Do you notice people staring at you when visiting a provincial town?

[himbw]

I was born and raised in a market town in Cumbria. Moved away when 18 and go back to see parents every few months. I now live in central London.

My partner agreed with me that he feels people stare when we are walking around town. He feels the same way when he visits his folks in a small town in rural north Wales.

It’s not anything malicious, I don’t think, but it does feel like people can tell you’re not a local.

We don’t have pink hair or dress in any odd way. I guess the only difference might be that we might have different fashion choices or clothes, i e, m&s is a basic for us.

Does anyone else notice this? We don’t feel the same when visiting somewhere like Suffolk or maybe Devon. What is it?

The tone of your post is a bit off with your use of provincial and the subtle dig about M&S....is comes across that you think you are far more sophisticated than the locals.

For what it's worth, I was brought up in a small market town in the North West but have lived in the South East since my early 20s. I don't notice what you describe at all when I go back home to visit family. I think it's in your heads.

Nobody cares about you because you think ‘M&S is a basic’

Maybe look at your own egos.

People are probably very very impressed by you, since you are from the big city, and wear such fashionable clothes. They admire you, and they wish they were you.

I actually live in a tiny hamlet in Cumbria and to go a "provincial" town for supplies. No one cares who is in the town, whether they have seen them before or where they live. Your post sounds more like you expect people to stare at you because you are from the city and the yokels can't believe their eyes.

OP has what my DD would call “main character syndrome”

Yes, but it's the bodyguards that make me noticeable.

People can't seem to grasp that Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow are all, strictly speaking, "provincial" towns.

OP if you want to blend in better in Cumbria or North Wales maybe try upgrading your wardrobe from m&s to Patagonia.

Stop 😀😀😀

So all of Norwich is fatter and uglier than you.

actively avoid it, it gave me serious problems in 2007. Victoria Secret for me

Hmmmm, pray tell?!

Yeah, that used to happen to me.

I guess the only difference might be that we might have different fashion choices or clothes, i e, m&s is a basic for us.

What does this mean? That you’d never dream of leaving the house in anything as basic as M&S? Or you are dripped head to toe in these quality M&S basics that you never spot outside That London? I genuinely don’t follow. But whatever you mean, you sound snooty.

You’d be surprised by how true it is.

M&S knickers gave me intimate problems

This HAS to go into the classics collection.

I'm surprised at how delusional you are lol.

Any time I've ever gone to Norwich it's just full of different people, the same as most other places.

Is it just that they say hello to people if passing?

I live in a place where it's normal to say hello to people when out and about. Perhaps not town centre if busy but along pavements, footpaths etc.

Many are people I don't know and may be holiday makers. But you get the odd person who tries really hard not to look at or acknowledge you as you pass. Are you one of those?

Just look back and nod or say morning.

It's a wee while since I've read a thread that's had me laughing so much!

Thanks OP for cheering up my day!

Then you’re probably one of the ones shouting abuse from a safe distance

😂

I’ve been to lots of little villages and never once encountered or felt this.

Never been aware of this, or certainly have never paid it any attention.

In some small towns though everyone does know everyone else's business. I live in a small Essex town where you can hardly fart down one end without everyone the other end knowing about it. You just learn to ignore it and not care.

They’re not staring at you, it’s the unicorn you’re riding

I live in a small town and look at people to see if they are someone I know because probably about 25% of people I see are people I know.

I catch myself doing it in London and have to remind myself it’s London and you don’t look at people and it’s highly unlikely I would know them. But my brain expects to recognise people so kind of superimposes people from my town onto them.

if you are returning to your home town probably people are looking at you thinking isn’t that Mary’s daughter, Lily’s sister or whatever, as a pp said.