Does anyone remember Townies (British subculture)? Don't hear much talk about them now!

[rememberingtownies]

I'll put some pictures below so people know what I'm on about lol!

Most of my mates were lads who were (and still are!) Townies. For those who don't know, it's a subculture which first emerged in the 1990s or early 2000's. Like how Punks or Mods had their own style, so did the Townies.

Townies in the 2000's often wore tartan base ball caps, baggy, light coloured trackies, white trainers (which were kept pristine!) and gold jewellery. Diamond ear studs were as much of a staple of the subculture as golden chains or rings were.

Townies were/are rowdy, but I can say from experience they're very friendly down to Earth people who will do anything to protect you. Very loyal and kind hearted lads usually.

They also had an assortment of music genres which were either made or listened to, garage, bassline, r&b, jungle, and drum n bass.

They even had their own language, with words like safe, peng, hench, and other words for things.

It seems intergenerational now. It still seems like the subculture is popular, especially in the North East, with Bad Boy Chiller Crew being a bassline band composed purely of North Eastern Townies.

Anyone else remember them? The ones I know are well into their thirties now and still dress similar to how they used to and one still loves blasting bassline in his car!

We started calling them chavs instead. The terms were interchangeable where I lived. Girls had their hair in high ponytails and big gold hoop earrings. Vicky pollard was the epitome of this group of people.

We had townies Vs moshers in my school, which seemed to evolve into chavs Vs emos / goths.

I remember the phrase Townies, but they didn’t look like your pics. A lot of them wore Burberry but back in the mid - late 80’s/early 90’s it wasn’t as ‘chavvy’ as it is now. The pics you have posted with the gold chains and caps were what I would have described as chavs.

It was always Townies vs Travellers in the town I lived in (NE).

I grew up in the West Mids and they were known as Casuals. They wore brand names like Lacoste and Pringle, gold jewellery and looked like they had wandered off the golf course in their pastel jumpers.

I think the name “townies” was an English thing. In NI they were “steeks” or “Spides” - girls were “millies” but there’s a historical reason for that.

In Scotland they were referred to as “Neds”

Burberry baseball caps was chavs, wasn't it? but they evolved from townies or scallies, who wore tracksuits - early adopters of the hoodie - and the girls had 'essex facelift' ponytails, hoop earrings and half-un-popped Kappa joggers.

In my city in the 90's Townies were the group wearing trainers (often white) and sportswear. They also listened to dance music. The people we called Townies would probably now be described as Chavs.

Basically, not the Indie/Grunge kids who were wedded to their Doc Martens and loved punk, metal, grunge and indie.

The two groups avoided each other at all costs except for the odd fight.

In South London they were "chavs" or "divots". Never heard the term "townies" before.

Either way, not a look anyone aspired to.

When I was in school in the 90s (girls boarding school), ‘townies’ were the local boys who lived in the town and hung out at the park. I don’t really recall that style of dress, per se, but it was more a class thing. Townies were the non private school local boys. I, for example, was a very good girl. I never dated a townie, but I definitely had friends who were ‘not good girls’ who got caught sneaking around with them. One got expelled for being caught having sex with a townie in the chapel belfry by the headmistress! 😱

I was like your daughter, we were called grebs.