To be irritated by people who bang on about where they’re from

[Notfromthevalleys]

Couple of women where I work will NOT stop talking about how they’re from The Valleys (south Wales)
“Haha it’s the valley girl in me”
“Haha you can tell I’m from the valleys”
“You can take the girl out of the valley but you can’t take the valley out of the girl”

There is nothing remotely different or valley-esque about them as far as I can see, other than the fact that they keep harping on about the valleys as though being from there is some sort of pedigree.

There’s also a bloke who will not shut up about being a “Swansea lad”.

Is it a south walian thing?

I am from mid Wales and we all work in mid Wales so not like they’re a million miles away from home.

It’s like the Oxbridge people who name drop their college all the time. That’s annoying too, but I at least it’s a genuine achievement to go to Oxbridge.

I understand that people’s community and identity is important to them, but there’s just no need to bring it into everything.

Anyone else come across this and AIBU to let it grate on me so much?!

Another Essex person here. Personally it doesn't bother me who comes from wherever, but trying to understand the accents is another matter.

[quote Paletteofcolour]@Iamthewombat

Well that’s rather the point isn’t it? The people doing it - bragging about coming from somewhere considered less aspirational- are doing so because they want to present themselves as more authentic than anyone else in the room, or as a working class hero who has escaped their humble origins by reason of their own brilliance. Yawn.

Funnily enough, your comments were the ones that stood out as unpleasant, "yawn". The people I known who do this, do it in a self deprecating way, usually as a defence mechanism to deflect the shitty (disguised as humourous) remarks before they happen. But also usually in response to some dubious smart-arse stereotypical remark about working class northerners or other regional example. I've been called a professional bloody northerner because of my accent, but I'm not the one who comments on it..."Ah, you're used to living in the frozen North", "Do they have t'internet up there then?", "You'll not be used to this fancy food where you're from?".[/quote]
Are you seriously suggesting that every person who has ever banged on about being from the Welsh valleys, or the north, or Scotland, or whatever, introduces the subject constantly and uses it to claim some sort of authenticity or triumph over humble beginnings, does so in self-deprecation? I think you’ll find that it is quite the opposite, outside your limited sphere of experience.

Maybe start with the Four Yorkshiremen sketch. That’s probably fifty years old now, and distils this pretentious nonsense beautifully.

I'm from Yorkshire. I know a professional Yorkshire lass who always try to shoehorn Yorkshire slang into conversation and goes on about how "Yorkshire" she is.
She's almost 40 and it is seriously embarassing.

My DH is Mancunian but he doesn't go on about it. I don't go on about being Welsh either.

I hate telling anyone where I'm from especially years ago with the whole ' Essex girl ' thing.
The feud between Suffolk and Norfolk folk is also funny. (I think Norfolk is great personally. )

My cousin said that living in Suffolk was a bit of a challenge at first ; it only took them about 15 years before they were not seen as the ' incomers' to the area.

I didn't realise this annoyed so many people. I dont ever really name drop my hometown because I live on a different continent to where I grew up, so I basically get tagged as foreign and if I say anything more specific anout where I'm from it would be met with totally blank looks over here. But I like it when other people do this. It feels like I'm seeing a bit of them, and almost as if they are inviting me to do a bit of good natured piss-taking at their expense. I see it as them trying to build a relationship with me.

@wigglerose

I'm from Yorkshire. I know a professional Yorkshire lass who always try to shoehorn Yorkshire slang into conversation and goes on about how "Yorkshire" she is. She's almost 40 and it is seriously embarassing.

If not for the age I’d have said, “oh, you’re friends with Christa Ackroyd?” or “oh, you’re mates with Jayne McDonald?”

Professional Yorkshirewomen both.

It’s just a tribal thing, usually from small (minded) communities. They’ll say things like ‘That’s such a Yorkshire thing to do’ ‘that’s typical Northern hospitality’ etc.

I generally find people who don’t venture out of their area much seem to say it more. I’m originally from South Wales and it is like that in many areas especially the Valleys. I live in Dorset now and it’s beautiful and I love it but the amount of comments my friends/ family made about me moving to ENGLAND (shock horror!) was ridiculous! Oooh they hate the Welsh etc etc. Actually I’ve learnt that a lot of the (small minded) Welsh people I know put so much energy into hating England but English people generally just don’t even give it any thought 🤣

I watched WDYTYA with Cheryl Tweedy and every positive thing that came out about one of her ancestors was ‘that’s such a Geordie thing’ Oh he helped a family member ‘that’s such a Geordie thing’ ... no Cheryl that’s just a good human thing to do, but people like to chalk it up to it bring a trait of their city/area 🙄

I find Northern people do it more too (sorry Northeners) always how friendly Northerners are and how unfriendly Southeners are and how people don’t talk to strangers in the South, it’s such a Northern thing to say hi when walking past someone.

Really? I must come into contact with 200% Northerners in Dorset every day then 🤣 but no it’s a ‘Northern thing’

100% ☺️

I don't understand people whose identity is so entrenched in where they were born or raised. The parts of our identity we choose are so much more interesting than where we happened to live as a child.

I generally find people who don’t venture out of their area much seem to say it more. I’m originally from South Wales and it is like that in many areas especially the Valleys. I live in Dorset now and it’s beautiful and I love it but the amount of comments my friends/ family made about me moving to ENGLAND (shock horror!) was ridiculous! Oooh they hate the Welsh etc etc. Actually I’ve learnt that a lot of the (small minded) Welsh people I know put so much energy into hating England but English people generally just don’t even give it any thought 🤣

Generally on here if someone posts that they are considering moving to Wales the reaction is one of utter horror!

Is it @CounsellorTroi how odd? I guess you get those type of people everywhere 🤣

Totally get this. I'm from Cardiff and have recently moved to the "valleys".

The people here do have a real sense of pride and its as if the are "more Welsh.

The first question I'm asked in conversation up here "is where are you from?" (I don't have an accent) and from their reaction it's like I am "less Welsh" having been born and raised in Cardiff.

Cornish people are another prime example of this.

A subset of Yorkshiremen are the worst for this ime.

@Weeedonkey

I find Northern people do it more too (sorry Northeners) always how friendly Northerners are and how unfriendly Southeners are and how people don’t talk to strangers in the South, it’s such a Northern thing to say hi when walking past someone.

Really? I must come into contact with 200% Northerners in Dorset every day then 🤣 but no it’s a ‘Northern thing’

Northerner here - I'm of the firm belief that these (annoying) Northerners base this belief on their visit to London, and take glee in saying Southerners are unfriendly. When actually in London if you don't move your backside you'll get trampled so it's less about friendliness and more about survival but it's utter tosh. Biggest dickheads I know are Northern. If I could afford it I'd live in London tomorrow

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

🤣 Yes it’s survival. Like New York, New Yorkers aren’t unfriendly they just have had enough of everyone’s shit and just want to go about their day 😂

@Paletteofcolour

The fish and chips in Leeds were okay once I learned to refuse the offer of "scraps". WTF is that all about?

It's a regional word, not all regions use the same words. No real need for the wtf and confused emoticon.

To be fair, I didn't know what 'scraps' were until I moved to Yorkshire - having never been offered the option of crispy bits of batter on my chips before - perhaps they are a regional delicacy?

The real issue regarding scraps is whether you are charged for them or not.

To be fair, I didn't know what 'scraps' were until I moved to Yorkshire - having never been offered the option of crispy bits of batter on my chips before - perhaps they are a regional delicacy?

Where I’m from in South Wales they are called scrumps 🙂

Whose prejudice is that stereotype?

Why do so many people have such a problem with anywhere other than the South East?
Certain Welsh people are the worst at denigrating other Welsh people. Why?

My English boss asked me why the welsh add unnecessary statements such as 'it is' at the end of a statement

It's raining it is
I'm cold I am
He's lush he is

He's got a point to be fair!

I told him I'd answer him now in a minute 😄

@Dunairbeanat

Whose prejudice is that stereotype?

Why do so many people have such a problem with anywhere other than the South East?
Certain Welsh people are the worst at denigrating other Welsh people. Why?

I thought it was the other way around. It's definitely the case in my experience and that of friends. People having a prejudice about the south east.

I've noticed some people are desperate to portray people from the south east as having prejudices - when it's actually only them going on about it, whilst most people from the south east don't give a shit about where someone's from.

A family member is from South Wales. Don't know if it's still a thing but years ago he had people from North Wales call him English. Apparently loads of English emigrated to South Wales a century or 2 ago.

Doesn’t happen so much down south. Well, apart from Claire from Masterchef. Did you know she was from Kent?

No, you are all too busy pointing out northerners instead.

"Ooh, is your accent from The North?"