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?

I didn't know that, thank you.

Many of them play sports at lunchtime.

I don't know how usual it is but I have been to a funeral to support a close friend even though I didn't know the deceased. Perhaps it isn't that common to do that here, I don't know. I didn't see it as a 'duty' I had to do, I just did it because I wanted to.

Some of us from work went to a funeral to support a lovely work colleague when she lost her mum suddenly. However, this was local.

We call it gas telly

What is ‘plain bread’?

A type of bread - tall, dense, delicious

@donteatthedaisies0
The chunks of tatties are the prize!!
Many a child has lived in hope of a bit of potato in their soup!

I'm combining two Scottish habits today - soup I made yesterday with slices of plain bread to dunk. You can keep your crusty bread for soup, you Philistines, it's plain bread all the way in this house! The density of the bread allows it to absorb more of the liquor and transforms bread into something divine .. angels dancing on your tongue would be a similar experience I imagine! 😛

Btw, anyone looking for plain bread may be able to get Irwin's Irish batch bread in Asda - it's expensive because it's a small (half) loaf but definitely worth it if you're missing plain bread!

24% of Scottish homes are social rented compared to 10% in England.

The divide used to be much wider.

Scottish councils also put a much greater emphasis on having a local connection to a locality/ needing to be close by to provide or receive care from a relative than English councils /HAs.

So Scots tended to be rehoused very close to their parents/ rest of their extended family than in England.

This has lots of long term knock on effects- breastfeeding rates, childcare choices, prevalence of CSA in some areas.

There is more of a 'know your place' culture in Scotland where people are scolded for trying to make the best of themselves.

In England there's more of a culture to move away eg to uni to make a better life for yourself.

🤣🤣🤣 My mam was the same when I knew a Celeste at uni! 🤣🤣🤣

I'm happy to report that oor weans in secondary English classes study Scots language & are encouraged to write in in (creative writing). Some love it & do far better than when writing in English, others really don't like it & revert back to writing in English.

We've had brilliant sessions with the Glaswegian writer Chris McQueer- who is phenomenal- which the kids have loved. It's all about celebrating who they are & writing about what they know. 👏

There is more of a 'know your place' culture in Scotland where people are scolded for trying to make the best of themselves.

Is there, aye?

Aye, but no always! View right this minute from my camper can window -Ayrshire an hour from Glasgow. Glorious.

Camper van! Although camper can was quite accurate last night when it felt like a tin can on wheels, so snuggling into DS was necessary (he's a wee, roast tottie all the time!😅).

This is all v interesting!
My parents lived in Glasgow for some time when young (pre-me) and use 'outwith', 'fair jiggered', 'housecoat' and so on - I thought this wasn't an English/Scots language divide but (as well as probably quite of a time), it seems to be.
They much preferred 'Guidance' as the name for what in England got called PHSE, they thought that the acronym showed everything that was wrong with that concept. Don't know if that's still true though.

That’s not at all my experience of Scotland. I think this is again, a class divide rather than anything else. I’m guessing there is a class of people who do all have a “know your place” attitude and just have kids on an estate and then they get a house nearby and continue it but I’ve never experience anything like that. My social circles have always been driven. Only a few people from my year at school didn’t go to uni, hardly any had kids outside of marriage. They were the odd ones out; the ones who didn’t make a great life for themselves.

That looks amazing! A bit like tiger bread?

We say please like that in SE England.

I don't know how much of a class thing it is but I was brought up middle class and we didn't add please when asking a question but my working class DP gets very upset with me if I don't say the please! SE England.

It was probably me. Yes, we say that in Essex.

My dressing gown is a towelling material so yes a bath robe really but not white (and not stolen! Plenty to buy in the shops!) and my DC's dressing gowns are a different material but definitely no embroidery! We just use dressing gown/robe interchangeably.

I do know plenty of people who dabbled in drugs as teenagers but not anymore. As for chatting with cashiers etc. I have to say it happens all the time for me! That made me laugh about the sun! 😂

In Essex we have plenty of pakoras - bit nearer for you to come!