:10 - Feb 15 with 1543 views | Darran |
I bet I know your friends from Briton Ferry? | |
| |
| Miserable Britain on 20:11 - Feb 15 with 1541 views | londonlisa2001 |
I was 18 thankfully and in my first summer home from university so I couldn't be stopped :-)
I'm always unsure about seeing them with Paul Rodgers - I think he has a wonderful voice but it just isn't the same.
To this day he remains the only singer I have ever shed a tear over. I will probably be the same though if little Jimmy Osmond dies before I do ;-) | | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
