>>One thing I did notice when I moved away from Yorkshire was how unfriendly everybody appeared to be.<<
(sorry about the grey box, I inserted it in error and can’t delete it)
I have never been totally convinced by the friendly North, diffident South argument. People are people, some are gregarious, others more reserved. It is also a fine line to tread between being chatty and being boring, exchanging views and being dogmatically opinionated, plain speaking and boorishness.
Opinions are also coloured by personal experiences. We were in Whitby not so long ago and my wife accidentally bumped into a chap on the crowded pavement. Because of her brain tumour Mrs Cotto is partially sighted and uses a white stick. “You want to watch where you’re going,” he said very gruffly and in a broad Yorkshire accent. Friendly northerners, eh?
By contrast, on holiday in Devon, we fell into conversation with a lovely chap from Yorkshire who was bemoaning the fact he had moved to the South West as he thought them such a dour lot. “Aye,” he said, “every time somebody laughs down here a donkey dies.”
And on the topic of friendliness and social distancing I will just say we are getting a lot more walkers through our village. Without exception they are respectful of the two metre rule and uniformly say hello and exchange a few pleasantries. I am just so grateful that the woes posting by others of selfish neighbours, noisy teenagers and general anti-social behaviour is just not something we have to endure. Come and live in Rutland!
I agree @BenCotto it takes all sorts in any place.
I do miss my bus rides, have had many interesting and enlightening conversations at the stop and on the bus. Living near Windsor there are always visitors in the town so some conversations require a degree of arm flailing and pointing, interesting nevertheless
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
Not sure I follow your use of 'choices'. Are you saying you can 'choose' which rules apply and which don't?
Everyone makes choices on their own personal circumstances. A single mother in a damp,cramped bedsit does not have the same choices available than would a wealthy landowner. If she WAS given that choice do you really think she would opt to stay in the amp/cramped bedsit when she could be out in the countryside?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
Indeed @pansyface ! When our local bus returned after a 3 month absence they were all new drivers frequently treated to a chorus of "Driver!" along the way.
Now the buses run every hour and I can't use them
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
I was on a train once in Italy and as it was dark I could not see the station sign. “È Lecco?” Is this Lecco? I asked the passenger opposite me. “Sì” he replied only to be met with a chorus from the rest of the carriage “No, no! Non è Lecco.”
And as for bus conversations my wife was sitting behind two women who were talking about a mutual acquaintance who clearly had lots of medical problems. After discussing his liver condition, his minor heart attack, his diabetes and various other issues, one of the women turned to the other and said, “You know, I bet he wishes he never had that leg off now.”
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I do miss my bus rides, have had many interesting and enlightening conversations at the stop and on the bus. Living near Windsor there are always visitors in the town so some conversations require a degree of arm flailing and pointing, interesting nevertheless
A single mother in a damp,cramped bedsit does not have the same choices available than would a wealthy landowner.
If she WAS given that choice do you really think she would opt to stay in the amp/cramped bedsit when she could be out in the countryside?
People in all walks of life,not just those with money and position,make choices based on what is available to them in any given situation.
Now the buses run every hour and I can't use them
And as for bus conversations my wife was sitting behind two women who were talking about a mutual acquaintance who clearly had lots of medical problems. After discussing his liver condition, his minor heart attack, his diabetes and various other issues, one of the women turned to the other and said, “You know, I bet he wishes he never had that leg off now.”