'supporting each other through really tough times'

GreyQueen

Nargleblast wrote: »

I think Britain started to go downhill when the regime that were in power from 1979 did away with a lot of our manufacturing industries and encouraged the growth of finance and service industries. I worked in banking years and years ago and remember when it started changing from a customer service ethos to a sales ethos - we were under pressure to sell as many loans and credit cards as possible. We were all encouraged to buy whatever we wanted and pay for it later, and like so many others I got suckered into that way of thinking, and ended up heavily in debt. The debt is gradually getting paid off, and I now prefer a simpler, less consumerist, less materialistic lifestyle.

Yeah, I'm old enough to remember the whole of that regime from start to finish. Barstewards.

D'you remember how it used to be, about borrowing? You'd have to demonstrate that you were so steady, so soundly-employed and solvent that you shouldn't really need the modest sum of money you went cap in hand to borrow, and you'd grudgingly get it loaned to you.

Fastforward to the early nineties when yours truly is walking on a shopping street here in the city when accosted (there's no other word for it, I was walking along) by [STRIKE]an imp of Satan[/STRIKE] ooops, someone from one of the (then) Big Four high street banks wanting me to take out a loan.

I pointed out that I didn't have a job and was on benefits. The woman cried That's not a problem!

It is for me! I retorted and walked off. I shudder to think of what would have happened if I'd been a bit learning disabled, a bit mentally-unstable, or just absolutely desperate. Prolly still be in debt today.

fuddle

Kate that is truelly awful. A cry for help in every sense of the word. Left me cold that one and completely unexpected, not with the vulnerable history she already had. I can't fathom it there's some mighty strong people in employment that can turn someone away from housing help... When they can help. Criteria? Computer says no?

Thanks Lyn, those smiley eyes are free of anything negative. I had no idea you had experience of toxicity and its comforting to know that this wont ruin my desire for a happy stable family life.

kidcat

Once again thank you all

Katie - I love baby scans, they are magical to me and I could sit and watch all day what joy

Softstuff - am so sorry you are poorly again, surely you are due some good stuff soon ((hugs))

Fuddle - I have dealt with alcoholics throughout my life, some of my earliest memories are of a drunken neighbour beating the living daylights out of his wife. It affected me without question and its a terribly difficult thing to deal with.

Byatt - its so easy to say but please try not to worry about test results it does inevitably only make things worse ((HUGS)) a friend of my recently had a monitor fitted for blood pressure - her BP instantly rose and stayed high until two hours after it was removed.

Nargleblast, Saving Queen and Monnagran thank you for posting the quotes - Desiderata has always been a favourite of mine and until a few years ago I had it framed in my room - it broke and I miss it.

We had an incredible time today at the sensory room and for anyone that hasnt been I cannot recommend them enough - please try to pop your head in and take a peak

ETA - Kate, I find the idea that your friends only option was an overdose, what a damning insight into social care in this country

GreyQueen

It's shocker about Katie's friend. If it's - 2 they should have enacted the severe weather protocol which means finding emergency accomodation for those people who are homeless even if they are not normally fitting the catergory of priority need. If you don't fit that category, the council can discharge their responsibility with "advice only".

Bearing in mind this poor woman's history, it beggars belief that she wouldn't be deemed in priority need. I despair of this country, sometimes.:(

fuddle

Wartime tip: add little bicarbonate of soda when strewing fruit. It neutralises the acid which means less sugar to sweeten.

They also kept sardine oil to fry in or salad dressing

Loads more but tired and on the phone.

This maybe sacraledge but has anyone gone off tea before? I've had a tetleys and ringtons tonight and my taste buds just didn't enjoy either.

mcculloch29

Thank God Katie's friend had the mental capacity for the overdose to be carefully calculated and the savviness to report herself as having OD'd. How many more slip away through the nets and go unreported?

I agree that it all started going pear - shaped from the late 70s.

We were living abroad (Forces), had taken out a car on HP which we could afford - then La Thatch slashed the overseas allowances and we could barely afford anything.

My son barely had any new clothes or toys for his first two years, other than gifts, everything was S.H. My daughter did have new, as she was at school; the little sh*** at her school would have made her life hell for wearing cast-offs.

Then we moved to the UK and I became a registered childminder, things became a lot easier once we had a second income. A lot of my frugal recipes date from those times, though.

katieowl_2

mcculloch29 wrote: »

Thank God Katie's friend had the mental capacity for the overdose to be carefully calculated and the savviness to report herself as having OD'd. How many more slip away through the nets and go unreported?

She's a medical background, theatre nurse then midwife, she was outed from the NHS because she was sick. I guess she's seen the protocol, and she took a considered risk. Not sure that I would have trusted them to see me quick enough if I bowled up at A&E with a bellyfull of pills

I'm not sure if it WAS -2 but it's been cold, and she has to keep warm because of asthma.

I think you are right though Mcculloch I think there are a lot of people that slip through the nets...who would even collect those statistics?

Kate

kidcat

katieowl wrote: »

She's a medical background, theatre nurse then midwife, she was outed from the NHS because she was sick. I guess she's seen the protocol, and she took a considered risk. Not sure that I would have trusted them to see me quick enough if I bowled up at A&E with a bellyfull of pills

I'm not sure if it WAS -2 but it's been cold, and she has to keep warm because of asthma.

I think you are right though Mcculloch I think there are a lot of people that slip through the nets...who would even collect those statistics?

Kate

from recent experience I wouldnt be confident they would manage to treat me in time - although I would guess she thought she really had nothing less to lose. Sad times.

stiltwalker

Only time I went off tea I was up the duff Fuddle! Both times it was my early warning sign - My tea drinking future is safe though as I dispatched DH to see the vet after DS was born - LOL!

meanmarie

Stiltwalker....that was my first thought when Fuddle said she was off tea...

Hugs to all of you who are having a bad time for one reason or another.

Bad week moneywise for me....€919 for oil yesterday, similar amount needs to be spent on car and another grand next month to dentist....we may be on very short rations if things proceed at this rate.

Stay safe and warm

Marie