On BBC1Theres some disgusting buggers about targeting the vunerable. And the guys think its normal.

Just look at the news about Sheffield, Rochdale and the like.
It's not new, the biggest problem is the so called establishment turning a blind eye to it all.
Young girls, boys will feel trapped because they will feel in there situation they won't be believed.
If there is someone who can be used there are people who will take advantage.
Sad but true.

There's also a new dimension to this. You regularly see a pair of scary looking pimps with an attractive prostitute girl in Burnley centre during the day. They look like people from recently acceeded EU countries.

basil6345789 wrote: They look like people from recently acceeded EU countries.

Croatia?

Is this how you get that apartment in Barrowford?

You can't beat the "he looks funny, he must be foreign" arguments to be honest.

basil6345789 wrote:There's also a new dimension to this. You regularly see a pair of scary looking pimps with an attractive prostitute girl in Burnley centre during the day. They look like people from recently acceeded EU countries.

What

Lancasterclaret wrote:You can't beat the "he looks funny, he must be foreign" arguments to be honest.

Sorry to burst the bubble but people from different countries do actually follow different fashions, hairstyles, facial hair etc.. They may also have different features from an ethnicity that is not common here - height, hair, skin colour, facial structure etc. and therefore they often DO look different.

I'm still adjusting to French fashion style to assimilate better here so I know from my own personal experience it's a definite factor.

It certainly isn't fair to completely dismiss something which is a genuine factor. And it would be downright remiss to make a sly insinuation of "racism" based on nothing more than a mere observation. Besides the stupidity of it, it also does a disservice to the fight against actual, real and abhorrent racism.

Sometimes (not all the time, but certainly sometimes) foreign people actually do look foreign.

No **** Rowls

I'm perhaps guilty of assuming that people can tell the difference between me being serious, and me being slightly less serious while still making a serious point.

Rowls, you say you are still adjusting to French fashion style: does that mean you have stopped wearing your top hat in public and taken up wearing a beret, striped jumper and carrying a string of onions over your shoulder? Une question generale pour toi, comment va la vie en general la bas en France, est-ce que tu es bien aclimatise a vivre dans un pays etranger?

Lancasterclaret wrote:I'm perhaps guilty of assuming that people can tell the difference between me being serious, and me being slightly less serious while still making a serious point.

Or perhaps you're guilty of making a vague insinuation and are now backtracking? Certainly if your aim was to be "slightly less serious" it didn't come across that way.

Only you'll know for sure but given that it was so easy to (mis)read your intent as being serious, I thought I'd reply in kind.

Glad to have cleared things up for you. Everyone will now know you were being lighthearted.

Vino blanco wrote:Rowls, you say you are still adjusting to French fashion style: does that mean you have stopped wearing your top hat in public and taken up wearing a beret, striped jumper and carrying a string of onions over your shoulder? Une question generale pour toi, comment va la vie en general la bas en France, est-ce que tu es bien aclimatise a vivre dans un pays etranger?

Haha!

I've never been able to procure a sensibly-priced and well-fitting top hat. I found one in a second hand shop once upon a time that fitted my head but it was really, really tatty. I'd love a top hat.

My beret was bought in Montpellier 17 years ago in the town's bona fide beret shop. It's long gone but I'm very proud of beret. I've only ever seen American students wearing berets over here.

To answer the question written in French - I don't know. It's hard work. I can do a reasonable job of "getting away with it" and there are, of course, many similarities in European culture. But the language is a constant battle and there's always that feeling deep down inside me that I'm not "at home".

The longer I live here the less I feel that way. My best mate (English too) has recently married a French girl and I know that made him feel a lot more at home but he's been here longer than me and his French is much better too.

You don't need to clear anything up for me as I know what I meant, and I have the ability to acknowledge that it might not come across that way but thank you anyway Rowls.

I've also admitted being wrong before as well. Something that sadly still eludes many on here.

I meant that I had cleared up your intent for others.

See? - it's so easy for us to misunderstand each other on this medium.

Anyway, have a nice day and UTC

Ditto

Too much work on to really enjoy it but as always UTC

Can someone confirm which countries make up these 'recently acceeded EU countries'?

There's only been Croatia in the last 10 years.

You can usually tell the Eastern European immigrants where I am by their "designed by SportsDirect" fashion and the ladies have scraped back bleach blonde hair

Bulgaria and Romania are as good as in EU now, subject to just where we are on the timetable.

Romania and Bulgaria acceded in 2007.

Not exactly recent.

Rowls wrote:Sorry to burst the bubble but people from different countries do actually follow different fashions, hairstyles, facial hair etc.. They may also have different features from an ethnicity that is not common here - height, hair, skin colour, facial structure etc. and therefore they often DO look different.

I'm still adjusting to French fashion style to assimilate better here so I know from my own personal experience it's a definite factor.

It certainly isn't fair to completely dismiss something which is a genuine factor. And it would be downright remiss to make a sly insinuation of "racism" based on nothing more than a mere observation. Besides the stupidity of it, it also does a disservice to the fight against actual, real and abhorrent racism.

Sometimes (not all the time, but certainly sometimes) foreign people actually do look foreign.

Great post and absolutely true. Many people now are too quick to shout 'racist' when anyone makes a statement that is anything but complimentary to foreigners, even using the word foreigner is deemed 'inappropriate' by many, which is of course stupid as it is a perfectly legitimate word.
Many foreigners (even most?) DO look different and not just because they are Asian or African or any other obvious difference. There is a significant Polish/East European population in Accrington now and I can usually tell before I hear them speak. I don't know what it is, whether it be fashion, hairstyle or something else or even a combination of all those things I don't know, but it IS there. This does not make them bad people or scary or dubious or a threat, it's just a difference that is noticeable.
So next time anyone hears someone say something like 'I think he was foreign/Polish/Albanian' etc. don't point the finger of racism, just accept that he/she is observant enough to tell the difference.

Back on topic the "Landlords" were white british....

UpTheBeehole wrote:Romania and Bulgaria acceded in 2007.

Not exactly recent.

Yes but we were cushioned from their free movement for many years

basil6345789 wrote:There's also a new dimension to this. You regularly see a pair of scary looking pimps with an attractive prostitute girl in Burnley centre during the day. They look like people from recently acceeded EU countries.

What did the police have to say and did the do anything about it?

Lancasterclaret wrote:You can't beat the "he looks funny, he must be foreign" arguments to be honest.

And statements like this are one of the reasons we have had so many cover ups, "Not wanting to offend." And so many misguided professionally offended people.

bob-the-scutter wrote:And statements like this are one of the reasons we have had so many cover ups, "Not wanting to offend." And so many misguided professionally offended people.

Just pour me a glass of wine...and back to your quarters...I'll be five minutes!

Lancasterclaret wrote:Ditto

Too much work on to really enjoy it but as always UTC

Too much work on but always plenty of time to post on here!

Rick_Muller wrote:You can usually tell the Eastern European immigrants where I am by their "designed by SportsDirect" fashion and the ladies have scraped back bleach blonde hair

They don't here in Burton on Trent and, for what it's worth, many of the East European girls seem to be absolutely stunning, as hot as hell.
I prefer them to the predominantly lard-arsed locals anytime.
Maybe you're just unlucky in Burnley...

evensteadiereddie wrote:They don't here in Burton on Trent and, for what it's worth, many of the East European girls seem to be absolutely stunning, as hot as hell.
I prefer them to the predominantly lard-arsed locals anytime.
Maybe you're just unlucky in Burnley...

I’m not in Burnley mate, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire is my area. There are some attractive Eastern European ladies here too, but far too many of the skanky kind dragging their balding fat men around Aldi and Lidl hopefully seeking out deodorant...