To hate villages?

[AllThePogs]

The gossiping, nosiness, judgement of others - it is all there. And if you don't fit in, then beware.
I say this from experience. A beautiful looking village in East Sussex that some people will see as the dream. Instead, all I experienced was extreme gossip, racism and narrow-mindedness.

Each to their own. I love our village, but you're right that it's not very racially diverse. I've never heard anyone say anything racist, neither has DH (he's from eastern Europe), although that's not to say nobody is racist here.

It's a mix of farmers, professionals, young families and elderly folk, and everyone gets on really well. Plenty of social stuff to do, especially if you like the outdoors/sports/conservation.

It's not a Tory village either, despite the farmers - we have had a Labour councillor for years.

Most cities are diverse, most villages are not.

That doesn't have to be a bad thing though. Not everywhere is worse off for not being diverse.

@Brieandcamembert why do you think some places are not diverse? Do you really think only a certain kind of person likes the countryside?

@AllThePogs In rural places you don't get the same population movement that you get in cities so they will naturally be less diverse, both ethnically and in other ways. Basically, in cities there are more people (obviously) and there is a lot more fluidity - people moving in and out all the time. You don't get that to the same extent in villages.

I think they are less diverse because they are less welcoming to people "not like us".

Not keen on my NE village. Very insular with lots of people who think they are the 'propee' villagers based on whos dad or grandad worked at something that shut down over 40 years ago.

The parish coucil busybodies glom on to everything and ruin it unless you do exactly what they want.

[quote Amara5]@AllThePogs In rural places you don't get the same population movement that you get in cities so they will naturally be less diverse, both ethnically and in other ways. Basically, in cities there are more people (obviously) and there is a lot more fluidity - people moving in and out all the time. You don't get that to the same extent in villages.[/quote]
I think what freaked me out about our village is that it was close to a very ethnically-diverse city, but its population was totally white -- my impression after living there for a bit is that it was a classic instance of 'white flight' out of the city. Unfortunately for me, despite being white myself, my Irishness seemed to constitute 'not quite white' for some residents.

@AllThePogs

I think they are less diverse because they are less welcoming to people "not like us".

Villages may be more insular than cities, although in my experience this varies depending on the village. But as I said above, they have more stable populations which is an objective reason for them to be less diverse.

Grew up in a village and hated it, they are no place to raise kids and I left as quickly as I could! The village school I went to had 9 kids in my year. I sent my kids to the biggest school I could find as they were more likely to meet others with shared interests.

@AllThePogs

The gossiping, nosiness, judgement of others - it is all there. And if you don't fit in, then beware. I say this from experience. A beautiful looking village in East Sussex that some people will see as the dream. Instead, all I experienced was extreme gossip, racism and narrow-mindedness.

I agree, the city is the pinnacle of human social achievement in my view, and I would never live in a village again!

@Subulter I live in a City now that is very ethnically diverse. The well off villages is all white. Somehow we are supposed to believe that is an accident.

Our village has a doctors, a vets, an optician, a pharmacy, a medium sized co-op, 3 take always, a pub, an Indian, an excellent school, a church, a sport pavilion. A coffee shop and a post office.
We are not lacking in facilities.

I wouldn’t care to visit the doctor if the receptionist - or even the doctor - was someone I socialised with!

I too live in a village that's diverse and extremely friendly to incomers as well as life long residents. I don't recognise my village at all in your post. My city dwelling Middle Eastern friend was flabbergasted the first time she visited me as complete strangers said hello to her

[quote AllThePogs]@Subulter that sounds VERY familiar.[/quote]
Begins with H, in the Midlands?

@HoliHormonalTigerlilly

Yep. Tory voting shires. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@HoliHormonalTigerlilly

I think you will find 'The Shires' are starting to vote differently now.

www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/19791292.north-shropshire-helen-morgan-takes-historic-win-liberal-democrats/

So the 'everyone's a racist, white, bigoted Tory in all the villages' narrative is starting to fall apart somewhat is it not?'

And you lot call people bigoted who are right-of centre/right wing! LMFAO! Pot kettle and all that shite.

These kind of remarks are ALWAYS made by obtuse, narrow-minded lefties who know fuck all about 'The Shires.'

I think it's a bit odd to expect rural places to be ethnically diverse. As a pp said, you wouldn't go to rural Nepal and expect diversity, but you might expect diversity in Kathmandu. I'm sure there is white flight and insularity in some places, but I don't think it would be a positive thing if the traditional culture of villages was broken up.

I am a townie now, but I used to live in a village that was culturally and ethnically homogenous. I was an outsider and there were a few other outsiders (either ethnically or culturally). There was no hostility towards us and everyone was perfectly nice, but I wouldn't have wanted it to be more diverse as it would then lose the traditional culture/community it has had for hundreds of years.

I think a lot of posters don't understand the rural life has been basically destroyed in the last century. Villages are not just mini cities and the scraps of culture that remain need to be protected. This is no excuse for xenophobia etc, but people moving to these places should respect them for what they are.

@Subulter No somewhere else!

@Justcallmebebes

I too live in a village that's diverse and extremely friendly to incomers as well as life long residents. I don't recognise my village at all in your post. My city dwelling Middle Eastern friend was flabbergasted the first time she visited me as complete strangers said hello to her

Sounds a lot like our village to be honest.

They made me extremely welcome 6 years ago, and also a family who moved to the UK from India 5 years ago, and came to this village 3 years ago. Said they lived in 3 other places, (1 city and 2 big towns) during the first 2 years they were here, and experienced such bad racism and hate and bigotry there that they had to keep moving.

They say that this village that they live in now, is the friendliest most welcoming place they have ever lived. They will never move.

It's fucking bullshit that towns and cities are less racist and bigoted than villages. In fact they are probably MORE so.

@Amara5

I think it's a bit odd to expect rural places to be ethnically diverse. As a pp said, you wouldn't go to rural Nepal and expect diversity, but you might expect diversity in Kathmandu. I'm sure there is white flight and insularity in some places, but I don't think it would be a positive thing if the traditional culture of villages was broken up.

I am a townie now, but I used to live in a village that was culturally and ethnically homogenous. I was an outsider and there were a few other outsiders (either ethnically or culturally). There was no hostility towards us and everyone was perfectly nice, but I wouldn't have wanted it to be more diverse as it would then lose the traditional culture/community it has had for hundreds of years.

I think a lot of posters don't understand the rural life has been basically destroyed in the last century. Villages are not just mini cities and the scraps of culture that remain need to be protected. This is no excuse for xenophobia etc, but people moving to these places should respect them for what they are.

Traditional British villages are diverse although white. You traditionally got labourers, travellers, professionals, and the rich. Now as house prices have increased alongside rents, those traditional villages no longer exist in many places. Instead, it is mainly middle-class white and the rich. Villages in Britain are becoming less diverse in general than they were 100 years ago.

We're definitely not a Tory voting village here - well not any more anyway! I live in North Shropshire where we've just ousted them after 20+ years!!

@bigbluebus

We're definitely not a Tory voting village here - well not any more anyway! I live in North Shropshire where we've just ousted them after 20+ years!!

Exactly what I just posted!

It's so bigoted and narrow minded to assume all village folk are bigoted and racist - and to assume they are all TORY voters. Fuxake!

But no one has assumed that. That is your own issues.

I think this is true in a lot of places @AllThePogs, particularly in the South East. Traditional diversity does still exist in some places though (e.g. my village in East Anglia). I think it's sad when a village purely consists of middle-class professionals WFH and retirees.

@AllThePogs

The gossiping, nosiness, judgement of others - it is all there. And if you don't fit in, then beware. I say this from experience. A beautiful looking village in East Sussex that some people will see as the dream. Instead, all I experienced was extreme gossip, racism and narrow-mindedness.

I grew up in a village and loved it, the thing is very small villages you have to make the effort to fit in and get to know people and it can be brilliant.

Unlike your post which I would consider narrow minded and quite gossipy about villages, also claiming there rasist as I assume there mainly white could be classed as reverse raisism unless your going to kick most locals out and diversify.