Book I enjoyed

I now understand why some Scots hate the English!

There is a commonly held belief that Scottish people are naturally anti-English. In popular culture this may be seen on the football field where the rivalry between two adjacent teams will give rise to some very forthright banter. However, most of this banter is fairly harmless and given in a spirit of give and take that sports fans always experience when competing to shout louder than those of the opposing team.

I have lived in Scotland for over 15 years and I have never been aware of anti-English feeling directed against me. 

Anyway a wee while ago I was on holiday in Mallorca. Sitting outside a sea front cafe for lunch on a beautiful day. My meal was disturbed by the monologue of complaints from the table next to us. I hadn't seen the folks come and sit down but when she started her diatribe I turned. The woman speaking was in her fifties or sixties, fat and had tattoos.  She had a south of England accent, perhaps Essex? I should point out that I am not prejudiced against the overweight or those who have inked infantile drawings onto their skin!

Her monologue to her silent companion went like this.

"This Scottish woman she said to me that she had voted yes in the independence referendum.  And I said to her That was a waste of time. Who will pay your pension? And look at that Alex Salmon - what a disgrace. And Scotland is such a dreadful place. My niece had to go up near Edinburgh when her husband was sent to a barracks up there. They were an army family you know. She couldn't stand the place. It was wet all winter and full of midges all summer. She said to him if you don't get a transfer from this God awful place then I will leave you. And they got transferred back down to England after wasting two years of her life there.  Can you imagine that cold wet place and all those flies - no wonder you get people like Alex Salmon. Perhaps it is to do with the diet. They eat that horrible haggis stuff and porridge. Maybe they need the porridge as the mornings are so cold and miserable and as for drink - there are so many drunks..."

And on and on she went. I wondered what Scotland had done to her. As I listened to her rambling on and on I realised how easy it is to react and hate the English as a whole. But this was just an ignorant, patronising twit from south of the border, who should make sure they know what they are talking about before they open their mouth to speak!