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

227 replies

MamaCrazy · 09/02/2019 03:01

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.

OP posts:
SileneOliveira · 09/02/2019 17:49

I’d like to visit Cornwall. It just feels such a mission!

From London?? About as easy as it gets. M4/M5 or A303. 250 miles from central London. And if you're smart about when you travel (i.e. not on a Friday before a bank holiday) it's much less than 5 hours.

We've travelled twice to Cornwall (south Cornwall, near Mevagissey) from Glasgow and although it's 500 miles and 8 and a bit hours from here it's so worth it for a visit of at least a week.

ginghambox · 09/02/2019 18:13

Been to London twice, live in the north west of England, hated it very unfriendly same as Liverpool.In fact I liked Cairo more than both of them.

tempname111 · 09/02/2019 19:20

@PennyandVince great list Smile

I've an acquaintance who's a DJ at Ronnie Scott's. Theatreland is just wonderful. I do wanted to go and see Hamilton but didn't have £500 to spend Grin

notanothernam · 09/02/2019 20:00

@tempname111 Hamilton is brilliant, I think we only paid £37 each?

howrudeforme · 09/02/2019 20:20

Don’t think the OP is the only one. Not everyone is interested.

In the 80s I studied in Wales. Got caught out missing my last bus and got a taxi - the driver was middle aged and from rural wales and said he went to the city once and wasn’t interested in going back. He was referring to Carmarthen.

My ex mil is from southern Italy and is uninterested in anything more than 5 miles from her village.

I’m from london and I’ve just realised I don’t know my own country at all - so looking at all your recommendations!

London is not the centre of the world and not everyone is interested in travelling.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/02/2019 08:06

I think the only city (in the UK) I have really strugged to bond with has been Sheffield. Been there a few times, but I just find it really bleak.

Someone tell me what I am missing!

NicoAndTheNiners · 10/02/2019 08:55

Oh I love Sheffield. Lots of lovely independent cafes and shops. Good music scene. The winter gardens, botanical gardens. I wouldn't recommend it for a tourist visit though I guess. Yes if you were also wanting to visit the wider Peak District area but I appreciate that's not Sheffield itself.

Zoflorabore · 10/02/2019 09:00

Liverpool very unfriendly? That's a first!

I've lived here my whole life and it's unbelievably friendly.
I'm well travelled and have yet to find someone who says Liverpool is unfriendly Grin maybe it's you.

notanothernam · 10/02/2019 09:24

@Zoflorabore I'm always suspicious when someone tries to declare a whole area unfriendly. When we moved to London from a rural area I was frequently told how unfriendly it would be, on my first day of work I was walking up the tube steps limping as my new shoes had already cut up the backs of my feet a young woman behind me noticed and gave me some plasters without asking. Yes people probably take less notice of each other in London, but I wouldn't describe it as unfriendly, I've had plenty of friendly encounters. Usually commuting actually, weekends with tourists were more stressful.

Zoflorabore · 10/02/2019 09:33

notanothernam

I totally agree with that. I've heard people say the same about London and it winds me up. Talk about generalising!
It's so multi cultural on the whole so who are these people who are so supposedly unfriendly? Many different nationalities?

I'm glad you had a positive experience as a newcomer. I like to think positively about people in general unless I have good reason not to.
This city is so full of tourists and is pretty well loved but regularly takes a battering from people who don't know it enough.
I'm definitely overdue a trip to London though. The last time I went was 1998 and I was only 20 Blush

birdsdestiny · 10/02/2019 09:38

The thing about London being unfriendly is rubbish. I am from the North and I can't tell you how many times I have been offered help with pushchair or suitcases when visiting London. It's a myth that persists in the north Grin

Lungelady · 10/02/2019 09:47

Oh I hate this "Londoners are so unfriendly " garbage.

talktoo · 10/02/2019 09:57

FissionChip so you've never been to London but you think you know all about it and lambast it. SMH. London is vast and has a cultural heritage that goes back a thousand years. Most areas are green and clean. Beautiful. But London is not missing out with out you. It's you who are missing out.

Wendywoo1000 · 10/02/2019 10:45

Im not fond of Liverpool. Cant put my finger on why though. Love Chester, feel comfortable there. Manchester, was OK. Sad to see people waiting for the tram not speaking to each other, not even small talk. Perhaps that is a typical thing in the city? Love Cardiff, feel very comfortable there.

But i just love being rural. Cant beat it.

x2boys · 10/02/2019 11:56

People wait for teams in Manchester just like people wait for differe t modes of transport anywhere I guess some people talk to each other some don't , I don't think any things typical , I do find it a bit ridiculous that , people their opinion on a whole city full.of people based on their very limited experience of that city be it London ,Manchestrr, Glasgow etc ,people are people regardless of where they live some are friendly some not so much

x2boys · 10/02/2019 11:57

Trams*

spicygirl26 · 10/02/2019 12:26

I'm from Birmingham originally, having lived there for the first 35 years of my life. I hated it there and moved to mid wales because I hate busy cities. I've been to London three times and hated it. I don't like crowds of people. I can't see me ever going back there unless I absolutely had to.
I haven't visited any of the other cities and have no intention to.
It doesn't make me uncultured. I've visited places all over the world. I've seen some beautiful things but I just have no desire to walk around somewhere packed with people.

Wendywoo1000 · 10/02/2019 12:44

Where i live people talk to each other. Its sad to see in many towns and cities they walk the streetswith their heads down looking at their phones. Don’t people smile at each other?

MartaHallard · 10/02/2019 13:16

London is vast and has a cultural heritage that goes back a thousand years

Make that two thousand years!

I've been visiting or working in London on and off since I was a child. I wouldn't want to live anywhere I couldn't easily get there. PP who wrote about exploring the back streets off the main tourist track was spot on. Or just getting on a bus and riding to the end of the route.

Trafalgar Square is lovely now the pigeons have gone. Stand on the terrace of the National Gallery and look out over the square and down Whitehall to Big Ben just as the sun is going down.

A friend and I like to do city breaks. We chose Manchester last year, just because neither of us had been there. We found plenty to interest us. We've done York, several times, Canterbury, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Durham. I recommend Durham for the cathedral. It can be combined with Newcastle for a short break.

x2boys · 10/02/2019 13:41

Well of course they do Wendy but if you are seeing people getting trams on a cold Monday morning in January you might form an entirely different opnion of the people of Manchester or any city than of you saw them on a Friday or Saturday night on a bank holiday weekend in may is ever person where you are from friendly to ever other person?

MartaHallard · 10/02/2019 14:28

is ever person where you are from friendly to ever other person?

Thing is, most people who you see in London (who aren't visitors themselves) are just ordinary people going about their day to day lives. They're on their way to work, or nipping out in their lunch hour to go to the bank, or grab a sandwich, or in a hurry to pick up their kids. In what way are they supposed to be friendly to visitors?

I live in one fairly touristy place, not London, and frequently travel to another for work. I'll stop and give directions if asked. What else am I supposed to do in order not to be considered unfriendly, and how do I do it when I'm on my way to work?

I just have no desire to walk around somewhere packed with people

Most parts of London aren't packed with people. You need to get away from the main tourist areas (I try to avoid Oxford Street myself.) Some of the best parts are the places that tourists don't know about.

ChesterGreySideboard · 10/02/2019 14:45

But as long as the ‘evil Londoners in their horrible city’ narrative is upheld, eh!

So it’s fine for everyone to say ‘oh you don’t want to go to London you must be some kind of peasant without culture’ but not ok for anyone to say they don’t like London.

I’m willing to bet there are many Londoners who have never set foot outside the city.

Tiscold · 10/02/2019 15:21

Perfectly fine to say you don't like somewhere if you've been, but if you haven't then how can you pass judgement?

And not travelling anywhere outside your home town does generally make you a bit uncultured.

ChesterGreySideboard · 10/02/2019 15:30

Not having been to London or not liking London doesn’t mean you’ve never left your home town.

Tiscold · 10/02/2019 15:33

Never said it did.

Passing judgement on somewhere you haven't been is wrong.

Never leaving your home town to go anywhere is uncultured.