The Best Decade to be Born In?

[woolley]

You called it spot on, Porky. Totally shit. But where is the satisfaction in that compared to, say, bringing the coal in?

[Addie]

When newly married we did our washing by hand and progressed to a twin tub when the first baby came along. Then we got an automatic machine and I stood there and watched through the first entire wash and spin cycle and couldn't believe it. Magical stuff that's now taken for granted. Same with dishwashers. My children got their badges for dishwashing using one! I'll be without one for a few weeks soon and I'm dreading it.

 

Ready meals weren't available so we all had to learn to cook. Money was thin on the ground so we also had to learn to do DIY on the car and also on the house. Skills that have travelled along the years with us. Our first car was purchased £50 cash for a car from EB Christians and got a calendar from them every year for 25 years or so. What profit there I don't know.

 

I was lucky to be of the flower power generation and actually wore flowers in my hair when going out in hippy clothes, mini skirts, bell bottoms or hot pants. Those were the days.

[woolley]

@ Addie: My children got their badges for dishwashing using one!

 

Frightening isn't it? You are faced with reluctance from the youngsters when all they have to do is load them into the bloody thing.

 

@ Addie: Ready meals weren't available so we all had to learn to cook.

 

Feel sorry for people who think ready meals are food. They all seem to have the same gruel like consistency with varying amounts of salt and sugar added according to what it's supposed to be.

[the stinking enigma]

You oldies need to get a grip. Given the choice of scrubbing dishes by hand or loading a dishwasher and pressing a button, you all would have chosen the dishwasher option, then snapchatted your mates while watching a hollyoaks omnibus. To say otherwose you are either lying or juan watterson

[Lisenchuk]

Lovely post again, Woolley. Been having quite a crappy time of late but my head clears and I find a perspective when I walk the dog on Marine Drive. Sparkling sea, clear skies, distant ships plying along the horizon and, possibly, a hovering hawk to watch. Puts you in your place in the greater scheme of things.

And the knickers? are they still hanging on the fence as testimony a good time was had by all?

[woolley]

You oldies need to get a grip. Given the choice of scrubbing dishes by hand or loading a dishwasher and pressing a button, you all would have chosen the dishwasher option, then snapchatted your mates while watching a hollyoaks omnibus. To say otherwose you are either lying or juan watterson

Of course. And we have all embraced it because we see it as the easy option. Doesn't mean that it has all enhanced our wellbeing, improved our lives and made us better people.

[Albert Tatlock]

You oldies need to get a grip. Given the choice of scrubbing dishes by hand or loading a dishwasher and pressing a button, you all would have chosen the dishwasher option, then snapchatted your mates while watching a hollyoaks omnibus. To say otherwose you are either lying or juan watterson

We had to use a mangle to dry our dishes.

[doc.fixit]

........must have been a shattering experience !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[doc.fixit]

..............we lived in a cardboard box, well we would have done if we hadn't burnt it for heat, well we would have done if we hadn't eaten the box, well we would have done if ............

 

my dad went 50 miles on his bike to work , he used to carry it all the way to save the rims, he couldn't afford tyres. It was painful; walking on his hands though, to save his shoes, well he would have done if we hadn't eaten the leather, well we would have done if he had shoes in the first place, well we would have done if......................

[Lisenchuk]

You think you were badly done by. We walked to school wearing only the soles of the shoes your father had discarded after he'd eaten the leather.

[dilligaf]

You think you were badly done by. We walked to school wearing only the soles of the shoes your father had discarded after he'd eaten the leather.

 

 

Got to be another chance to watch this,

Edited October 10, 2016 by dilligaf

[notwell]

Tempus - parking in the middle of the prom in winter! I forgot about that.

[Barrie Stevens]

Beautiful post that Woolley.

 

Lonan3 would have appreciated that too. Marvellous stuff.

 

I were born in 1940s (just!)...Ahrh! ..One of my claims to fame is to have heard the sound of 18 inch calibre battleship guns and which lifted our door knocker, made the goldfish jump and rattled the milk bottles on the doorstep.. They were fired every Thursday...And one activity at school was to dig German bullets out of the fabric..(Strafing!)

[Cambon]

I was watching a program last night about a wealth gap between the generations. About how expensive houses are now compared to 30 years ago, etc. A lot of what was said was true and appropriate content. In particular the student debt that many young people have. However, the whole issue was so totally skewed I their direction, it was ridiculous.

 

Young couples today complaining about paying £800 a month while earning an average wage (circa £26000). When my wife and I first married in 1982, we paid £300 a month from our JOINT annual income of £7650. We could not afford a washing machine. We could not afford to buy a TV, so we rented. It was 1986 before we could afford a holiday. In 1988 we bought our first house for £44,000. Due to the tree times the mans salary and one times the woman's salary, that was as much as we could afford. Monthly repayments were £412 at first, but as interest rates rised they went up as fat as £800 per month. At that time, our joint annual income was about £25,000 a year. With rates and everything else, we were on our arses for a year or so.

 

The point is, as someone from that older, despised generation, I have absolutely no sympathy for that younger generation. They blame the older generations for buying cheaper houses, not understanding the sacrifices they made. The younger generations are too busy spending hundreds a month on mobile phones, Sky contracts, Broadband contracts, gymn memberships (rarely used), etc. They then complain at paying similar amounts on rent as we paid in mortgage plus insurance, etc. But, we were on half the money. All I can say to that current generation is FUCK OFF AND GROW UP!

 

That is just my reaction to the rather biased program.

[BossHogg]

I'm totally with you Cambon. 25 years ago if I'd have told my wife I was paying £50 a month on a phone contract and £100 a month for TV channels I'd have been lynched. The money went on essential things as you had to really save for everything. I have a rule now. No depreciating assets or servicing fees to be covered out of salary. If it's not PAYG or has a chance of going up in value over the longer term if your spending capital it doesn't get bought.