Grim towns you've visited lately...

[8Ace]

Jason_W said:

8Ace said:

Actually that was me. And the Gill quote was about Cheshire. 0/10.

Sorry, you've lost me. What was you?

The Clarkson quote.

[Jason_W]

Andy Zarse said:

Jason_W said:

Andy Zarse said:

Jason_W said:

Andy Zarse said:

Jason_W said:

Andy Zarse said:

I'm not overheated, I was just explaining why I don't like it. I think its worst aspect is its resident's total lack of irony and perspicacity. So stop going on about it unless you are prepared to defend it.

I'm not going on about it. Simply curious as to why someone who doesn't live there has so many issues with the place so it would be pointless trying to defend it when you have such hang ups about the county. There's no way I'd overcome your prejudices especially when your quoting Clarkson in your description of Surrey.

Alex, I think you may be right.

FFS! I'm not prejudiced about it, my comments are made with a reasonable knowledge of Surrey, so perhaps you could explain to me precisely what I an supposed to have "Pre-judged"?

Nor do I have "hang ups" (whatever a hang up means in this context). I simply don't like the place, so if you care to call that my "having issues" with the place in some sort of condesending manner, then so be it.

I would simply like to query why it is I am not allowed to express my opinion on Surrey? There's loads of places in this thread getting a sgging, why on earth should risible Surrey be exempt from it?

Anyhow, this little conversation is quite intuitive; you are displaying the parochial attitudes simply typical of a Surreyite: How very dare anyone disagree with your vision of Eden! Well I think it's a horrid contempible place and nothing you say will ever change my mind.

Oh dear, blood pressure is definitely raised. At the risk of repeating myself I know I'm not going to 'change your mind' but it is amusing to see someone go off the clock as you're doing over something so trivial. I was simply trying to get to the bottom of your issues with Surrey. Its not a town but a county as per the thread title, so you've gone out of your way to vent your feelings yet you constantly deny having any prejudices or hang ups about the place. I just find irrational posts like yours odd, that's all.

Irrational? My blood pressure remains as always a lovely 120/80, smack in the middle of the dial. I'm simply expressing my exasperation with you. Oh ye of little imagination! It has obviously never occured to you that anyone would ever see Surrey as anywhere other than a Valhallah-on-earth. Well I don't, yet apparently I am not allowed to express an opinion without having unpleasant adjectives hurled in my direction.

Anyway, you're the one who keeps biting, ducky! Clearly I've said some things to rankle you so. Oh and why don't you try answering the question, what have I said that is "prejudiced". Could it be that you haven't a clue what the word really means?

I've just been asking simple questions as to why you're so irrational about the subject but then again, as you use the phrase 'ducky', this probably explains your lack of reasoning. Suggest you re-read this thread when you've calmed down a bit and you'll see my point about prejudice because all you've offered up are re-runs of Clarkson/Gill sound bites - nothing concrete.

What a quaint display of ire. You're not making a shred of sense old chap, you appear to have become catatonic, showing classic signs of acute psychomotor disturbance. Now, take a deep breath, count to ten and we'll start again. All I'm asking is how am I prejudiced? If you can explain that, perhaps you'll also be kind enough to define why you consider this to be a bad thing.

Please realise that you are dealing with an apparent dimwit here, so I'll need you to spell things out to me in pretty simple terms.

Oh, and whilst nobody has mentioned any quotes from Clarkson, not so far at least, I do think Gill puts it so beautifully, far better than I could ever enunciate. Have some more Gill on Cheshire, it applies equally to Surrey, indeed the words are entirely interchangeable.

"Welcome to Cheshire. More precisely, that golden triangle of Cheshire that stretches between Prestbury, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, the suburban trim’n’tanned aspirational nirvana that is the Virginia Water of the north. In a newsagent we buy a copy of Cheshire Life, a glossy magazine that yearns for a question mark after the title. It’s thick with ads for cars, bridal photographers, fitted kitchens and private schools, and looks like a spoof of a 1980s Tatler. Hundreds of social pages with passport photos of identical radioactively glowing women in white hair worn as a loose chignon for the evenings, holding flutes of champagne, their grinning husbands in designer dinner jackets with that dash of stand-out-from-the-crowd personality that only a brocade waistcoat and Day-Glo bow tie give you. My favourite article was on Dee Cattom, a sad but cosmetically smiling lady who says, “I’m 45 going on 25,” in the mistaken belief that it’s clever and amusing. Dee was, as she readily admits, so desperate to join Cheshire society (“beautiful county, beautiful people”) that she had herself built in Cheshire’s image. “I’ve had a brow lift, nose job, tummy tuck, jaw re-set and gone from 32AA to 34DD.” She’s also been fitted with a yellow Lotus Elise number plate, S111 EXY, which at £27,000 cost only the skin off her nose more than the plastic surgery. “I don’t regret one minute under the surgeon’s knife. Now I really feel as if I belong here in Cheshire.” There’s really no answer to that." - AA Gill.

You directly quoted Clarkson with your patio comment this morning. As for the prejudice, just re-read the thread later on and you'll realise what I mean. Otherwise, keep digging because it is funny to watch.

[Andy Zarse]

Alex said:

Andy Zarse said:

Alex said:

Andy Zarse said:

Okay. Name another English county (other than Cheshire) further up its own backside than Surrey and I will give you ten pounds!

But you still haven't said what you dislike about Surrey. And "up its own backside" doesn't count! Pointedly, Cheshire is also perceived to be an enclave of Middle England.

I can only suggest you listen to Hersham Boys by Sham 69...


"It’s easy to mock Cheshire, but then that’s hardly a reason not to. Cheshire is mock everything: mock gentility, mock Tudor Gregorian, mock family, mock style, mock casual and mock happiness. Cheshire thumbs its nose job at mockery. More Ferraris call this twisty lane, 30mph place home than anywhere else in Britain. There’s more champagne sprayed over Alderley Edge than anywhere else in Britain. There are more millionaires to the square mile here than anywhere else in Britain. And every garden gnome, carriage lamp and novelty door chime here has been earned, if not entirely paid for. This is Hello! Country, Posh-and-Becksville, Cheshire twinned with Dynasty, a faux Florida with rain - AAGill.

Why do you dislike Surrey in your own words? It seems that you have decided you should dislike Surrey, but you don't know why. I know it's trendy amongst the chattering classes to knock the middle classes and "Daily Mail" readers, but that doesn't change the fact that Surrey is a very nice place to live, mostly populated with decent, hard-working people.

Crikey, I've gone from being a socialist class warrior to hailing from the chattering classes in the blink of an eye! Got any more personal digs you want to get in? The reality is that you know sweet jack about me, my background, politics, beliefs and aspirations, so please set your petty insults aside.

I like your use of the illusion of these so-called "decent hardworking people". Have a read of the letters from the Ashtead residents sent in to the Council Planning Dept when the appeal against family accommodation was being heard. They will tell you all you need to know about the apparent decency of these NIMBY lowlifes. I'll try and dig the link out of the PH archive.

Over and above that, basically what Gill writes about Cheshire is fully transferable to Surrey. I don't like twee self-obsessed places. You say it's a nice place to live. Fine, your call. I say it's a plastic, souless, snotty hellhole. So why am I not entitled to that opinion?

Edited by Andy Zarse on Wednesday 21st May 15:59

[Mr Beaumont]

Watford. oh just remebered I unfortunately live there.

[Andy Zarse]

Jason_W said:

You directly quoted Clarkson with your patio comment this morning. As for the prejudice, just re-read the thread later on and you'll realise what I mean. Otherwise, keep digging because it is funny to watch.

Wrong, as has been pointed out to you twice now. And the patio quote was from an article by Gill, but I don't think it's originally his either.

The tone of this correspondence is intended, from my side at least, to be vaguely amusing to the casual reader. Unfortunately it appears you are too unaware to realise that you and Alex are, along with Surrey, the butt of the joke.

I'm still no clearer on your (mis)use of the word "prejudiced". For the record, and just to prove you're not making it up, what precisely am I supposed to have "pre-judged"? In other words, are you suggesting I have formed my opinions based on ignorance before the fact. Why? How? Explain that to my satisfaction and I will concede defeat.

[JAGS]

10 pages and nobody has mentioned Southall...
100% grim

[GregE240]

methodwares said:

Jack Pearson said:

Corby

the only place that I've visited that has seriously disturbed me

Full of ex steel worker Jocks, who perpetually scowl at you.

[posterboy]

Wrexham

[posterboy]

In fact, all of North Wales

[10 Pence Short]

posterboy said:

In fact, all of North Wales

Can;t have you singling out North Wales. That would be racist.

[GregE240]

Justayellowbadge said:

...It has an air about it that makes you think you are a lot further north than you actually are.

That'll be that biscuit factory just off the M40, then.

It either smells of biscuits (bad) or urine (worse)

[GregE240]

PS - Jason and Andy, get a fking room, will you? Your playground bhing is ruining a funny thread.

[Teppic]

Pupp said:

...I start you off with Harlow. Like Corby but bigger. <shudder>

I've only just seen this thread, but as soon as I saw the title I thought "He's been to Harlow..."

I'm originally from Harlow and agree that it is an absoultely grim place, like all New Towns. I am so glad that I got out of there 8 years ago.

I moved to Ipswich. Many would argue that Ippy is just as bad, but I rather like it.

[posterboy]

10 Pence Short said:

posterboy said:

In fact, all of North Wales

Can;t have you singling out North Wales. That would be racist.

LOOL so true

[Jason_W]

Andy Zarse said:

Jason_W said:

You directly quoted Clarkson with your patio comment this morning. As for the prejudice, just re-read the thread later on and you'll realise what I mean. Otherwise, keep digging because it is funny to watch.

Wrong, as has been pointed out to you twice now. And the patio quote was from an article by Gill, but I don't think it's originally his either.

The tone of this correspondence is intended, from my side at least, to be vaguely amusing to the casual reader. Unfortunately it appears you are too unaware to realise that you and Alex are, along with Surrey, the butt of the joke.

I'm still no clearer on your (mis)use of the word "prejudiced". For the record, and just to prove you're not making it up, what precisely am I supposed to have "pre-judged"? In other words, are you suggesting I have formed my opinions based on ignorance before the fact. Why? How? Explain that to my satisfaction and I will concede defeat.

No. You're wrong which I've pointed out to you twice. You (mis)quoted Clarkson this morning with your patio quote which he originally wrote in a column in the Times several years ago but unfortunately you're not as slick as you think despite your attempts to weasel out of the hole you've dug for yourself by asking others to disprove your prejudice.

Clarkson link here...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article11...

Its the eighth paragraph down just in case you can't find it and either attribute it to yourself or AA Gill.

Now, keep digging the hole.

[Andy Zarse]

Jason_W said:

Andy Zarse said:

Jason_W said:

You directly quoted Clarkson with your patio comment this morning. As for the prejudice, just re-read the thread later on and you'll realise what I mean. Otherwise, keep digging because it is funny to watch.

Wrong, as has been pointed out to you twice now. And the patio quote was from an article by Gill, but I don't think it's originally his either.

The tone of this correspondence is intended, from my side at least, to be vaguely amusing to the casual reader. Unfortunately it appears you are too unaware to realise that you and Alex are, along with Surrey, the butt of the joke.

I'm still no clearer on your (mis)use of the word "prejudiced". For the record, and just to prove you're not making it up, what precisely am I supposed to have "pre-judged"? In other words, are you suggesting I have formed my opinions based on ignorance before the fact. Why? How? Explain that to my satisfaction and I will concede defeat.

No. You're wrong which I've pointed out to you twice. You (mis)quoted Clarkson this morning with your patio quote which he originally wrote in a column in the Times several years ago but unfortunately you're not as slick as you think despite your attempts to weasel out of the hole you've dug for yourself by asking others to disprove your prejudice.

Clarkson link here...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article11...

Its the eighth paragraph down just in case you can't find it and either attribute it to yourself or AA Gill.

Now, keep digging the hole.

Okay. Look, does it matter who the ruddy quote's from? As I said, I don't believe it's an original anyway. The fact of the matter is that for all your cat-calling you've done nothing to dissuade me that Surrey isn't ghastly; I'd hazzard a guess you live there.

[dr.sickman]

Are you lot still having handbags?



Carry on.

Oh. Ledbury.

[bodhi]

Every time I go to Stafford I die a little inside. It has a couple of lovely towns outside of it, but Stafford itself is chronically bad. Unless you want to score some smack, get your head kicked in, drive everywhere at 23mph or are desperate to go to Chicago Rock.

Special nominations go to Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy in Fife. Like Stafford without the Chicago Rock.

[Jason_W]

Andy Zarse said:

Okay. Look, does it matter who the ruddy quote's from? As I said, I don't believe it's an original anyway. The fact of the matter is that for all your cat-calling you've done nothing to dissuade me that Surrey isn't ghastly; I'd hazzard a guess you live there.

It does matter in that you were wrong but can't simply admit it, yes. At no point have I ever tried to dissuade you from your opinion because as I've repeatedly said, with a chip on your shoulder/hang up/prejudice the size of the one you're carrying round, it would be impossible to do so therefore I haven't. Just as I haven't offered an opinion on Surrey but keep digging...

[Alex]

bodhi said:

Every time I go to Stafford I die a little inside. It has a couple of lovely towns outside of it, but Stafford itself is chronically bad. Unless you want to score some smack, get your head kicked in, drive everywhere at 23mph or are desperate to go to Chicago Rock.

Special nominations go to Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy in Fife. Like Stafford without the Chicago Rock.

Stafford used to be a pretty town in the days when The Picture House was still a cinema and Bagnalls was the greatest toyshop in Britain.