(i know i probably am) To be disapointed that whilst at my local shopping parade all around me were foreign.

[MAMAZON]

I don't want to start a UCM type thread but it just struck me how prety much everyone i saw at the shops earlier was foreign.

no one seemed to be speaking English at all.

shorty... you're talking pure BNP there, frightening that you deny that. 'course it's a political reality, but at least embrace it, don't pretend you're something you're not.

and polish catholic church? you're kidding, aren't you? they're all catholic churches, everyone welcome, you eejit. that's the whole point. most catholics i know are delighted at the polish influx.

I hear what cestlavie is saying, but personally I think Western governments are in far more danger of pandering to fears over immigration than ignoring the dissenting voices of the unhappy white working class.

LOL Mamadiva she is not a wannabe gangsta she rolls deep with brixton boi's as for being a bully she was very badly portrayed by BB! Also I feel sorry for her and she has to put real racists calling her names etc. HMMM facebook alexander de-gale and see how bad it is on there. Please note I know Alexander De-gale! Not that I am from crusty Croydon

but mamadiva, it's an american problem that's gone global, it really isn't a local issue.

HAve not read the whole thread, but agree with c'estlavie that it is perceived differently depending on your own situation.
I love the fact that thanks to DH's Polish father fleeing the Nazis and coming here that I have got the best DH and father for my kids possible. And that thanks to the recent influx that we have a new cohort of hardworking nice and decent people here. And that we can go into out local highstreet and have ANY kind of food we mught feel like. And that the Asian influx into liocal schools has dramatically improved the work ehtic there. And that lifestyles can be fluid... can't imaging who stifling it would have been living in the 50s and 60s where everyone 'knew their place'
However... I appreciate that my livelihood is not threatened by cheap labour, and that my housing needs are ot compromised by incomers with more points than me - it IS worth pausing to think of those who cannot afford grandiose ideals of world citizenship, and whose immediate livelihood is threatened.

And for the record I hate all the lazy shits that are on benefits I think benefits should be there for people who need them!! British or not.

'rolls deep with Brixton boys' PMSL. Oh Lordy.

Oh Shorty, I can just picture you with your bad weave and Ridley Rd Market batty riders. Stop being a twunt.

I can understand what Mamazon was saying in her original post - I did find at one point that I was surrounded by eastern europeans when I went into town during the week. This no longer seems to be the case which means they have either found jobs or decided that, due to the cost of living, the UK is not the land of milk & honey it was professed to be and have moved on.

I do feel that if you come to England to live you should respect and adapt to our way of life and learning the language should be non negotiable. But before I get jumped on for being racist I would also stress that am unbelievable embarrased and ashamed of those British people who have moved to say Spain...have not learnt the language and only associate with other ex-pats. Whilst the eastern europeans in town may speak their own language when together I have found that the majority (?) seem to have english as a second language.

The decision to move to another country may sometimes be motivated by finance but a basic respect for and desire to understand your new home is only polite.

Quite puzzled by the discussion about Oxford though, I always seems to me to be a very culturally diverse area.

cestlavie, I see your point.

Once upon a time I was living in a one bedroomed flat with two children waiting to be rehoused yet the house next door to my XP's DSis was given to a family of immigrants that had been in the country for a matter of weeks.

The documentary I linked further down touches on the issue of social housing, which has a big impact on people in a lower pay threshold, SO FOR SOME MORE THAN OTHERS IMMIGRATION WILL HAVE AN EFFECT, YES. bUT i ALSO LOOK BACK AT MY SITUATION THEN, i COULD HAVE RENTED PRIVATELY (oh fffs caps!), I could have gone and got a mortgage, my XP's mum was still living in a three bedroom house even though it was only occupied by her and her partner who both worked full-time, so she was as much of an issue as immigrants iyswim. It all depends on how people look at it, as you say, perception.

it is worth pausing to think of that, mrsguy, but it doesn't actually mean that people who are affected and who express themselves in a racist manner aren't racist. it's a problem, definitely, for political parties today to reach out to these people somehow.

Shorty poor you she's a right pillock. And therefore she is a 'gangster'. LOL.

'POW POW U GAWT DAT YEAH' If she was portrayed badly I do apologise but anyone who makes threats about someones family on TV is an arsehole in my opinion.

Anyway no more BB talk is totally pointless.

i agree wily, i do think that if you're living in another country then learning the language should be non-negotiable. it's only manners.

You know Alexandra so well you call her a boy's name?
Larvely.

Aitch about the credit crunch I get your point I do apologise for that 'factless' comment but it must have something to do with it. But anyway moving on

I am not joking about the Polish catholic church I am sure I would be welcome there but I would not understand a word they were saying as they speak POLISH!!! KMT Eejit! lol

How am I sounding like the BNP! That is all facts it is a fact that in Wandsworth if your DC's go to any local school they are not able to celebrate Christmas. Its a fact that they want to build a mosque for 2012 there is a huge debate about it.

"....BB talk is totally pointless."

see. At last we agree !

Seriously. Does anyone really still watch that moronic shite?
just wondering

LOL I never even noticed that VS.

Wouldn't be surprised if she was a he.

It's even harder now to have a discussion with someone who not only watches bb but knows someone off it.

I must admit it is my guily TV program. I watch every night when DS is in bed not a regime type just if I'm not doing anything LOL.

Don't be silly pagwatch! Of course not!

Those bloody Polish Islamists with their bloody Mosques and excellent, reasonably priced workmanship! Grrr! And now it seems they are breeding with those poncing Grinches and stealing Christmas! I blame Gordon Brown!

Ummm Victoriansqualor when did I call her a boys name???

mamadiva BB is edited Alex herself said in her interview that that was edited to BIG BROTHERS satisfaction! That 3minute convo that was shown actually was 2hrs worth of convo that Bigbrother had cut out all that was being said by Darnell ( this is so off the point)!

I blame Shilpa Shetty

Well ladies and gentlemen I am off for now may be back later don't know.

If not I shall speak to you al next week because Iam going bloody MIL's for a week.

Kill me kill me now!

MrsMattie: you're entirely right. We are in danger of pandering to fears of immigration because the right has managed to capture the debate in a way that the left has been unable to do so, very much like in the US. Whilst the right is much more adept at playing the politics of fear than the left but the left has been incredibly stupid and inept at not recognising this, taking the high moral ground and not engaging with the people who are being affected by it. We sit sipping our lattes and talking about global communities and multiculturalism whilst a large portion of the British population has much more personal and local issues.

Our/ their inability to engage has enable the right to step in - witness the success of the BNP in recent elections. When a local factory closes down, whilst we're talking about the need to compete in a global market and the need for open EU borders, the BNP is down the pub with them saying "I know how it is mate, all those cheap Polish lads isn't it".