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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you know what an Eleanor Cross is?

308 replies

HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform · 19/07/2013 08:11

Without resorting to google?

I was made to feel a bit of an arse for not knowing what it was last night and wanted to know if my education had been lacking of if the guy was being a smug git. And yes, I know the guy was being a smug git for pointing out publicly that I didn't know, but I want to know if its something I should have paid more attention to at school be aware of.

AIBU to ask you if you've heard of it before? And have you?

OP posts:
Original poster
HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform · 19/07/2013 08:24

Sadly I couldn't google as was in the middle of a meeting at the time. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't know!

I'm mid 30s and history at school focused on the early part of the 20th century, not things like this. It's a lovely story and I intend to find out a bit more about it (our church is linked) now I've heard of them!

OP posts:
MadBusLady · 19/07/2013 08:24

Yes, but my degree was in medieval history. It's not something I would expect to be common knowledge. He's an arse.

gordyslovesheep · 19/07/2013 08:25

yes - my mum and Grand father where history teachers Grin I was dragged around the UK for most of my childhood looking at them, or Norman Archways or Roman Roads ...oh how I longed to go to Butlins like normal kids Grin

purplewithred · 19/07/2013 08:25

I guessed from your OP - vague memories + the 'quiz' tone. Would never have raised it in conversation. He is a smug geek, and knowing it does not make him more intelligent. I bet there are 100s of 10% things you know and he doesn't.

MrsSchadenfreude · 19/07/2013 08:25

No, never heard of them. I would imagine there are lots of things that you know that he doesn't, but you would be less rude than to point these out in public.

diddl · 19/07/2013 08:26

My hometown used to have one.

Not sure I would have known otherwise.

There are only 12!

Most are no longer there & only a couple of places have a clue in their name.

teenyweenytadpole · 19/07/2013 08:26

Yes I did but only because my IL's live near one of them. Not something which would be widely known about IMO. Smug git. Anyway, nobody should ever be made to feel an arse just for not knowing something ... shows profound insensitivity on the part of the other person.

MrsPennyapple · 19/07/2013 08:26

I had never heard of them, and I do like a bit of history. I will Google when not on phone as I'm curious now. I don't think it's a sign that my education has been somehow lacking.

curlew · 19/07/2013 08:26

"Yes I have. Tbh I'm with the bloke and am surprised you didn't know. There are so many of them and it's such a lovely story!"

Well,you're a smug git too! And, actually, if you think there are "so many of them" then you don't know what they are either.!

wharrgarbl · 19/07/2013 08:28

Yes, but am a complete history nut, so not unexpected. People like that are smug arseholes. I suspect he doesn't know much.

Onetwo34 · 19/07/2013 08:28

I only heard about them when I moved to a town with one in my late twenties. If you grew up / live in Plymouth, or Liverpool, or Newcastle, or Birmingham, then no, I wouldn't expect you to have heard of them!

ithaka · 19/07/2013 08:28

Never heard of them - and I am mid forties, intelligent & educated. Neither had my DH & he is a history buff. But we are both Scottish - I think anyone expressing surprise at it not being a well known bit a trivia is being a touch southocentric - not everyone lives in the south east of England (although admittedly, lots of people do!)

diddl · 19/07/2013 08:28

Sorry, should have put-there were only 12.

So anyone who thinks that "there are so many of them"-err, really??

Squitten · 19/07/2013 08:29

I never learned anything about them at school - I only learnt about them in my own reading.

That guy was being a smug git

ConferencePear · 19/07/2013 08:30

I knew about them, but I'm a history fanatic.
To be honest this isn't exactly mainstream history. Even though it's a lovely story it didn't change the course of history did it.
Really it's just an interesting footnote.

burberryqueen · 19/07/2013 08:30

I do but only cos my mum told me Grin

northernlurker · 19/07/2013 08:31

12 sites curlew. Really you don't think that's a lot? Hmm Given that it's not the middle ages and we don't all stay in the same place anymore I would guess most people have passed through at least one location - or heard of Charing Cross. Too right I'm smug Grin

MrsSchadenfreude · 19/07/2013 08:31

I have, I now realise, seen the Charing Cross one, the Northampton one, and the plaque at Stony Stratford, but didn't know what they were. So many memorials/monuments everywhere!

MadBusLady · 19/07/2013 08:32

He's not a smug geek - don't give geeks a bad name! Grin He's someone who's picked up a bit of trivial pursuit knowledge. It's a nice bit of colour that it's fun to know, but it doesn't really tell you a lot about the thirteenth century by itself.

MrsSchadenfreude · 19/07/2013 08:32

Twelve is hardly "so many of them", particularly given that only three remain. Hmm "So many of them" would mean that they numbered in their hundreds.

Slainte · 19/07/2013 08:32

Never heard of it - I'm Irish, would that make a difference (haven't googled it yet so maybe it doesn't).

diddl · 19/07/2013 08:33

He was smug if he was belittling OP for not knowing!

limitedperiodonly · 19/07/2013 08:33

Yes. I grew up near one.

But I didn't remember initially. I opened your post wondering if it was something to do with dragonbutter Grin

People who are smug about things what they know instead of simply including them in normal conversation are trainspotters.

If you want to carry on talking to him I guess you'll find lots of gaps in his education too.

I said 'if'...

senua · 19/07/2013 08:34

Yes, I know about them. That's because I was brought up in an age when History teachers taught History. We started at 1066 and worked our way through. We didn't do an endless loop of only Tudors, Victorians or the World Wars.

WorrySighWorrySigh · 19/07/2013 08:34

Yes, I live near 2 of them (there are two in Northamptonshire still standing)