Things that are different in different parts of the UK

[isabellerossignol]

I thought it might be interesting, and informative, to have a thread about how things throughout the UK. Not customs or traditions, but actual practical things.

So, for me, as someone in N Ireland the first things that spring to mind is that the following things differ from England.

The compulsory school starting age
The cut off date for when you go into one school year or another
The names of the school years

And then I know that with education, Scotland is different again...

“In Scotland we can go into Asda and buy any pack of polo shirts, skirts, trousers, bags etc but from things I’ve seen here it needs to be school branded in England?”

They don’t have compulsory uniforms in Scotland like they do in England, because it’s a completely different system most parents don’t “choose” schools, pupils just go to their catchment area school so schools don’t have the same power to dictate things like that.

Just my experience ... in England I've always celebrated NYE by drinking during the evening of 31st, leading up to bongs/fireworks, then going home around 1am. When in Scotland I was introduced to the idea of having a nap during the evening, and starting the celebrations with the bongs/fireworks, drinking through to around 4 or 5am. I don't know if that difference is common and whether it has developed from or contributed to them having the 2nd as another public holiday

The bread roll thing is very contentious!!! Bread roll, bap, cob, tea cake, barm cake?? Was a cob where I grew up but wouldn’t use it in London where I now live as I’d probably get a blank look (commensurate with my username!)

The word for alleyways between terraced houses or a cut through. Gulley, ginnel, snicket, alley!

“When in Scotland I was introduced to the idea of having a nap during the evening, and starting the celebrations with the bongs/fireworks”

I’ve never heard of people napping, but if you’re celebrating it’d be a late one, 1 would be really early to be going to bed.

I find in general things finish earlier in England though, pubs close really early, weddings finish early...

My DH (from London) thinks it is odd that we call fizzy drink ‘pop’. We are in West Midlands.

Blackberry season is different as you travel North. In fact quite a lot of the natural seasonal stuff.

A lot of the things mentioned about Scotland are the same in N Ireland, presumably as there are so many descendants of Scottish people. Halloween was always a thing when I was little, and so was Santa. If you said Father Christmas here everyone would think you were being very fake.

Another thing here is cars. MOTs aren't done at a garage, they are done at a government test centre. And only after 4 years, not 3. And we have had photo driving licenses since the dawn of driving licenses.

In my town in Greater Manchester any drink ie cordial ,juice ,fizzy drinks are known as pop ,which confused me greatly as the town I grew up about 8 miles away only fizzy drinks were pop!

And here the shops don't open until 1pm on a Sunday.

Shops in Scotland are open all day Sundays. Also on days like Easter Monday. We were shocked when we were in England on Easter Monday and nothing was open, not even garden centres.

You can put in an offer on a house that's already under offer in Scotland, I know because I did it, it's still a sealed bid though. I won the bid but much later found out I had outbid my new neighbour's mother, which was a bit awkward.

In N Ireland things like social services and social care fall under the health service, not the council. Councils here have very little responsibility at all, it's pretty much collecting the bins and keeping the leisure centre open.

Most shops are open on bank holidays and Sundays n my part of England I think they might be closed on Easter Sunday and definitely Xmas day although some corner shops are open ,there are Sunday and bank holiday opening hours but they they definitely open!!

I keep thinking of more and more things!

You can't drink alcohol in public places here, so no taking a bottle of champagne on a romantic picnic.

@andromeda and @derbyshire - you must have been very lucky then. I'm from Yorkshire, always worked in Yorkshire and have never heard of being given Easter Tuesday off as a given. In fact DH pulled a 'huh?' face when I asked if he'd ever heard of this too, so definitely not just me 🤣🤣🤣. Think it must be just a coincidence!!

People can have gravy on their chip shop chips in Lancashire- they don’t seem to do it in Yorkshire chippies.

Oh, and Wednesday is half day closing for many shops where I live.

In Scotland, every soft drink is 'juice'.
You might have a piece at lunchtime and it wouldn't be a bit of something
The word 'gotten' isn't considered to be an Americanism because we've been using it forever
'outwith' is another of our great words that the English/Welsh and possibly Northern Irish don't use

Shockers I’m from South York’s and we can certainly get chips and gravy from the chippy.

ShetlandWife
Juice/ bottle of ginger.

No water bills in Scotland either, its rolled into your council tax

When I was growing up fizzy drinks were referred to as 'minerals' but I haven't heard it in years.

No council tax in N Ireland, we have rates. And the water charge is included in the rates, like Scotland does with council tax

Salt and Sauce on your fish and chips in Edinburgh instead of Salt and Vinegar.

Blackberries are brambles in Scotland.