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Why do Brits live in darkness except for December?

675 replies

Swedegirl48 · 29/12/2024 18:20

I am Swedish and at home if you walk down a street, most houses will have lamps in some of the windows, outside lights and usually people don’t draw curtains so you can see the lights from within the houses. I was asking British DH today why Brits tend to light up their houses so enthusiastically in December, but the rest of the year people draw their curtains and no one seems to put lamps in the windows (at least not where we live which is London). I am the only person in my street who has a lamp in every window of my house and leave some on overnight too. I think I am trying to overcompensate for my very dark street.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
Gwenhwyfar · 31/12/2024 16:45

Lyraloo · 31/12/2024 16:42

But clearly prefers where she came from, wants to criticise the U.K. but there’s obviously something good about it or she’d go back. I’ve lived all over the world but ‘home’ is here in the U.K. regardless of where I’m staying.

It's possible to criticise SOME aspects of where you live and still like it overall.

I live on the continent, I don't have to think it's great having hardly any public toilets and having to always pay for a glass of water. That doesn't make me a bad immigrant.

Wishitwasstraightforward · 31/12/2024 16:51

"Like I already said, what a waste of resources, you clearly couldn’t care less about the planet or our children’s futures! Grow up and think about others, not just if you can see lamps on unnecessarily! From your response to people who disagree, why don’t you go home and live the selfish life you want, you clearly don’t like it here, so there must be something of benefit to you to make you stay! As I said, selfish!l

Woah that's harsh! My lamp costs 0.002 pence per hour to run. So 0.048 pence per day if left on for 24 hours. Attacking the OP in this way is totally out of proportion and also hypocritical from anyone who doesn't take enormous strides to limit electricity usage at a level way over and above what most of us do.

Wishitwasstraightforward · 31/12/2024 16:55

Gwenhwyfar · 31/12/2024 16:43

"Many of us have cars, don’t recycle, heating on constantly, multiple trips abroad, buying “unnecessary” shit, tv on all the time"

I don't know anyone who doesn't recycle these days. Isn't it compulsory?

Not compulsory where I live. Non recyclable bin gets emptied fortnightly, nothing to stop anyone using that bin for all their rubbish.

I took all my gift wrap to the local top this week. Every piece was recyclable but the people running it told me to put it all in the general waste container (ie non recyclables destined for landfill). I double checked and they were adamant 🤷🏻‍♀️

PandoraSox · 31/12/2024 17:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

And a Happy New Year to you!

PandoraSox · 31/12/2024 17:06

Lyraloo · 31/12/2024 16:01

If we all thought like that, nothing would ever change!

If you care so deeply about the environment, the best thing you could have done is have no children. They will have far, far, far more of a negative impact on the environment than a few light bulbs.

@Swedegirl48 the abuse you have had on this thread is ridiculous!

mathanxiety · 31/12/2024 17:09

This thread is the perfect storm of patriotic hump taking and environmentalist crankery.

Lyraloo · 31/12/2024 17:42

PandoraSox · 31/12/2024 17:06

If you care so deeply about the environment, the best thing you could have done is have no children. They will have far, far, far more of a negative impact on the environment than a few light bulbs.

@Swedegirl48 the abuse you have had on this thread is ridiculous!

So, let’s all have no children, then what Einstein? Oh yes, the human race is extinct. Great plan 👏

sadeightiesthrowback · 31/12/2024 17:54

It never fails to make me wonder why often a thread that has begun in a friendly tone and with a genuine interest in finding an answer to a simple questions, can continue on quite reasonably for quite a few pages.
Then, I don't know, it sort of just falls apart, almost as though somewhere, along the line, the plot has literally been lost. Much much later posters are not so much replying to the OP post, which was 20-something pages back, but to something they've taken exception to having been posted by a PP just ahead of them.
Well congrats OP for posting what turned out to be a very populated and interesting post, with a little something of interest to suit just about everyone!

PandoraSox · 31/12/2024 18:21

Lyraloo · 31/12/2024 17:42

So, let’s all have no children, then what Einstein? Oh yes, the human race is extinct. Great plan 👏

The extinction of the human race would be the very, very, very best outcome for the environment.

catlover123456789 · 31/12/2024 18:49

I shut the curtains to keep the heat in! I've got solar lights in my front garden and if they get enough sun for them to light up in winter then good on them. I'm not paying to light up a space noone is using.

LJH001 · 31/12/2024 19:48

nextlocation · 30/12/2024 20:10

Karens?

Yes Karens

Lndnmummy · 31/12/2024 19:59

Lyraloo · 31/12/2024 16:42

But clearly prefers where she came from, wants to criticise the U.K. but there’s obviously something good about it or she’d go back. I’ve lived all over the world but ‘home’ is here in the U.K. regardless of where I’m staying.

Oh well, home for me is right here in the UK. With all my Swedish lamps and all.

nextlocation · 31/12/2024 21:23

LJH001 · 31/12/2024 19:48

Yes Karens

Didn’t think there were many of you left, but there you go.

CRD67 · 01/01/2025 03:30

Swedegirl48 · 29/12/2024 20:00

Blimey 😦 If a lamp in a window is that triggering I think there might be other things going on with you.

Blimey 😦 you're the one triggered by no lamps in a window! 😂

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 05:16

sadeightiesthrowback · 31/12/2024 17:54

It never fails to make me wonder why often a thread that has begun in a friendly tone and with a genuine interest in finding an answer to a simple questions, can continue on quite reasonably for quite a few pages.
Then, I don't know, it sort of just falls apart, almost as though somewhere, along the line, the plot has literally been lost. Much much later posters are not so much replying to the OP post, which was 20-something pages back, but to something they've taken exception to having been posted by a PP just ahead of them.
Well congrats OP for posting what turned out to be a very populated and interesting post, with a little something of interest to suit just about everyone!

It's not very friendly to post asking "what on earth is wrong with you stupid British people". And it's hardly "a genuine answer to a simple question", the obvious answer is "it's not a cultural norm that's been imported", the OP could have worked that out for herself. It's very faux naive to pretend it wasn't a dig.

However I have learnt from this thread thanking electricity doesn't actually have a financial or environmental cost, so looking forward to telling Scottish Power I won't be paying their bills any more as they're clearly trying to cheat me!

Simonjt · 01/01/2025 05:47

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 05:16

It's not very friendly to post asking "what on earth is wrong with you stupid British people". And it's hardly "a genuine answer to a simple question", the obvious answer is "it's not a cultural norm that's been imported", the OP could have worked that out for herself. It's very faux naive to pretend it wasn't a dig.

However I have learnt from this thread thanking electricity doesn't actually have a financial or environmental cost, so looking forward to telling Scottish Power I won't be paying their bills any more as they're clearly trying to cheat me!

Could you please point out where the op said “what on earth is wrong with you stupid british people”.

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 06:54

@Simonjt

Could you please point out where the op said “what on earth is wrong with you stupid british people”.

It's implicit in the thread title.
Why do Brits live in darkness except for December?

That's not a neutral, general interest question! The OP is asking what is wrong with British people, not going ah this is an interesting cultural difference I've noticed. It's pretty clearly a judgement and she has found us wanting...

Simonjt · 01/01/2025 07:23

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 06:54

@Simonjt

Could you please point out where the op said “what on earth is wrong with you stupid british people”.

It's implicit in the thread title.
Why do Brits live in darkness except for December?

That's not a neutral, general interest question! The OP is asking what is wrong with British people, not going ah this is an interesting cultural difference I've noticed. It's pretty clearly a judgement and she has found us wanting...

It isn’t implicit at all, you’re the one choosing to lie about another poster, yet claiming a neutral comment is a dig.

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 07:31

@simonjt If your partner said to you "Just curious, why aren't you slimmer and more attractive?" would you genuinely not see an implicit criticism in there? Because that's an equally "neutral" comment; but one that most people would feel is a dig, if it were directed at them.

If you genuinely and truly can't hear subtext then great, that must make your life much more pleasant.

Lndnmummy · 01/01/2025 10:06

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 07:31

@simonjt If your partner said to you "Just curious, why aren't you slimmer and more attractive?" would you genuinely not see an implicit criticism in there? Because that's an equally "neutral" comment; but one that most people would feel is a dig, if it were directed at them.

If you genuinely and truly can't hear subtext then great, that must make your life much more pleasant.

Wait, what? This is quite a jump. A complete fabrication in fact.

LordEmsworth · 01/01/2025 11:50

Lndnmummy · 01/01/2025 10:06

Wait, what? This is quite a jump. A complete fabrication in fact.

OK sure. It's a genuine, neutral question, and the OP didn't mean to imply that British people are in the wrong, she was simply noting a cultural difference and expressing curiosity 😂😂😂

sadeightiesthrowback · 01/01/2025 13:17

It's only a "dig" because you, and some others, have chosen to take it that way.
Maybe you haven't actually read OP's Original Post?

Where is the OP post stating: "what on earth is wrong with you stupid British people" ?

I would be surprised, and yes, disappointed if OP ended up calling the British people on this thread, and generally " stupid people".

From the updates OP has posted, she seems to have replied with good humour and I haven't found her to be antagonistic in her replies.

There was ONE poster, way back, who said that walking down British streets at night could be compared to walking past stores that had been 'borded' up ( sic) as opposed to walking past stores brightly lit and decorated. ( Not a direct quote) but that was the gist, and I almost called her on it ( not OP btw).
I found that to be a slight 'dig'.

The first pages of posts were good, people were telling OP why they, as British people, generally preferred to have most lights off, and curtains closed, but they were also quick to acknowledge that British homes often have comparatively poorer insulation in homes and windows, and higher costs of electricity than in Sweden.

Somehow from then on, a FEW people changed the tone of the post , rallied round the flag and became incensed about it all.
THAT is what led to the spiralling down of the thread.

If the 'answer' is a simple as you say, and OP could have worked it out by herself, I would say than in half the posts on MN, the posters could have worked things out by themselves, but then, what else would we all be doing in the last few days but posting continuously?

She started her thread with a genuine question ime.

Banter and chat are good, and disagreements can't be helped but please don't make this a bigger thing than it needs to be.

In the end, we all do what we're used to, and what we want to.

sadeightiesthrowback · 01/01/2025 13:26

The above post was meant for @LordEmsworth

FeetLikeFlippers · 01/01/2025 15:22

I wish that was true. I live in London and it seems like every house on my street now has security lights back and front. The house that backs onto mine is lit up like a football stadium most nights and the other day, when I was walking home in the dark, the motion sensor porch lights were going off like a Mexican wave as I passed along the street. I also have a lot of new neighbours who never draw their curtains and treat me to the sight of them wandering around half naked. The lights are annoying and thoughtless as well as being bad for the environment in terms of energy usage and light pollution. If the rest of your street is dark, has it not occurred to you that that’s how everyone else likes it? If I was lucky enough to live on a dark street like yours I would be extremely pissed off with your lights!

sadeightiesthrowback · 01/01/2025 15:30

@FeetLikeFlippers that takes me back...years ago, my daughter and I were walking her dog, in the evening, and we passed a house that you really could not help but have your attention drawn to as the large front room window was ablaze with electric light.
Then, we could not help gazing at the sight of a completely naked man as he plodded around; spot lit for all passersby to ( have to ) set eyes on.
We wished he'd been one to close his curtains!

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