Kent - Garden of England or hotbed of Intolerance?

[scooterscot]

Smiled when I read this.

Recently at a friend's wedding I got chatty with a relative of the groom, from Kent. Asking where I worked for a living. God, did I give the wrong answer.

We discussed bouncing bombs. I answered questions like "Are the Germans still arrogant?"

One of those very loud spoken too.

"You know back during the war..."

I nearly

[SimonMac]

Mrs SB's family originate from Kent. She has a considerable extended family that still live in that part of the country.
I have to admit, in no other part of the country have I encountered such a sizeable number of intolerant racist bigots.
Now I appreciate that it may have been affected more by immigration and cultural diversity than many other parts of the country, but on any family get-togethers you can rely upon all manner of ethnics getting the verbal boot put into them.
Now I have lived and worked in many different areas of the country......London, Yorkshire, Devon, Wiltshire, Sussex, Manchester, and many others, but it really does take the biscuit.
Is it something in the water?

Of course they are intolerant, your a bloody foreigner yourself!

[The_Equalizer]

Well Erith, Welling, Dartford, Maidstone, Bromley etc. mainly.
And it is not confined to any particular group either, it is fairly broadbrush stuff. It is usually started off at a kind of banter level, but it can very quickly deteriorate from there, particularly once the booze starts to flow. Even from the older generation down. Disappointing really, but thankfully Mrs SB shows no signs of it.

All of those are Greater London with the exception of Maidstone and none of them are particularly nice spots!

[shaunbhoy]

Of course they are intolerant, your a bloody foreigner yourself!

That's a given, of course. But their disgruntlement knows few boundaries. They also regard anyone from north of Stevenage, and west of Chiswick, to be unwelcome savages. And you don't want to know what they think of the French.
Odd that last part, for as I have oft pointed out, since the Chunnel opened they are practically bosom buddies.

[shaunbhoy]

All of those are Greater London with the exception of Maidstone and none of them are particularly nice spots!

I think it may be jellied-eel poisoning myself.

[Mich the Tester]

Mrs SB's family originate from Kent. She has a considerable extended family that still live in that part of the country.
I have to admit, in no other part of the country have I encountered such a sizeable number of intolerant racist bigots.
Now I appreciate that it may have been affected more by immigration and cultural diversity than many other parts of the country, but on any family get-togethers you can rely upon all manner of ethnics getting the verbal boot put into them.
Now I have lived and worked in many different areas of the country......London, Yorkshire, Devon, Wiltshire, Sussex, Manchester, and many others, but it really does take the biscuit.
Is it something in the water?

I went to Tunbridge Wells once. Or, as a pretentious local with six fingers corrected me, 'Royal Tunbridge Wells'. I told them I lived in Birmingham and they decided I was an oik. An oik with only five fingers on each hand.

[Troll]

Mrs SB's family originate from Kent. She has a considerable extended family that still live in that part of the country.
I have to admit, in no other part of the country have I encountered such a sizeable number of intolerant racist bigots.
Now I appreciate that it may have been affected more by immigration and cultural diversity than many other parts of the country, but on any family get-togethers you can rely upon all manner of ethnics getting the verbal boot put into them.
Now I have lived and worked in many different areas of the country......London, Yorkshire, Devon, Wiltshire, Sussex, Manchester, and many others, but it really does take the biscuit.
Is it something in the water?

Not native of Kent but now living in Kent & It's no worse or better than any other part of England


Dover was over run by Kosovo immigration during the Balkan troubles in the Blair era, resulting in the fairground stabbing of a white youth (IIRC this led to the idea of dispersing refugees to other towns rather than swamping Kent towns) - there is still resentment about this in Dover

Folkstone / Ashford are having to accommodate large numbers of Nepalese / Afghans, and the Afghans seem to like fighting amongst themselves, whereas Nepalese young males like to walk around in large groups, which is seen as some as intimidating

A large part of Kent's population are ex-EastEnders who moved out to Kent when immigration began to change London & now find themselves sharing with new arrivals - I believe you will find similar views from the Essex population

There are significant numbers of London immigrants being bussed out to Kent town due to the cap on rent allowances being made in the Capital

I do not believe you see the same levels of immigrant populations in Wiltshire/Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire etc (except perhaps Aldershot which too has taken large numbers of Nepalese)


HTH

[Cr1spy]

I'm Kentish, born and bred. Lived here my entire life. In fact you could say I'm a complete Kent.

One thing I have noticed over the years is the spread of "Chav'nes". It's seems to behave like an infection, spreading southwards from the Medway towns. Maidstone is awash with baseball wearing Aunts and scrape back facelifts.

I suspect that the Isle of Sheppy is the original source.

As for "Garden of England"; only if you like your garden's Tarmac'd over and covered with housing association tenements.

Now if it wasn't for all those bloody darkies...

[Zoiderman]

Not native of Kent but now living in Kent & It's no worse or better than any other part of England


Dover was over run by Kosovo immigration during the Balkan troubles in the Blair era, resulting in the fairground stabbing of a white youth (IIRC this led to the idea of dispersing refugees to other towns rather than swamping Kent towns) - there is still resentment about this in Dover

Folkstone / Ashford are having to accommodate large numbers of Nepalese / Afghans, and the Afghans seem to like fighting amongst themselves, whereas Nepalese young males like to walk around in large groups, which is seen as some as intimidating

A large part of Kent's population are ex-EastEnders who moved out to Kent when immigration began to change London & now find themselves sharing with new arrivals - I believe you will find similar views from the Essex population

There are significant numbers of London immigrants being bussed out to Kent town due to the cap on rent allowances being made in the Capital

I do not believe you see the same levels of immigrant populations in Wiltshire/Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire etc (except perhaps Aldershot which too has taken large numbers of Nepalese)


HTH

Some of the poorer parts of Somerset are seeing a large influx of east europeans; Bridgwater is practically Warzaw

[The_Equalizer]

A large part of Kent's population are ex-EastEnders who moved out to Kent...

Thus was always the case. Chislehurst -albeit on the Greater London border - is a prime example.