It's definitely more the case in cities where religion (particularly Roman Catholic) is a major imperative. Moving back to Birmingham in my mid 40s, I was totally unprepared for how unforgiving the city's culture is towards single middle aged men- because the last time I lived here, I'd been 20. And back then, at THAT age, it was amazing. Even when I visited into my mid 20s, it was a great city to meet partners and hook up for sex. Especially if you had long hair and looked a bit like a member of Motley Crue, which I did.
However, I've come to realise since my return in 2017 that much like Glasgow (where I lived for three pointless years between 2007 and 2010) this is STILL, all these years on, the kind of place where despite its size, the majority of permament residents (as opposed to the students that make up about 20 percent of its transient population) ARE pressurised socially into settling down and having kids by the time they're 26 or 27 lest they be left on the shelf as a permanent pariah. Practically everyone of my age in town is married, including the few old mates with whom I've reconnected: if not, they've BEEN married and are now divorced, but about 90 percent of them have had children. And they look disparagingly upon people who haven't, even if the relationship that begat them ultimately turns out to fail.
It's just what people do round here- whereas in other, more cosmopolitan cities (London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Blackpool) it's far less the case. Not only that, but it dawns on you that the only reason the West Midlands IS such a large conurbation is BECAUSE of its propensity for churning out an abnormally high volume of sprogs. That is literally what makes it the "second city" - its population. It sure as hell ain't because it's any kind of broadminded metropolis!!
And, naturally, because I've NEVER wanted to father children (the fact that I have about 8 disabilities puts me off fo a start, plus I still have so many things to do that I've not yet done) I'm an outcast. I was once even looked at with surprise, shock and amazement by a couple when I told them I'd never married or had children- IN A SWINGERS' CLUB UP HERE!! I mean, if there's one place where you'd think you WOULDN'T be judged, it's there, but no. Luckily, I have one mate up here who like me is an 'outsider' (he's from Bath) and as a result, we've been a 'bubble' throughout Covid. But should there EVER come a time when people want to meet one another again, I know that I will have to travel outside of this region (or even better, move from it) to meet a woman or women with a similar outlook. The irony is, I have nothing against people starting families at all: and when my mates down South did, I would be the first to congratulate them. But I DO take exception to that horrible "Educating Rita" style paradigm whereby certain places consider it compulsory. And sadly, this town (and its surrounding neighbours) is one of those places.
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