Don't know if anyone else has read The Mirror today,but one of the columnists really got my goat.

I can't remember the name of him,but he potrayed the good folk of Yorkshire as nothing short of the locals in Deliverance!

He says that because we are forthright and are not afraid to speak our minds,that the rest of the country think we are backward and ignorant.

I can remember when The Sun upset the salt of the earth scousers,that sales dipped drastically.

So,why don't all us retarded Yorkshie folk boycott The Mirror,and see what this dicks editor thinks of him then?

I agree mate- attacking yorkshire folk- just aint on!

Originally posted by uncleheed
Don't know if anyone else has read The Mirror today,but one of the columnists really got my goat.

I can't remember the name of him,but he potrayed the good folk of Yorkshire as nothing short of the locals in Deliverance!

He says that because we are forthright and are not afraid to speak our minds,that the rest of the country think we are backward and ignorant.

I can remember when The Sun upset the salt of the earth scousers,that sales dipped drastically.

So,why don't all us retarded Yorkshie folk boycott The Mirror,and see what this dicks editor thinks of him then?

You seem to forget that the Scousers are never at fault with anything, so should never have bad things said about them.

The rest of us it seems are fair game.

i only buy mirror when there no suns left anyways

I did not realise that people actually read that piece of ....

Here's the article:

YORKSHIRE? EE BAH DUMB (http://www.mirror.co.uk/columnists/billborrows/)

Ladies and gentlemen, your comments please :hihi:

Originally posted by Abdul
Here's the article:

YORKSHIRE? EE BAH DUMB (http://www.mirror.co.uk/columnists/billborrows/)

Ladies and gentlemen, your comments please :hihi:

This is complete and utter drivel. I'm a Londoner but I *love* Yorkshire people. Best in the world! Never change my friends, you are wonderful as you are!

It's a slow site, so read the article here instead:

YORKSHIRE? EE BAH DUMB Jan 22 2005


THE people of the Yorkshire Dales have recently taken a decision to prevent the rest of us moving into a new house in their part of the world.

But then they are from Yorkshire.

They like to refer to it as "God's county". What a shame! He spent so much on the set and then found out he had nothing left to spend on the cast.

All new houses and barn conversions in the National Park are to be made available for sale at "affordable prices" to local people. And no one else.

No, not you. Not your family. Nobody else. Especially not a Mancunian such as myself.

These homes are for plain-talking, straightforward, a spade-is-a-spade Yorkshire types.

Or, as the rest of the country regards them, buffoons with no manners whatsoever.

This is all about regionalism, racism's snotty little brother.

"At the moment, most house building in the Yorkshire Dales National Park is open market," Peter Watson, the head of planning for the park authority, has declared. That means "anyone can buy them".

Hold the front page. "Free democratic society in you can live wherever you want" shocker.

Hang on, there is a (cough) "brain drain" of young Yorkshire Dales folk to the surrounding towns and cities - you know who I mean, you see them standing on street corners, pointing at planes.

As the late, great Les Dawson once observed, "Yorkshire is like Lancashire but without the O-levels."

While we're at it, let's disregard the idea that the locals are even remotely aware that, without this influx of cash from outsiders, they would be reduced to selling their organs on the net.

That's the lung and kidney variety - not the wood-effect versions made by Hammond.

One irate local said on BBC radio this week, "We need them to... to... well, who's going to look after me in my old age".

That is Yorkshire in one sentence. A self-centred appeal to itself. Relax grandad, the rest of the country will provide for you. As usual...

Just follow these three rules:

1 DON'T keep banging on about the place. It only makes people want to go there.

2 STOP trying to pretend you are all good, straight-talking folk. The rest of the country regards you as backward, socially-awkward remnants from a 19th-century prison.

3 PROMOTE the county as "Britain's Texas". Because that's just what it is. A large expanse of land populated by rednecks.

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing that could be worse is having to live in London with a bunch of Southerners.

Originally posted by Abdul

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing that could be worse is having to live in London with a bunch of Southerners.

I'm offended on two levels now! :rant:

I wouldn't wipe my arse on The Mirror, The Sun or The Daily Mail. I wouldn't listen to what this 'journalist' has to say...he's clearly an idiot.

Made me laugh personally... not because what he said was funny or true, but because of how stupid and backwards HE has made himself look by writing those things.

Firstly, the guy is a Manc - so you can understand him being jealous, or for wanting to live in Yorkshire (or anywhere for that matter) ;)

Second, "This is all about regionalism, racism's snotty little brother" - bull! What it is ACTUALLY about is trying to prevent the first times buyers in that area being priced out of the market by people buying them all as 2nd homes.

Thirdly, "They like to refer to it as "God's county". What a shame! He spent so much on the set and then found out he had nothing left to spend on the cast." ... as apposed to Manchester?! LOL

What more can I say... he and the Mirror (for publishing it) have done nothing but p*ss off a fairly large area of their target market - the British public, and make themselves look exactly what they are (falsly) saying Yorkshire people are... backwards and retarded with the manners of.... well... of a Mirror journalist ;)

PS: I would like to politely point out I am not from Yorkshire, and so am un-biased :)

Originally posted by craigb
PS: I would like to politely point out I am not from Yorkshire

I agreed with everything you said until the final PS.

"Git orf mah land!"

(said in finest yorkshire drone)

Originally posted by Abdul
I agreed with everything you said until the final PS.

"Git orf mah land!"

(said in finest yorkshire drone)

LOL! I'm sure you'll show me the way out when I see you in the office on Monday ;)

I shall have to make a note of this Abdul, I think that's the first time you've ever agreed with anything I've said ;) hehe

Originally posted by craigb
LOL! I'm sure you'll show me the way out when I see you in the office on Monday ;)

You're right there pal - you out-of-towners taking our jobs and our homes :mad:

You don't even live in Sheffield. You're happy to take our wages, but don't contribute Council Tax to resurface our roads.

Don't come crying to me when your computer blows up (again).

I do so live in Sheffield! I've lived here since May, and pay council tax and everything :P

...and if you didn't give us such shoddy computers they wouldn't blow up all the time ;)

This may not be a viewpoint that is popular on this site but I have some sympathy with what Bill Borrows has to say about Yorkshire. I particularly approve with his swipes at the self-serving hypocrisy of Dales folk and especially what I call "professional Dales folk" (by which I mean the people who make a living out of going on and on about how great the Yorkshire Dales are). If the people of the Yorkshire Dales want to know why there isn't much affordable housing for the area's young people or why the area is poorly served by public transport services or why many farmers have faced financial problems in recent years perhaps they should look at the area's politicians and the people who elected them before they try to blame someone else from somewhere else.

Looking beyond the Dales whilst his scattergun approach is unhelpful Bill Borrows has hit a few targets. Yorkshire is Britain's equivalent of redneck country (albeit with a largely urban setting) and whilst people living in Sheffield may not see it like that perhaps that is because Sheffield (a forward-looking, multicultural and relatively harmonious city) is the least typical part of Yorkshire. If you want to know how bad Yorkshire is you need to look at places like Bradford (which is multicultural but has been poisoned by decades of racism and trying to live in the past), Hull (which is unspeakably rough), Leeds (which is unspeakably rough but with delusions of grandeur) and Doncaster (which is the most rotten borough in Britain). You need to look at problems like truancy, hard drug addiction, crime and racism. You need look at how problems in Yorkshire have been allowed to fester whilst the likes of Manchester, the West Midlands and Scotland have made a better job of regenerating themselves.

I'm from Yorkshire but I'm not proud of it. Partly that is because I don't see the sense in feeling proud of a particular piece of land that you happen to be born on but mainly it is because I don't see a lot to be proud of. Yorkshire has got a lot of problems and many of them have been created or made worse by Yorkshire people.

Full marks to the Dales councillors, I say.

There are too many wealthy people buying up properties in Dales villages which are mostly used as holiday homes or weekly rentals.

All it means is that prices get pushed up and that people who work locally, often on lower than average wages, cannot afford to buy homes where they were born and grew up.

In addition, many of the holiday homes are only occupied half of the time, decreasing the income of nearby shops and other services.

I think a similar thing has been introduced in Devon, so that locals can afford homes when prices have been pushed up by the holiday sector, and everybody responsed with 'about time too'.

As for the Manc journo. Well, it's pathetic really. His problem?
He's not a Yorkshireman!

I'm sure there will be complaints about his Yorkshirephobia.

He doesn't even write it in an amusing/ironic way

Bill Borrows remarks about Yorkshire folk are no different to the remarks of The Mirror lead story Ron Atkinson insults the Chinese.Ron said in 1970 while out in China with WBA that chinese women are ugly & at a after dinner speach.Bill Borrows has insulted every Yorkshire citizen.He is a typical Mancunian,thinking they are better than everyone else,he had a pop at the South as well.Well all Manchester people must be very intelligent just look at local hero Bez of the Big Brother House.What Ron Atkinson said was wrong ,but so was the remark by this so called columnist of the Daily Mirror.I am Yorkshire born & bred & proud of that fact.

Somebody ought to remind Bill Borrows that if it wasn't for Man Utd playing at home every other weekend Manchester wouldn't get the 55,000 tourists per fortnight they get now!

I haven't bought a tabloid gutter paper since the Hillsborough Disaster when they saw fit to publish those pictures.

As for Bill Borrows.
Why do you think he works for the Mirror and hasn't got a proper job within reputable journalism?

I started reading the article, and then had to stop.

It's blatant regionalism.

I feel we ought to invite this Bill Borrows bloke onto the Sheffield Forum to explain himself. Stupid Manc.

Anyone agree?

Originally posted by markham
Somebody ought to remind Bill Borrows that if it wasn't for Man Utd playing at home every other weekend Manchester wouldn't get the 55,000 tourists per fortnight they get now!

I also bring to his attention that masterpiece of Mancunian lifestyle.......Coronation Street!:gag:

This guy has been writing for trashy mags and papers for a few years now, I normally read his column when I visit my Nan.
He specialises in winding people up, the main aim is to write in a controversial manner and he does it about everything, most frequently women and his partner whom he refers to as 'the natural blonde'.
I'm not defending him, he's a first class prat, don't let him wind you up. Don't write to him at the paper (it makes him look good).
Boycott or ignore. He is employed because it provokes a reaction, rather like Nick Margerrison.

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
I started reading the article, and then had to stop.

It's blatant regionalism.

I feel we ought to invite this Bill Borrows bloke onto the Sheffield Forum to explain himself. Stupid Manc.

Anyone agree?
Totally agree with your comments,if Yorkshire were a country like China would he make the same remarks,this guy is a first class idiot & the only good thing to come out of Manchester is the train back to Yorkshire.

Originally posted by tosh13
Totally agree with your comments,if Yorkshire were a country like China would he make the same remarks,this guy is a first class idiot & the only good thing to come out of Manchester is the train back to Yorkshire.

Provided the wheels don't get nicked whilst it's sat in the station waiting to leave, that is!

Originally posted by Fingers
Sheffield (a forward-looking, multicultural and relatively harmonious city) is the least typical part of Yorkshire

You are probably right there Fingers.
I think that may be because nearly half of Sheffield is in land stolen from Derbyshire. My house in woodseats was built in Derbyshire. And people who grew up in this district and adjacent express their vowles in a kind of modified Derbyshire dialect. I have always found the people of north Derbyshire, especially Chesterfield, extremely friendly and accomodating. Maybe Sheffield has a bit of that in it's DNA ?

Originally posted by muddycoffee
nearly half of Sheffield is in land stolen from Derbyshire. My house in woodseats was built in Derbyshire. And people who grew up in this district and adjacent express their vowles in a kind of modified Derbyshire dialect. I have always found the people of north Derbyshire, especially Chesterfield, extremely friendly and accomodating. Maybe Sheffield has a bit of that in it's DNA ?

That may be something to do with it, although I think the main reason is to do with attitudes and political history. South Yorkshire, the southern edges of West and North Yorkshire and the north Midlands were largely built around heavy industry such as mining, the steel industry and the railways. Since those industries were largely nationalised and heavily unionised (particularly in the second half of the 20th Century) lots of people will have largely defined themselves as being a part of and affliated themselves with their social class (which in most cases will have been the working class) and the party that sought to represent working class people (which until recently was Labour).

In the rest of West Yorkshire the textile industry (which wasn't nationalised and was much less unionised) was the biggest industry and it and North Yorkshire were also associated with other more business-like industries such as retailing, farming and tourism. Whilst membership of a social class will have had some effect there wasn't the same class and political affliation on the same scale as in South Yorkshire so more people will have defined themselves as being from a particular place.

Whilst other areas have strong regional identities in the case of Yorkshire it has largely been a negative influence. Many people gone on for so long about the rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire but the War of the Roses ended centuries ago. Some people have been far more concerned with arguing where the borders of Yorkshire should be or what Yorkshire's traditions are than about the quality of life in Yorkshire today. Yorkshire has become a backwater which doesn't even live up to its own hype as a place inhabited by friendly people and the sooner more Yorkshire people learn to distinguish between myth and reality the better.

shamefully i used to read the mirror beliveing it was a respectable paper!

I boycotted it when the iraqi fake photos thing came out and haven't gone bakc since. Not good enough to even be considered for use as toilet paper.

Originally posted by Zebra
Boycott or ignore. He is employed because it provokes a reaction
Well put - I was thinking the same thing actually.

It's sad when people have to write/talk in this way simply to be controversional and get a reaction, because they don't have the brain power to actually engage people's brains and make an intelligent point.

rather like Nick Margerrison
Also, good comparison - I usually listed to his show as I'm trying to settle into bed, and he does exactly the same thing most of the time (coupled with his complete in-ability to admit he's wrong or listen to the contrary arguement - even when it's spot on!).

In both cases rather sad really, and not to be taken seriously.

Bill Borrows. I wonder what Keith Waterhouse thinks of him?

Now he IS a columnist.