Say Hello in East Dulwich

[Keef]

I remember going to some little village in Wales where my ex's granparents had moved to from Liverpool. I went to the pub on my own on the Sunday to watch the footy. I sat at the bar, and was quickly surrounded by a group of 4 or 5 blokes who started chatting and asking me questions... At first they seemed friendly, and interested. Then they started talking Welsh to each other and staring at me, whilst still stood around my barstool...

I would have been quite scared had I not known in my heart that I was a superior being to the lot of them! Freaks ;-)

[Mogs]

Just curious to which part of Wales.

[Asset]

There's a fantastically un-PC old nursery rhyme about a Welshman.

[Keef]

Mogs Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just curious to which part of Wales.

Me or DM?

I can't actually remember, as this was probably about 7 or 8 years back... It was North though....

[dulwichmum]

Dear Templeton,

I would not have been so surprised to find Welsh speakers in Wales, but this was not that far outside Cardiff, where the kids are taught Welsh in the schools, because everyone seems to speak English.

I am sorry to say Mogs, it felt like simple "don't speak to the outsider" hostility. I just love that expression "Taffia" I shall use it always... Thanks.

[Jah Lush]

Hello Asset, come on then, let's hear it, don't hold back.

[dulwichmum]

Yeah Asset - do share...

[Asset]

Taffy was a Welsman, Taffy was a thief

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef

I went to Taffy's hose, Taffy was not in

Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed

so I picked up a poker and bashed in his head

I'm not joking - this is in a collection of rhymes published over 100 yrs ago

[Jah Lush]

Thanks Asset, rather sinister and violent, but then so are most nursery rhymes. Back to thread. Hello, hello hello.

[dulwichmum]

OHMYGOD!!! You murdered Taffy!

DM

Now the Taffia will be after you!

[SeanMacGabhann]

You could always ask the Murphia to protect you

[dulwichmum]

Ha, ha, ha.

[chuff]

mr chuff is Welsh too and I have the same problem. When out with the in-laws we are constantly stopped in the street for them to have their little chats and as soon as they know we are from London they all revert to speaking entirely in Welsh which I find very rude. We have to go there this weekend and I dread it so so much.

I'ts always raining when I go too. bah.

chuff

[bagpuss78]

A little dash of powder

and a little splash of paint

makes the girls of barry

look what they ain't

Written in a note book of my Grandpa's 1925

[SeanMacGabhann]

really Bagpuss?? I like that a lot... Bless 'im

[citizenED]

I was out agian this morning - Goose Green swings all the way to Petitou and Review bookshop and back to Dulwich Library end of LL. Said hi to majority of people and mixed response. Most people polite enough. Almost certain that I didn't pass anyone who's contributed to this thread.

Like the points being made here. I think Dulwichmum is right re Welsh villages, though i doubt it is restricted to there - has not anyone seen the scene in American Werewolf when the guys go into the village pub. Classic.

I also think that some parts of the media perpetuate this view that all "strangers" are a danger. This has us in some completley irrational grip. We fear the mad-looking guy, the loud person on the bus and the much maligned "teenager" or hoody because in the back of our minds we vaguely remember the story of the chip-flicking murderer on the bus or some other heinous but incredibly rare event. The Guardian, for all it's liberal credentials, is guilty of this especially when middle class people (PLU) are attacked by working class people. The Daily Mail is plain awful in this respect.

Say hello to someone around ED today and i would pretty much guarantee that they are not a weirdo or a thug, or any such devilish thing. If they don't respond, no harm done (it might be Keef having another bad morning) but plenty to be gained.

citizen

[bagpuss78]

Yeah it's full of little rhymes and tings i think he was going off to egypt of summit with army and it was his leaving book type thingy.

(Words are going to be had with my welshist friend keef!, freaks you say Keef! :-P)

[dulwichmum]

Gosh Bagpuss, you are very lucky to have a note book like that - in your Grandpa's handwriting. I have a signiture my father wrote in 1976 on the top of a newspaper beside the date. I tore it out of the paper, and always carry it with me. It is probably the most precious thing I own - apart from my Audi Q7 of course!

DM

[peckham_perkster]

Hello! :))

I always smile and say hello to people when walking down the street, it's a great social experiment and the responses differ greatly. Even if you don't say hello try to get eye contact and smile - without looking like you're psychotic or about to hit on them. People invariably smile back and that's never a bad thing.

My favourite is smiling and saying hello to groups of young people whose attire usually consists of hooded tops and tracksuit bottoms with mobile phones playing some rather loud music. I always do this whenever I see them and have to say that they are the friendliest lot and usually are quite polite. It's not exactly hugging a hoodie but I think instilling the idea that we don't all think they're small time criminals about to happy slap us a good thing.

The unfriendliest....hate to say it...mums with prams.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Peckham_Perkster,

Mums with prams are unfriendly - but that is simply because we are so exhausted and the world should pay!

[bald marauder]

Now, actually DM, I find dads with prams are even less friendly than MWPs! At least there is some kind of unspoken solidarity between the MWPs, but with dads, even when I smile or look generally friendly in a 'we're all in this together and it's tough but it's fun' way (which I do most of the time) - 90% of the time I just get blank stares or people looking the other way. And sadly the MWP solidarity doesn't extend to dads either!!

[peckham_perkster]

Good point bald marauder, and good on yer for trying to change the attitude. I always wonder with men if their frowns are to do with the fact that the wheeled contraption they're pushing doesn't have power steering, climate control or a nice set of alloys?

I'm sure that DWP's are just as exhausted as MWP's, though I think some MWP's might beg to differ.

[TillieTrotter]

beg to differ! Although it has changed since my DAY!!!!

[monica]

lol im reading and giggling to myself about saying hi to each other.Dont know if anyone as seen or heard the guy who whistels at people and if you look at him he asks you what you are looking at.Today he walked by and a guy just said hy and the whistler started swearing at him and asked him who the hell he was saying hi at,so please say hi when you are walking around ed but ignore him,unless you fancy a arguement

[Ko]

Hello!

Ok, this evening I said hello to a lady in her front garden as I walked by (and she said hello back) and hello to an elderly man I walked past on the street (and he also said hello).

I also said hello to a pussycat I passed on the way home. The cat's neighbour was walking past at the same time and he introduced me to the cat! So I got talking to the man (who was very nice) and I introduced myself and he told me his name and we had a very pleasant chat. :))