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?

Yes, I know what you mean. But for us they are all things you put on over your night wear when you get out of bed. I mean do they even sell housecoats anymore? Surely the modern version is the dressing gown/bath robe?

What's your temperature like?

I am 60 always lived in England and know nothing about these square sausages! News to me!

Gotta get yourself a roll and square sausage and tattie scone.

Between 6-9 degrees. Pretty decent (seeing as it was -3 last Wednesday -Thursday 🤣).

@Itslegitimatesalvage oh yes same here, rural-ish Scotland here - our whole year at school was very driven! Ordinary state comprehensive and great majority went into higher education, 4 Doctors, a sprinkling of civil servants, solicitors, a vet, a couple of dentists, the police, many in oil and gas...just off the top of my head!

Your dance at the end of your wedding will involve what my Yorkshire sister in law calls the “Scottish Hokey Cokey”

the groom may get a kicking during it

If you have an Iceland store near you have a look in there. I’m in East Midlands and my store has them.

Blackenings 🤣 I think specifically a north east/highlands thing!?

See I didn't know whether it was just a my family thing . My mother did it , so I do it too . Over the years I have had to increase the amount of large potato quarters I put in over the years , honestly I might as well buy a truck of potatoes to keep my lot happy . But they are tasty .

For me, English takeaway is hands down better, especially Asian food. One of the first things I do when visiting home is order curry!
Scotland has way less stigma around living in social housing, but conversely, more inverse snobbery.
I laughed at my mum for saying jobbie (to her it’s like a thingie or a wotsit.. here it means 💩!) She cringes when I say wee to mean small. Here you go for a cuppy versus an English cuppa.
When ds started school, I bought him what I called plimsoles for PE. The teacher kept asking him if he’d brought his sand shoes in yet.. it was only after she approached me that we both realised neither I nor ds knew what those were!

It's not a proper wedding if they haven't played Loch Lomond and 500 Miles at the end!!

I did find it quite an English thing that there would be a takeaway that was both a chip shop and a Chinese - in Scotland, you couldn't get a chicken curry and chippy chips unless you went to two different takeaways!

@mrstea301 see I think it’s the other way! Most takeaways in England are just one thing, whereas here I can get a pizza or a curry or a kebab from one place..

Also, thinking about the post a few pages back about why Scottish students, especially those from lower income families, leave uni without completing their degree..

1. there is a massive jump from highers to first year uni, much more so than A levels, and this is particularly an issue for those who go after 5th year versus staying on and doing advanced highers in 6th year, compounded by
2. the fact that some will start at 17, and lack the maturity needed for living away from home.
3. accommodation. Halls are only guaranteed in first year. This is fine for low income students initially as bursaries and loans cover the costs, but the issue arises in year two when they need to find a private rental and the landlord requires a guarantor with above a certain income. (This was nearly an issue for ds, as I wasn’t eligible, his dad wasn’t on the scene, luckily my parents offered, but not everyone has grandparents who can. It was a massive eye opener how big the potential barrier was).

Any that I've been at have been Loch Lomond at the end

Still dangerous 🤣

I'm a terrible Scottish person as I hate Loch Lomond at the end of a wedding. We had 500 Miles at ours (we had a Hibs theme for DH so all our main songs were Proclaimers ones). We also didn't have any ceilidh music at all as I'm still traumatised from our high school reunion trying to make us do it. It had been bad enough at school.

I’m working class and a stickler for saying please and thank you but I wouldn’t say please in that context if that makes sense? And I’ve never heard any other Scottish person do it either.

Am I the only person in Scotland who hates Lorne/ square sausage?

I've tried them all from cheapo ones to high quality butchers and they are all gritty and tasteless.

At least on the East coast you can also get link when you go out for breakfast.

I'm not a massive fan either tbh. Although I'm also not a big link sausage fan either, it's only when the mood takes me.

Saying that though, we were in our local a few weeks ago and they started handing out a roll and slice to everyone. After a few bevvies it was actually an amazing thing to eat. The same local handed out tattie fritters the other day too. It's a good local.

If you do them on an oven tray the grease that pisses out of them is disgusting 🤢 gads min.

Yeah I don’t like square sausage at all, to eat, though I will defend it to the death as a cultural phenomenon.

The Hairy Bikers were in a Scotch pie factory yesterday. I bloody hate scotch pies- that nasty grey meat, with rubbery chunks of gristle bouncing off your teeth. Yuck. They always promise so much more than they deliver.

Oh I love a scotch pie they are delicious 😋

Our local football club do the most amazing steak and black pudding pie. I look forward to it every match (I live near the butcher who supplies them but somehow buying one for at home seems wrong).

It's always a disappointment if they run out and scotch pies are all that's left.

My football team do both a great scotch pie and a steak and gravy one. I wonder if I'm the only person who takes a wooden fork to a football with which to eat my pie 😂