To hate this Kind of sneering attitude to places outside London

[wasonthelist]

"many things in life would be better and cheaper if we all just gave up and moved to that six-bed detached in Ashby De La Zouch. But could you really subsist in a place where the height of culinary pleasure is unlimited smarties on your ice cream at the local carvery?"

I am not sure if the author, Caroline Mginn, who wrote that in Time Out -
a) Really believes that Ashby has such limited culinary offerings (it doesn't)?
b) Thought she was preaching to the converted and no-one outside London would read it?

Waves to Bunbaker.

There's always someone that will have a pop at Croydon

In theory it sounds lovely, in practice the smarties go unbearably hard in the ice cream.

There is grain of truth (not specifically re A-D-L-Z) that better food is available in large metropolitan areas like London, Manchester, Birmingham etc, but its only a grain of truth. Its also the case that it is easier to access a broader range of arts and culture. I live in Hampshire - and whilst I might have to travel a little way to get gourmet, its still available in some very lovely restaurants.

Must admit though on a recent visit to relatives who live in Scarborough - I went to (purportedly) one of their finer restaurants and it was pretty rubbish

Ah yes, bunbaker, the london air.

When I first moved here I got black snot and spent a month blowing my nose constantly.

Three years on... nothing. And it's not that London has got cleaner.

I worry my body has started to find a use for it rather than just filtering it out.

GeospecificTosspot would be a great username!

It's just personal preference though, isn't it?

I live in and love London. I have a list of 100+ restaurants and bars I want to visit or revisit, I can get anywhere at any time, and there's always something new going on.

When I go back to my hometown it seems quite staid and static. Nothing much changes, and when it does, everyone moans.

Both are fine, it just depends what you like.

yy to the London air thing. I couldn't believe it when I was there a couple of weeks ago. It isn't somewhere I would want to live but each to their own.

There's always someone that will have a pop at Croydon

I am not from, and do not live in Croydon but I find such lazy stereotyping infuriating. (Welsh jokes, and ginger jokes get me the same way - although I'm not Welsh and don't have red hair. But I suppose it's a useful way of someone indicating that they're likely to be a bit of a tosser.)

YANBU, she sounds a delight.

Its also the case that it is easier to access a broader range of arts and culture.

Granted (in theory). Maybe it's because I don't live in London (the horror) but in practice I have often found (that broader range) overcrowded and/or prohibitively expensive. I can trade anecdotes - but I don't wish to be hoist by my own petard and accused of sneering in the opposite direction. Suffice to say I don't believe the differences are quite as stark as some observers claim.

There's always someone that will have a pop at Croydon

I am not from, and do not live in Croydon but I find such lazy stereotyping infuriating.

I totally agree. I spent two years of weekdays there working on an IT contract and found much to like about the place (and a few things I didn't), but I was amazed at people's reactions - not least my cousin, who grew up there and hates the place.

I saw Jo Brand at the Fairfield Halls whilst I was there, which was fun.

I sneer at your sneering about sneerers.

I used to live near Ashby and I never had smarties on my ice cream!

Trips to Sweet Memory Lane (the sweet shop!) however...

I live in London. There is a lot on, and there are plenty of nice places to eat - but if they're the other side of London, they might as well be in a different country. We went to a party in NW on a Saturday night a couple of weeks back (we're SE). 1h45 to get there, 2h20 to get back. 1h20 at the party. 5.5hrs at £12ph for a babysitter...and that's why we don't go out and enjoy what London has to offer very much any more.

For the same reason, we don't head north much. We can be on a ferry/train to France in less time than it takes us to get to the bottom of the M1. Nothing to do with parochial mindsets, everything to do with being trapped by urban sprawl and traffic averaging 7mph. Just as well there's plenty to do within walking distance!

I used to live near Ashby and I never had smarties on my ice cream!
I still do and likewise - and I can't think of a carvery there (In Ashby) - although there is one on the road from here to there - I have been once since it became a carvery and decided not to go back.

We can be on a ferry/train to France in less time than it takes us to get to the bottom of the M1.

This is an excellent point and works in reverse. I occasionally need to go to one of our offices - it is much, much cheaper and quicker to go to the one in Dublin, than it is to go to the one in London.

Oh god, that reminds me of a blonde haired Londoner I dated for a while who, whilst walking through mud-filled woodland in Cheshire and arriving at our lovely pre-booked pub for lunch exclaimed loudly, "I can't eat in there, I'm from London you know!"

Everyone turned around to stare.

I wouldn't have minded but he was from Lancashire originally and his RP accent was put on.

I'd love to live in Ashby and where can I find the smarty carvery?

My family and friends all live in Ashby de la Zouch - this article circulated on our facebooks last week - hilarious.

I can say that us Ashbian's don't give a collective damn about this woman and are happily enjoying our reasonably priced houses, excellent education and ice cream (with or without smarties!)

I suspect the author may be from the area - she had tweeted a weedy apology but has since deleted that too.

Ha ha, just read the Croydon comment. Blonde haired Londoner lived in Croydon but used to lie about it.

We live near Ashby, I once met my IL's for a meal with DC at the Brewer's Fayre (their choice) near the M42. I remember thinking, we have the pick of the East Midlands in 30 minutes drive and here we are eating macaroni cheese and chips.

There is less choice out of London by default as there is less concentration of people and restaurants. But that doesn't mean there's nothing. Honestly, what lazy journalism.

My dad always says he's glad people in London sneer at the countryside as it stops them moving out & annoying us