Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that the TV and newspapers wouldn't give a shit about this storm if it hadn't happened in the South East?

174 replies

CiderBomb · 28/10/2013 10:52

All morning I've been hearing on the news about the terrible storm that has apparently hit " Britain" in the early hours of this morning, however here we've had absolutely nothing apart from a bit of heavy rain. Seems like it was just the South East, but no surprises there because for a lot of people in the media that's where the British Isles apparently begins and ends....

I've just watched This Morning and they are talking about it like the whole country is affected, then Eamonn makes a snotty comment along the lines of "people on Twitter are saying that just because they are not affected we shouldn't be talking about it". Maybe they are just thinking the same way as I am, that a small part of the country was affected by bad weather, but the majority of us got off scot free?

I can't help but wonder how this would have been reported had the storm come in from the North Sea and devastated Scotland and the North East?......

OP posts:
Eastpoint · 28/10/2013 12:23

We have been stranded overseas by BA as we are on an uncompetitive route. Luckily we have US ESTAs but if you don't have one you won't return to the uk until at least Wednesday. I'm hoping to be back just 24 hours late.

ouryve · 28/10/2013 15:31

fanjo there was extensive coverage of the floods up here, last October, too. The ones where huge sections of the A1(M) had to be closed because they were underwater.

I can accept that the centre of Durham flooding is not national news-worthy, though. It happens up to 2-3 times a year and the ground floor of most large riverside buildings has been turned into car park or abandoned.

Blu · 28/10/2013 16:11

If I think back over various weather disasters covered in the news I come up with Cockermouth floods, Boscastle floods, Trent valley floods, some floods that involved Ullswater flooding Glenridding, terrible snow in Scotland and a man being cut off in his lighthouse for weeks so he couldn't have his Christmas dinner....

FrankelInFoal · 28/10/2013 16:24

To be fair I think a storm that leaves 5 people dead and hundreds of thousands of people without power, not to mention disrupting a large number of commuters is newsworthy.

Greenfircone · 28/10/2013 16:28

It is much more of a big deal in London and the south east than in Scotland for example because there are so many more people.

I live in Scotland and it has really pissed me off hearing people go on about what a fuss is being made about the storm and that we get winds all the time. We get on with it because there are fuck all people here and no transport network comparatively.

I did my time in London and know the transport is at breaking point and a bloody nightmare on a good day.

squoosh · 28/10/2013 16:40

YABU

Cockermouth is a name I am know intimately familiar with following its various floodings. Next you'll be saying it's not fair that the South was hit by a storm and you weren't.

Fuzzysnout · 28/10/2013 16:47

A number of people have died. Parents have lost their children OP, but don't let that stop you from complaining that it's not fair to mention it because it didn't affect us 'oop north'.

Or you could just show some decent human empathy. There's a thought.

NandH · 28/10/2013 16:52

I'm right on the south east coast, there was a 14 yr old boy go missing in the sea, huge waves like I've never seen, trees down....oh and dd's trampoline and swing set are now in next doors garden :)

BigBoobiedBertha · 28/10/2013 16:59

YABU - I live down South - Hampshire so pretty much in the thick of it although not near the sea where the record speeds were recorded.

I can think of plenty of occasions when the weather from the Midlands upwards was mentioned - Kendall and the floods (more than once if I am not mistaken), Durham, Cockermouth, tornados in Birmingham, snow in Scotland and closed roads and airports etc, etc. These are just off the top of my head. The Queen or some other Royal is forever up there to say how awful it all is and show their support. Loads of hoo-ha.

I always wonder if those with a big chip on their shoulder about their little bit of the country not being on the news (allegedly) feel about Cornwall and Devon getting hit. Cornwall is as about as far removed from London and the South East as the Lake District or Northumberland are and yet they are down South too. Do you include them in your whinging? They have had some horrible weather over the years.

We were lucky, despite being only about 30 mls as the crow flies from the worse of the winds (99mph recorded down on the coast) it really wasn't that bad for us. Some were not so lucky - my parents and a significant chunk of the town did lose power for a bit which isn't great when you are elderly, infirm and housebound and you need electricity to make a cup of tea or for your boiler to fire up. That is what happens when you live in a built up area - one blown down tree affects many more people than a blown down tree in the middle of the Highlands. It has more impact than having to get the local farmer out with his tractor to tow it away, no harm done.

So Gwendoline - I agree with you completely.

Onebuddhaisnotenough · 28/10/2013 17:03

4 people confirmed dead. 1 child missing at sea. I rather suspect that this would have been news worthy whatever the location.

flippinada · 28/10/2013 17:03

Of course it's a big news story. From a fellow northerner living in Scotland - get that chip off your shoulder!

The damage is appalling and 5 people have been killed. Thousands of homes left without power.

If that had happened in Scotland or the north it would also have been reported as a national news story.

HappyHarpy · 28/10/2013 17:20

If it had happened in the North, it would have been on the news.

Should also add that it's news because it is unusual. As an Australian, it would be covering the news if you'd got the heat we had. Only it doesn't cover the news in Aus because it's normal. Why broadcast about torrential rain if it is normal? Or hurricane force winds if it is normal?

In the south, it will affect more people. More people live there, ultimately. The south is where many national connection are too, so will indirectly be affecting the whole of the UK. It might be south centric (although we have a lot of reporting of news not in the SE tbf- I would say it isn't true) but that's because the south is the most populated place, and the place with the largest international and business connections.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 28/10/2013 17:45

YABU. You have a mahoosive chip on your shoulder. It also didn't affect everyone in the SE anyway but we don't all whinge about it.

MrsOsbourne · 28/10/2013 19:19

Terrible OP Hmm several people have died .
YABU - chip on shoulder sums it up perfectly.

I am in SE - its been a bit breezy but Im still thinking of all those affected.

Uppermid · 28/10/2013 19:25

I don't agree at all. Each year we get tons of coverage of floods all over the UK, people snowed in, high winds etc.

ALittleBitOfHalloweenMagic · 28/10/2013 19:34

I'm in Scotland . A few years ago when we had a really bad winter , Scotland had had snow for weeks and barely a mention on telly , then South England got snow and oh the drama !! Plastered all over my tv all the news coverage from English places that were at a stand still . Well boohoo for you cars haven't gotten onto the m8 for a fortnight me no I don't exaggerate

ALittleBitOfHalloweenMagic · 28/10/2013 19:38

I think what the op is saying is that

Weather in South is described as "Britain hit by terrible storms"

Weather in north/Scotland
"North eng hit by terrible storms
"Scotland hit by terrible storms"

flippinada · 28/10/2013 19:46

Yes, I remember that winter. In fact 2009/10 AND 2010/11 were horrendous. It was horrible all over the UK and IIRC was reported nationally too.

flippinada · 28/10/2013 19:49

Here we go

Linky showing how the whole of the UK was affected, along with a handy graphic showing just how bad it was.

ALittleBitOfHalloweenMagic · 28/10/2013 19:57

That link only refers to December .

How amazing is that satellite picture of all the snow !! GrinShock

ALittleBitOfHalloweenMagic · 28/10/2013 19:59

I was thinking that was the year we had snow in November but it wasn't is was 2010 .

BlingLoving · 28/10/2013 20:01

Yabu. The storm was pretty significant and people died. I think the coverage was also good because I suspect a lot of people prepared better than they would have otherwise, including me and dh who put the trampoline in a more protected spot, put all bits that could fly around away etc.

In my part of surrey I think they were saying 18 trees came down on the roads they were chain sawing one out of the way across from our house at 8 am this morning and ds and I had a good look at another on our walk to the park later.

I like to think the coverage effectively encouraged people to be prepared and stay Indoors, hopefully leading to the relatively (not entirely unfortunately) benign result.

Great if up north you all just zip up your parkas and head out no matter the weatherbut down here, it's crowded and people can really suffer

flippinada · 28/10/2013 20:11

Well, December 2010 was when we had the worst weather, I think..and it started the last week in November (I'm in a high up urban area that gets a lot of snow). I remember it very well because DS had a week off school!

TidyDancer · 28/10/2013 20:13

Pretty sure this thread is a rather bizarre exercise in baiting, but on the off chance it's serious, it's an odd thing to say. The tragic results for some families and the disruption to many are certainly newsworthy, no matter where they happen.

flippinada · 28/10/2013 20:14

I also remember that was the winter when we had gridlock on the M8 due to the horrendous weather conditions.

Swipe left for the next trending thread