Am I the only person who has never been to London?

[MamaCrazy]

I live in central England. I have never been to London. I have also never been to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Am I the only person to have never been to any of these big cities? By going to them, I mean actually parking and going into the city centres. I have been to Birmingham New Street Station to switch trains.

Sorry but I find that abit odd. I don’t know anyone that hasn’t ever been to London. Do you actually live in the 18th century and it would take you 3 days by horse and carriage?

That's so weird, the thought of never ever visiting a big city, even once. There's just so much to do in them, and so much history.

I guess not so long ago it was more the norm though ("grow old and die in your own village" sort of thing).

I've never been to London, also never been to Scotland

I find that a bit odd. I am a country lass but love visiting cities from time to time in order to soak up the culture. I have been to all those cities except Birmingham. I've also been to loads of major cities abroad. I love art and visiting galleries is the highlight of most of my holidays.

I bet many people have never visited York but that’s our ancient capital but there you go!
York has been the capital of Northumbria and Jorvik, but never of England/UK.
Winchester was the first English capital, until it moved to Westminster, London

We live an hour from London and go regularly. It has the best museums, art galleries etc in the country. But if you're not interested in those things then maybe it doesn't appeal?

I love art, theatre and history but hate crowds and busyness.

Do you honestly think — with what sounds like zero experience of them — that ‘all big cities are the same’, OP?

I found it strange that one of my students, who lived and had grown up 45 minutes from London on a direct mainline train route, had never been there.

To me London= pigeons, dirt and crowds. I have zero desire to visit.

I imagine all big cities are the same.

There is something so sheltered and mundane about the above two posts.

Do either of you have any idea how you come across?

We've got Scottish relatives who have never been to England, but have been to Europe and USA.

Do either of you have any idea how you come across

Not really, no . Why does not visiting London make a person mundane or sheltered? I’ve lived all over the UK, I enjoy visiting many places, I just don’t wish to go to London.

Can you imagine not going to New York if you lived just an hour or so away? It’s a world famous city, people come from the other side of the world to visit. Why would you not?

I think that's quite strange tbh, even before being an adult I'd been a few times with school and we lived 5 hours away. We lived there for 3 years and was a great experience, not where I'd want to be forever but feel it was something I had to do.

I know all of those cities quite well. I've travelled a lot in the UK and I've also lived in several cities. There are probably more cities I have been to than I haven't. I think it is unusual not to have visited any. They are not all the same.

I agree sparkie. If I met someone irl who said things like that I would know we would never ever be friends ...

I know people that live in the outer parts of Birmingham that have never been into Birmingham city centre.
It's not a distance issue, is it?

I’ve been to London 3 times and can’t see me going back again. There’s too many other places I want to visit and not enough time off to fit them all in.

My friend goes to London several times a year for the ‘shows’ and shopping but I like neither so can’t be tempted

We go to London every few weeks, it's a 50 min train journey.

But I've never had a touristy day in the other cities, had brief visits for work many years ago. I keep meaning to visit properly but we'd need to stay overnight and the costs mount up. I'd like to go to Liverpool, I've heard good things about it.

Why does not visiting London make a person mundane or sheltered?

It's not the not wanting to go (although that demonstrates a boring lack of curiosity).

It's the deciding London = 'pigeons, dirt and crowds' on the basis of never having visited it.

London is a lot cleaner than many other English cities due to the amount of money swirling about IMO.

Now, Birmingham IS a dirty city (I live here). Filthy and disgusting in parts actually.

If you were from the Isles of Scotland I would understand but the Midlands?! Sorry, even if you don't like cities, which is fair enough, I think it's fairly ignorant not to want to go and see a major world city and capital of your country. Even just for a day to confirm your prejudices

Unless it's a cost thing which it doesn't sounds like. I don't think it is something to be proud of.

I remember, for example, walking inside St Paul's and (as a total heathen) being completely blown away. And then imagining being a peasant from the 17th century waking inside - it must have been unimaginable.

London is dripping in history, beauty and fokelore.

But, yeah. Pigeons and dirt and crowds. To think (assume) that, is the very definition of mundane.

But London has amazing museums, art galleries, buildings which other cities in England don't have. Obviously they do have such things but the most amazing bits of art, etc are in the big museums.

I live in the midlands but often go to London. Just booked to go to the Van Gogh exhibition at the Tate in April. £30 for the train and £20 for the exhibition. Taking dd with me, she asked to go. I've often taken her to places like the war museum, National history, etc.

I did a few years ago meet someone on a course and it was the first time she had left her home county. She was in her 40s and crossed the border from one county to another for the first time! I was amazed and kept thinking of bilbo baggins leaving The Shire.

Youve never been to see a show? Or an art gallery? Or museum? Or sporting event?What are your interests?

London is huge, yes Trafalgar square has a few pigeons but there's none in the museum's, the theatre's, there are huge parks to explore, little side streets full of unique shops

It's not all the same

I love Camden Market

I love going to see something in a really old theatre

I love just wandering around and looking up at all the buildings

I love the churches, the architecture, the cathedrals , the history

I also love York

That's crazy. There's so much in London that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. The history for one is very unique. Every time we go to London for the weekend it's a different trip. Different areas, museums, food, sights etc. You can't see London once and decide you don't like it - there are so many different areas to it. Birmingham has great shopping and a library, the Think Tank is also very good. Manchester we like for restaurants. Leeds (which you haven't mentioned) has The Royal Armoured museum which is just amazing.

I don't think I could be friends with people with such narrow horizons. I'm guessing you're one of those who probably goes to the same place year in year out.