Yes, I've heard that FNMs have this thing about 't Pennines.....
Which begs the question, where is the border between 't North and the 'Soft South'? Of course you just need to look in a butcher's shop - if udders, tails and testicles are on sale, tha' must be in 't North....
Personally I reckon that the border is at 53 deg N - roughly Boston to Whitchurch on the Welsh border.
Anway, 'tis but banterrr, tha' knows.
The UK had drones years long before the 1980s. Although the first 'BAC Drone' was actually a manned aircraft.... It was so slow that it was possible to mount a 'punt gun' in one, formate on a flock of ducks, then blow them out of the sky. A bit of a cheat really.....
In the 1950s the Firefly and Meteor both served as drones, much as the Queen Bee had earlier, although the Jindivik was a rather more cost-effective alternative. After retirement from the FAA, a few 'Vixens were also operated as drones - including the last airworthy example which can be seen at many UK airshows.