Not Dead Yet - Forum

Was once quite proud to be british. Reckon it started with my 18 months national service?? New type uniform with berry, shirt and tie, first group to have sheets and even the new, SLR rifle in March 1949. -- A Man!!
My progress to a Machine Tool Engineer, taught me, high precision work and that nothing could be made without them. I have held positions in British, Canadian and German companies and was in my element untill the later part of the 1960s-- The start of imports and the sad decline of british manufacture. Britain went down fast. We lost our motorbikes,cars,domestic appliances and our clothes, with ever increasing speed. Now, I am disillusioned and not so proud of our downfall. The End Product?? Being a Senior Citizen on a below european standard pension!! -- What is Your Story??

what is a true Brit in this multi cultural society ?
I too was once proud to be, not necessarily british but part of our society,because everyone was british back then(more or less)
We seemed to come a long way from Victorian times only to give it all away...............can that be right ?
I wouldnt even mind that ,if they met us half way.like not having kids for the money,and looking for a job instead of saying its low wages  god knows they get topped up dont they ? something we never had!
Has socialism gone too far ?

Hello Mac, Sadly to say, there is no such person as True British!! It is either, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or English!! Which appears to have come about by Deliberation.
Just what the real reason is for this,Who Knows?? -- Yes, Our Country, with it's people, used to be, 'Great Britain!! Why would anyone want to change it's Status?? So much has been 'Given' away, what else is left??
Remember how 'Socialism' was FOR The Working people??
But Don't forget, People do have 'short' memories!!

Still an all I think we have come a long,long way from what we were before the social system was introduced.I would not like to have been around then.I listened to all the stories when I was a kid and they werent good,then again they were`nt all bad either,people seemed to know how to have fun and behave correctly.It wasnt all about money as it is now,and thats sad !

Hi Mac,I would like to quote a few words by the Editor of 'The Best of british'-- He was asked at a BBC interview in June --'What is Britishness'??  He Stated -"My view was that I no longer knew. Go back 50 years when great britain was a better place in which to live, although we had less (and didn't seem bothered)and the overwhelming opiniion would have been one of pride,unity,fairplay and loving(and knowing) thy neighbour. Not now. Many feel the world changed when National Service ended. Come the 1970s. everything spiraled out of control and the real sense of Britishness went out of the window" --- There is more, but space, dictates!!-- This is in July's - 'Best Of Brtish'
In My 77th.year - I am in Agreement with Him!!

Ah! Well! Thought there would be Lots of Posts Here ??????

 Little Interest has been shown  ??? ??? ???

I dont know why Phoenix..................unless they are all away !

Mac, It is not that people are away. I have seen many Guests, online and notice just how many 'Posts' have been read -- So why don't Guests, Join in??

I only wish I had the answer phoenix !!!

Mac, Perhaps there is no answer. I am at a loss! might have a look at age-net and see what the Interest is??

I beleive and \i have sed before they were good old days because you wre young. Remember 61/2 day working week, no sick pay, no paid holidays,it was vitually slave labour in the factorys, only the war changed that.In the home, no electric, no bathroom, outside toilets, no central heating, pegged rugs on the floor.Like most people of my age I like to wallow in a bit of nostalgia, but really thet were hard days.

Can remember my mother telling stories William of how she was made in them days when she was just a young girl to go work in the pea fields all day long  to bring money in the house.In them days there where big families an everyone had to pull there weight..if the lads  had gone to war or has some did worked in the local pits, then the women had to go into service or  work on the land.
Always remember seeing has a child men, women, kids all in there old clothes an whellies going down to the lorries to be picked up for the pea picking season, then coming round selling um by the bucket full  :D

Yes! Those days were hard -- But harder more for our mother's, with never a moments rest?? -- But for us?? I believe it gave us a good basic understanding of life ??
 Nothing, but Nothing, comes easy!! We needed to Work and pay our dues?? We learnt Respect and Disipline, and to help othere's!! --- Is it there Today??

Phoenix,I wouldnt want it to be here today,we have moved on thankfully,would you want your children and grandchildren
pea picking ? I know I wouldnt !
I know it was hard for my grandparents and parents,and even me! but it was hard for everyone in those days.
Thank God for education !

Hi Mac, As previously stated. My personal preference was for the 50/60s before the great change came about!! Nobody in their right mind would want the hard days of our parents back!!-- During the war period, our school went Potatoe Picking and yes, that was hard for all involved!! Times most certainly have moved on and Education is a tricky word ?? lots of children still leaving school, cannot do maths, spell, or read as they should -- Somehow?? they are losing out and that is not right!!

What evidence have you for poor school performance Phoenix --and please don't say  "The Daily Mail "




Potato Phoenix

Two of my grandchildren are doing GCSE right now
all I can say is they have been given every opportunity,both by the school and their parents.
For the children who are not so bright,there are many other paths for them to take,there is even a farm all maintained by the children,where the public can get fresh eggs etc.
The drama groups put on some of the best shows I have ever seen.
What I am trying to say is ,I think children today are very well educated,of course you will always have the exception and it seems they are the ones who get the publicity.

There are many disadvantaged and abused children who do well to get to school at all -- let alone  meet targets set  by people who have no idea what it is to go hungry or lie in bed fearful at night  for what ever reason   -- adults rowing and indulging in violent behaviour for example.

A good school will always be judged on what it can do for each and every child's  self esteem and self worth in my book !

I aggree...there are more opportunities open today for youngsters than ever there was when i left school in the 60s.
I those days if you were lucky to go to Grammer school you were selected to do well and groomed for great things ahead. the rest of us had less opportunities offered to us. I have a nethew who comes to stay with us regularly, he's never been a scollar but he's a practicle lad who works hard and is learning skills at college that will give him a great start in life, he's doing really well and hoping to get an apprenticeship after college. I only wish I had had those opportunities.. We must praise and encourage our youngsters they are our country's future. there will always be a few bad apples in every basket, but i do see some very clever youngsters out there and some very polite young people too. So glad your grandchildren are doing so well Mac

The way things are going in this country I really worry about what is ahead for my grand children.We live in a part of essex that thankfully does not have a lot of serious crime, mindless vandalism yes, but as I have been told by family members who still live in london we are  lucky to live where we do.The latest yobbish behaviour is to set light to wheelie bins. Now I know we all hate them but the last time one was set alight it was pushed into the lobby of lloyds bank. Luckily the young lady who lived in the flat over the bank managed to get out otherwise there could have been a death.

That is precisely why all youngsters irrespective of their academic ability  need opportunities planned to give them self esteem, because if the "system " does not do this for them then they will find ways of looking "big " in the eyes of their peer group by perpetrating such stupid acts .

There is nothing succeeds like success  and what ever form it takes  they /we  all need it to some degree if we are to be comfortable with ourselves

There aren't the opportunities for youngsters to get work, not here in the South East . both my youngest left school with good exam results A level 5 subjects. One of them is now doing ground work, there was no apprentice scheme to take him into the construction industry, yes he went to college but without experience no one would employ him. My youngest is now getting herself fit to go into the RAF. Its the only way she can get a career for herself. The oldest tried the army but unfortunately he has a hearing problem so is stuffed. We could leave work one day and by the evening had another job, it was a lot easier to get work. The job centres tell you to look on the internet, err why are they there? I'd hate to be young today, yes I love mod cons and wouldn't be without my computer but as for employment. Forget it.

Hi Val
I sypathise with you,I dont think there any apprenticeships nowadays as we knew them,these kids do well at school and college,then nothing ! many cant afford to go to uni,and this is what makes you mad because I read in the newspaper yesterday that the Europeans can get a degree for £150 a month..................what the hell is it all about ?

Hi Mac, thing is they don't all want to go to uni either, why should you need a degree to work in the trades, its so sad, my daughter actually started uni but dropped out, she felt she'd outgrown and already done the student bit in last year of her A levels. The RAF have said they will take her but its just the fitness thing, she won't join until she can comfortably do the training. she's gone for the intelligence company so she can get to learn languages like the natives ;D She did Spanish in A level and art but a graphic designer isn't her thing, too much computer work. ;D I don't know what is going to happen to youngsters that just want normal jobs and want to graft with their hands not their heads. Someone has to do work at the bottom but these days it means staying there no opportunity to work your way up and get skilled as you go...rant over...lol

Every generation has to face up to the same challenge...resarching my family tree has brought this home to me. Going back to my great great grandfathers time in the 1700's I found most of my ancesters lived in the country mostly they were aggricultural labourers, into the 1800's my Great grandfather was a Lace maker most of his children worked in the lace industry even is 8 year old grandaughter shows her occupation as a lace drawer, but by the late 1800's the lace industry had ended and in the 1900s my Grandfather worked on the railways. I myself worked for 20 years for the railways but even that has gone now and at 47 i had to look elswhere for work. Luckily the railway had taught me to use a computer so i've addopted to office work. Not much money in my job but we eat lol.

Val my advice to you is just be glad you have them, you can't live there lives for them though we all try, but just be there for them. chances are that they will find there path through life they will find there way.

We were lucky our daughter loved studying she was always good at maths. she got her qualifications to become an accountant and happily married another accountant she kept studying and got her Masters (BA) and went to work for Bristol University.. When she was 36 she took Her Docterate  in Education and she joined KPMG and within a year was invited to become an assistant director with them. She was very comfortable on good money and had a very good life. she used to fly all over the world then when she was 41 she went on a shopping weekend to New york with a friend she flew back and a week later she collapsed and died having contracted DVT (deep vain thrombosis). We are very proud of what she achieved in her life, but sometimes i wish she had beenm less succesful and still with us, So val we all worry about our childrens future, but just be glad there there and there'll find a way through things i'm sure.