The Other Royal Wedding

@Jennifer1984 Said

Hmmmmm.... so, a sample of 1'006 people, out of a population of some 60+ million is clear and conclusive evidence that the majority of people in Britain don't care for the Royal Wedding, eh..?

I guess it depends who was asked. If the sample was taken in, say, Scotland then it's no surprise that the result was apathetic. A similar survey taken in, say, the Home Counties of England would produce a very different result, I dare say.

Surveys, like statistics, can be made to say anything the sponsor wants them to say.

Survey shmurvey, I say. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Come the day, the world will probably see pictures of a smiling, happy populace celebrating a public event that is broadly approved of by the genuine, vast majority of the public and the few malcontents who will sit at home and grumble about it will be pretty much ignored.

If you want to ignore the Royal Wedding, please feel free to do so.... that is your privilege. The rest of us are going to party and have a good time.

I rather like William. He'll make a good King one day.... whether the Scots or Welsh are part of any union by that time isn't clear, but if he only becomes King of England, then ho-hum. You go your way and we'll go ours.... and good luck to you.


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@jmo Said

That sounds like a prejudice to me.

@sister_of_mercy Said

just give us a bit of a break from it once in a while.

@Jennifer1984 Said

How often do Royal Weddings come around, then..?

Every week..?
Every month..?

The last major royal weddings were those of Charles and Diana in 1981, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in the mid 1980s.

It would be fair to say that there is something like 25 or so years since the last major Royal Wedding.

Not exactly a common occurrence, is it..?

Yes, it's a nine day wonder. Like all news events, today's headlines are tomorrow's chip wrappers. Most people I know who are not such ardent royalists tend to shrug their shoulders. It will come and go and life will move on.

Perhaps people would rather read of something else in the news. Perhaps a mass murderer running amok with a Kalashnikov rifle.? How about a good old flood where thousands are made homeless...? Would that be better viewing..? How about the Air Force firing a depleted uranium missile into a hospital full of Afghan children. yeah.... that should cheer everybody up..?

Perish the thought that a wedding might be a "Good news" story that takes people away from the awful events in the world, and spreads a little happiness for a short while.

No.... that will never do, will it..?

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@Jennifer1984 Said

It would, wouldn't it.?

You may feel as you wish. I don't have a problem with that. But come and live in the south of England for a while, and you may get a different picture of how the Scots are perceived.

One phrase I recently heard was: "A Scotsman has such a narrow minded view of the English, that he can look at us through a keyhole, using both eyes."

Now, it wasn't me who said that...... but nobody disagreed with the speaker.

You seem to find it difficult to understand that this perception should exist, but as I pointed out in a different thread, the entire population of London would hate to have the Scotland v England football match re-instated. Why would that be..? Would not 50'000 potential customers pouring into the city with money to spend be a good thing..?

No, says London En masse not if it's Scottish football fans. Past experience has been too dreadful to ever contemplate wanting it back in the future.

Ten million Londoners can't be wrong, Geoff.

If many English people have a perception of Scots as a violent race of hooligans who despise us and seem to think that every incursion south of the border is an opportunity to recreate the battle of Bannockburn, then perhaps you might ask yourself how that came about.

Where do such feelings come from..? They don't magic themselves out of thin air, now do they..?

And then I read your messages, full of antipathy towards the Royal Family, English sport (how DARE we mention 1966..!!), how Scotland rejects government in London, the appalingly racist and anti-English "Flower of Scotland" as a national anthem, and other things..... and all that serves is to reinforce such perceptions.

Many arguments..... whether you like it or not..... DO come across as based on racial antipathy directly aimed at the English for no other reason than the fact that we are English.

My only ever visit to Scotland came in 2005 when I visited Edinburgh when the G8 conference was held there, and a massive demonstration against global poverty took place. I was a guest in your city and, far from feeling welcomed, I lost count of the number of times the word "English" was followed immediately by "Bastard" when directed at anyone who was obviously...er... English. I'm afraid my Home Counties and Manda's Cornish accents were a dead giveaway.

I felt no element of hospitality. We certainly weren't welcome. There was no warmth, or friendship. At the site of the meeting, people from all over Europe gathered and seemed to be enjoying themselves.... it seems only the English were singled out for the scowling, "Go To Hell" attitude that we were treated to.

That is my experience, Geoff. I don't make these things up. If you came to Cornwall, you would be welcomed. The Cornish people..... and Londoners too.... are very welcoming people (as the world will find out next year). I'm a Londoner by birth and I've been accepted by the Kernews and have integrated into their way of life. I don't have any confidence that the same would happen if I moved to, say, Glasgow or Edinburgh.

I have no innate animosity or grudge against the Scots.... I'd rather we all got on as a united Britain, but it cannot be denied that tensions exist.... and although they are mostly historical in nature, they persist today. This is a great failing.

All I will say, is that I will challenge anyone whom I believe does my country an injustice. Feel free to criticise what we do, or how we behave, but please do it fairly and honestly...... not simply because you despise us because of who we are.

The word "English" does not necessarily have to be followed by "bastard".

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@Jennifer1984 Said

It would, wouldn't it.?

You may feel as you wish. I don't have a problem with that. But come and live in the south of England for a while, and you may get a different picture of how the Scots are perceived.

One phrase I recently heard was: "A Scotsman has such a narrow minded view of the English, that he can look at us through a keyhole, using both eyes."

Now, it wasn't me who said that...... but nobody disagreed with the speaker.

You seem to find it difficult to understand that this perception should exist, but as I pointed out in a different thread, the entire population of London would hate to have the Scotland v England football match re-instated. Why would that be..? Would not 50'000 potential customers pouring into the city with money to spend be a good thing..?

No, says London En masse not if it's Scottish football fans. Past experience has been too dreadful to ever contemplate wanting it back in the future.

Ten million Londoners can't be wrong, Geoff.

If many English people have a perception of Scots as a violent race of hooligans who despise us and seem to think that every incursion south of the border is an opportunity to recreate the battle of Bannockburn, then perhaps you might ask yourself how that came about.

Where do such feelings come from..? They don't magic themselves out of thin air, now do they..?

And then I read your messages, full of antipathy towards the Royal Family, English sport (how DARE we mention 1966..!!), how Scotland rejects government in London, the appalingly racist and anti-English "Flower of Scotland" as a national anthem, and other things..... and all that serves is to reinforce such perceptions.

Many arguments..... whether you like it or not..... DO come across as based on racial antipathy directly aimed at the English for no other reason than the fact that we are English.

My only ever visit to Scotland came in 2005 when I visited Edinburgh when the G8 conference was held there, and a massive demonstration against global poverty took place. I was a guest in your city and, far from feeling welcomed, I lost count of the number of times the word "English" was followed immediately by "Bastard" when directed at anyone who was obviously...er... English. I'm afraid my Home Counties and Manda's Cornish accents were a dead giveaway.

I felt no element of hospitality. We certainly weren't welcome. There was no warmth, or friendship. At the site of the meeting, people from all over Europe gathered and seemed to be enjoying themselves.... it seems only the English were singled out for the scowling, "Go To Hell" attitude that we were treated to.

That is my experience, Geoff. I don't make these things up. If you came to Cornwall, you would be welcomed. The Cornish people..... and Londoners too.... are very welcoming people (as the world will find out next year). I'm a Londoner by birth and I've been accepted by the Kernews and have integrated into their way of life. I don't have any confidence that the same would happen if I moved to, say, Glasgow or Edinburgh.

I have no innate animosity or grudge against the Scots.... I'd rather we all got on as a united Britain, but it cannot be denied that tensions exist.... and although they are mostly historical in nature, they persist today. This is a great failing.

All I will say, is that I will challenge anyone whom I believe does my country an injustice. Feel free to criticise what we do, or how we behave, but please do it fairly and honestly...... not simply because you despise us because of who we are.

The word "English" does not necessarily have to be followed by "bastard".

.

@sister_of_mercy Said

You have a point about the aggressive Scottish stereotype, but people don't actually think that, just like Americans (hopefully) don't think we're all polite and speak like Mary Poppins and have wonky teeth.

@xRuby_Kissesx Said

WOW!
Scots are welcome in Cornwall!

@drummerwannabe Said

Scots are welcome in the U.S. too.