HanoiVillan Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 How early everything closes in the UK. I chat with foreigners living in the UK every day as part of my job, and when asked what they don't like about living here, one of the top two complaints is always how early everything shuts. They're often surprised when I enthusiastically agree with this, but having lived in other countries it pisses me off no end. At half past seven this evening, I decided to go on a day trip tomorrow and wanted to pick a couple of things up - I checked online, is Merry Hill open at half past seven on a Saturday evening? Is it ****. At half past nine, I went for a walk around Blackheath for an hour. What's open? Pubs, and a Pizza Hut Delivery. No other businesses. I hate how we all just retreat into our little rabbit hutches as soon as the sun goes down. Rubbish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted April 8, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted April 8, 2017 16 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: How early everything closes in the UK. I chat with foreigners living in the UK every day as part of my job, and when asked what they don't like about living here, one of the top two complaints is always how early everything shuts. They're often surprised when I enthusiastically agree with this, but having lived in other countries it pisses me off no end. At half past seven this evening, I decided to go on a day trip tomorrow and wanted to pick a couple of things up - I checked online, is Merry Hill open at half past seven on a Saturday evening? Is it ****. At half past nine, I went for a walk around Blackheath for an hour. What's open? Pubs, and a Pizza Hut Delivery. No other businesses. I hate how we all just retreat into our little rabbit hutches as soon as the sun goes down. Rubbish. I think this is a good thing. I hate the whole 24/7 culture. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 1 minute ago, mjmooney said: I think this is a good thing. I hate the whole 24/7 culture. Well I don't, I think it breeds insular, miserable people with a net curtains mentality who don't ever interact with their neighbours or their community except to drive out of it to work everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted April 8, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted April 8, 2017 10 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: Well I don't, I think it breeds insular, miserable people with a net curtains mentality who don't ever interact with their neighbours or their community except to drive out of it to work everyday. There's nothing stopping people interacting with their neighbours in the evenings. They can visit each other, do sports and hobbies, go to gigs, or the cinema, or the theatre, or the pub. Unless of course they are working in low paid zero hours contract retail jobs, or taking part in the religion of shopping. I liked Sundays better when the shops were shut, too (and that's nothing to do with religion). If I need an emergency bottle of milk there's a always a corner shop. If I need a TV or a CD or a pair of shoes, it can wait (or be ordered on the internet). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 34 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: Well I don't, I think it breeds insular, miserable people with a net curtains mentality who don't ever interact with their neighbours or their community except to drive out of it to work everyday. That strikes me as uncharacteristic nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 As someone that has worked retail and worked leisure jobs I'm very much for restricting opening hours. As someone that hates needless light pollution from corner shop Sanisburys that feel the need to be seen from the moon, I'm against long hours. I've lived on a High Street, extending opening hours and Sunday opening destroyed life for the residents. An evening without neon shopping opportunities and traffic should be embraced. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 3 minutes ago, snowychap said: That strikes me as uncharacteristic nonsense. Quite possibly It's how I feel though. I just need to live in a city. I hate living where I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 (edited) 7 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: It's how I feel though. I just need to live in a city. I hate living where I do. Didn't your post say you lived in Blackheath? Edit: Apologies - I was assuming Blackheath in that London. Edited April 8, 2017 by snowychap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 HANOI WE ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER, DO YOU KNOW LONG LANE? WE COULD MEET UP TOMORROW AND BE FRIENDS FOREVER! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 6 minutes ago, Paddywhack said: HANOI WE ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER, DO YOU KNOW LONG LANE? WE COULD MEET UP TOMORROW AND BE FRIENDS FOREVER! I was going to respond by saying we've probably already met, but scanning through my mental rolodex I can't recall seeing anyone with a perfectly spherical yellow face in the neighbourhood 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 24/7 is a necessity for people who work shifts like myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 2 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: How early everything closes in the UK. I chat with foreigners living in the UK every day as part of my job, and when asked what they don't like about living here, one of the top two complaints is always how early everything shuts. They're often surprised when I enthusiastically agree with this, but having lived in other countries it pisses me off no end. At half past seven this evening, I decided to go on a day trip tomorrow and wanted to pick a couple of things up - I checked online, is Merry Hill open at half past seven on a Saturday evening? Is it ****. At half past nine, I went for a walk around Blackheath for an hour. What's open? Pubs, and a Pizza Hut Delivery. No other businesses. I hate how we all just retreat into our little rabbit hutches as soon as the sun goes down. Rubbish. Try getting some petrol after 10pm over here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 12 minutes ago, Ingram85 said: 24/7 is a necessity for people who work shifts like myself. It isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Risso said: Try getting some petrol after 10pm over here! To be fair, I wouldn't expect any different from a sodden rock in the middle of the ocean! (mind you, that sounds like Britain now I mention it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 1 hour ago, snowychap said: It isn't. It is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mjmooney Posted April 9, 2017 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted April 9, 2017 Is this the five minute argument, or the full half-hour? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 7 hours ago, Risso said: Try getting some petrol after 10pm over here! Tell me about it ... they shut the road after I left yours that time and we had to detour around the long route ...coasted down a hill on fumes into a garage at 21:59 as they were trying to shut up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 9 hours ago, Paddywhack said: HANOI WE ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER, DO YOU KNOW LONG LANE? WE COULD MEET UP TOMORROW AND BE FRIENDS FOREVER! I grew up in Rowley. My dad still lives opposite the Peel. Rowley village hill used to seem like a monster but I go up it on my bike now and it's tiny. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Having a nice sunny day in Devon scuppered by a trapped nerve in my lower back causing my left thigh to be both painful and numb.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 9 minutes ago, theboyangel said: Having a nice sunny day in Devon scuppered by a trapped nerve in my lower back causing my left thigh to be both painful and numb.... Sorry to hear that, maybe you could do some inversion therapy off the bridge. Ivybridge is perfectly apposite for the subject of opening times, as I believe that Devonians have the good sense to open one of your beaches for only three days a week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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