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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

council people!

72 replies

Skivvywoman · 16/04/2016 10:40

Going to start a thread based on the babies ear piercing thread where someone said it was very council like (very rude)

What makes a person council like?

I'm from a rough council area and can say I'd honestly move back there in a heartbeat!
The people are the friendliest (I know not everyone is but you get good and bad everywhere not just on council estates)

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 16/04/2016 11:30

I'm cahncil.

I'm not friendly. I'm not "bad" either.

ohmywhatamisaying · 16/04/2016 11:33

"Common", "chavvy", "low rung on the social ladder" "antisocial", "benefit scroungers". Those are the things that were implied by the sweeping term "council". Stupid people say stupid things.

GabiSolis · 16/04/2016 11:34

That is a really appalling thing to say.

Nothing makes a person 'council like' because there isn't such a thing. Anyone who says there is is a disgrace. It's not a personality type.

infife · 16/04/2016 11:36

"can say I'd honestly move back there in a heartbeat!"

People keep saying things like this, but so rarely follow through.

Original poster
Skivvywoman · 16/04/2016 11:38

It's quite amusing few years ago when my area was at its worst and i met someone new and told them where i was from you could see there face drop and there mind do overtime Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Skivvywoman · 16/04/2016 11:39

Infife it's hopefully on the cards when dd starts high school I will go back I've only been away 5 years so not a lifetime

OP posts:
Shinyshoes2 · 16/04/2016 11:41

We are council .. Our home is very nice with a 16 foot pool out back , a brick fish pond , we have 2 cars , we both work and look no different to the 'bought ' houses around here

BlueJug · 16/04/2016 11:44

Council tenants used to be a cross section. Now houses tend to be allocated to those in "most need" so families who have lived in the area for ages, couples with jobs and kids have no hope.

The people who get the properties are by definition large families with no money, no jobs, often single parents, frequently recent immigrants, people who have been made homeless etc.

I am not debating whether that is right or wrong what I am saying is that it does lead to a change in the demographics in Council houses.

BlueJug · 16/04/2016 11:46

Sorry - that is in London where there is a shortage of houses and a fast growing population

Original poster
Skivvywoman · 16/04/2016 11:47

Yeah your right bluejug I'd never get a house from the council

OP posts:
Original poster
Skivvywoman · 16/04/2016 11:48

I think it's everywhere now a shortage of houses!

OP posts:
MrsBobDylan · 16/04/2016 11:50

The saddest thing about council housing/housing association homes is that as much as there are those who wouldn't want to live in one, there are thousands more desperate to have that kind of tenancy who have got even less chance with this government's undermining of housing stock through right to buy.

Also slightly annoys me that everyone calls them council houses when housing associations own the greater majority.

flirtygirl · 16/04/2016 11:54

In my town council is mixed 40 % heading out to work 2 cars on driveway 30% jeremy kyle alumni 30% pensioners. Immigrants private rent in this town. Councilhouses are also mixed in with homeownes due to having been bought and resold over the last 30 years. Here in most roads across most areas theres a mix. Where the houses are bigger and worth more there is no mix of council but they do have private rented.

SaucyJack · 16/04/2016 11:54

I agree Gabi. You're either the sort of person who likes a chat with the neighbours when you go to take the rubbish out, or you are not. Nothing to do with who actually owns your home.

I do hate this stereotyping of council tenants as "salt of the Earth" types.

I'm stuck up, and pretentious as fuck personally.

DrunctioningFunk · 16/04/2016 11:58

I live on a "council estate" but I would say only 20/25% of the 250 ish houses around here are actually still council.

Most people own their house now (me included) or private rent from the previous council tenants who bought it. I have to say it's reputation certainly isn't the same as it was when I was at school.

I love living here Smile

Birdsgottafly · 16/04/2016 12:02

I'm in a pretty crappy HA house, we've had an influx of EE immigrants, which has raised standards in the area, because there's less 'problem' families.

I have owned my own house, the house was better, but the area wasn't.

I don't want another mortgage and my house is one of the lowest rents locally, £340 a month (3 bed, gardens).

People can't get their head around that I don't want to spend anymore on housing. I have a lot of weekends/trips away/holidays.

The type of house/area that I want to live in, I can't afford.

The thing that gets to me the most is how dirty the streets are, which isn't the case on similar income, but largely privately owned areas.

Birdsgottafly · 16/04/2016 12:07

""I think it's everywhere now a shortage of houses!""

Not in the North West. My new neighbours waited weeks to get their house, both in good employment.

A friend of mine, taxi driver, signed on to the HA pool and got offered a flat the next week.

My HA has just sold off three houses 45k each, because they couldn't let them. All the tenants had been moved out because of the B Tax.

AppleSetsSail · 16/04/2016 12:07

Here in my corner of West London, the council estates are rough.

Our park's proximity to one of these estates means I can't send my kids there with our dog because it's overrun with young, rough men with aggressive dogs - they go a bit further to another park.

I guess councils are like neighbourhoods; some nice, some not - but BlueJug is correct that the dearth of housing in London has changed the demographic.

AdrenalineFudge · 16/04/2016 12:16

I'm council. Meh, I can't get worked up about those sort of comments. This obsession with stereotypes and class system has become so ridiculous as to become a parody of itself.

MattDillonsPants · 16/04/2016 12:16

BlueJugs that's not true of ALL areas. I have two DC and DH and I were both employed when we got our council flat in the North West town where we lived before emigrating.

Thank you very much for your assumption though.

HelloIAmBaymax · 16/04/2016 12:17

My neighbour came to visit yesterday and she was telling me about her brother's new job as a taxi driver.

"Guess who has the most money? Council People! They want lifts to their drug dealers. They're off on holidays. One bloke needed a ride to a pub in the middle of nowhere. They're all loaded!"

I just laughed. I hadn't heard the term Council People before yesterday.

ohtheholidays · 16/04/2016 12:23

Oh do get lost which ever narrow minded idiot said it was council like.

I live in a council house,I used to teach,worked with safe guarding children,was the Vice chair of Sure start and went onto work with SS.My DH is in the Police Force.

My parents have always lived in a council property,they've never been on benefits,always worked,never been in trouble with the Police,were always loved and respected by the whole community.When we lost my Mum they couldn't fit everyone in the Church for her service,our church sits over 200 people.

My Dad was in the Army and was one of the highest decorated soldiers in the part of the UK were in.As was his Father before him and my Grandparents were council tenants as well,my Grandmother also played a very important part in world war 2.

I don't agree with very young children having they're ears pierced,if it's been done because of the parents belief's I get it.But parents that choose to have a baby's ears pierced just because they want to,I really don't like that.

None of my 5DC have had they're ears pierced at a very young age.

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 16/04/2016 12:26

I'm from a council estate. It was rough, the people were a mix, some nice some awful, but the awful ones were load and nasty and made everyones life worse with noise and antisocial behavior. And they were stereotypically "chavvy", with babies with earrings and tracksuits and young men with boy racer cars and gold chains and every other stereoptype you can think of.

I don't look down on all council people, I am one and I'm fucking lovely (and have done well for myself since then). I do, however, recognise that the stereotype is there because for some people it is true, and it pisses me off when people pretend as if its all made up, and everyone on a sink estate is just wonderful and its all lies that anyone could be like that. It's bullshit.

I wouldn't raise my children where I grew up, not in a million years. And you can call me a snob but I've lived it and know what I know.

Medusacascade · 16/04/2016 12:32

My not council I'm Housing Association. I worked 50 hours a week when I was offered my new build. And it mostly working families here. Working families can be In Need according to circumstances. The only arse here is the Non Council Person who bought upstairs and is a complete twat. Everyone who was direct offered or won bids are completely different demographic wise. There is no Council Person type.

MrsJayy · 16/04/2016 12:37

Our whole village was mainly council houses until right to buy in the 80s came in I get some estates are rough and ready but we are just people who lived in council houses I grew up in 1 was a tenant who paid rent for a council flat people are snoba love looking down their noses and love having a them and us going on makes then feel superior its laughable tbh and best ignored

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