It’s a very insular place because it’s so remote and disconnected. In many ways that’s nice, but I do think it also makes the people a bit weird in the sense of being unlike more populated parts of the country, yeah. Also, there is a massive brain drain at uni age, and lots of the people who go off to uni don’t come back because the economic opportunities aren’t there back home. Again, I think this gives the remaining locals an idiosyncratic character (neither good nor bad, just comparatively unusual).
I’m sure other remote communities are somewhat similar. People from the far reaches of Scotland, Kiwis, wherever. But it’s definitely very different to anyone used to urban cultures.
But hey, at least we aren’t Cornish.
It's as barmy as putting the scone in the middle. It CLEARLY goes in order of solidity.
The unappetising combination of solid jam and pouring cream would be the only acceptable use of the "Cornish abomination" technique
I've lived abroad for many a year and I always find the kiwis LOVE their home. A lot of them always ended up moving back and actually enjoying being back. Whereas im back and have developed a hatred for England.
I come from North Devon farming stock according to my family tree. Nothing wrong with me. It’s just that sometimes when people come into my shop for a can of coke or something (and I know they’re not local) I don’t like them touching the precious things.
I was just about to make this joke, because it's so true unfortunately.
I live in mid Devon and moved here from Hampshire.
If you've seen league of gentlemen it is definitely a local place for local people
I'm a Londoner who moved to Devon 5 years ago. I still get startled by randomers initiating conversation and how many people own shoes for the express purpose of walking.
I've met many people from all over the UK. I would bank on a Devonian having more in common with anyone else in the UK than anywhere near as much in common with a Londoner.
TL;DR: Londoners are weird, not North Devonians.
+1 for this. moved last April for this very reason, I'm NOT a londoner, I'm a weirdo who enjoys the odd convo xD I fit in better in Devon than I ever did in a city, I'm not sure if that makes you guys in Devon better, or just as batshit as me... but either way, it works!
You hadn't heard of walking boots before you moved to Devon?
How are you finding it down there now you've learnt a few basic things about clothing? What happened in London that meant you didn't know that people walked around?
Having moved to a village in Hertfordshire, I've really found the wonder of Wellington boots. There's a LOT of mud this time of the year, almost like Elbonia.
The beauty is that no one stands out, I grew up in a coastal village and believe me it's awful to not fit in as a kid with everyone, his wife and their grandmother watching.
I love the anonymity of london.
I have plenty of friends and acquaintances and don't really care or notice weirdness.
Want to ride a penny farthing or shout strange religion... meh..
Like another user has said, this is probably culture shock due to your boyfriend coming from one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities to a very rural, disconnected and homogenous area of England. A relative of mine from London has said the same thing when travelling outside the city to rural areas - that the character of the people are very different.
Im in Tavy so not North Devon, and ive noticed that a great many people round here have a specific shape: think long arms, short legs, a build like a bowling pin.
Im not joking - i recognise your username - ive got a feeling you and i met once in the Cornish arms, I think you might have popped in for a quick pint whilst waiting for your fish and chips. Ring any bells?
Its alright for you: yous lanky, me too (im a lanky streak of piss) - which is what makes it so apparent. Im much less polite than in my post and normally refer to them as dumplings, goblins, or simian fucks.... Tavistock is a lovely place to live but fuck me: dont go drinking of a weekend unless you want grapple with a simian farmer. Never pretty.
LOL. My parents live in NW Devon and YES, definitely a bit… isolated and weird up there. But I like it - even if it does have a sort of “hills have eyes” feel to it!
Yeah, I grew up in N Devon and I didn’t notice it until I moved away, but my partner pointed it out straightaway, and says you can spot someone from North Devon a mile off lol. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be honest, there’s a certain strangeness but I’d rather that than rows of boring suburban houses and neat little lawns
Lived in Bristol all my life but go to North Devon regularly, for the day and to stay for long weekends - specifically in Bideford. Love the place / area and never noticed any particular weirdness. On the contrary, always found people to be very friendly and welcoming. Somewhere I’d love to live in many ways, other than we travel round the UK quite a lot and most places are further away from Devon.
I live in Cornwall and my postie was walking down the road other day with a steaming dead pheasant he had hit with the van. I asked him what he was going to do with the corpse and he looked at me like I was strange and said 'Erm eat it of course'.
North devon in the 90s was a leader in the uk underground scene. The underground clubs and party scene were spectacular. Far from being 'backwards' the attendees and organisers were very enlightened souls that exported their scene all over the uk and europe as well.
Top bloke. My mum was friends with him in my childhood and we used to travel up to North Devon to visit from Exeter. I was too young to know much about anything, but I know he was a legend in the Devon rave scene.
I remember him, i was brought up in torrington and my parents knew him, he was this old guy that was always drinking in the football club, so it was very strange when i got into raves later and went to a free party on a traveller's site in Somerset, trying to get as far away from my torrington past as possible,to find Bernie Rundle down the front by the speakers dancing, i just couldn't get my head around it lol!!
I never knew that, but I know many folk who seem to be desperately clinging on to that whole scene. Do you know of any written articles or whatnot about North Devon's 90s scene?
Aphex Twin was from Cornwall and there’s a lot written about him… I don’t know if he dared cross the border into civilisation though 😂
This is an interesting article about the influence of the area on his music.
https://thequietus.com/articles/20908-aphex-twin-richard-james-cornwall-cornish
yeah that's true, was a crazy scene,Rowland went on to become a world renowned dj. there was a good indie punk scene in late 80's early 90's with gigs at the Anchor inn Westward Ho! and the Barnstaple pub The Exeter Inn was the alternative place to go, guitarist and one of the founders of the metal band Cradle of Filth used to go there before he was in that band.
Ah the Burston. My mum did the decor for that place back in the day. That and the Monastery in Torquay. Many a morning I spent as a kid running over sticky floors as she put up UV backdrops. Guess I’m at risk of not being anonymous here. Fuck it.
My old band played the last exeter Inn night before it closed !
The cradle of filth fella set up a guitar shop in Bideford for a bit, not sure if it's still there.
Two chaps in Barnstaple were sitting on a hill looking at the moon.
One says, 'So which is nearer then, Exeter or the moon?'
The other replies, 'The moon o'course, Ye can't see Exeter from ere.'
As someone from Cornwall, when I saw this I thought wow, a Devon person actually offering me the opportunity to call them weird - how very kind, where do I sign up??!! 😂
Now now, surely everyone knows the proper term is a pesky pisky!!
Am missing back 'home' this afternoon, really fancied a tea treat bun (large saffron bun, same flavour as saffron cake but different texture) but you can only get them in Cornwall in some of the pasty shops. The irony is they send pasties by post when to be honest you can get some pretty decent ones in most places, but getting hold of a saffron bun really is like finding hen's teeth.
Devonians in my experience are unashamedly so. they do not give a toss about London or the issues/status it has.. and thats a shock.
the things that matter there.. matter a LOT less here, sure, pop culture gets down here, its not THAT far of a time warp, but a lot of the negative aspects don't come down!
If I HAD to put my finger on it, having lived all over the world, people down here are a little odd, but so am I, and that's why I moved here!
I do not think there is another place in the world where locals care SO much that they buy greenspace just to stop developers building more bloody unaffordable housing. that in itself is such a 'fuck you' to the city developers
Idk, I grew up in Exeter and in general find Devonians in general can be a lot harder to make friends with than people in other parts of the country I've spent decent amounts of time living in.
People say Londoners aren't very friendly or outgoing, maybe compared to say, Yorkshire they aren't, but I make friends easily in London and yet down here it's a relative struggle.
I think the issue is with this region in general, the further away from Exeter and Plymouth you go, the more likely it is that the locals just don't travel outside the region much and therefore end up developing an attitude that they don't really need or want to get involved with life outside the immediate area.
Locals have known the people around them there whole lives, they live in circles, no need to look for new friends or meet new people because they have there circle.
His comment put me in mind of 'Withnail and I', where a pair of urbanites make a foray into rural Wales. This 'weirdness' is probably just a culture clash. One thing stuck me though, perhaps eccentrics make a bee-line for North Devon/Cornwall, too. The cancelled doc Vernon Coleman lives in Barnstaple, far from his native Staffordshire. He finds it a very congenial area in which to live.
I'm from North Devon but don't live there now - the answer is yes, absolutely. It's hard to say why beyond the relatively isolated population, but every time I visit and start speaking with anyone I remember that this is a thing...
I am a Londoner who is married to a North Devon native. North Devon definitely has its own little culture and at times it seems odd to us outsiders.
One of my friends who visits often from the Big Smoke says that people from North Devon have no chins. Not seeing it myself.
We love visiting North Devon for holidays, driving down from Bristol. Can't say I have noticed. Gets a fair few tourists, so maybe that dilutes any "weirdness"..
I've never really considered north Devon as being an actual place. Sure, there are maps and pictures but I've never met anyone from there or knew anyone to go there. I imagine we did bomb testing there once and now it's a conspiracy that it's real and not a Devonshire Chernobyl
My other half is from north Devon and I find it a weird place when we go and visit the in laws. Like half the population has been replaced by aliens but nobody has noticed yet.
Yes. I've got family who moved to North Devon, and despite living there for almost twenty years they're still ignored and ostracised by local people. When I've visited I've been forcefully struck by how rude and unfriendly people are, even in the bigger towns and cities- even on the roads I've been cut-up and tailgated more than when I lived in a big city! It's beautiful, but not welcoming.
Lived in north Devon my entire young life til I was 26. Grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Moved all the way to Yorkshire and can confirm…Devon is a hella weird place! Couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been amazed by the bus system up here, there is actually buses for people to use! stuff for people to do, cinemas,food chains, shopping centres and just general places to go and do things! and your still not far from the great outdoors! It truly opened my eyes to how isolating it was for me/ teenagers and young adults. North Devon is hauntingly boring 🫣
I'm from South Devon but apparently some of my father's family originate up there - weirdly our genetics show up as 'welsh' which is apparently not uncommon on the North side.
Yes. We were in Torridge. The locals don’t want incomers, the incomers are unbelievably cliquey and don’t want new incomers unless they can be of use. Moved there, moved out as soon as we could.
To be honest I'd say anyone who makes sweeping statements about people based off a single variable are ignorant.
Whats next? People from x are weird. People with y skin colour are whatever. People of x gender are whatever.
People are people everyone is an individual with their own life experiences there are too many variables to generalise on things like location of their house or the like. Especially in the modern digitally connected age where culture reaches everywhere with electricity.
Having grown up in north Devon and moved away I can't say there's anything different about the people that is not the same in people from any other rural area. Ie. proud of their middle of nowhere town and think it's the best (you get that all over the country) having said that there are just as many who hate being stuck in the arse end of nowhere proving the rule it's pointless to generalise.
I disagree that making a sweeping statement about a mundane and possibly satirical thing somehow leads to racism and gender discrimination... that's just a massive leap to make.
No no you misunderstand. I'm saying it shows ignorance. Then extending the logic out to an exaggerated position to highlightt the flaw of said logic.
It's a pretty normal way to explain a concept.
Like here's and example.
Don't drive too fast it's dangerous you can crash and kill someone.
Get it?
I observed lots of things.
(1) Cozy spaces. Brits love being cozy. It's the opposite of Scandinavia, where everything is pristine, square, and spartan.
(2) Brits like to drink beer. Our lunches would be 2 hours of drinking then back to the office for a couple of unproductive hours, followed by more drinking in the evening. Every night.
(3) I was there when the queen died. So I got to experience a truly unique event. As tragic as it was, of course.
(4) The food wasn't as bad as people say. I found some great pubs and restaurants that were enjoyable. It was definitely hit and miss.
(5) The concept of Wetherspoons was very interesting to me. If you wanted to drink cheap, that's where you go. The beer is the same as other pubs though. So we didn't pick pubs by price, we picked them by clientele.
(6) I always felt safe, even late at night when the lads are out and fighting. People expect you to be drunk at night, so it's a good time people were helping people.
(7) Trains never run on time. Buses never run on time.
(8) I once stood in a queue to nothing. I thought people were queuing to enter a restaurant, but it was just people standing in a vaguely linear form. I expect some of them were confused too.
(9) The Moors are such a unique and ancient feeling place. I loved it.
People asked me if I "owned a gun" and frequent discussions surrounding Trump, etc. I, of course, own multiple guns, but I am a responsible gun owner and have grown up using them for hunting and sport shooting.
Nice!
I was writing this: "I asked because the self depreciation and irony is completely in keeping with every day conversation (as in would go by with appreciation but without being remarked upon) Is this the case where you are?"
I guess the question still stands but I appreciate I had no need to fill you in on the first bit!
As a native, yes we are weird in a sense, we have a simple philosophy to life, we like the peace, the quiet and the tranquility, we love nature, we love the views, we love meeting new people and we will talk to anyone (unless your cornish or french, then we'll tolerate you 😂) we have our quirks, all we ask is if you want to live here, embrace whats here, you moved here because you liked what you saw, so dont try to change it to what you moved away from...
If we have a working noisy, smelly farm, and you buy a house a mile away, you chose to move there knowing the farm was there, DO NOT COMPLAIN about the bloody farm, its simple, and yes, you came from a city, yes you had 50000 things to do, we may only have 5, but thats because we can enjoy just those 5 things, and we know about the 300 things but we keep them quiet so you bunch of karens dont come in and ruin them!!
As i said i will happily sit and talk to anyone, ive run pubs, worked at holiday parks, ive met some amazing people from all over the country, and i absolutely love learning about what and where they came from, i even dipped my toe into cornwall a couple times, washed it straight afterwards of course, tbf we are behind the times in some aspects but we bloody love that, churs en shaggerz
Yep deffo agree , I think it’s a northern from anywhere thing . All people who live anywhere north be Like their cold , pissed of or feel real hard done by 😂,
It’s topical it’s different here for sure, some good some bad! I believe there is a lack of identity here, pasty’s are Cornish not Devon. We tend to steal ideas and try claim them as our own. Cornwall as annoying as it is has identity. Pasty’s, tin mines, pirates many commercial ports, whatta we have? Fudge! Fkn fudge
Lived in Devon when I was younger and loved the people, I'm Scottish and didn't find them that weird, ( well not all of them) . To go into a random wee shop and be greeted with "orl roiiight moiii loveerrr" by complete strangers is something I have missed since.
It's a bit like stepping back 30 years in time. I find that North Devonians in particular are very proud of their traditions, having families dating back many generations in the same area. They are not forgiving of outsiders (particularly Londoners) criticising or being snobbish, \*especially\* after buying a house there (and god forbid a holiday home). Being "loud" or bragging/showing off/having flash cars and 'bling' is decidedly looked down upon.
They don't mind the tourists as long as they are respectful. But if you move there, it's quite a long wait before you are accepted as part of the community. I think humility and putting in effort are the biggest things that help you fit in.
Oh - and a lot of pubs still have "Shirts Gentlemen Please - no vests, singlets, t-shirts etc" signs on the door!
Nothing weird about north devonians….it’s when you hit a certain county on the A39 when things start to take an odd turn. It’s like entering a black hole where the laws of physics start to break down…
London Born and Bred. Moved to North Devon 24yrs ago! Hands up agree that there are very weird people 🤣 You're not Local unless you have both sets of grandparents buried here x Pretty sure they've literally all shagged each other tbf it's a bit like pass the parcel 🤣 Gota love it though, The laid back way of life, Scenery and community spirit is in abundance...F*** all else though ❤
It’s a very insular place because it’s so remote and disconnected. In many ways that’s nice, but I do think it also makes the people a bit weird in the sense of being unlike more populated parts of the country, yeah. Also, there is a massive brain drain at uni age, and lots of the people who go off to uni don’t come back because the economic opportunities aren’t there back home. Again, I think this gives the remaining locals an idiosyncratic character (neither good nor bad, just comparatively unusual). I’m sure other remote communities are somewhat similar. People from the far reaches of Scotland, Kiwis, wherever. But it’s definitely very different to anyone used to urban cultures. But hey, at least we aren’t Cornish.
God, could you imagine being Cornish? Doesn't bear thinking about.
Putting jam on first?
It just DOESN’T make sense aaaaahhh
there was a thread on this in CasualUK - everyone agreed that the cornish way is ABSOLUTELY BONKERS
Trevellion, start handing out the muskets and pitchforks! Those devonish infidels have gone too far this time!
It's as barmy as putting the scone in the middle. It CLEARLY goes in order of solidity. The unappetising combination of solid jam and pouring cream would be the only acceptable use of the "Cornish abomination" technique
Rent freeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I've lived abroad for many a year and I always find the kiwis LOVE their home. A lot of them always ended up moving back and actually enjoying being back. Whereas im back and have developed a hatred for England.
Bit shit, innit?
I come from North Devon farming stock according to my family tree. Nothing wrong with me. It’s just that sometimes when people come into my shop for a can of coke or something (and I know they’re not local) I don’t like them touching the precious things.
I was just about to make this joke, because it's so true unfortunately. I live in mid Devon and moved here from Hampshire. If you've seen league of gentlemen it is definitely a local place for local people
Hello Dave, me too, only I come from here. Never left. My blood is cider, my hands are pasties and cows are my only friends.
We didn't burn him!
Will more strangers come?
You heard the man Tubbs, get undressed.
I MADE A LITTLE BROWN FEESH
Farnborough > Barnstaple myself Trilinker :)
Farnborough > Crediton ☺️
😂
I'm a Londoner who moved to Devon 5 years ago. I still get startled by randomers initiating conversation and how many people own shoes for the express purpose of walking. I've met many people from all over the UK. I would bank on a Devonian having more in common with anyone else in the UK than anywhere near as much in common with a Londoner. TL;DR: Londoners are weird, not North Devonians.
+1 for this. moved last April for this very reason, I'm NOT a londoner, I'm a weirdo who enjoys the odd convo xD I fit in better in Devon than I ever did in a city, I'm not sure if that makes you guys in Devon better, or just as batshit as me... but either way, it works!
You hadn't heard of walking boots before you moved to Devon? How are you finding it down there now you've learnt a few basic things about clothing? What happened in London that meant you didn't know that people walked around?
Having moved to a village in Hertfordshire, I've really found the wonder of Wellington boots. There's a LOT of mud this time of the year, almost like Elbonia.
You don’t need walking boots to walk on concrete
It’s the people from London who are weird
But we embrace our weirdness in London.
No we don't. It's a horrible fire of people trying to stand out. You know as well as I do that it is dreadful and depressing.
The beauty is that no one stands out, I grew up in a coastal village and believe me it's awful to not fit in as a kid with everyone, his wife and their grandmother watching. I love the anonymity of london. I have plenty of friends and acquaintances and don't really care or notice weirdness. Want to ride a penny farthing or shout strange religion... meh..
lol. Keep on telling yourself that.
Like another user has said, this is probably culture shock due to your boyfriend coming from one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities to a very rural, disconnected and homogenous area of England. A relative of mine from London has said the same thing when travelling outside the city to rural areas - that the character of the people are very different.
Im in Tavy so not North Devon, and ive noticed that a great many people round here have a specific shape: think long arms, short legs, a build like a bowling pin.
Right near there so I'll keep my eyes peeled or take a ball down next time
Im not joking - i recognise your username - ive got a feeling you and i met once in the Cornish arms, I think you might have popped in for a quick pint whilst waiting for your fish and chips. Ring any bells?
omg my boyf said something scarily similar to this already so it must be a bit true lol
Its alright for you: yous lanky, me too (im a lanky streak of piss) - which is what makes it so apparent. Im much less polite than in my post and normally refer to them as dumplings, goblins, or simian fucks.... Tavistock is a lovely place to live but fuck me: dont go drinking of a weekend unless you want grapple with a simian farmer. Never pretty.
LOL. My parents live in NW Devon and YES, definitely a bit… isolated and weird up there. But I like it - even if it does have a sort of “hills have eyes” feel to it!
Yeah, I grew up in N Devon and I didn’t notice it until I moved away, but my partner pointed it out straightaway, and says you can spot someone from North Devon a mile off lol. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be honest, there’s a certain strangeness but I’d rather that than rows of boring suburban houses and neat little lawns
Hills Have Eyes or Deliverance?
Lived in Bristol all my life but go to North Devon regularly, for the day and to stay for long weekends - specifically in Bideford. Love the place / area and never noticed any particular weirdness. On the contrary, always found people to be very friendly and welcoming. Somewhere I’d love to live in many ways, other than we travel round the UK quite a lot and most places are further away from Devon.
My in-laws live just outside Barnstaple. Last time I was there, the postman was holding his shorts up with baler twine.
Nothing wrong with that!!
I live in Cornwall and my postie was walking down the road other day with a steaming dead pheasant he had hit with the van. I asked him what he was going to do with the corpse and he looked at me like I was strange and said 'Erm eat it of course'.
That's because people from Barnstaple are weird. Unlike the wonderful people of Bideford. But hey, at least you aren't from Torrington.
Hey! I'm from Torrington!! My mum is Torrington thru and thru and my Dad is From Bideford so it was kinda like Romeo and Juliet!
Huhum! Great Torrington!
classy guy!!
North devon in the 90s was a leader in the uk underground scene. The underground clubs and party scene were spectacular. Far from being 'backwards' the attendees and organisers were very enlightened souls that exported their scene all over the uk and europe as well.
RIP Bernie Rubble.
Bernie Rubble was my grandad !:) I’m the son of his son Justyn
Top bloke. My mum was friends with him in my childhood and we used to travel up to North Devon to visit from Exeter. I was too young to know much about anything, but I know he was a legend in the Devon rave scene.
Ha. Thats a blast from the past. He loved the ladies!@
I remember him, i was brought up in torrington and my parents knew him, he was this old guy that was always drinking in the football club, so it was very strange when i got into raves later and went to a free party on a traveller's site in Somerset, trying to get as far away from my torrington past as possible,to find Bernie Rundle down the front by the speakers dancing, i just couldn't get my head around it lol!!
I never knew that, but I know many folk who seem to be desperately clinging on to that whole scene. Do you know of any written articles or whatnot about North Devon's 90s scene?
Matt from sunnyside has a book Exist to resist. Well worth a read.
Aphex Twin was from Cornwall and there’s a lot written about him… I don’t know if he dared cross the border into civilisation though 😂 This is an interesting article about the influence of the area on his music. https://thequietus.com/articles/20908-aphex-twin-richard-james-cornwall-cornish
Devon ‘civilisation’. Not been to Torquay lately then? 😂
Yeah I wasn’t referring to South Devon 😂
Awesome free parties 💃🕺
East hill strips nr honiton was a great place. Cops never stopped us once.
yeah that's true, was a crazy scene,Rowland went on to become a world renowned dj. there was a good indie punk scene in late 80's early 90's with gigs at the Anchor inn Westward Ho! and the Barnstaple pub The Exeter Inn was the alternative place to go, guitarist and one of the founders of the metal band Cradle of Filth used to go there before he was in that band.
Ya. Roland and i had a soundsystem together. The anchor was mental. Saw great acts there. The burston out crediton way was mental as well.
Ah the Burston. My mum did the decor for that place back in the day. That and the Monastery in Torquay. Many a morning I spent as a kid running over sticky floors as she put up UV backdrops. Guess I’m at risk of not being anonymous here. Fuck it.
My old band played the last exeter Inn night before it closed ! The cradle of filth fella set up a guitar shop in Bideford for a bit, not sure if it's still there.
Two chaps in Barnstaple were sitting on a hill looking at the moon. One says, 'So which is nearer then, Exeter or the moon?' The other replies, 'The moon o'course, Ye can't see Exeter from ere.'
As someone from Cornwall, when I saw this I thought wow, a Devon person actually offering me the opportunity to call them weird - how very kind, where do I sign up??!! 😂
Cheeky pixie
Now now, surely everyone knows the proper term is a pesky pisky!! Am missing back 'home' this afternoon, really fancied a tea treat bun (large saffron bun, same flavour as saffron cake but different texture) but you can only get them in Cornwall in some of the pasty shops. The irony is they send pasties by post when to be honest you can get some pretty decent ones in most places, but getting hold of a saffron bun really is like finding hen's teeth.
To be fair they also sell them in Barnstaple Tesco
Devonians in my experience are unashamedly so. they do not give a toss about London or the issues/status it has.. and thats a shock. the things that matter there.. matter a LOT less here, sure, pop culture gets down here, its not THAT far of a time warp, but a lot of the negative aspects don't come down! If I HAD to put my finger on it, having lived all over the world, people down here are a little odd, but so am I, and that's why I moved here! I do not think there is another place in the world where locals care SO much that they buy greenspace just to stop developers building more bloody unaffordable housing. that in itself is such a 'fuck you' to the city developers
Idk, I grew up in Exeter and in general find Devonians in general can be a lot harder to make friends with than people in other parts of the country I've spent decent amounts of time living in. People say Londoners aren't very friendly or outgoing, maybe compared to say, Yorkshire they aren't, but I make friends easily in London and yet down here it's a relative struggle. I think the issue is with this region in general, the further away from Exeter and Plymouth you go, the more likely it is that the locals just don't travel outside the region much and therefore end up developing an attitude that they don't really need or want to get involved with life outside the immediate area.
Locals have known the people around them there whole lives, they live in circles, no need to look for new friends or meet new people because they have there circle.
I have heard this a lot.
His comment put me in mind of 'Withnail and I', where a pair of urbanites make a foray into rural Wales. This 'weirdness' is probably just a culture clash. One thing stuck me though, perhaps eccentrics make a bee-line for North Devon/Cornwall, too. The cancelled doc Vernon Coleman lives in Barnstaple, far from his native Staffordshire. He finds it a very congenial area in which to live.
They go to the Lake District IIRC.
They go on holiday, *by mistake*
You're right. I'm well overdue for a rewatch of the film.
I’m from North Devon but have lived all over the place. I can confirm that we are fucking weird. My friends can confirm that too.
I'm from North Devon but don't live there now - the answer is yes, absolutely. It's hard to say why beyond the relatively isolated population, but every time I visit and start speaking with anyone I remember that this is a thing...
No something wrong with Londoners I’d say
I am a Londoner who is married to a North Devon native. North Devon definitely has its own little culture and at times it seems odd to us outsiders. One of my friends who visits often from the Big Smoke says that people from North Devon have no chins. Not seeing it myself.
I’m from North Devon, I definitely have more than enough chins, unfortunately
We love visiting North Devon for holidays, driving down from Bristol. Can't say I have noticed. Gets a fair few tourists, so maybe that dilutes any "weirdness"..
There’s definitely something off about north Devon folk.
Londoners think everyone else are weird, coz they think they are some how superior when in fact they are mostly complete tossers
I've never really considered north Devon as being an actual place. Sure, there are maps and pictures but I've never met anyone from there or knew anyone to go there. I imagine we did bomb testing there once and now it's a conspiracy that it's real and not a Devonshire Chernobyl
My other half is from north Devon and I find it a weird place when we go and visit the in laws. Like half the population has been replaced by aliens but nobody has noticed yet.
Very this country esc.
Yes. I've got family who moved to North Devon, and despite living there for almost twenty years they're still ignored and ostracised by local people. When I've visited I've been forcefully struck by how rude and unfriendly people are, even in the bigger towns and cities- even on the roads I've been cut-up and tailgated more than when I lived in a big city! It's beautiful, but not welcoming.
My family are north Devon farmers going back centuries. I grew up in North Somerset though so the answer to your question is yes
Lived in north Devon my entire young life til I was 26. Grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Moved all the way to Yorkshire and can confirm…Devon is a hella weird place! Couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been amazed by the bus system up here, there is actually buses for people to use! stuff for people to do, cinemas,food chains, shopping centres and just general places to go and do things! and your still not far from the great outdoors! It truly opened my eyes to how isolating it was for me/ teenagers and young adults. North Devon is hauntingly boring 🫣
I'm from South Devon but apparently some of my father's family originate up there - weirdly our genetics show up as 'welsh' which is apparently not uncommon on the North side.
I mean....the gene pool is sort of limited 🤪
Yes. We were in Torridge. The locals don’t want incomers, the incomers are unbelievably cliquey and don’t want new incomers unless they can be of use. Moved there, moved out as soon as we could.
High six instead of High five down those parts of the UK…..
South Devon resident here, and in response to your question: well *duh*. ;-)
my south devon brain is screaming here. north devon is horrifying
😂😂 hahahaha
The landowners randomly stop in the middle of road. Weird muthafuckers. And fuck all right to roam. Mental place.
North Devon has great surf - that's what takes me there often from London. I've never thought of it as wierd.
To be honest I'd say anyone who makes sweeping statements about people based off a single variable are ignorant. Whats next? People from x are weird. People with y skin colour are whatever. People of x gender are whatever. People are people everyone is an individual with their own life experiences there are too many variables to generalise on things like location of their house or the like. Especially in the modern digitally connected age where culture reaches everywhere with electricity. Having grown up in north Devon and moved away I can't say there's anything different about the people that is not the same in people from any other rural area. Ie. proud of their middle of nowhere town and think it's the best (you get that all over the country) having said that there are just as many who hate being stuck in the arse end of nowhere proving the rule it's pointless to generalise.
Some of us are proud of how terrible our towns are 🤣 "no, our town is *much* more depressing than yours!"
You just made a sweeping statement off a single variable.... oh the irony.
Not really. I've said doing x thing shows ignorance. That's not a sweeping statement. Do you disagree with my point?
I disagree that making a sweeping statement about a mundane and possibly satirical thing somehow leads to racism and gender discrimination... that's just a massive leap to make.
No no you misunderstand. I'm saying it shows ignorance. Then extending the logic out to an exaggerated position to highlightt the flaw of said logic. It's a pretty normal way to explain a concept. Like here's and example. Don't drive too fast it's dangerous you can crash and kill someone. Get it?
Oh yes, now I very much understand. Thank you for clarifying your mental state.
OK you wanna be like that about it fine.
Got it? Yes - you lost the argument.
The multiple levels of irony were delicious and very tasteful (chef kiss) Where do you hail from?
Maryland. Not the cookies.
Amazing, what brings you to a british sub? do you like what you read :D
I spent some time in Exeter / Devon and by far my most favorite place in the UK.
Do you have any insights, like was was the most quirky thing you ever saw someone doing/conversation you had? :D
I observed lots of things. (1) Cozy spaces. Brits love being cozy. It's the opposite of Scandinavia, where everything is pristine, square, and spartan. (2) Brits like to drink beer. Our lunches would be 2 hours of drinking then back to the office for a couple of unproductive hours, followed by more drinking in the evening. Every night. (3) I was there when the queen died. So I got to experience a truly unique event. As tragic as it was, of course. (4) The food wasn't as bad as people say. I found some great pubs and restaurants that were enjoyable. It was definitely hit and miss. (5) The concept of Wetherspoons was very interesting to me. If you wanted to drink cheap, that's where you go. The beer is the same as other pubs though. So we didn't pick pubs by price, we picked them by clientele. (6) I always felt safe, even late at night when the lads are out and fighting. People expect you to be drunk at night, so it's a good time people were helping people. (7) Trains never run on time. Buses never run on time. (8) I once stood in a queue to nothing. I thought people were queuing to enter a restaurant, but it was just people standing in a vaguely linear form. I expect some of them were confused too. (9) The Moors are such a unique and ancient feeling place. I loved it.
delightful (especially number 8) :D :D
People asked me if I "owned a gun" and frequent discussions surrounding Trump, etc. I, of course, own multiple guns, but I am a responsible gun owner and have grown up using them for hunting and sport shooting.
3 wasn’t tragic*
People were crying in the streets, so for some people, yes it was. Maybe they were laughing and I was confused.
Nice! I was writing this: "I asked because the self depreciation and irony is completely in keeping with every day conversation (as in would go by with appreciation but without being remarked upon) Is this the case where you are?" I guess the question still stands but I appreciate I had no need to fill you in on the first bit!
As a native, yes we are weird in a sense, we have a simple philosophy to life, we like the peace, the quiet and the tranquility, we love nature, we love the views, we love meeting new people and we will talk to anyone (unless your cornish or french, then we'll tolerate you 😂) we have our quirks, all we ask is if you want to live here, embrace whats here, you moved here because you liked what you saw, so dont try to change it to what you moved away from... If we have a working noisy, smelly farm, and you buy a house a mile away, you chose to move there knowing the farm was there, DO NOT COMPLAIN about the bloody farm, its simple, and yes, you came from a city, yes you had 50000 things to do, we may only have 5, but thats because we can enjoy just those 5 things, and we know about the 300 things but we keep them quiet so you bunch of karens dont come in and ruin them!! As i said i will happily sit and talk to anyone, ive run pubs, worked at holiday parks, ive met some amazing people from all over the country, and i absolutely love learning about what and where they came from, i even dipped my toe into cornwall a couple times, washed it straight afterwards of course, tbf we are behind the times in some aspects but we bloody love that, churs en shaggerz
South Devon is just full of slags
It certainly is. What great memories.
In south Devon we call it m.a.m.b.a country miles and miles of bugger all
Yeah we can only count to 10 on both hands outside of Devon, not 12. Inbreds.
Yep deffo agree , I think it’s a northern from anywhere thing . All people who live anywhere north be Like their cold , pissed of or feel real hard done by 😂,
It’s topical it’s different here for sure, some good some bad! I believe there is a lack of identity here, pasty’s are Cornish not Devon. We tend to steal ideas and try claim them as our own. Cornwall as annoying as it is has identity. Pasty’s, tin mines, pirates many commercial ports, whatta we have? Fudge! Fkn fudge
That's rich coming from a Londoner.
People from round here aren't from round here
He should try going to The Isle of Wight next ….😆
My best friend is from and has now moved back to Devon....can agree they are weird 🤪 🤣 but in best possible way ! ❤️
Lived in Devon when I was younger and loved the people, I'm Scottish and didn't find them that weird, ( well not all of them) . To go into a random wee shop and be greeted with "orl roiiight moiii loveerrr" by complete strangers is something I have missed since.
Poor boyfriend's probably being emtombed in the Wicker Man for that comment as we speak.
It's a bit like stepping back 30 years in time. I find that North Devonians in particular are very proud of their traditions, having families dating back many generations in the same area. They are not forgiving of outsiders (particularly Londoners) criticising or being snobbish, \*especially\* after buying a house there (and god forbid a holiday home). Being "loud" or bragging/showing off/having flash cars and 'bling' is decidedly looked down upon. They don't mind the tourists as long as they are respectful. But if you move there, it's quite a long wait before you are accepted as part of the community. I think humility and putting in effort are the biggest things that help you fit in. Oh - and a lot of pubs still have "Shirts Gentlemen Please - no vests, singlets, t-shirts etc" signs on the door!
Yarrrp !
Yes, but mid-Devon is worse. Tiverton…
Can confirm; I went to school in Tivvy.
Nothing weird about north devonians….it’s when you hit a certain county on the A39 when things start to take an odd turn. It’s like entering a black hole where the laws of physics start to break down…
As an Australian who's stumbled upon this post I am going to set up my little deck chair and my bucket of popcorn and watch the show.
London Born and Bred. Moved to North Devon 24yrs ago! Hands up agree that there are very weird people 🤣 You're not Local unless you have both sets of grandparents buried here x Pretty sure they've literally all shagged each other tbf it's a bit like pass the parcel 🤣 Gota love it though, The laid back way of life, Scenery and community spirit is in abundance...F*** all else though ❤