osiol
27 Feb 2009
Life / City Pole versus country Pole [27]
They do. There is often a lack of understanding. I remember waiting on the platform of Bethnal Green station to return to Hertford, thence to the house I was living in out in a tiny village. The centre of London is bright lights, big city. Then around that there are areas like Bethnal Green, where it is part high-rise, part grotty estates, but partly gentrified inner-city suburb. There were a couple of chavs on the platform. They were talking in their London Jafakean accents about there dreams of making some money and moving out to Crews Hill. Crews Hill is one of the outermost parts of Greater London - still essentially a village surrounded by both fields and big expensive houses and some rather expensive estates, plus lots of garden centres. These kids didn't dream of getting out of London entirely, just to it's outer limits. I like London, but wouldn't want to live there.
My girlfriend and her family are probably fairly typical of Poles who have relocated to England - they come from a very small town somewhere close to Poland's border with Belorus. There is very little there, and is probably one of the country's most economically depressed areas. Other Poles I have met and worked with have often come from villages. Many have driven tractors since they were barely old enough to walk or at least have an uncle who has a farm or something. "Big city Poles" are probably far less likely to take jobs doing manual labour in the English countryside, however...
One forum member I know comes from a farmy sort of background, but goes against this country bumpkin stereotype. Then remember the scallies on Bethnal Green station I mentioned. Poland's cities aren't all bright lights either.
Do Londoners not look down at country people?.
They do. There is often a lack of understanding. I remember waiting on the platform of Bethnal Green station to return to Hertford, thence to the house I was living in out in a tiny village. The centre of London is bright lights, big city. Then around that there are areas like Bethnal Green, where it is part high-rise, part grotty estates, but partly gentrified inner-city suburb. There were a couple of chavs on the platform. They were talking in their London Jafakean accents about there dreams of making some money and moving out to Crews Hill. Crews Hill is one of the outermost parts of Greater London - still essentially a village surrounded by both fields and big expensive houses and some rather expensive estates, plus lots of garden centres. These kids didn't dream of getting out of London entirely, just to it's outer limits. I like London, but wouldn't want to live there.
My girlfriend and her family are probably fairly typical of Poles who have relocated to England - they come from a very small town somewhere close to Poland's border with Belorus. There is very little there, and is probably one of the country's most economically depressed areas. Other Poles I have met and worked with have often come from villages. Many have driven tractors since they were barely old enough to walk or at least have an uncle who has a farm or something. "Big city Poles" are probably far less likely to take jobs doing manual labour in the English countryside, however...
not everybody takes care of the farm animals in the country but also not everybody has a job in the city
One forum member I know comes from a farmy sort of background, but goes against this country bumpkin stereotype. Then remember the scallies on Bethnal Green station I mentioned. Poland's cities aren't all bright lights either.
