To think England is a bit boring?

[Annalikesblue]

I'm from England originally. I was working abroad for a long time.

I moved back recently to work, and for a family reason. I probably won't stay here forever. Maybe for two to three years max.

Do any of you think that England is a bit boring?

Every street, wherever you go,
has the exact same shops.

The Weather is bad. People are miserable. When you go to groups, people are so serious.

It just seems so dull and lifeless

This. This is what I came to write

No. I'm originally from Scandinavia and find the UK very culturally vibrant (specifically the larger cities, but often small towns/villages too although the specific activities differ), also compared to other countries I've lived in. It's so varied, with amazing countryside and quite big cities, and far more cultural diversity than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The high streets are samey but I think that's a sign of the economic and social situation which really isn't great in the UK.

It can be, but a lot of it suits too.

Well one thing was I used to go to groups in other countries. And the people were very friendly

I went to several groups in England when I came back, and the people were so rude..

For example I went to a crafts meetup.
It was called "craft and chat group"

when i got there. Everyone sat doing their craft in silence.

I said hello, and they just grunted back at me .
They were outright rude.

Before anyone says that it's a "me thing", I went to groups in other countries and immediately got asked to go to a yogaclass with people at the weekend.

You know they said "come along with us at the weekend we'd love to have you"

There is amazing and incredibly varied countryside, from salt marshes to forests to moors to mountains to beaches to remote islands. I have often thought there is a much greater variation of culture and accent within a relatively small distance than you would have in many other countries. Wherever you go you are falling over historical sites - Roman theatres/Norman castles/medieval houses.

Yes the high street of any given town is going to have a Greggs, a McDonalds, a Primark, maybe an M and S if you are lucky. I don't really go to high streets for a diverse shopping experience. My small city has a good number of independent shops (not as many as it used to granted) and restaurants, three theatres, at least three museums, two art centres, there is almost always a festival of some sort going on in the park or centre.

FFS. England and the UK are not interchangeable terms. People who use them as such are basically saying they consider Wales, NI and Scotland irrelevant. It doesn't feel very nice.

I don't know if England is boring or not. My part of the UK isn't though. HTH.

I’ve lived in 4 different European countries and of course they all have their plus and minus points. I absolutely disagree that England is boring though, we have never been bored here as a family.

I sort of agree. Or at least used to.

It's easy to feel like other countries have more going on. Austria and Switzerland have amazing mountains. France has great wine and food. So do Spain and Italy - and they have beaches and the beach/party lifestyle. Everywhere has old cute historic towns and buildings. Just about everywhere has more sunshine...

But nowhere has everything all in one place. For that, the UK really excels - it's got good amounts of just about everything. So it's sort of the country version of "jack of all trades, master of none". And that works for me.

(and if you're a foreigner/different ethnicity, well it's probably no contest as the UK is far more diverse and accepting than basically anywhere else)

The UK feels quite isolated

Well yes, that is a product of being an island 😁

I think I'd rather poke my eyes out than go to "craft groups" or yoga.
I prefer to go to music and the theatre, museums and art galleries. But each to their own.

Leeds. Honestly, there is so much to do here - loads of different music events each night, several theatres, ballet, opera, the usual family activities like bowling, laserzone, cinemas, wildlife places, Go Ape, several free museums, stately homes, three parks in walking distance from my house, 20 minutes from the Dales (we love hiking), really close to lovely places like York, Harrogate, Ilkley, Karesborough, easy to get to bigger cities like Manchester or Liverpool, a couple of theme parks nearby, an RHS garden, Eureka Children's museum, Bradford Media Museum, Abbeys and old churches. I could go on!!

I remember when I lived in Portugal noticing there wasn't a single theme park (may have changed now).
The UK has a lot to do.

The whole world is super boring

Some parts can be I think.

Personally I'm in a commuter town in the Home Counties, there's loads to do, lovely parks, varied playgrounds. I'm a pretty positive person and surround myself with similar in friends/groups etc. I even like the weather in the way it's varied! Couldn't stand to be somewhere boiling all the time.

That being said, if I leave the London area and go to a small town much further north/south, I do get the vibe of 'sameness' and it would drive me crazy long term!

I think it's so dependent on where you live- I do agree about weather though

We never seem to do anything particularly novel or ambitious anymore

We as in your family or the whole country

What's a typical lifestyle?

Good question. Most of the people I know regardless if they live in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand etc don’t party or travel 24/7 but instead go to work, take the kids to school, look after them, eat 3 meals a day, clean, cook and attend the occasional activity, cultural event and occasion. The mundanities of life are much the same for most people no matter where you are in the world.

Tbf a fair chunk of the world is pretty volatile and less safe

This!
Thete is so much to see and do here. Amazing coastlines, museums, countryside, diversity of culture, history, art.

It is not boring at all but if you don’t like it nothing wrong with moving to somewhere you find more stimulating.

No way! My life isn’t boring anyway. Life is very much what you make of it… maybe you’re just a bit boring?

A lot of UK towns are very samey - national chains dominate to a much greater degree than anywhere else I have been in Europe. Regional identities are being averaged out.

Buildings and streets are neglected and look run down, and there's very little pride in place. The litter is appalling, and it's one of the first thing that visitors from outside the UK comment on.

There are some areas that have been much better at resisting the national chains, retaining independent retail/hospitality, and putting more effort into keeping things clean and tidy. Almost without exception these are areas with higher average income with predominantly middle-class populations.

Before anyone says that it's a "me thing", I went to groups in other countries and immediately got asked to go to a yogaclass with people at the weekend

Yes, but we are positively garrulous compared to the Fins! 😁

Everyone who has lived abroad talks about how much more friendly the people are in the country they are visiting. 'Foreigners' visiting the UK have spoken to me about how friendly we are here and vice versa. I lived abroad and thought the people there were friendly, which surprised the locals when I said it. I think there is something about being clearly a foreigner that makes people more interested in you and likely to strike up a conversation (being a young female probably helped there too).

I'm not sure you can state that the entirety of any country is boring, with the exception of the Vatican city maybe (not saying it's boring, but it's small enough to draw conclusions about the entire country!)

Well written post.

True there is that

The UK.... Maybe, but that includes Scotland! Live in the South East and the weather is warm, sunny, and apart from this very odd year, regularly prone to drought!