Do the English really hate Scotland and Wales that much?

[RATTER15]

Following on from another thread, I see so many anti Scottish comments, Ive always been aware of a little friction between England Scotland and Wales but I didn't realise it was quite so obvious.

[mike11111]

On the subject of bilingualism, I still laugh at the (true) story a couple of years ago when Swansea council erected a road sign saying, "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only". They e-mailed the in-house translation site for the Welsh equivalent and received the following reply which they duly printed and erected:
"Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch unrhyw waith i'w gyfiethu". The reply actually read:
"I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work for translation"
It was a day or so before anyone noticed.

[joko]

i have heard that its a bit similar to the supposed NZ/ australia rivalry and hatred in that NZ hates Aus and imagine some big issue going on and are consumed with hating them...the australians not only dont care one bit, many are actually unaware that theres even supposed to be an issue...

its apparently the same here, with engand being largely unaware of the hatred and the ones that do know couldnt care less....

[Booldawg]

anyone who can make sweeping generalisations with a straight face using remarks such as 'The English are this' or 'The Scottish are that' are both ignorant and arrogrant.

[Backdrifter]

@Booldawg - exactly what I was about to say. Whenever I hear anyone say "I hate the [name of an entire nationality]", or make any sweeping statement about a nationality, they simply sound really, really stupid. They often then try to hide behind that catch-all piece of self-justifying inanity, "Oh come on, it's just a bit of fun"

You do sometimes hear about Welsh and Scottish people cheering on whoever England are playing; I'm sure that happens, just as I'm sure there are people who sieze on historic wrongs to allow themselves to vent some spleen.

I don't know Wales very well outside of a few childhood holidays but am in love with Scotland. I've been to the lowlands, highlands, the western and northern isles, and loved it all - the landscape, the cities, the people, the food. And no I'm not talking about deep-fried battered haggis.

I've spent a fair amount of time in and around Glasgow and never had any problem with people or accents. And the highland accent is one of the most beautiful ways of hearing the language spoken.

If a Scot ever voiced hatred at me for simply being English, apart from protesting that all my ancestors were scattered among Goa, Portugal, Ireland and Wales, all I could say back would be, well I love Scotland (but I probably wouldn't like THEM very much).

[seadogg]

Nicely put Backdrifter. Regarding Wales, We have met only kindness from the Cymri, the indigenous Celts. The snooty, rich and arrogant element among English incomers (small minority) are the ones to be avoided, as are the few ignorant, younger locals who shout after people.

[rich47]

On the question of subsidy it is the other way round. WHO'S OIL IS IT that the English exchequer has stolen?

[bagpuss63]

i love Scotland and the people,Wales has lovely scenery but British people buying property there are detested, read frequent reports in mags and newspapers about graffiti telling them to 'go home' etc-which i think is disgusting-the people who sell the houses should be blamed not people who retire there. If i was offered a posh 2 week holiday in wales or a 2 bed basic cottage in scotland just for weekend, Scotland would win every time

[DTCwordfan]

yes there are too many gereralisations here.

I did a BSc and MA in Scotland and have many, many friends. The country is beautiful as are parts of England such as the north around the Northumbria, Cheviots, Dales and Lakes. Most of the pizz taking is that, the mickey.

However, when groups come together that is when the mickey does come a bit more serious and politics (a la SNP) is just one of these groups.....and homophobia can come into play or is patriophobia (I need a classics commentator on this). This is when it becomes tribal and nasty.

I would like to see Scotland go independent but on a well reasoned basis when it comes to defining areas of commonality like immigration, defence, drugs and crime etc...and economically. Yes they should stand on their own two feet as to subsidies and they should also take account of the views of their islands as to independence as they may have some big shocks there as their sense of belonging may have an enormous impact on how the oilfields are divided (under international maritime law there are protocols for this and if the Shetlands/Orkneys wish to stay with England, Wales and NI, then most of the new fields stay within the left-overs of the UK.

This will take considerable political leadership and aplomb to negotiate a practical sion but we may also be looking at a working model for the EU and the theory esposued in the early 1980s of a neo-Machivellian EU where many of the member countries will revert to a US-style state driven mechanism, i.e Belgium fragments, Italy and Spain (with a bit of France) go and splinter, and then Germany..... The machivellian term refers to the old city states of mediaeval times.......