(People in the UK only) Does race or someone's skin color ever even cross your mind?

To be honest growing up in Leeds all me life, we were all human - and nothing else, in the local news you always heard about the most horrific crimes, but never racism. Even when me dad was growing up in Leeds, and his dad - they never encountered racism. So to be honest when I first came online - it came to me as a bit of a culture shock how so many people outside my own surroundings are small minded. I've got very good white friends, Jewish friends, black friends, paki mates - and we have all grown up together and someone's race or anything never crosses are mind ever - the most ignorance don't come from the UK though mostly America from what I have seen. So tell me has race or ethnicity ever crossed your mind when you establish a friendship - and if so why?