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Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Old Oct 27th 2011, 6:46 pm
  #106  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Steve_
If you like watching documentaries. I actually disagree, some of the documentaries they have on PBS are better, the Ken Burns' documentaries are amazingly good, they're better than anything I've ever seen in the UK.
Some of the PBS documentaries are good saw some of the prohibition one recently, civil war is a good series. The national parks one is interesting but rather self congratulatory. PBS content includes old BBC stuff doesn't it - Midsomer Murders, Keeping Up Appearances etc?

On the whole though BBC content is much more reliable though than anything in north america but that should be no suprise though as it's well funded and has a public service rather than ratings target.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 6:49 pm
  #107  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by jimf
Some of the PBS documentaries are good saw some of the prohibition one recently, civil war is a good series. The national parks one is interesting but rather self congratulatory. PBS content includes old BBC stuff doesn't it - Midsomer Murders, Keeping Up Appearances etc?

On the whole though BBC content is much more reliable though than anything in north america but that should be no suprise though as it's well funded and has a public service rather than ratings target.
Actually PBS has a lot of newer BBC stuff too.

I really like PBS Knowledge here in BC has interesting docs too.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 6:51 pm
  #108  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by el_richo
I lived in both East and South West London and don't recognize it either. That said, he must live in a shithole.

I think he should take a trip to the DTES in Vancouver and some of the not so nice areas of the suburbs to wipe the rose tint away
I'd have to agree with the OP about his London experience. I lived in East Dulwich between 1998 and 2004, and had 1 burglary, two attempted burglaries, one peeping tom and one stalker. Someone once stole my spade and hose from the garden shed. My Dad had his passenger window broken and car broken into when my parents came to stay.

East Dulwich was by no means a bad area to live. In contrast, up to a couple of weeks ago when my car was keyed in the Costco car park, I've never really had to think about crime. This is despite the fact that I live in downtown Toronto and work in Parkdale. I'm happy not to lock the doors when I'm at home, and even have the front door open in the Summer.

When I came here on my reccy trip, I stayed with FOF in Burlington who left the front door open when they took the dog for an hour long walk. I nearly had heart failure, but they didn't give it a second thought. When I lived in Oakville, I hardly ever locked the front door, and never locked my patio doors.

There's absolutely no comparison with the levels of petty (and more serious) crime around the part of Canada I live to London.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 6:57 pm
  #109  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

On the other hand thinking you are going to be knifed if you make eye contact with strangers doesnt tie in with experience in most of the UK surely?
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:02 pm
  #110  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by iaink
On the other hand thinking you are going to be knifed if you make eye contact with strangers doesnt tie in with experience in most of the UK surely?
.... but comparing the most similar areas - middle class downtown Toronto, with middle class central London shows that there are significantly different levels of criminality. And yes, I would have been scared to look a number of bus passengers on the bus from Victoria through the Elephant and Castle and Camberwell in the eye.

When I first moved to East Dulwich I made the mistake of finding myself at Peckham bus station in a suit with a briefcase around midnight. I've never been so scared in my life, and I'm not someone who is unreasonably scared of violent crime. I would never for example, have thought twice about walking about on my own at night back in Leeds.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:08 pm
  #111  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Steve_
If you like watching documentaries. I actually disagree, some of the documentaries they have on PBS are better, the Ken Burns' documentaries are amazingly good, they're better than anything I've ever seen in the UK.
I must be the only one that can't stand the over sentimentalized, wistfully nostalgic bollox of American exceptionalism that Burns peddles. And as for his narration, it either puts you to sleep or makes you vomit.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:13 pm
  #112  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Pretty Flowers
I would never for example, have thought twice about walking about on my own at night back in Leeds.
Braver than me then, there were some malevolent bits of Leeds that I would have thought twice about wandering about in alone after dark back in my day... chapeltown for one. Maybe its changed though, I hope so.

The point is though that there are plenty of bits of the UK that are not cursed with antisocial behaviour, so to paint the whole of the UK as terrible and use it as a reason to go live in Vancouver really doesnt withstand any sort of critical analysis.

Last edited by iaink; Oct 27th 2011 at 7:31 pm.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:17 pm
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Oink
I must be the only one that can't stand the over sentimentalized, wistfully nostalgic bollox of American exceptionalism that Burns peddles. And as for his narration, it either puts you to sleep or makes you vomit.
I thought Steve_ was being ironic He wasn't seriously suggesting that they really were superior was he?

Of course he's welcome to his opinion of Canadian TV because ultimately it doesn't matter. Complaints about shitty TV might have been valid 10 years ago, but what with the internet, decent TV is only a few clicks away. There is no need to put up with the local shite if you don't want to.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:22 pm
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Alan2005
I thought Steve_ was being ironic He wasn't seriously suggesting that they really were superior was he?

Of course he's welcome to his opinion of Canadian TV because ultimately it doesn't matter. Complaints about shitty TV might have been valid 10 years ago, but what with the internet, decent TV is only a few clicks away. There is no need to put up with the local shite if you don't want to.
I know, I watched 8 out of 10 cats last night on the internet and it was free.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:24 pm
  #115  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Pretty Flowers
I'd have to agree with the OP about his London experience. I lived in East Dulwich between 1998 and 2004, and had 1 burglary, two attempted burglaries, one peeping tom and one stalker. Someone once stole my spade and hose from the garden shed. My Dad had his passenger window broken and car broken into when my parents came to stay.

East Dulwich was by no means a bad area to live. In contrast, up to a couple of weeks ago when my car was keyed in the Costco car park, I've never really had to think about crime. This is despite the fact that I live in downtown Toronto and work in Parkdale. I'm happy not to lock the doors when I'm at home, and even have the front door open in the Summer.

When I came here on my reccy trip, I stayed with FOF in Burlington who left the front door open when they took the dog for an hour long walk. I nearly had heart failure, but they didn't give it a second thought. When I lived in Oakville, I hardly ever locked the front door, and never locked my patio doors.

There's absolutely no comparison with the levels of petty (and more serious) crime around the part of Canada I live to London.
I lived in Dulwich Village for a while. It's surrounded by turds but never once did i feel unsafe travelling around anywhere. Didn't have any issues at all other than a bus took off my wing mirror once

I imagine most people choose to move to a nicer area so obviously comparisons are going to be skewed.

You can't judge a country by one area within it.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:28 pm
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Oink
I know, I watched 8 out of 10 cats last night on the internet and it was free.
I've never seen that; mainly cos I used to think that jimmy carr was a bit of a twat. Lately though I've kind of warmed to his style of comedy so I might check it out.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:29 pm
  #117  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Pretty Flowers
.... but comparing the most similar areas - middle class downtown Toronto, with middle class central London shows that there are significantly different levels of criminality. And yes, I would have been scared to look a number of bus passengers on the bus from Victoria through the Elephant and Castle and Camberwell in the eye.

When I first moved to East Dulwich I made the mistake of finding myself at Peckham bus station in a suit with a briefcase around midnight. I've never been so scared in my life, and I'm not someone who is unreasonably scared of violent crime. I would never for example, have thought twice about walking about on my own at night back in Leeds.
I'm with Pretty Flowers here. I'm sure the stats for Canada are higher on homicides than for the UK (not sure about other violent crime) but the accessibility of guns contributes to that. For street crime, don't know stats but I'm guessing that the UK's worse. I been all over Canada in the past year and I can say for certain that I've personally felt safer and witnessed less crime than I did in the UK. I lived in Oxford and London the past 20 years and thought there was little difference in either city (we were burgled and had our car broken into in both cities).

On the TV subject, there is no way on earth that North American TV can stack up to UK TV. It isn't just the BBC, but ITV dramas and C4 documentaries. I think Steve's being ironic ...
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:32 pm
  #118  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by Oink
I know, I watched 8 out of 10 cats last night on the internet and it was free.
Jimmy Carr's such a twat. He freaks me out too. Can't watch him ...
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 7:45 pm
  #119  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by London Mike
Jimmy Carr's such a twat. He freaks me out too. Can't watch him ...
He's definitely a twat, with an annoying laugh, but he can be funny. Although he's no Rick Mercer.
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Old Oct 27th 2011, 8:58 pm
  #120  
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Default Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !

Originally Posted by el_richo
I lived in Dulwich Village for a while. It's surrounded by turds but never once did i feel unsafe travelling around anywhere. Didn't have any issues at all other than a bus took off my wing mirror once

I imagine most people choose to move to a nicer area so obviously comparisons are going to be skewed.

You can't judge a country by one area within it.
I was talking specifically about London though. Not Oxshott or Maidenhead...
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