Vent - My Mother (and her generation?)

margaretclare

I have to laugh, although I do understand your irritation.

I suppose I am a generation before your mum, although I left school in 1951 when she was born. I was born in 1935.

I read that news item that she sent to you, and just laughed at it. I don't get upset at any ridiculous notion that someone like that man might get, and express, and be quoted in print.

Yes, things were very different when I was a child and was growing up. Different in the 30s, the 40s, the 50s, the 60s, and so on.

I feel sorry for younger folk. Yes, we had to work, were expected to work, and housing was impossible in the 50s and 60s. Many young couples lived with inlaws because not enough housing. Nowadays, housing is impossible because not enough social housing and impossible to afford a mortgage. Maybe the best time was around 1990. I know of several young people who bought a 'starter home' then and could afford the mortgage.

I think your mum needs something serious or absorbing to concern herself with. All the trivia that is in the media now, and she picks up on that one item. I've also read that 'the first shots in World War Three have already been fired'....now, that is something to worry about. If it's true.

GwylimT

My mum is similar.

When she married my dad they were able to pick a brand new council house, it had a huge front and back garden, four bedrooms and a garage! It also had both hot water and central heating, which back then it was unusual to have central heating and generally something only the wealthy had. It hated something very modern, a fitted kitchen with white goods!!!

My dad worked on the family farm, produce prices were good so he had a very good wage, she was a lady of leisure for a few years until she decided to start training to be a nurse, which she was paid a salary for.

When she had us her hospital provided free childcare during he shifts, so they didn't have to worry about that.

When right to buy came in their home cost less than a years wages, they sold it a few years ago for almost half a million.

My mum pleads poverty, I do point out that someone who buys cars with cash isn't poor, neither are people who can afford to shop at waitrose (I do her online banking!), then theres the cleaner, gardener and ironing lady. But she can only afford two cruises a year, it really is terrible.

I do feel awful that she is struggling so much financially, one day she may have to do something awful, like clean her own toilet.

heuchera

Jagraf wrote: »

You were born the same year as me and I agree. Foid was never ever wasted and my folks had an outside loo with a poo lorry and no heating.

What the heck is a poo lorry??

GwylimT

heuchera wrote: »

What the heck is a poo lorry??

Its like a bin lorry, but instead of collecting household waste they collect toilet waste.

fierystormcloud

Really didn't have half an hour spare to read all of the OP, but I get the general gist. I agree with both sides of this argument, that people cannot apologise for, or help the time they were born, and the constant attacks on baby boomers is unjust. Also, yes they did have advantages that the people of Generation X and the Millennials didn't/don't have, like free uni education, very affordable housing to buy, lots of social housing to rent, a time when you could walk out of a job one day, and into another the next day, and salaries that are double what we have now.

However, this generation has advantages that the last one didn't; especially the women. Better rights, more chances to advance in the workplace, better pay, a much better chance to go to uni, and more chances to travel etc.

I mean, even though uni was free back in the day, the working classes didn't generally get to go, and now anyone can go to uni, and do well, if they work hard enough. Many years ago (80s and beyond,) some working class women would leave school with a few CSEs and go straight into the workplace, as many families demanded it, because they wanted the income. There was no tax credits then, and I am not sure there was even housing benefit. (Happy to be corrected.)

And for many women (from working class families,) who were just nudging 20, their best hope was to find a man to marry, as their income would not have been enough to survive alone. Indeed, the working class women I know who never married, (who were born pre early 1970s,) still live with their parents.

It was definitely 'expected' that by the age of 18/19, you should be at least engaged! Every neighbour and every part of the extended family would crow 'are you courting yet?' from the second a girl left school! So as long as a man had his own teeth, and a job, he would do. These days however, women can be more choosy. (Not saying ALL women married a man that was just 'ok,' but some certainly did.)

So it's all swings and roundabouts. I am OK with being born when I was though (late 70s.) I've done OK.

Each generation has it's own advantages and disadvantages though, and we should all cut each other some slack. Including when people of a certain age (born before 1970,) say the 'wrong' terminology.

heuchera

GwylimT wrote: »

Its like a bin lorry, but instead of collecting household waste they collect toilet waste.

Ewwww!

Sewers have been around at least since Victorian times.

duchy

heuchera wrote: »

Ewwww!

Sewers have been around at least since Victorian times.

In cities....rural areas not so much.

Pollycat

fierystormcloud wrote: »

Each generation has it's own advantages and disadvantages though, and we should all cut each other some slack. Including when people of a certain age (born before 1970,) say the 'wrong' terminology.

Well, by my reckoning, I'm about a year younger than the OP's Mother and I had enough nous to notice the article was dated 2012 (although one paper picked it up and ran with it this week - obviously better than the dead donkey story) and read it and decide that it was a load of tosh.
Says something of the OP's mother that she couldn't do the same.

prosaver

My neighbour told me she use to have a 'bath' in the lake, seriously

fierystormcloud

Pollycat wrote: »

Well, by my reckoning, I'm about a year younger than the OP's Mother and I had enough nous to notice the article was dated 2012 (although one paper picked it up and ran with it this week - obviously better than the dead donkey story) and read it and decide that it was a load of tosh.
Says something of the OP's mother that she couldn't do the same.

You don't look a day over 40!

prosaver wrote: »

My neighbour told me she use to have a 'bath' in the lake, seriously

You young 'un's don't know yer born!

:rotfl:

#justmessing