Do you know where Will's mother lives?

[AnnaQuayInTheUk]

For 20+ years I lived in an area where everyone knew about Will's mother. People would arrive late to meetings explaining that they were really sorry, but roadworks on X Road meant that they had to go round Will's mother's.

I'm aware that in the Midlands they know about Bill's mother's, not Will's. And that sometimes it's black over Bills mother's house. But I've now moved to a different part of the country where no one knows about Will's mother's, or Bill's.

So,
YABU - who on earth is Will/Bill's mother?
YANBU - everyone knows about Will/Bills mother.

I haven't heard about Bill's mother for years! (I've been in the SW for over 20 years and nobody mentions it here 😫)

Northerner here. I’ve never heard of Bill
or Will’s Mother, but my own mother used to talk about being in “the Wilds of Wannie” every time we were anywhere slightly rural!

I bloody love quirky British regional semantic idiosyncrasies!

I grew up in the Fens (now live in central Scotland) and I've never heard of Bill or Will's mother...

This was my first thought too! 🤣

Omg my dad used to say it, bit black over will’s mothers.
from down south, brings back memories .

I also grew up in Coventry and never heard abour it being black over Bill’s mother’s till I moved to Norfolk!

I’d also never heard about the Wrekin either till my childhood friend mentioned it when we were adults and I asked her WTF she was talking about.

Don’t know how I missed these.

Never heard of this and I’m from the West Midlands. I’ve also lived in Scotland, NE and SW.

I do say ‘round the Wrekin’ for the long way round though.

I’m a southerner and Willl’s Mum was always ‘ over there’ as in “look at those black clouds over Will’s Mums”. 😁

It is definitely black o'er Bill's mothers in the North Midlands but no idea who Will is lol x

We say going round the moon to meet the sun for taking the long way. South east.

I’ve never heard of this but people in AA say “are you a friend of Bill’s?” as in Bill W, founder.

Quite right, it’s dark over Will’s mother’s. No Bill or his mother here in the South East.

Oh God, that takes me back! My grandmother always used to say I looked like the wreck of the Hesperus when I'd been out in a strong wind! 😁

“It’s black over will’s mothers” - my grandmother, born in 1912, every time the sky was dark and about to rain.

She was from Watford.

I know it’s supposed to be a midlands thing, but I’ve lived in the midlands 5 years now and married a Black Country native and I’ve never heard it uttered here.

Was about to say the same - sounds like “going round the houses”. I have heard the phrase “bill’s mothers” but only on here, never in real life as it were.

Lancashire born and raised and now living in London- never heard of it. “Eeeh, there’s a storm brewing reet there” and “going round t’houses” was what we said!

That was one for old school nurses. Mrs Brown was code for a cup of tea in the ward kitchen.

Is your Dad Irish by any chance @Bohemond23 ?

@Bohemond23 He must know my Dad then !
But what were they doing ?

Oo ooo did anyone else's nan (grandmother) used to kiss something better and say "it'll be a pigs foot in the morning"

Oooh, tell me more

Must have been meeting my Dad!

It’s always raining over Will’s Mothers’.

That I do know.

in this part of Scotland we have Ben

Q. Where will I put this cup?
A. Ben the kitchen.

Q. Where’s Dad?
A. Ben the house.

And sometimes it’s as ‘Black as the Earl of Hell’s waistcoat’

Never heard of Will's mum or Bill's. Lived in South West all my life and don't think it's a saying down here.