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Original poster

Do you know where Will's mother lives?

237 replies

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 16:54

For 20+ years I lived in an area where everyone knew about Will's mother. People would arrive late to meetings explaining that they were really sorry, but roadworks on X Road meant that they had to go round Will's mother's.

I'm aware that in the Midlands they know about Bill's mother's, not Will's. And that sometimes it's black over Bills mother's house. But I've now moved to a different part of the country where no one knows about Will's mother's, or Bill's.

So,
YABU - who on earth is Will/Bill's mother?
YANBU - everyone knows about Will/Bills mother.

OP posts:
SpidersAreShitheads · 20/09/2025 17:41

I have never heard of this so thanks to PP explaining it’s about rain expected!

I was brought up in west London near the big Nestle factory. Due to the way the wind blew, it always smelt like coffee when it was about to rain, even from a couple of miles away from the factory.

I never knew this was because of the factory - I thought that’s just what an incoming rainstorm smelt like everywhere 😂

samarrange · 20/09/2025 17:40

I grew up in Birmingham in the 1970s and "It's a bit black over Bill's mother's" was a completely standard expression whenever threatening black clouds appeared. Since the prevailing wind is from the west-south-west, my assumption was that Bill's mother lived somewhere between Droitwich and Stourbridge.

lickycat · 20/09/2025 17:39

Needapadlockonmyfridge · 20/09/2025 17:03

No idea!
Is that the same as going round the Wrekin?

This I know about. Eg I’m not getting that bus, it goes all round the Wrekin.

Blarn · 20/09/2025 17:39

In Birmingham I've only known it to be dark over Bill's mother's.

NeverCouldGetTheHangOfThursdays · 20/09/2025 17:38

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 17:10

If there are roadworks or a traffic accident and there's a really long diversion, then you end up going "round Will's mother's".

ETA at least, in Cambridgeshire you do

Edited

I was born and raised in Suffolk and it's a phrase my DM often used.

TheEllisGreyMethod · 20/09/2025 17:38

You bloody English and your sayings

Sevenh · 20/09/2025 17:37

NeverCouldGetTheHangOfThursdays · 20/09/2025 17:00

It's Will's mother where I'm from. Pretty sure she lives in the back of beyond.

We talk about ‘Will’s mother’ all the time and we live down South.

If it looks gloomy in the sky far away we always say ‘it’s looking black over Will’s mother’s’.

Or we’ll tell someone ‘we’ve been all round Will’s mother’s trying to find this place ….’

I thought everyone said it but come
to think about, only my partner I tend to use the expression and looking at the voting it’s clear many people have not heard of it.

Uricon2 · 20/09/2025 17:35

There is an old Shropshire (possibly east Shropshire) toast where you raise your glass and move it in a circle saying "to all around the Wrekin".

Only person I ever knew use it was my Victorian Shropshire grandfather. I may revive it!

Isthereanotherplanettoinhabit · 20/09/2025 17:35

My mother always used to say it’s black over Bill’s mother’s (meaning her house) when it looked like rain. We live in Worcestershire. I always thought it was a quaint expression of my mother’s but then someone told me it was something to do with William Shakespeare. So I would expect Will’s mother is a regional version of the same thing

Anewuser · 20/09/2025 17:35

Fancyteacup · 20/09/2025 17:30

From Wiltshire and had no idea, but may start using this 🤣

Me too, haven’t heard these. But my dad used to say, “it’s a monkey’s birthday,” when it was raining but sunny.

LilyJosephine · 20/09/2025 17:32

Yep, originally from the Midlands too and ruddy roadworks often mean you end up “going around the Wrekin”. I’m the mother of a William though, I had no idea everyone went around me 😜

snemrose · 20/09/2025 17:31

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 20/09/2025 17:29

It was the East Mids where I was introduced to Bill's mother. I'm familiar with going around the Wrekin as well - to mean taking a long route when a shorter one was possible (conversation and journey).

Show quote history

Never of heard of going round the Wrekin either!
Lived here all my life too.

Limedaiquirialwayslime · 20/09/2025 17:31

I’m from Cambridge and yep know all about Will’s mother. Had to explain it to DH on the bus once. He's from Yorkshire and thought I genuinely meant Will’s mother

Fancyteacup · 20/09/2025 17:30

From Wiltshire and had no idea, but may start using this 🤣

grumpygrape · 20/09/2025 17:30

Beachtastic · 20/09/2025 17:24

Will's (Bill's) mother's house is the one with a dark raincloud over it.

Yes, this. Kent, Norfolk and South Yorkshire. Not heard it in relation to going round the houses.

GymBergerac · 20/09/2025 17:29

Shropshire here. "looks a bit black over Bill's mother's" when it's dark and stormy. "all round the Wrekin" when you've either been diverted on the roads, or when someone takes forever to get to the point!
No idea who Bill or his mother are!!

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 20/09/2025 17:29

snemrose · 20/09/2025 17:24

East Midlands here - never heard of this expression.

It was the East Mids where I was introduced to Bill's mother. I'm familiar with going around the Wrekin as well - to mean taking a long route when a shorter one was possible (conversation and journey).

Dissappearedupmyownarse · 20/09/2025 17:28

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 16:54

For 20+ years I lived in an area where everyone knew about Will's mother. People would arrive late to meetings explaining that they were really sorry, but roadworks on X Road meant that they had to go round Will's mother's.

I'm aware that in the Midlands they know about Bill's mother's, not Will's. And that sometimes it's black over Bills mother's house. But I've now moved to a different part of the country where no one knows about Will's mother's, or Bill's.

So,
YABU - who on earth is Will/Bill's mother?
YANBU - everyone knows about Will/Bills mother.

Its always raining/looking bleak over Will's mothers around here in the east

BadActingParsley · 20/09/2025 17:28

I'm from tbe Midlands and know the wrekin, but have no idea what you are on about.

stayathomer · 20/09/2025 17:28

This post has made me smile so much, thank you x

ohtowinthelottery · 20/09/2025 17:28

Needapadlockonmyfridge · 20/09/2025 17:03

No idea!
Is that the same as going round the Wrekin?

I was going to say that it's "all around the Wrekin" here when you've been diverted all over the place.

Missingducks · 20/09/2025 17:27

Born in Midlands and now a Southern softie so Bill's Mother for me but when I said "it's looking rum at Bills mothers" to a crowd of chums they thought I was ever weirder than usual

Butterflybum · 20/09/2025 17:26

Are you all on glue?

OdeToTheNorthWestWind · 20/09/2025 17:25

Uricon2 · 20/09/2025 17:05

Apparently... in the W Mids/Brum it's something to do with storms/prevailing winds coming in from the Warwickshire direction, ie where William Shakespeare's mother was from. So "black over Bill's mother's" means a storm threatening from the direction of Warwickshire originally, now used more generally.

I'm far from convinced😂

This is the explanation I heard too!

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