Comments on: Wankers

By: Pete Ashton

Pete Ashton — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 07:48:30 +0000

Dad: It’s taken me a year to realise the true horror of this place (though I know it’s not just here but in many other suburban areas). At first it was a joke, but that joke is getting less funny.

I think the first clue was the St George flags that went up during the football last year but never reallt came down again.

It should be noted though that this underlying bigotry is not unique to places lik this – it’s just more thick-headed and overt. I may write more about this later. In fact it may become my theme for this year.

Matthew: Thank you – that made my week!

Mikal – the nice ones I don’t mind. Niceness goes a long way. It’s that vein of stupidity that is cruel and unforgiving that gets me. Also, people quite often aren’t as dumb as they make out. A lack of intelligence doesn’t always mean a lack of wisdom, and vice versa.

Billy – You’re welcome. It was a sincere compliment. Your shit makes me piss myself on a regular basis. That too is compliment.

By: billy

billy — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 03:00:11 +0000

…thank you – I think :^)…

By: Mikal

Mikal — Sat, 08 Jan 2005 05:03:43 +0000

I have every sympathy for you Pete. The 2 years I temped (1995 to 1997) in and around Sheffield was the lowest point of my life so far.

It is very negative to say it but one of the lessons I have learnt working in offices and warehouses is how pig ignorant some people are about the simplest of things. Some of them were very nice people mind but they were just so dumb.

By: Lawrenson, M

Lawrenson, M — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 18:32:08 +0000

“And as I’m standing there watching these baboons exist in front of me…”

Possibly the best (part of a) sentence you’ve ever written.

By: Dad

Dad — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 14:34:29 +0000

Now I’m worried because until now Kingstanding didn’t worry me. Maybe it’s because “our Nana May” (maternal grandmother) lived there until she died in 1957. But we all know deep down that just about every Birmingham suburb has evolved from what it was to what it is. Generally this is due to the huge immigration influx and subsequent diversity that makes Birmingham such an exciting place. I hadn’t really noticed that Kingstanding was white before, perhaps because I am color blind after living in Houston for so many years. And I haven’t stood at a bus stop so I wouldn’t have noticed the National Front stickers. So this comes as a surprise to me. Next time I’ll be sure to but a St. George’s sticker on the back of the car, preferably one that also says “England”.
Every city has its Kingstanding but the sheer size and monotony of the area probably gives it first prize. Incidentally, old photos show that the place was even more monotonous when very few people owned cars and vans and the area was too new to show any variation in decoration and landscaping. One of the Chavtown links mentions stone-cladding. This is more common than you might think in the area. Totally moronic to clad one half of a semi in random pieces of paving stone!