To be irritated by the constant references to the UK lockdown when it’s only an English lockdown.

[Baws]

Why are the media referring to the current 4 week English lockdown as a UK lockdown when it only applies to England?
I live in Wales where we are about to come out of a 2 week firebreak lockdown and I’m being bombarded with media reports about the second U.K. lockdown. I’ve had 2 emails today from chainstores telling me what services will be available to me while they are closed. No you won’t, you’ll be open as normal where I live on Monday! 🙄
Don’t get me wrong, I do think there should be more consistency between the 4 nations but England is not the only country in the U.K.!

It is people as well. Went to an event for a UK audience the other night and they talked about the entire country about to lock down and effectively talked as if England = UK.

Wait a minute...there is a world outside London?

Who knew?!

As a Scot pisses me off too

@Msmcc1212

Yes. Agree. Everything is very England-centric. It’s very irritating (but then I’m finding my own bloody shadow irritating today). Am starting to get cabin fever again now. And all the moaning about it when, in Wales, we haven’t been able to meet with anyone outside our extended households indoors since March 23rd!!! I don’t mind it - it is what it is - but it does grate a bit when I hear folk moaning about the English rules after they had a summer of relative freedom.

I'm a bit curious about this, we were in Wales this summer and honestly I was shocked at the lack of rules in comparison to England to me coming from England it felt as if Covid had never hit. No masks in shops, no social distancing, big groups of people meeting up, groups of people seemed to be staying together in the same accommodation. Infact the only places where any remotely familiar behaviour was in restaurants where some tables were set out with distancing and some, not all, staff wore coverings. We stayed in Bluestone it was out of main school holidays and mainly Welsh people were there again in big groups. Speaking to the staff things seemed much ore relaxed than in England. For us most children weren't allowed back at school till September. I might have just seen a part of Wales that behaved differently and therefore have a warped perception but we were in more than one place and honestly were so surprised.

Its pissing off. Im in wales and i cant wait to go to B&M to buy shit this week!

Its always been like this. Its the
Same with the weather, record temperatures in the UK when they actually mean london, as London is the UK🙄

@adagio that link is interesting as it also has things about gatherings too. Is this going to be the wales rules after the firebreak?

@Marchitectmummy I think that might be a Pembrokeshire thing. My parents who live there have been much more relaxed than we have in Cardiff, because there have been far fewer cases there (smaller, more disparate population).

I'm glad to have seen this thread, I've been quietly grumpy about this for a while. It's nice to have company!

Yes I agree.

I’m English, grew up in London, but have lived in Scotland for the last 45 years. I don’t think the use of UK to mean England is deliberately ignoring regions like Scotland or Wales.

It’s just that when you live in England, you have three terms that all interchangeably describe your home - Britain, England, UK. You tend to use them randomly because it doesn’t matter or make any difference, from your own perspective.
I remember asking a teacher when I was ten, why our country had three different names, and only then understanding that they included different bits.
So I don’t think it’s some cultural imperialism or a disrespect of the Celtic fringes - it’s just force of habit.

So I don’t think it’s some cultural imperialism or a disrespect of the Celtic fringes - it’s just force of habit. Oh Babdoc you're funning with us here surely

@Babdoc

I’m English, grew up in London, but have lived in Scotland for the last 45 years. I don’t think the use of UK to mean England is deliberately ignoring regions like Scotland or Wales. It’s just that when you live in England, you have three terms that all interchangeably describe your home - Britain, England, UK. You tend to use them randomly because it doesn’t matter or make any difference, from your own perspective. I remember asking a teacher when I was ten, why our country had three different names, and only then understanding that they included different bits. So I don’t think it’s some cultural imperialism or a disrespect of the Celtic fringes - it’s just force of habit.

You would think that.

Absolutely agree. One of the big chains yesterday in their email stated we are closing ALL stores. Eh no, I was actually in your store yesterday. How hard is it to add ‘in England’ (or any place they are closed) If I had only needed to make a journey into town for that store I might not have bothered as I would have assumed they shut up all stores. I ventured out for a haircut amongst other essential jobs in the event Nicola locks us down too.

My DH is from London. It has taken two decades to make him realise London is not the centre of the universe...

However the only part of the UK not in lockdown is Scotland, as far as I know - and depending on what tier you are in, you may feel as if you are.

Marchitectmummy

Sounds like lots of rule breaking then. We were not supposed to be meeting with anyone outside of our household or extended household indoors. Outdoors I think it was 30? All changing again tomorrow though.

I had an email earlier stating I hadn't visited a certain Tesco store and why didn't I pop along!? I wanted to reply that I have been a local lockdown so wasn't allowed to go to the 6 miles to the store...but I can from tomorrow! Not that I am going to! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@Babdoc

I’m English, grew up in London, but have lived in Scotland for the last 45 years. I don’t think the use of UK to mean England is deliberately ignoring regions like Scotland or Wales. It’s just that when you live in England, you have three terms that all interchangeably describe your home - Britain, England, UK. You tend to use them randomly because it doesn’t matter or make any difference, from your own perspective. I remember asking a teacher when I was ten, why our country had three different names, and only then understanding that they included different bits. So I don’t think it’s some cultural imperialism or a disrespect of the Celtic fringes - it’s just force of habit.

Babdoc when writing this post surely

"Regions" @Babdoc
DFOD
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland sent fucking regions

Aren't not sent
Bloody so irritated can't type straight

OConstant England bashing. Constant south of England bashing. Throw in London bashing why not. You’re all tired of the ‘centrics. Believe me, it’s quite exhausting being on the receiving end. Take it up with the powers that be instead of the constant criticism of people as a whole from these places. It is more shit, believe me, than a stupidly worded email to visit places away from where you live and to be treated like shit. Yes, people from the Republic of Ireland, I mean you in particular. You’re like playground bullies.

Unsubscribe your email senders, write a strongly worded email if it soothes you but FFS stop with your ignorance.

@Hobnobswantshernameback

"Regions" *@Babdoc* DFOD Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland sent fucking regions

NI didn't even get a mention, we don't exist apparently!

@Grilledaubergines

OConstant England bashing. Constant south of England bashing. Throw in London bashing why not. You’re all tired of the ‘centrics. Believe me, it’s quite exhausting being on the receiving end. Take it up with the powers that be instead of the constant criticism of people as a whole from these places. It is more shit, believe me, than a stupidly worded email to visit places away from where you live and to be treated like shit. Yes, people from the Republic of Ireland, I mean you in particular. You’re like playground bullies.

Unsubscribe your email senders, write a strongly worded email if it soothes you but FFS stop with your ignorance.

So OP is a horrible England bashing bully but calling insulting Irish people is fine.

I'm in Wales and i find it all very annoying. What annoyed me most was that back in May/June/July when lockdown was easing in England (But not in the other Principalities because they all have more sensible leaders) It was never made clear that it was for England only. I think this caused a lot of people to be confused as to what the rules were

Yes, people from the Republic of Ireland, I mean you in particular. You’re like playground bullies.

Pointing out you are a completely separate country- not even part of the union- is being a bully? Who knew??

@Babdoc

I’m English, grew up in London, but have lived in Scotland for the last 45 years. I don’t think the use of UK to mean England is deliberately ignoring regions like Scotland or Wales. It’s just that when you live in England, you have three terms that all interchangeably describe your home - Britain, England, UK. You tend to use them randomly because it doesn’t matter or make any difference, from your own perspective. I remember asking a teacher when I was ten, why our country had three different names, and only then understanding that they included different bits. So I don’t think it’s some cultural imperialism or a disrespect of the Celtic fringes - it’s just force of habit.

Of course it's fucking cultural Imperialism and disrespect - just because they don't think about it and do it out of habit doesn't mean it isn't demeaning and belittling. Just ask any black person whether white people using the word 'nigger' and then saying 'No offence squire, it's just force of habit!' is in any way excusable. I'm not say that the two are equal but the principle is the same.

And for the record I'm English and have lived in Scotland for 30 years.

As an Englishwoman living in Wales, I now totally get why the Welsh complain about how English centric the media are.

As a matter of course, English people and the English media routinely conflate “England” with “ UK”.

‘‘Twas ever thus.

Totally standard and totally infuriating.