A social revolution?

hethmar

You know what Ive noticed the last few years - no kids out on Christmas morning.

Every year you knew which kids had got roller skates, bikes etc. because by 8 a.m. they would be outside with their parents trying them out. Its just silence on Christmas mornings now. I guess they are all doing their Wii games or playing on computers.


(Isnt that an absolutely gorgeous place to live - Shaftesbury as per photo - sadly me old knees wouldnt get up and down them hills now)

Davesnave

hethmar wrote: »

(Isnt that an absolutely gorgeous place to live - Shaftesbury as per photo - sadly me old knees wouldnt get up and down them hills now)

Yes....and no. Parts of it are about 650' above sea level, so I'd guess it's quite windy and cold relative to most other Dorset towns.

As Dorset goes, I've a soft spot for Beaminster, though Lord knows why. When I was nine, I spent the most unhappy year of my life close to the village of Drimpton, just down the road. To keep this on-topic, we went there because times were hard, and it was the only place my Dad could find work. The village was almost feudal, so outsiders like us were not very welcome. Thanks to evil kids and staff at the local two-roomed school I had a thoroughly miserable time, but things were not as tough for me as they were for the local gypsy kids. They couldn't even get through the school gate until the teachers arrived in the mornings, as they were frequently pelted with stones if they tried.

Ah yes, the good olde days in merrie England! Not everywhere rural was like that in the late 50s. I had good times in Somerset & Devon.

SingleSue

Ahh Dorset....I always had my holidays around the Burton Bradstock/Bridport area, very handy for visits to Lyme Regis and Charmouth..oh and the scrummy biscuit factory at Morcombelake.

West Bay was the place to go for the West Bay whopper...huge burgers!

And as a sort of stay on topic bit - My parents was experiencing a little tightening in their pennies and desperate to provide a holiday for us (we had stayed the previous year at my paternal nans in Rye Harbour Sussex), they had a look through the camping guide book for cheap sites. They found the one near Burton Bradstock which was only £1 a night so went for it without really expecting much.

That was in 1982.....we went every year upto and including 2002, sometimes more than once a year and in that time, they moved onto a touring caravan. They had given me their old tent for my 18th birthday (they had started using it in 1977) and me and hubby had our holidays in that for 6 years until we then moved into staying in a static caravan.

2002 was our last year and we certainly went out with a bang, we had always wanted to do a 3 week holiday and we finally got to do it that year...my parents purchased their static caravan near the end of that season at another park in Great Yarmouth, the prices in Dorset shot up and we found outselves at Great Yarmouth the following year.

nickmason

Davesnave wrote: »

Yes....and no. Parts of it are about 650' above sea level, so I'd guess it's quite windy and cold relative to most other Dorset towns.

As Dorset goes, I've a soft spot for Beaminster, though Lord knows why. When I was nine, I spent the most unhappy year of my life close to the village of Drimpton, just down the road. To keep this on-topic, we went there because times were hard, and it was the only place my Dad could find work. The village was almost feudal, so outsiders like us were not very welcome. Thanks to evil kids and staff at the local two-roomed school I had a thoroughly miserable time, but things were not as tough for me as they were for the local gypsy kids. They couldn't even get through the school gate until the teachers arrived in the mornings, as they were frequently pelted with stones if they tried.

Ah yes, the good olde days in merrie England! Not everywhere rural was like that in the late 50s. I had good times in Somerset & Devon.

I lived at the bottom of Gold Hill for 6 months. Had persuaded OH to join me in Dorset - she insisted on the "romance" of Shaftesbury. Within 6 months we were desperate to get out, mainly because of a lunatic landlord who suggested it was out duty to get the chimney fixed if we wanted a fire (no other heating, and we had been told that it worked). Moved out to a beautiful little cottage a few miles away - only for LL to turf us out after 6 months because he'd divorced....the next place was riddled with damp....there are downsides of living in these romantic beautiful places! But I did enjoy trying to run up that hill; the views from the top are stunning.

Don't think there's a dixons, next or carphone warehouse anywhere. Lots of lovely little independents, all under serious threat or already gone (a few years back the ironmonger, which doubled as the social centre of the town, closed down). A reasonable number of chains; WHSmith, Boots, various shoe chains etc. It's the envy of other local towns. Large Tesco just off the high street was built about 8 years ago - very popular, not least for parking...
But to be honest most people still drive to Yeovil, Salisbury, Bath (up to an hours drive) for any serious shopping.

Property there appears quite cheap, all things considered - those cottages on the hill, or similar "character" 2/3 beds at the bottom were even at peak about £250K. Poor transport is probably the main reason - and while low unemployment in the area, most jobs don't pay much. A year ago the area had, if not the highest price-salary ratio, one of the very highest - average property costing 13 times average salaries.

Pobby

Thanks for all this. Really enjoying the posts.

LucyTheDwarf

I'm really enjoying this thread - glad I stumbled across it.

I remember times being different, and I'm a youngster (22)! About 17 years ago my parents bought my brother and I bikes for Christmas - second hand, that my dad painted and applied transfers to. He made a really good job of them, I remember mine being a stunning lilac/pink/sparkly creation, and my brothers was dark red. Treasured family photographs of us both cycling around the lawn in our pyjamas (I remember the day well, but I don't remember being cold - strange) now stand on my grandparents mantelpiece.

I could not believe it when my 7/8 year old neighbour told me this morning that Father Christmas had bought her a mobile phone, a Wii to share with her younger brother, and various games for the Wii. Her parents are struggling to pay their mortgage, or so they have confessed to other neighbours! I have no idea what use an 8 year old could have for a phone.. presumably her friends are also running up bills for mummy and daddy?

To get back on topic - what values are being instilled in today's 8 year olds? In 10 years time I have no doubt that she will be immaculately dressed, out on the town more than is healthy, with every gadget she could ever desire - and they will be funded via credit cards and overdrafts. Whatever happens in the outside world, there will always be someone willing to lend money to another, and todays 8 year olds are ill prepared for adulthood.

LucyTheDwarf

PS: Those pictures of Dorset are absolutely stunning. Reminds me of childhood caravan holidays - I know I was way better off in Dorset than my friends in Florida
(Shame they're now more expensive than a holiday abroad, we used to get some right bargains)

fc123

I have a greedy dream concerning Dorset. IF (big IF) I can make my business not dependent on any 1 location, I could happily spend the summers here http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23385623.html?backToListURL=%2Fuser%2Fshortlist.html%3Ftype%3DBUYING

But winters on the coast are doing me in (I'm a London girl afterall), derelict cottage is a challenge at the moment...all the coal fire making then the scraps of heat getting sucked out the draughty windows straight away.

The upside is the sunsets go down nearer the South this time of year; straight into the back of the house (all our windows look over the sea, even the kitchen at the front has a window through to the parlour, through to the back....IYKWIM. and the whole inside of the house glows orange for an hour.

OH has gone up to London then Leicester today for the week...he's looking forward to staying in our own house, 60's, no draughts and toasty warm.

On topic to Pobbys thread, I think it's an age thing. I've wizzed around in the new sports car (and I could afford it at the time) but wouldn't ever want to go back to spending 20 odd hours a week driving.

The sunset glow is one of the things that makes me prepared to pay the rent level we do....and I am happy to have less material goods (and suffer the grimmest kitchen ever) as the sea view is the thing I now value more.
Doesn't stop me moaning about the derelict, grim kitchen mind, but, as it's rental, you can't change it.

Frances63

Sorry to move off the subject of Dorset, it sounds lovely!

As far as will people's attitudes change? Well I think only temporarily. I am Cabin Crew with a big airline and fly back and forth to New York a lot. New Yorkers are notoriously demanding, rude and self-centred passengers (of course there are exceptions, but I am generalizing) as a rule. They are very much about money and status, and have little time for others.

After 9/11 (11/9 to us) a miracle happened! New Yorkers generally became much nicer, friendlier, more caring and less demanding. I was amazed at the difference. No more finger-clicking and 'I want it yesterday!'. They would actually talk to us human to human.

It lasted about 2 years, but I'm sorry to say they have slowly gone back to their old selves. They had a huge shock that made them think deeply over what life is really all about, but when the shock wears off the old habits return. Such a shame.

neverdespairgirl

fc123 wrote: »

OH has gone up to London then Leicester today for the week...he's looking forward to staying in our own house, 60's, no draughts and toasty warm.

I'm losing OH this week to some random place called Thorneby. Bet it scores low on the Sun Dried Tomato Index (TM)