Mumsnet world is like a movie to me, anyone else?

[MoaningMyrtle202]

Im well travelled and work with the general public in the UK so like to think I have some kind of idea of your average Joe blogs generally speaking.

When I come on mumsnet however the general replies from mainly British posters seem to show an alternate universe.

People refer to working ‘in the city’. Which city is this? Why call it ‘the city’. Example ‘I was a lawyer in the city’.
It sounds like Hollywood movie speak. I’ve never in my life heard anyone say ‘I work in the city’. People just say ‘I work in London/Leeds/Cardiff’ or ‘i was a lawyer’.

Thats another thing. A lot of people use the word lawyer on here but but I’ve rarely heard that term used in the UK, normally it’s solicitor?

Then referring to marriage. So many posts about ‘protection’ and being entitled to half. Most people I know don’t have ‘assets’ outside their mortgaged home? Most people also buy jointly a house regardless of marriage. A lot of people are also in rented and there is 0 assets.

It’s like everyone lives in some Hollywood movie where they were on 120K working in ‘the city’ as a ‘hot shot lawyer’ but then married top law firm partner husband on 360K. They then gave up their career for children and are now divorcing said high earning husband and taking half these mysterious ‘assets’. Because they enabled husband to become the rich successful man he is today. Like a plot to a film.

In real life most people only own their home with a joint mortgage as an only asset. If the woman is a SAHM it’s usually because their household income is being topped up with UC. Therefore most couples both work albeit one of them part time with kids.

Where are all these Hollywood lifestyle people in everyday life?

Where is ‘the city’? It sounds great. I live in a city and no one refers to here as ‘the city’ so it can’t be here 🤣🤣.

I used a solicitor to buy our house.

Yes, but think of all the lessons about love Barkley taught PP before she went back to her office one last time and told her arrogant family-hating boss where to get off.

And then cornered the farm Christmas tree rent market for 5 years via some heavy leveraging, set up a cute website and listed on AIM. And with a wedding!

If the woman is a SAHM it’s usually because their household income is being topped up with UC.

Not here in the South East.. plenty SAHM’s with rich husbands who work ‘in the city’..

To be fair I haven't worked in the city or shopped there since I became a SAHM in 2007.

But DH goes in when he has to on hybrid working so I send him shopping if I need to.
😉

How long have you been on MN? You are very critical for a newbie. It has lots to offer, diverse posters. Your comments make you look ridiculous.

Yeah I was thinking this. I'm a SAHM and I'm not on UC.

I don't know anyone that claims UC, I also don't know anyone that rents or live in flats. I didn't think that's unusual but maybe it is

I also don't know any SAHMs

You’re wrong about all couples having shared assets. My ex made sure my name was on nothing of “his”.

No. In Dublin people would drive 'into town'.

Same here in London-Land. People work in The City, and go (Up) To Town if they are visiting the West End. No doubt OP will claim to have never heard of the West End either.

You say you're well travelled? 🤔

@EarringsandLipstick @MurderAtTheBeautyPageant
thanks both

I’ve heard my DP says this to me and thought it sounded odd. But then a lot of the things he says are odd !

It's Auld Reekie for Edinburgh.

Err ... solicitors and lawyers aren't different jobs.

A solicitor is one type of lawyer. They are instructed by a company, organisation or individual to give legal advice. This can be non contentious eg a commercial contract or contentious - suing someone for breach of contract.

Usually doesn't go to court to represent clients though there are rare exceptions of solicitors who do have that capacity.

The other type of lawyer is a barrister. They are instructed only by solicitors - you can't instruct one as an individual.

They go to court and represent clients. They advise solicitors on strategy for handling a case.

And in terms of case law they are the experts - so where a question is tricky solicitors will ask a barrister to write them a note of his/her view of the question (this is called a Counsel's Opinion).

Yes. “into town” to me sounds like to the nearest large urban centre to where you live and can apply to any local city or town.(including London). The city means the City of London and is within that.

My Df (definitely outside London) used ‘up to town’ to refer to London and it sounded quite old fashioned and posh but it might have just been his accent

Non posh people, inner, outer and edges of London also say “up West” if going to the West end (central not the City).

Im from up north and I don't think it's strange to the refer to the City; it just means London - the bit with all the arsehole bankers.

Lawyer is just a generic term for solicitor and barrister- or anyone with a legal qualification.

I don't have a dh on 360 grand though! 😕

That's the beauty of the internet. It's just like Motherland. They let the token, Northern working classes on just to add more depth with their funny stories of this 'universal credit' and lack of assets.

Funnily enough, in Ireland, I've never heard anyone use the term 'lawyer', even generically. It's always solicitor / barrister, with the relevant qualification regarding the area in which they practise.

If you hang out with lawyers that could make for quite long winded conversations!

Anyway, I’m a ‘lawyer’ and I live hundreds of miles north of London. I work for a multinational where ‘solicitor’ won’t mean much to most colleagues. And I’ve even heard of the City. Some posters seem to be doing their utmost to back up the stereotype some Londoners have of us in the provinces as unable to grasp their sophisticated cosmopolitan ways.

I'm just imagining all these people repeating 'Lon Don' in awe and wonder, like Tubbs from The League of Gentlemen.

Someone earlier mentioned ‘the city’ being frequently referred to in old books. Well, yes; without being rude, the way most people learn about things outwith the sphere of their personal experience is through reading. If you’re not much given to reading but start using a very socioeconomically juxtaposed chat forum, the frames of reference of lots of the other posters are going to seem pretty foreign to you.

My DH worked in the city, but we called it London. Actually it was some little backwater council building where it constantly felt unsafe.
Then there was a stint on one of the top floors in one of the highest buildings in Canary wharf, not long after the 2005 bombings. He had to have a building induction where the evacuation plan was basically if anything happens you're stuck. So that wasn't very glamorous either.
Edinburgh was a nicer city to work in. Really pleased to have him based in the grim north now. It feels much safer.

The City is the financial district of London, the sqare mile. The City of London also has its own police force distinct from The Met.

Not all.lawyers are solicitors. You might have a job in corporate law for example and you might work in The City. You might get on the Waterloo and City Line to get there.

It's nothing like a Hollywood film, it's going to work. Have a walk round the City sometime, it's strangely beautiful. So many different styles of architecture, old churches, little hidden streets streets.

And yes, people do earn a lot of money in the City, or in financial services generally. My friends husbands salary would take me 5 years to earn. She stayed at home when her children were small and certainly wouldn't have needed benefits!

This is now my favourite Christmas story. 'My great aunt died and left me a Christmas tree farm'. Oh, yes. Love it.

All I need to know now, @Cwcwbird, is that you married the tree farm man.