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?

@AutumnFroglets The last time I had a fish supper in Scotland (, Glasgow) it was some teeny wee defrosted bit of haddock, mostly batter and crap chips. You need to taste fish n chips( or a fish supper as I say) in a South Coast of England town ! Gorgeous and so fresh ! But I miss pakora . They don't do pakora down here. I miss that alot.

@Delphiniumandlupins Scottish person here living in South of England. We get free tampons and pads here as well. Widely available in chemists, local libaries, play grouos, schools etc and works . Scotland has free tutions fees granted but I wouldnt boast about that as the gap between the poorest students and richer students attending Scottish unis are getting wider than even Tory England . That isn't anything to be proud of . And Scotland has the worst drug death rate in West Europe . I personally find that heart breaking .

Brought up in a household that more or less exclusively spoke Doric Scots between ourselves. Absolutely befuddled most visitors and guests and I usually had to translate, even for other Scots. Plain bread was the staple, with a pan loaf being viewed with suspicion and only really kept if there was an expectation of guests. The other thing I remember distinctly is that before you could order anything from the chipper you had to first resolve the question of "chips or fritters?" and woe betide you if you ever just assumed chips by default.

@Schoolrunmumbun yep something I have never been asked down here. And you know what? I don't miss it one bit ! Bigoted narrow minded saddoes.

@Cancelledcurio

Scotland's drug death problem is a hangover from the 70's and 80's. We have a load of folk in their 50's and 60's who are still dealing with the health effects of either being former addicts, still using, or a combination of using and being parked on Methadone and Benzodiazepines for decades. It's kinda mis-portrayed by detractors because it suits them to imply Scots youngsters are dying in droves, but it isn't the truth. Deaths in under-24's in Scotland are lower than the rest of the UK. We have a problem distinct to us, i.e. junkies approaching retirement age, hence why so many of them are still dropping dead 30-40 years on from the heroin heyday.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX you really haven't read much on this have you ? No it really is nothing to do with the 70s or 80s drug culture . It's alot of younger people dying and valium and the likes is a main ingrediant in the cause . The SNP has cut massively the addiction services, including rehab beds . Don't tell me they havent because I used to work at such a centre and still know alot of the workers . Young people shoved out to hostels with little to no back up services . That is why they are dying . Working class people . An entire generation. Without decent rehab, people will just go back onto cheap faux valium mixed with alcohol. Cannoyt believe you used the word "junky". Christ help us.

@Cancelledcurio

I work with addicts.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX A suppose that's whit happened in the Care Homes during Covid and Nicola didn't send a bunch of auld folk hame to die ?

A suppose that's whit happened in the Care Homes during Covid and Nicola didn't send a bunch of auld folk hame to die ?

No idea what point you are attempting to make here, but I thought the Inquiry had just covered this in the past few weeks?

I would know this as a high tea. But no sandwiches with the cakes. Typically toast, main meal, then cakes

the one with sandwiches and cakes on same stand would be an afternoon tea

It's employment, education or training until you are 18.

But it is difficult for 16 year olds to get work. I know someone who did it but she was working for her mother.

Cod being the default fish in a fish and chip shop and having to pay more for haddock. Also having to buy the fish and chips separately

That depends where you are in England.

In Yorkshire you will get haddock and the chips fried in beef dripping.

In the south it could be anything and the skin is left on.

I have never seen any chipy charge for fish and chips separately. I've lived and / or worked studies in

Yorkshire
Lancashire
Oxford
London
Leicester
Manchester
Birmingham
Coventry

I'd also say the Chinese and Indian food depends where you are. Eg sweet and sour pork / chicken might be in batter with seperate sauce, or it can be a rock hard sauce on the meat.

Indian - well I prefer Bengali curry but I have the option of about 5 different regions to choose from.

@sashh

A few posters have said the same but according to the .gov website you have to remain either in full time education or an apprenticeship. If you're working you have to be in part time education.

www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school#:~:text=Scotland,holidays%20in%20that%20school%20year.

In Scotland you can simply leave school at 16.

Butteries/rowies

The word 'outwith'. I can't understand why it isn't used in England.

Coh-per-ay-tif

Rather thank coh-oh-prative

That's the best approximation I can make writing it down

A buttery is like a croissant, but flatter and more salty. Originate from Aberdeen

I live on the east coast and in my younger years had a boyfriend from the west. He thought it was strange i called the kitchen ‘scullery’ and worktops ‘bunkers’ to him you found bunkers on a golf course. And he had never heard of baffies (slippers).

on the nougat discussion, its definitely nugget for me, but i grew up calling the pink/white stuff nugget too 🤣 But i would ask for a slider or a chocolate slider that that a nugget at the ice cream van.

Getting 2 jumbo sausages in a supper in Glasgow (only 1 where I am from in the east)

Red Pudding from the chippy! Not a thing in most of scotland i believe

I agree, greater sense of collective responsibility in Scotland

That's probably because the most vociferous mumsnetters all have exceptionally bright DC who go to top grammar schools or independent schools, who achieve all 9s at GCSEs and A*s at A level and go to Oxbridge or a top 10 University to study law or medicine.

Meanwhile the rest of us have DC of various ability who go to the nearest comprehensive and might or might not go to university. There are no grammar schools in my county.

Re the walking to and from school - could it be that in many parts of Scotland a lot of children don't have to cross busy main roads?

We have a particularly dangerous crossroads to negotiate between our house and the local primary school.

My grandparents always called a nugget a slider and a cone a pokey hat!

Love 'outwith'. I am English but use it a lot - really handy at work when I'm talking about whether or not we should do something which is 'outwith' normal policy. But I realised a few years ago that no-one else in my London office does, and I only know the word because I had a Scottish boss back in the 90s!

In Scotland, tea is your evening meal

And supper is an evening snack eg toast at 9pm

In Scotland, local authorities cannot legally enforce school uniform policy at state schools. In practice, most high school pupils wear school colours but eg black jeans, not school trousers

I remember being baffled by TV adverts for Mars Bars when I was a child- “Caramel, noogah and chocolate”.

However in my part of Scotland we called the ice cream marshmallow thing a chocolate wafer. I actually never used “nugget”.

The ice cream man used to come round at about 9pm and blow a whistle because it was too late for chimes. My parents would often go out to buy cigarettes or fizzy drinks from the van and sometimes my Dad would come back with a chocolate wafer as well.

We do the washing up, here.

…same as wash down the sides? That’s the sides of the cupboards to me…