Are you ready to welcome the apparent flood of bulgarians and romanians....

do you have to be so negative and attacking jinglebellrocks!!!!!!!!

I think the thread has been far from London-centric.

There's been mention of many parts of the UK - maybe not Scotland

Where do you live Mollie?

I don't think I was being "negative and attacking" dollie. Quite the opposite. I was defending a good post that just happened to contain slight dig at a particular poster - one who is well able to look after herself.

Oh right! Sorry. Was thinking of a more important aspect of recent posts.

Yes, that was a, sort of, joke.

Shall we not make this about me. Again.

I'm not well-heeled, live in Manchester in an area of high unemployment, lack of housing stock, school classes containing very high proportions of children whose first language is not English, and a rich mix of international students, migrants, asylum seekers and where the languages spoken around here are too numerous to mention. I read all papers, including the DM and Guardian. I have friends and neighbours from all cultures and all walks of life, and before I retired, I worked with people who had travelled here from Eastern Europe and other countries to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Does that qualify me to have a view that is not London-centric? I, too, understand the challenges, but also the opportunities of sharing this (not MY) country with people who are legally entitled to travel freely around Europe, just like we are.

Just out of interest would any grans in Scotland care to make a comment?

Of course it could be that you already have but it's not apparent!

As ever when is the voice of reason, even if she has admitted to reading the Daily Mail . I go to a Russian hairdresser when I visit my son in Twickenham, he had his extension done by various Eastern Europeans, there are some English speaking Poles in my GD's class. None seem to be the Benefit scroungers so beloved of the Mail and the Sun. In fact just the opposite. To a large extent most of the scroungers are British I'm sorry to say. The rubbish papers are trying to scare us with a lot of rubbish facts.

One of the most fun areas to walk around in my town is an area populated mainly by asians. The shops are lovely and the people friendly, chatty, and welcoming, and the sun shining on the top of the mosque is a sight to behold. I would hate to be without the racial diversity we have in this country. Long may it continue.

That in no way takes away from my previous posts.

Just not true dorsetpennt.

I know several people who work in the local housing department and benefits agency.

Opinions on immigration are affected not according to whether or not you live near London but how middle class, well educated and comfortably off you are, ditto your children.

We had a city break in Manchester in the summer When. Lovely diverse architecture with the old dotted in amongst the new. (Shame one of my memories is of a chap coming out of a phone box fastening his flies! )

I only read the Daily Mail because it reminds me that there are so many reporters who don't let the truth get in the way of a sensational article, Dorset My BIL believes every word printed in the DM and will engage me in conversation about issues that he believes are factual, even when lots of other evidence is there for him to see that the truth has been distorted. The DM suits his outlook on life, his politics and his old-fashioned view that the English are in some way superior to others. It's useful to remember that many people have this outlook, and will never change or accept that equality sometimes means accepting that you have to share.

For your BIL, when

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

Ha ha, Phoenix. I've emailed it to him!!!

POGS Thu 02-Jan-14 22:36:58 you state your case so well. I agree with you.

what I actually said
* I am amazed at how well-heeled (not meant in a derogatory sense) some GN posters are who fail to appreciate the rather more realistic lives others live. It is the same on mumsnet - very London centric, guardian reading liberals (with a small L)*
did not expect anyone to take it personally - the relevant word is some and I was trying to balance the argument of those for and against mass 'immigration' - when our infrastructure is stretched. I found many posts of both persuasions food for thought.
where I live is not actually relevant to the discussion but suffice it to say I am not well-heeled or live in London (or Scotland).

when surely you don't think the DM is the only paper whose journalists are not to be trusted!

Actually, any amount of immigration won't effect me much. Not many Eastern Europeans settle where I live and since we own our house and we have a more than adequate pension, we are personally quite safe.

In fact, if only I could stop worrying about those who are less fortunate than I am, I could see the bright side.

I was just reading that the minimum wage in Romania is 88p!!! I have been wanting to get my hall decorated for some time but local decorators want to charge about £800. I reckon I could find an immigrant who would be pleased to do it at a fraction of the cost.

No, I don't Petallus but they are more consistently appalling than others. Today, I see Max Hastings is trying to alarm readers with his take on the imminence and likelihood of World War 3 being started between China and Japan.

........you would pay someone 88p an hour to work in your house?

Of course not.

There would be no point a Romanian coming here to work for the same rate they could get back home.

But I expect if I asked several decorators to give quotes and one of them was someone who was used to earning 88p an hour, their quote would be lower.

That's all.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10548465/Long-time-immigrants-almost-as-concerned-about-immigration-as-UK-born-people-study-shows.html

petallus, oh that I could find a decorator that would charge only £800.

It happens in every era with every culture When I lived in Malaysia the moans and groans about the Indians or Chinese' taking our jobs' was prevalent' When in New Zealand the moans about the Chinese 'coming over here' was loud and clear In the 60's it was 'the blacks' in the 70's 'the Asians' We conveniently forget the reason English is spoken all over the world is because we infiltrated every country we possible could

Mollie65 I wonder how you decide which posters are 'well-heeled'?
And why are those who are 'well-heeled' unable to appreciate the lives of others?