North v South - culture wars

Maybe he thinks it shows he is dancing to the same tune as his constituents.

Lazy stereotyping by a lazy stereotypical man.

With a family divided between south and north and having spent part of my childhood in northern England, as far as people go I do not see any difference. On a human level the North/South divide is an illusion. Any anecdote about differences up north can be balanced by a similar anecdote about the south.

The northern side of the family are balletomanes, DGD is a good enough dancer to be selected for weekend courses with Northern Ballet at Leeds. Further south, we love opera, see it regularly, but rarely go to professional performances and going up to London to the Royal Opera House is a once a decade experience.

And while we are talking high culture, DS is a Morris Dancer. He belongs to a local group up north but when he comes down to Oxfordshire, the cradle of Morris dancing, he goes off to see all our local dancers as well.

Jack Berry should visit and talk to some of his constituents now and again, he might get quite a shock to discover how out of touch he is.

Ee by gum. Aa'd post an answer to this but aa've whippets to walk, coal to shovel, an me flat cap to polish.

Hoots mon. We Scots haven’t been able to toss our cabers for months.

Jake's nickname locally is "Jake the fake"

I understand people have different tastes than me and believe that in 100 years people won’t believe that people paid extortionate amounts of money to watch people dance on tippy toes or watch someone singing (use the term loosely) in a language they don’t understand. However what boils my blood is them asking for public money to stay alive!

There used to be a cartoon in a newspaper called Andy Capp.
That was probably by a Southerner.

He has a point. I’ve got myself into bother whipping out my pie on a barm whilst Odette and Siegfried were getting it on. I’ve never had that issue at a Wigan Athletic game ?‍♀️ ?.

I don't think you are right about Cornwall Whitewavemark though obviously there are areas of deprivation there.

maps.cdrc.ac.uk/#/geodemographics/imde2019/default/BTTTFFT/13/-5.1111/50.2351/

Annaram1

There used to be a cartoon in a newspaper called Andy Capp.
That was probably by a Southerner.

Reg Smythe was from Hartlepool.

I am a Northerner. Love theatre and the arts and so do my family. Manchester and many other northern towns and cities are very "cultural" and I, for one, take offence!

I keep saying that "they" live in another world..

so where am I then? Birmingham, Midlands.. just wondering

As someone from London the Eastend in particular May I say that jellied eels is an Eastend delicacy not necessarily a southern one. I have heard comments that Westminster doeskin care about the North only the South and my personal response is even living in London I never felt that any government was truly looking out for me or anyone North, South, East or West.

Mooney59

I understand people have different tastes than me and believe that in 100 years people won’t believe that people paid extortionate amounts of money to watch people dance on tippy toes or watch someone singing (use the term loosely) in a language they don’t understand. However what boils my blood is them asking for public money to stay alive!

You do know don't you that ballet is over 400 years old. That it has adapted and changed and dance companies now use many styles. There is now a movement to develop dancing for older people www.scottishballet.co.uk/tv/health-fitness-ballet-for-55-barre
Opera is available in many languages.
The Arts bring a huge amount of money into the country.

Riverwalk
Not that long ago you stereotyped Essex girls. What you described could be found in any northern town.

I’d love to stay and discuss this, but the whippets need their walk and I need to get some black pudding for tea.

What world does Jake Berry live in? He’s an insult to northerners.

I saw him interviewed this morning on GMB did any if you see it?

What about the East? Midlands? There’s more to England than the North and the South. I’ve lived in all areas and it’s about time we got over ourselves. Sometimes there’s a little bit of inverted snobbery surrounding it.
However I do feel London and surrounds is what is described as the South and even I get annoyed by what comes out from Westminster regarding up t’north.

As a northerner I am not remotely offended

I agree it was lazy stereotyping but I've just seen it being discussed on Jeremy Vine and they were all in agreement he was attempting to be amusing.

But no. I am not offended.

I am not keen on opera. Or ballet. I hate football.

But I refuse to jump on any offended bandwagon.

This country is getting very good at taking offence

We'd get gold medals if it was turned into an Olympic sport

petra

Riverwalk
Not that long ago you stereotyped Essex girls. What you described could be found in any northern town.

No I didn't Petra - you may have misunderstood my post.

My DIL is from Essex and I would have no reason to stereotype anyone.

I was merely pointing out that on the tube at Liverpool Street station there were two separate sets of girls on a night out - one group of four all wore masks, and the other group didn't. I was remarking that even those from the same demographic had different approaches. There had been much talk of various communities not obeying rules, as though everyone from any group would behave the same.

That was the point I was making.

I am a Geordie living in Surrey and when anyone asks me why I live "down here" I always say I came to do missionary work!

That's the kind of statement that the term 'sweeping generalisation' was made for, or 'ignoramus'.

I've just remembered, my Hermes deliverer last week was wearing a Garsington Opera fleece. He used to be a stage hand there, I said we loved opera, but Garsington was out of our price range and he gave me a very useful tip about getting tickets for dress rehearsals, which are much cheaper.

I think some of these stereotypes did apply in the past, but nowadays when people and their jobs move round the country, tastes and interests, like accents have relaxed and melded.