The love of the countryside by the non rural public

Abacus said:
So if we are talking about eejit tourists... I was looking round the baths in Bath some years ago, and overheard some Americans saying 'But where are all the Romans? I thought there'd be Romans.'
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This reminds me of an argument I got into at the Colosseum in Rome with some Americans! Three of the loudest, brashest Bette Midler types were following us around making the most ridiculous remarks. I was with my OH and were taking in the enormity of the Colosseum when one of them said very loudly "d'ya know - in Engerland they have these great big arenas, just like this one, for fighting dogs and they put these poor dogs into the middle and they fight till the death" to which the other replied "Oh my they are soooo cruel in England". My OH is muttering to me 'don't say a word'. Of course I had to and told them that the worst animal cruelty I have ever seen was at a rodeo in America where a very young calf was chased, exhausted, collapsed and left out in 115 degree heat where it died. At least it shut them up!

My step-fathers niece decided she wanted to start riding and she was actually doing quite well at not being a townie. That was until one of the farmers sheep next door got tangled up in barb wire. Armed with some large shear like scissors I asked her to hold the ewe steady. Total meltdown, first it was going to bite her, then kick her, then she daren't touch its fleece. Hopeless!

I do know of some people that moved to the village and within a year had sold and moved back out again as the flies from the horses in the field behind were too much!
 
honetpot said:
I blame the Country Living, National Trust view of the countryside that sits on people coffee tables, with a green fields on every page, and animals clean, grazing on immaculate grass. I notice they never do photo shoots in winter.
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Abacus said:
Oh, these are sweet. Completely agree with oldie48 that we are plain lucky.

Even so, I remember with fondness when I lived in the east end (london) and was doing my PhD. We used to take the undergrads out to the country for field trips - lots of them had never been out of London. We spent a long day on the beach once, and one of the brighter ones asked why the water was going up and down... (that'll be the tides, then). And then walked through a field, to hear one say 'Look at those funny looking things! It's like they're covered in wool'. They were sheep.

Really liked the glamorous girl who wore full leather and high platforms to walk up a hill (not an especially challenging hill, either). She needed to be carried, but was hugely charming and funny about it, so it made you not mind quite so much...
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I took out a ride of kids from Sheffield when I lived in the Lakes, they were terrified I was going to be poisoned by blackberries from the hedge and they would not be convinced that a field full of sheep were not cows because there were dirty and not 'like clouds'. I lived on the coast for a while as well and explaining rips, tides, sandbanks and not getting cut off were regular conversations even when you knew half an hour later you would still have to wade out and help them carry their buggy back through the waves.
 
I practically got lynched on FB last summer because I updated my status saying that I was getting a tad annoyed at tourists walking up my driveway and feeding my ponies random stuff that ponies really shouldn't be eating :( Someone said city people will have never seen a horse before (seriously?! It's a horse, not a Rhino or some other endangered species) and I was being mean not to let them get on with it. I tried to explain the possible health implications but apparently that didn't matter :(

A couple of times I've been at agricultural shows with my mini Shettie , the kind of show where townies might go for a day out, and I've been asked how long will it take for her to grow as big as that one (whilst pointing to a 17hh+ heavyweight hunter or a Shire)...

And staying on the Shettie theme, one day a random tourist turns up at my gate and tells me I have 2 sheep loose on the road. I tell him that this is rather odd since I don't own any sheep but I will go and attempt to round them up and locate their owner anyway. Oh, he says, I saw the 2 black sheep in your field and thought those 2 must be yours too. The 2 'sheep' in my field were 2 mini Shetties :D
 
I drive along a country back lane to work from the city, usually it's very quiet but on the weekend there are loads of chelsea chariot types that don't seem to know how big their cars are going to and from the kiddies petting farm.This one guy practically stopped in the middle of the road, plenty of room to two cars, and started waving at me for no apparent reason and making slow down gestures, the only reason I can imagine is he thought my excessive speed (all of about 30mph and decelerating in confusion) and the imaginary gigantic width of his car was just too much to cope with.
 
Loving this thread, but I'm sure that somewhere out there if we were to look, there's a forum for city dwellers chortling about how us country types can't cope with multi-storey car parks/tube trains/pavements/shopping centres/crowded streets/ living 5 minutes from Sainsburys etc etc.

... But good luck to them. Leave me out here in rural Derbyshire please ... where I'll keep trying to be polite to the townies who invade our space at weekends with their inappropriate clothing and footwear, undisciplined dogs and kids, lack of awareness that mud happens when it rains, ignorance of the RoW laws and inability to distinguish a cow from a sheep.

Hey ... They arrive on Saturdays (not too early!) and go away by tea time on Sunday (or earlier if it rains) and leave the greater part of rural UK to those of us who live here, love it, care for it, and truly appreciate the glory that surrounds us.

As my French friend would say ... Vive la difference!
 
Great post greylegs. some workmates who live in city laiugh at me,the country loving bumpkin,just dont understand i loathe citys and friendly take the pee out of me when i dont get thier city lives lol. bothered? nope lol
 
EffyCorsten said:
I don't think there is smugness or any malice in the thread. I'm sure the city folk feel the same way with the 'them and us' thing. I have lots of family and friends who think I'm some sort of idiot country person and I'm missing out on the whole city life scene. I may well be but the two lifestyles are so different now that it's virtually impossible for there not to be some sort of divide between rural and city culture/lifestyles/mind set

I think it is supposed to be a fun thread with a bit of mick taking out of ourselves as well as our city counterparts. well I hope that's how it comes across anyway.
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Okey dokey!
 
Love this thread!

I seem to have been born in to the wrong family... While I have always lived in or around a city (mainly London) or big towns, I have always disliked it!! Love being out in the countryside whether it is sunny, raining or snowy... Seeing various farm animals out of my window them especially when on holiday or driving past fields. Rest of my family seem to like being in the hustle and bustle of city life.
 
Well I'm not going to join in the townie bashing. It's nice to see people enjoying the countryside, not least the scouts who asked ever so politely if they could run a rescue scenario in the field, they and the horses had great fun. Tbh round here its the country set who are a pita. Don't like us grazing at home...why would I use the local rubbish livery yard?! Don't like hens pecking on the verge, don't like much tbh!
 
Last summer I was on a beach in Pembrokeshire, when a small coach turned up with about 20 young males all around 18 years of age, coach was from London area. Apparently they gphad come to learn to surf. So lots of bravado and shouting etc, climbed into their wetsuits, did the on beach tuition. Then the instructor sent them all into the sea at a run. Where they all shrieked like little girls and ran straight out. It's the funniest thing I have seen in ages.
Many moons ago I used to hack out along a coastal path that had specially built barbecue areas where groups of kids from inner city areas could come, have outside fun etc. my horse became a very good ambassador stoping for pats etc. I always wear fluorescent stuff as does horse the best comment was from one small boy from Liverpool. Please Miss can I give the police horse a burger? I was sitting on a 14.1 Dales Pony lol
 
mirage said:
Has anyone ever seen a happy looking rambler? I never have,they always look miserable.We've just had a complaint that the mud from the gateways is overflowing onto the footpath and it is too muddy to walk in.
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I don't meet many around where I ride - it's pretty dull tbh!
However, the only ones I have met have been wonderful!! I had to pass them on a VERY narrow path and each of them said thanks and commented on how lovely Ned is :)
Though, I have come across several while walking myself, who tend to just grunt hello...maybe.
 
Nudibranch said:
Well I'm not going to join in the townie bashing. It's nice to see people enjoying the countryside, not least the scouts who asked ever so politely if they could run a rescue scenario in the field, they and the horses had great fun. Tbh round here its the country set who are a pita. Don't like us grazing at home...why would I use the local rubbish livery yard?! Don't like hens pecking on the verge, don't like much tbh!
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The thread was not started as a 'townie bashing' exercise. It is merely a bit of fun and has at times, been a rather frightening example of ignorance of how the countryside and farming operates. Many children have never seen a real horse, have any idea where their big mac comes from etc etc. It is sad and very worrying for the future of farming. I have my doubts that central government is too interested in farming.

There is a big difference between the 'country set' as you mention and the farming community, but perhaps it is not appropriate to to look into that one.
 
Sadly though aa, some of the posts do come across as them and us, look at the stupid townies, in fact verging on snobbish. Not all but a few. The rude, ignorant type tourists are in the minority and don't forget, our farmers would have no market without the town masses. Even the ones who don't know where their food comes from....they still buy it!
 
I sincerely doubt there is any real townie-bashing going on. And even if there were I am sure it happens in equal measure from both sides.. after all who termed country folk as 'carrot-crunchers' or 'bumpkins'? I am fairly certain it must be town dwellers!

It seems lately that there are very few HHO threads taken at face value, especially the light hearted threads like this. Someone always has to read a more sinister meaning in to them and tbh, it's becoming a tad boring. Life has been a bit grim for many of us this winter, with the never ending rain.. let's all find some amusement where we can without being so quick to criticise.
 
a group of over 60's ramblers - about 12 stopped to " look at the view" across the fields by my yard in a private parking area....my dressage instructor had just dropped £100 there and came back to get it...guess what? the "nice " ramblers had pocketed the money and gone off with their bloody nordic walking sticks..... thanks!
 
Ladyinred said:
I sincerely doubt there is any real townie-bashing going on. And even if there were I am sure it happens in equal measure from both sides.. after all who termed country folk as 'carrot-crunchers' or 'bumpkins'? I am fairly certain it must be town dwellers!

It seems lately that there are very few HHO threads taken at face value, especially the light hearted threads like this. Someone always has to read a more sinister meaning in to them and tbh, it's becoming a tad boring. Life has been a bit grim for many of us this winter, with the never ending rain.. let's all find some amusement where we can without being so quick to criticise.
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Hear hear!
 
Meems said:
I live in London but if I ever have to travel on the tube into Central London I get panic attacks about the ticket machines, the 'in and out' machines and also the choice of exits at some of the central London stations, there's often three or four to chose from. And London, being London, you can't hesitate or stop for a second :frown3::frown3:. It really is a rat race!
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And you live there Meems! I find Central London terrifying, the tubes, the crowds, the lot. I think it's damned selfish of them to have all the best museums and theatres to themselves and force me into that hell hole! :) I'm originally from a town just outside NYC, and I hate that even more! I like Amsterdam. If I had to live in a city, that is the one I would choose!

ps I didn't think this was a townie bashing thread, and I am townie! Only ones that I would bash are those who move to a rural location and then put all their efforts into destroying anything actually rural which has the nerve to go on there
 
I have a new neighbour. He was telling me one day that he was 'nipping into town' to buy some trainers. I asked him which town he was going to, and he told me the name of the nearest one, five miles away. I explained to him that he wouldn't find anywhere there that would sell trainers, and he would have to go to 'big town', an hours drive away. He was absolutely aghast! He can't get used to shops closing at 7pm, to the garages closing at 7pm, to things not being open on Sundays, to mud. Oh, and we took him to a local gun smiths and outfitters to get some wellies. He hasn't had wellies (which spell check wants to call willies :D) since he was a toddler, and the man in the shop was shaking his head in amazement when neighbour asked how to put wellies on, and how to get them off. We had to demo boot jacks for him, and he still struggles to use one :D

I don't see him lasting long tbh :D
 
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I love it when people moan about tractors on the roads especially during harvest, I say 'where do you get your food then?' and suggest maybe they could boycott all things being harvested and products derived from them.
 
Sunshine said:
Personally I always remember as a teenager we took a schoolfriend with us on holiday to Wales. She was transfixed by the cows and sheep as she had never seen them in real life. When she asked how they managed to stand on the hill without falling down my mum told her they were specially bred Clwydian cows which have legs on one side shorter than the other so they can walk along the hillside. She completely believed us and the joke was maintained for the whole week, until my mum had to own up out of guilt.
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Thats just reminded me about a local shops new-ish owners.. the lady shopkeeper was really worried about the cows on the hill "because they might fall off!! :D
 
Greylegs said:
... but I'm sure that somewhere out there if we were to look, there's a forum for city dwellers chortling about how us country types can't cope with multi-storey car parks/tube trains/pavements/shopping centres/crowded streets/ living 5 minutes from Sainsburys etc etc.

...

...

As my French friend would say ... Vive la difference!
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I would love to see that - bet that'd a scream :D :D . Might do a search for one if I have nowt better to do sometime.

Ladyinred said:
I sincerely doubt there is any real townie-bashing going on. And even if there were I am sure it happens in equal measure from both sides.. after all who termed country folk as 'carrot-crunchers' or 'bumpkins'? I am fairly certain it must be town dwellers!

It seems lately that there are very few HHO threads taken at face value, especially the light hearted threads like this. Someone always has to read a more sinister meaning in to them and tbh, it's becoming a tad boring. Life has been a bit grim for many of us this winter, with the never ending rain.. let's all find some amusement where we can without being so quick to criticise.
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I sit on both sides of the fence having lived in cities, towns, villages, middle of nowheres here in the UK and abroad. Give me rural life every time! I can see how the townies don't understand and also how the 'country bumpkins' could stand with jaws dropped at the townies escapades :D :D . I'm loving this thread :D .
 
Loving this thread!

I once picked up an American DJ from the airport in Edinburgh to take her to Dundee, now if you know this area you'll know there is a motorway route and a scenic route through Fife. I took the Fife route thinking it would be nice to show her a bit of Scotland because she'd only ever been in Edinburgh and Glasgow previously.

Some highlights:

"Who cuts the grass?" Asked when passing through some hilly bits.

"Why do people live here, what is there to do?" She was aghast I grew up in a village with less than a 1000 people, I had to explain to her that was by village standards relatively big.

"OMG! Is that a real donkey?"

In her defence she'd spent all of her life in big cities.

My OH is a bit of a townie, he's still not got the whole walking through mud thing despite years of coming to the stables with me. Still makes me laugh a lot!
 
AdorableAlice said:
Many children have never seen a real horse, have any idea where their big mac comes from etc etc.
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I was working at my firms london office this week & they were all laughing at one lad who is 18 as he'd asked what animal pork came from, when told to guess he went for cow. It does worry me that people can get to this age and have no idea on these things (particularly when it's what they are eating)... Although I guess at least he knew it was from an animal.
 
Nudibranch said:
Sadly though aa, some of the posts do come across as them and us, look at the stupid townies, in fact verging on snobbish. Not all but a few. The rude, ignorant type tourists are in the minority and don't forget, our farmers would have no market without the town masses. Even the ones who don't know where their food comes from....they still buy it!
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Seriously - it is a light hearted thread, there is no need to get so uptight about it.
 
Nudibranch said:
Sadly though aa, some of the posts do come across as them and us, look at the stupid townies, in fact verging on snobbish. Not all but a few. The rude, ignorant type tourists are in the minority and don't forget, our farmers would have no market without the town masses. Even the ones who don't know where their food comes from....they still buy it!
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Believe me, we have ignorant 'country' people too. I don't think there is any element of snobbishness and yes, the rude ignorant tourists as you put it are in the minority, if everyone did what they do it would be rather worrying!
 
Cowpony said:
My grandparents were Cornish and used to run a B&B in St Ives. One day a guest came back from his day out enthusing about the great roads - saying that the single-lane one way system was fantastic because you could drive fast without worrying about something coming the other way!! :eek:
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O M G!!! Lethal, but doesn't actually surprise me. The thing is, the Cornish hedging that borders the lanes is often so high you cannot see over it round the corners to the road ahead...and also NOT hedging...it's stone walls allowed to become overgrown with greenery/bushes/trees/gorse etc. Not very yielding if you happen to hit it!
 
We had to rescue a mum with a pushchair who had let her dog off the lead and he was 'playing' with the horses. Playing by chasing the youngsters who were terrified and couldn't get away :rolleyes3: She had pushed the buggy all the way across the mares' field through filth and mud. Mad.

Another amazing incident saw us asking a party of picnickers to remove their table and chairs :eek3: from the middle of the field, miles off the footpath. The guy was sat strumming his guitar! Another set up a tent for the night! It's not like we're rural, it was just outside of Watford and the field leads to the M1! The other side of the field is busy and people stop to feed the horses, grr! I asked one family politely if they could stop THROWING carrots at the horses and suggested that they shouldn't feed them. They then asked, all exasperated, what they could feed because the children wanted to feed the horses. I used the analogy of me coming and feeding endless smarties to their kids or rubbish to their dog. Why are horses seen as public property? I'm so glad my current yard isn't near anything!

I recently had to ask about ten ramblers (complete with Nordic sticks!) to hold still while my spooky boy panicked at them: the exit of the footpath is right by the gate. They were hilarious, bless them, stayed where they were and asked if they could feed him a treat.
 
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