Current Affairs

[Manoverboard]

........with a pool and staff

You've seen our place then?

That'll be a washing up bowl with a stick in it then ?

[Ray Scully]

Over the past couple of weeks all I seem to have heard is "It's what I deserve" and "I expect......". I think these people will learn that life is not fair, it's not all a bed of roses and it does not owe you a living.
To a great extent I blame parents who, with the best of intentions give them an unrealistic expectation which leaves them vulnerable when the unexpected happens.
I'm afraid I do not subscribe at all to this 'poor little cherubs' attitude when discussing young people. By comparison they are very fortunate (nothing wrong with that) in much the same way as I was fortunate compared to the upbringing my parents had.

Maybe I am not the best to discuss this. We were 24 when we got married and after 3 days honeymoon in Wales in a B&B we had just £25 and a clapped out Ford Anglia between us. When you start out with nothing it makes you appreciate what you get later in life all the more.

Well OBF your early years do mirror our experiences and yes our children had better life chances, mixed with offspring of wealthier families and not surprisingly wanted some of that for themselves. They now have their own children, again they have a more materialistic life style than that their parents enjoyed, but with all the external pressures they are faced with I wonder if they are any happier than Gma & Gpa where. As parents and grandparents you try to do your best for them whilst realising they are growing up in very different and I would say challenging times. Would I like to be 16 again hmmmmmm I really don't know. Anyway how well did you do keeping your childrens expectations within bounds?

[screwy]

Over the past couple of weeks all I seem to have heard is "It's what I deserve" and "I expect......". I think these people will learn that life is not fair, it's not all a bed of roses and it does not owe you a living.
To a great extent I blame parents who, with the best of intentions give them an unrealistic expectation which leaves them vulnerable when the unexpected happens.
I'm afraid I do not subscribe at all to this 'poor little cherubs' attitude when discussing young people. By comparison they are very fortunate (nothing wrong with that) in much the same way as I was fortunate compared to the upbringing my parents had.

Maybe I am not the best to discuss this. We were 24 when we got married and after 3 days honeymoon in Wales in a B&B we had just £25 and a clapped out Ford Anglia between us. When you start out with nothing it makes you appreciate what you get later in life all the more.

. Yep, we were married the day after my 22nd birthday, I was still in the Army. We rented a house for a week in Angelsey, came back with £9 in the bank.2 weeks later I was back in Belfast.. The wife lived with her mum till I left the Army, we rented Flats for a couple of years before saving enough for a deposit. Hand me downs and second hand furniture, bought a knackered Morris 1100, sub frame collapsed a couple of miles from home.Didnt have another car till December 1990, when I joined the Prison Service. Kids today....don’t make me laugh.

[screwy]

I don’t envy kids today but I’d like to have all those years ahead of me still...

[Manoverboard]

We started married life in a 4 bedroomed semi-detached chalet bungalow having done a deal with Bob the Builder. What more could we possibly need but somehow managed to do without for the best part of three years ... well ... we laid our first bit of never never carpet part way through year two, just had cheap underlay before that. No car at any time, no central heating and no fire for most of the winter periods due to not being able to afford to replace the useless front grill on the grate. The coal being wet didn't help either but we weren’t cold because we could only afford a four foot bed, As for food, well that was a real hit 'n' miss affair but somehow we got through it. The breakthrough was when we both changed jobs, after that it was uphill all the way but we still haven't forgotten the ham hock and spaghetti days. Our kids and grand children missed those pleasures in life, pity really.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We started married life in a 4 bedroomed semi-detached chalet bungalow having done a deal with Bob the Builder. What more could we possibly need but somehow managed to do without for the best part of three years ... well ... we laid our first bit of never never carpet part way through year two, just had cheap underlay before that. No car at any time, no central heating and no fire for most of the winter periods due to not being able to afford to replace the useless front grill on the grate. The coal being wet didn't help either but we weren’t cold because we could only afford a four foot bed, As for food, well that was a real hit 'n' miss affair but somehow we got through it. The breakthrough was when we both changed jobs, after that it was uphill all the way but we still haven't forgotten the ham hock and spaghetti days. Our kids and grand children missed those pleasures in life, pity really.

It's a disgrace. Why didn't the government pay your bills?

[oldbluefox]

We call them the bread and dripping days. Can we claim compo for hardship?

[Stephen]

We call them the bread and dripping days. Can we claim compo for hardship?

My forms already filled in and posted.

[Manoverboard]

It's a disgrace. Why didn't the government pay your bills?

Probably because Labour were in power at the time

We call them the bread and dripping days ......

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

[towny44]

It's a disgrace. Why didn't the government pay your bills?

Probably because Labour were in power at the time

We call them the bread and dripping days ......

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

I am rather surprised that the Watford fans have not been protesting about the devastation relegation has heaped on their pitiful lives, and demanding a U turn from the Premier League.

[Kendhni]

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

I am sure the previous generation would see it otherwise ... every generation refers to the next generation in a similar manner. Today the term 'snowflake' seems to be in fashion, however I remember phrases like 'little princess', 'little darling', 'precious', 'delicate' etc. being used in exactly the same way about the next generation (which would have encompassed me). I seem to recall references to similar even in Dickens.

[barney]

Snowflake, woke, call it what you want, there is no doubt that we have bred a generation of self entitlement.

We were the golden generation apparently?

We had it all on a plate.

Really? That’s not my recollection.

Maybe my old decrepit mind has actually gone ga ga.

[towny44]

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

I am sure the previous generation would see it otherwise ... every generation refers to the next generation in a similar manner. Today the term 'snowflake' seems to be in fashion, however I remember phrases like 'little princess', 'little darling', 'precious', 'delicate' etc. being used in exactly the same way about the next generation (which would have encompassed me). I seem to recall references to similar even in Dickens.

Since this is progressive Ken, and been going on so long, it's no wonder that society is collapsing as the "little darlings" are so pampered and spoiled they cannot think or act for themselves. Hence the herd reaction to every little bump in their road.

[Manoverboard]

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

I am sure the previous generation would see it otherwise ... every generation refers to the next generation in a similar manner. Today the term 'snowflake' seems to be in fashion, however I remember phrases like 'little princess', 'little darling', 'precious', 'delicate' etc. being used in exactly the same way about the next generation (which would have encompassed me). I seem to recall references to similar even in Dickens.

I don't actually know if ' my ' generation had a label placed upon us by our parents, if they did they didn't tell me

They of course lived through two World wars and a recession so were able to tell of terrible hardships but when they did talk about that time the story would generally have an amusing edge to it which suggests to me that they, like I, do not reflect with bitterness in my heart about going without.

Snowflakes are not the next generation to me by the way, they are the ones after that.

[Manoverboard]

I am rather surprised that the Watford fans have not been protesting about the devastation relegation has heaped on their pitiful lives, and demanding a U turn from the Premier League.

Watford fans are made of sterner stuff, they will probably be hoping to win a few more games this season

[oldbluefox]

Despite the hardships we endured (and they were hardships) I don't ever remember lamenting my/our lot. People just got on with it.
I remember when we were first married we didn't have a washing machine so we filled the bath, put our washing in and then sat on the side of the bath treading them for half an hour. Later someone donated a Hoovermatic they were throwing out which did a wonderful job of washing but tied sleeves and socks into knots. I listen to the younger generation bemoaning their lot and cannot help thinking to myself they don't know what hardship is. Ironically exactly what my parents said to me.

There were two items on the BBC News this morning almost juxta-positioned. One was talking about the trials and tribulations of thousands of holidaymakers having their holidays curtailed because of the quarantine rules and the next about how hard up everybody is with evictions liable to take place and the furlough scheme coming to an end. The two items seemed very incongruous.

[david63]

One was talking about the trials and tribulations of thousands of holidaymakers having their holidays curtailed because of the quarantine rules and the next about how hard up everybody is with evictions liable to take place and the furlough scheme coming to an end. The two items seemed very incongruous.

I think that at the moment there are two very distinct groups of people.

There are those who have been working normally/working from home who have not had much in the way of expenses (no travel to work, no going out for meals etc.) who have suddenly found that they have surplus cash and are quite comfortably off. Then there are those who have been made redundant, cannot get another job and quite literally don't know where the next meal is coming from. There will obviously be many that fall between the two camps and are just carrying on without any major problems.

Just glad that I am not in the position of having to sort it out, because I have no idea what the answer is.

[towny44]

There were two items on the BBC News this morning almost juxta-positioned. One was talking about the trials and tribulations of thousands of holidaymakers having their holidays curtailed because of the quarantine rules and the next about how hard up everybody is with evictions liable to take place and the furlough scheme coming to an end. The two items seemed very incongruous.

However I note from this mornings much derided Mail that the ban on evictions has been extended.

[Stephen]

It's a disgrace. Why didn't the government pay your bills?

Probably because Labour were in power at the time

We call them the bread and dripping days ......

Yet we are able to remember and smile about them rather than going into Snowflake mode

Exactly. Tough times when we started out, but we worked bl**dy hard and came through it

[oldbluefox]

There are those who have been working normally/working from home who have not had much in the way of expenses (no travel to work, no going out for meals etc.) who have suddenly found that they have surplus cash and are quite comfortably off. Then there are those who have been made redundant, cannot get another job and quite literally don't know where the next meal is coming from. There will obviously be many that fall between the two camps and are just carrying on without any major problems.

I feel extremely sorry for those who find themselves in this position especially those who have worked through the epidemic and now find themselves out of work.

[Manoverboard]

Tough times when we started out, but we worked bl**dy hard and came through it

We did work hard, very hard, three years without a day off at one time for me ... must have been mad

... I remember when we were first married we didn't have a washing machine so we filled the bath, put our washing in and then sat on the side of the bath treading them for half an hour. Later someone donated a Hoovermatic they were throwing out which did a wonderful job of washing but tied sleeves and socks into knots ...

Unlike you we did have a washing machine, not enough clothes to put in it mind. It was a ' Rolls ' twin-tub on a special deal, we got a free Hoover with it but couldn't use it for two years because we didn''t have any carpets

[Stephen]

Tough times when we started out, but we worked bl**dy hard and came through it

We did work hard, very hard, three years without a day off at one time for me ... must have been mad

... I remember when we were first married we didn't have a washing machine so we filled the bath, put our washing in and then sat on the side of the bath treading them for half an hour. Later someone donated a Hoovermatic they were throwing out which did a wonderful job of washing but tied sleeves and socks into knots ...

Unlike you we did have a washing machine, not enough clothes to put in it mind. It was a ' Rolls ' twin-tub on a special deal, we got a free Hoover with it but couldn't use it for two years because we didn''t have any carpets

Your lucky to have had carpet. We didn't have any floor down stairs in the front room at one point as it was rotten and had to be replaced. Luckily dad. bless his soul, worked in a timber yard so we done the work between us.

[Onelife]

One was talking about the trials and tribulations of thousands of holidaymakers having their holidays curtailed because of the quarantine rules and the next about how hard up everybody is with evictions liable to take place and the furlough scheme coming to an end. The two items seemed very incongruous.

I think that at the moment there are two very distinct groups of people.

There are those who have been working normally/working from home who have not had much in the way of expenses (no travel to work, no going out for meals etc.) who have suddenly found that they have surplus cash and are quite comfortably off. Then there are those who have been made redundant, cannot get another job and quite literally don't know where the next meal is coming from. There will obviously be many that fall between the two camps and are just carrying on without any major problems.

Just glad that I am not in the position of having to sort it out, because I have no idea what the answer is.

i think your post David is the most sensible one posted on this topic .....here's the next one....

[Onelife]

Good morning… I thought it time for your resident ‘smart a*se’ put in an appearance.

After reading some of your posts I’m left thinking which label is worse…. ‘smart a*se. or self-righteousness, the latter easily attributed to some of you on here…. get sharpening your knives because here it comes….

I think some of you should start living in the real world and stop reminiscing about how bad you had it in the old days…listen up folks…. times change as do the expectations in a world that we/ others have created for ourselves. For some, things have improved, for others life isn’t much better than what it was in the old days, other than for technology availability, computers etc.

In one breath you decry all those who haven’t climbed out of their holes, and in the next breath you take the attitude. ‘serves yourself right, you’re on your own’ for all those who have sought to make their lives better by getting on the housing ladder (which I may add is a dam sight harder now than what it was when we got on the housing ladder)

‘Incongruous’ indeed

Just remember onelife loves you all even though you’re about to make chicken nuggets out of me.

[Mervyn and Trish]

A brief move away from our Dickensian upbringings to Covid.

I've noticed every time a new country is included in the quarantine requirement many people rush to criticise our own country and say it is much safer in France/Poland etc than here. I suspect they are mostly those whose holidays have been spoilt and are keen to blame anyone other than themselves for being so daft as to go away at the first opportunity.

So just a quick look at the latest figures for the two countries I exampled above. France now has around 4 times as many daily new cases as us. Poland has about the same despite having just over half our population and has just recorded its record daily number. It feels to me they're getting the decisions on quarantine about right.