Cultural differences Scotland and England

[CauleyMacGlochlin]

So surprised to see on a recent thread that in England secondary school pupils are often not allowed out of school for lunch until 6th form, which Google tells me means 16-18. I'm gobsmacked. I've never heard of anything like this in Scotland and I've lived all over the country (grew up in Glasgow and moved around in adulthood)

I also recently discovered that English school pupils can't leave education at 16. They have to stay in education til 18 unless they have an apprenticeship.

Got me thinking about cultural differences between the countries that I've maybe been oblivious all this time. Any others?

"Scots have waaaay more national pride"

Ah. Thing is... erm... the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish are able to show national pride. The English aren't allowed that luxury.

Down here, when anyone says they are proud to be English, they are immediately viewed as xenophobic. Whenever many people see the England flag, it is associated with the National Front. It is no longer a symbol of national pride, it has rather unfortunately become something else. Some communities actually find it offensive.

I’m from Scotland and moved to Yorkshire to work as a dentist for a few years. I was used to asking kids ‘What age are you?’ when they came in for their check-ups and realised after a few days they all looked confused until their parents rephrased the question ‘How old are you?’. Just something random I noticed!

Being asked what school you went to to find out if rangers or celtic.

I do know, yes, firstly cause its my job to know the different educational systems in the UK, secondly cause its all over the news and media so even if it wasn't my job, there's no avoiding the A level system

In all public toilets. Today in a Glasgow Park, hessian container hanging up with pockets in which were plentiful tampons & pads, and a number to call to request a mooncup/ reusable pads. These are all available in every secondary school toilet (cups/ reusable kept in the office; just need to ask),primaries have them too, not sure where kept.

Ooh yeah the close! When I moved to London I stayed in a housing association block which had a problem with pigeons. I called them and had a long conversation with someone about pigeons in the close and didn't find her very helpful...

It was I my when I recounted the story to a neighbour did I realise that a close down here is like a cul-de-sac

Poor woman thought I was calling to complain about pigeons on the street 🤣🤣🤣

Forgot about this one! Yes I've noticed as well that people who aren't from Scotland look a bit blank when you say "what age are you?"

The allowed blood alcohol level in Scotland is so low that basically you simply cannot have ANY amount of alcohol if you are driving. It is lower than any other part of the UK. That's the legal position - not necessarily the moral position. It IS possible elsewhere to have, say one drink and still be under the legal limit - not so in Scotland

@Puffalicious i have never seen them in our local public toilets! I was in some this morning in another local authority area and no evidence of them there either. It’s only recently I discovered they’re meant to be free for all. It definitely doesn’t feel like it!

Shed for your parting (hair)

Not sure about that anymore. If you are waving a Scotland flag, unless you are at the rugby, im assuming you are an nationalist independence voter.

@soundsys

Ooooh! Just had an epiphany! Like Brookside Close!!

I get it now.

Growing up in a tenement flat I always wondered why it was called Brookside Close when we were living in a wally close and they were nothing alike.

Omg. Really? They don't call it a shed in England? A middle shed? A side shed?

If this is true this one wins the thread for me. I had no idea.

Scot here (mostly Edinburgh influences, but did spend time on the west coast as little child, and my paternal family are originally from Fife). I now live in London and have done for over a decade.

The first thing I would say is that Scotland is pretty diverse.

I will never get over going to work at one of the Glasgow hospitals and them having blue AND green scrubs because people would refuse to wear the wrong colour for their religious affiliation. If I'd been in charge all the scrubs would have been peach or some other non religiously affiliated colour.

I miss Scotch pies, Macaroni Cheese pies, haggis at hospital canteen, massive scones in the morning from the WRVS, Lorne sausage, butteries and white pudding suppers.

I would argue strongly that a nugget wafer is not the same at all as the european desert nougat. The serving staff at Luca's need shot. I've never heard of ice cream related nougat wafers. I think sometimes though I would call them a chocolate wafer rather than a nugget wafer to distinguish from a standard wafer with two of the plain wafers. A double nugget wafer is a new one on me - even my indulgent Dad never bought one of them. Childhood trick - if my mum took us to the ice cream place we got small cones. If Dad took us we got a 99 as a minimum!!

The fish and chip shop is the place I feel most foreign. Although I've discovered the (turkish) owner of my local one in London used to work in Aberdeen so I can gleefully order a fish supper again and he has actually promised to make me a haggis supper if I take a haggis in. Next step get him to order white pudding which I miss terribly. Along with chippy sauce (which is a real Edinburgh thing)

Everyone is in a Catholic primary or secondary catchment in Edinburgh, the catchments are just bigger areas than the non-denom schools as there are fewer of them.

There wasn’t a Catholic secondary where I grew up (I think the Catholic primary has now closed) because it’s very rural and the school catchment already stretched 10-15 miles in most directions (and the school was still pretty small). The Catholic kids had a different RE class.

🤣 Barmulloch is in our secondary catchment of the school I work in. No weans in Ridddie/ Carntyne or Ruchazie say noogah either!

I think scheme is the same in England too?

I went to university at 16, & my P7 DC has just learned Scottish Country Dancing - much laughter as he practised with his 2 big brothers who also learned at school. Eldest wore a kilt to prom & there was country dancing there too!

A lot of the differences in English schools are fairly new, I think. When I was growing up we were allowed out at lunch time, had minimal uniform, left school at 16 (some in my school left at 15) and walked home without parents from about 7.

I think the academisation of schools has changed things a lot in England. This idea of zero tolerance to everything, everyone looking the same, not letting kids hang around near the school in case they misbehave etc. It 's had a knock on effect of the non academies following the same path.

Also "where does he stay?" Means where does he live. Except for my friend from Shetland who'd say "where does he bide?".

Kind of weird that in England stay means to visit temporarily as well as to remain somewhere for a long time.....!

Your job may teach you that but I very much doubt your friends who aren't education based can tell you what a grade 7 equates to for a GCSE or what the pass grade is!
I've been here over a decade my friends know A levels existed but didn't know how it worked, how many you took or the AS level system. Nor did were they aware what a BTEC qualification was.

Like I said people know what they experience! I went through the English system and my children will be going through the Scottish system.

So the Co is what in SE England we call 'the Co-op'!

Finding this fascinating!

Being a Glaswegian (also from a relatively 'posh' area) living in Edinburgh, I can tell you what happens when you ask for a single nugget in Lucas - blank stares! I'll stick to Colpi's, thanks 😆

Is this regional. I've lived in Scotland my entire life and never heard someone refer to trainers as gutties.

It's pretty normal to let them do that stuff from 10 but not any younger.