To be fed up of mnetters behaving as if everywhere outside London is the third world

[continuallychargingmyphone]

Ok an exaggeration but only a slight one

I live up north. We have a John Lewis here and everything.

And not all of London is seen as equal. There's much sneering about living or travelling south of the river...

London is the 3rd world unless you are very rich. Elsewhere, we live in nice houses instead of poxy flats and can order from any shop via the internet.

Somebody else, on “your side” of this argument, has just said the exact opposite.

Thanks @ComtesseDeSpair I think I get it - does seem to be about the scale and choices available.

I'm not sure more choice is always a good thing though! There is the 'paradox of choice' theory which means having a choice of e.g. three things is easier to make a decision than when you have a choice of say 20 things! Also will depend on individuals outlook, if you are a maximiser (perfectionist) and looking for the best option or a satisfier and happy to have something that meets your needs without worrying if it is the absolute best option.

You are right munch and I am cringing at myself.

Errr ... it’s because we are all so, ah, happy and um, together ... we ...

Oh ok I cocked up Seriously, I’m sorry

It's the transport that gets me. People really don't understand that quite a few places in the UK do not have good public transport at all, or an Aldi or Lidl in easy walking distance. 'Can't you just take a bus/train/Uber'. Why yes, why didn't I think of that in rural Cumbria? No internet? Just trot down to your local library (where is it, it was shut years ago) and camp out on a computer. 'Get to the GP' - hmm, it's 4 miles away on a road with no pavements. I'll just pop on over. Oh, and loads of places are shut on Sundays.

Love Edinburgh and would take it over London every time.

Have never lived further north than Birmingham. But I have done London, small towns, other big cities and now rural.

There is good and bad in all of them. The posts about navigating London are funny - you just use an app. Try getting round rural villages on public transport!

Yes there is a cultural life outside of London. You might have to make slightly more effort to find it - say an afternoon on google - but it is there. DH and I still go to loads of free or cheap cultural activities and we have the bonus that we can park when we get there

Epicclusterfuck is spot on about the paradox of choice. We go to every single item related to DH's interest now, while in London we let loads of stuff pass us by. We prob have a better cultural life now than we did when it was on our doorstep.

That's ok continallychargingmyphone

Yes but its not the amazing London and than everywhere else outside of London is as you describe dontall im sure many places are like that but many are not .

Finchley is a bit north for some on MN, and High Barnet the end of the line for some

High Barnet is literally the end of the [Northern] line

(thus proving the OP’s point?

So non-London is the just same as or better than London and it's ridiculous to think other places have fewer cultural opportunities, inadequate public transport and poor internet connectivity, but at the same time, underinvestment means everywhere outside London has one bus a day and there's no fast broadband? Oh, and London is full of immigrants and like the third world but simultaneously only for rich people and less diverse than any northern suburb. Make your minds up, non-Londoners.

Everyone keeps going on about public transport, up North you can just own a car and actually move more than 10mph in rush hour no congestion charges and you can park on a pavement.

continually or walking the whippets!

Theres a thread on here at moment from a poster worrying about having to move from London to Cardiff, from some of the responses you'd swear she was going to live in Outer Mongolia which seemed to be making her anxieties worse! You know Cardiff is actually very civilised, they voted to remain in the EU and everything. They even have a direct rail link to London,fancy that!

Everyone I know in Edinburgh moves out when the festival is on 

I heard the most London centric thing on R4 a few days ago.
They were talking about the possible vote of no confidence in the PM.
The reporter said that many MPs had sent in letters to ask for one, but they didn't know how exactly many because the person in charge of collating at all was 'out of town, in the West Midlands'.

The strong implication was that this was so far away and out of contact they he couldn't possibly run any political processes from there.
I live in the south, but am pretty sure the Midlands have phones and e mail!

Edinburgh has history in spades

Whereas London has none.

To be honest I see London as being more third world than North. All the acid attacks, stabbing, 1/4 of the population born outside the EU. Yes there are nice parts but they are for millionaires and very few MNetters live in those areas.

No galleries or architecture in London, that's for sure.

Really parliament should be in teh middle of the country/ies that make up the UK not in the bottom corner.
So Carlisle is about right imv. Or maybe Stirling if you include Shetland.
I'd love to hear the squeals if the yuppies had to leave 'civilisation' for a few years our of town.

If Radio 4 does an discussion or similar on education and visit schools they usually go out and about the country to .......................Oxford. I presume this is the nearest stop for them out of London.

Comparing Edinburgh and London is crazy because they are so different. There isn't enough money in the world to make me want to live in London, although its nice for an occasional visit. Nobody implied that London does not have history, Francis just said how lovely Edinburgh is. I agree, because I live close by Edinburgh, too.

That said, Aberdeen is a beautiful city as well. To each their own, but the London/ south east England bias in the media as well as some posters on here is very, very wearing...