Thanks Patty for the video,and Frederick that guitar is a Gibson S G first made in 1961
Mossy
i thought this was an opinion not a short story anyway i agreei was born in 1944 and yes there were many down sides to life in those times, but having lived through both times i can honestly say that i would rather be living in the 50's and 60's with good music and plentiful jobs, in birmingham anyway and where i knew the food was local and fresh and had not travelled hundreds of miles, the hospitals were well run and clean with a matron and ward sister who kept everything ship shape in single sex wards.
Patients felt safe and knew they would be well looked after and if they had an operation they went to a convalesant home by the sea which they had paid for from the 6d a week taken out of their wages with the saturday fund. They were not expected to miraculously recover within a few days and go home and then back to work sooner than they should.
Our gp knew all my family and relatives and we trusted him that he would do what was best for us not like todays cost consious nhs budget. If you paid your stamp you expected and got the right treatment not like today.
We had back to back houses with no bathroom and a small scullery which fitted a cooker and a sink and one person if you were lucky.
The bugs which appeared on the ceilings and walls over night which had migrated from next door when they distempered the walls and then went back again in to the neighbours house when you painted over your walls again.
The shared toilets and arguments over whos turn it was to clean it or to put the cut up squares of the news of the world sunday paper threaded with string and hung up on a hook behind the lav door.
The wash house in the middle of the yard and the strict rota of the use of the washing copper and washing line and the wrangling for families to change their washing day or get some extra time in the case of illness or bed wetters of which there were quite a few in our yard.
But even though times could be hard or harsh for many families the one thing that i remember was the good will between neighbours and the way families stuck together and people looked out for each other without expecting any return other than when it was the turn of their family to go through some difficult patch or ill health then they could be sure that the neighbours they had shown kindness to would be there for them too.
I remember the times when i worked in the factory and the girls who were courting would work extra shifts to save up for their bottom drawer and we all looked forward to attending the wedding the knees up afterwards and workmates started to save up for a small gift or clubbed togather to get the couple a bigger suprise present. So we all had something happy to look forward to.
There was much more safisfaction in saving and looking forward to buying something than rushing out to get credit. If you couldnt afford it with your wages then you went without until you had saved up enough to get it. We shopped at the coop to get the dividend and saved this toward xmas. We saved green sheild stamps as well. We joined the xmas club in the butchers and any of the local shops early in the year and saved a few shillings towards xmas food and treats but then children didnt expect expensive toys in those days they thought a watch was a luxury present or a comb and hair brush and a shiny new shilling.
Many of the 'get out of debt' or 'manage your money better' ideas promoted by television or radio programmes today have been practiced by the older generations for years and many older people are still naturally careful with their money having lived in the days when it was hard to come by. I wonder how many families today hand out grown clothes down to the next child or give them to neighbouring families.
Yes there were disfuncional families around in those days and many families put up with a lot, but they stuck together and didnt rush for a divorce so easily. Even in a disfunctional family, children felt more secure because they had a network of relatives who they visited often, who could offer support and good friends of their own age to rough and tumble with.
At school there was support for children as the teacher knew which children came from a poor or struggling family and there was extra help or support and sometimes money from a school fund for those in dire circumstances.
Children had respect for their teachers and learned how to read and write properly with capital letters reaching both lines in the exercise book and the other letters reaching exactly half way up the line and children learned tables in a parrot fashion which stuck with them and helped them make quick calculations for years to come. I still use it now. There were tests every friday for mental arithmetic and spelling.
The difference was that children in my day actually liked to do well and be praised for their good work. I dont remember any child in my class being bullied for being a no it all, for one thing the head master would have got to hear of it and the bully would have been caned. Many of us had end of year prizes of a book. We had a few possessions but respected both our own property and other peoples and we learned how to look after what we had. Not like todays throw away society.
Crime did go on but the local police patrolled the streets and children were in awe of them. Any mischief was dealt with by the policeman on the spot and a threat to tell your father was a great deterant. If there was a local crime the police usually had a good idea who the villans were and they did not get away with it.
Compassion and empathy is sadly lacking in our modern society even in families and it has resulted in a self interested society with many people prefering to live on their own.
No one seems to have a laugh any more in our politically correct society, not like we did when i was a child. We told jokes and no one was offended because it was not meant or taken personally even if you recognised yourself in the subject of the joke everyone recognised it as just a joke and no harm or insult was intended and that was all the importance it got and everyone laughed.
Socialising outside the home has deminished in favour of the internet which some perceive as being safer. Fewer pubs or working mens clubs with bands, no places left to dance the night away, no one walks any where no wonder our health is suffering and many people are lonely.
No i think my day was much better and i fear for the way the world is going today.
A bit of a long answer but this is my opinion about my day
I was born in 1944 and yes there were many down sides to life in those times, but having lived through both times I can honestly say that I would rather be living in the 50's and 60's with good music and plentiful jobs, in Birmingham anyway and where I knew the food was local and fresh and had not travelled hundreds of miles, the hospitals were well run and clean with a matron and ward sister who kept everything ship shape in single sex wards.
Patients felt safe and knew they would be well looked after and if they had an operation they went to a convalesant home by the sea which they had paid for from the 6d a week taken out of their wages with the saturday fund. They were not expected to miraculously recover within a few days and go home and then back to work sooner than they should.
Our GP knew all my family and relatives and we trusted him that he would do what was best for us not like todays cost consious NHS budget. If you paid your stamp you expected and got the right treatment not like today.
We had back to back houses with no bathroom and a small scullery which fitted a cooker and a sink and one person if you were lucky.
The bugs which appeared on the ceilings and walls over night which had migrated from next door when they distempered the walls and then went back again in to the neighbours house when you painted over your walls again.
The shared toilets and arguments over whos turn it was to clean it or to put the cut up squares of the news of the world sunday paper threaded with string and hung up on a hook behind the lav door.
The wash house in the middle of the yard and the strict rota of the use of the washing copper and washing line and the wrangling for families to change their washing day or get some extra time in the case of illness or bed wetters of which there were quite a few in our yard.
But even though times could be hard or harsh for many families the one thing that I remember was the good will between neighbours and the way families stuck together and people looked out for each other without expecting any return other than when it was the turn of their family to go through some difficult patch or ill health then they could be sure that the neighbours they had shown kindness to would be there for them too.
I remember the times when I worked in the factory and the girls who were courting would work extra shifts to save up for their bottom drawer and we all looked forward to attending the wedding the knees up afterwards and workmates started to save up for a small gift or clubbed togather to get the couple a bigger suprise present. So we all had something happy to look forward to.
There was much more safisfaction in saving and looking forward to buying something than rushing out to get credit. If you couldnt afford it with your wages then you went without until you had saved up enough to get it. We shopped at the Coop to get the dividend and saved this toward Xmas. We saved green sheild stamps as well. We joined the Xmas club in the butchers and any of the local shops early in the year and saved a few shillings towards Xmas food and treats but then children didnt expect expensive toys in those days they thought a watch was a luxury present or a comb and hair brush and a shiny new shilling.
Many of the 'get out of debt' or 'manage your money better' ideas promoted by television or radio programmes today have been practiced by the older generations for years and many older people are still naturally careful with their money having lived in the days when it was hard to come by. I wonder how many families today hand out grown clothes down to the next child or give them to neighbouring families.
Yes there were disfuncional families around in those days and many families put up with a lot, but they stuck together and didnt rush for a divorce so easily. Even in a disfunctional family, children felt more secure because they had a network of relatives who they visited often, who could offer support and good friends of their own age to rough and tumble with.
At school there was support for children as the teacher knew which children came from a poor or struggling family and there was extra help or support and sometimes money from a school fund for those in dire circumstances.
Children had respect for their teachers and learned how to read and write properly with capital letters reaching both lines in the exercise book and the other letters reaching exactly half way up the line and children learned tables in a parrot fashion which stuck with them and helped them make quick calculations for years to come. I still use it now. There were tests every friday for mental arithmetic and spelling.
The difference was that children in my day actually liked to do well and be praised for their good work. I dont remember any child in my class being bullied for being a no it all, for one thing the head master would have got to hear of it and the bully would have been caned. Many of us had end of year prizes of a book. We had a few possessions but respected both our own property and other peoples and we learned how to look after what we had. Not like todays throw away society.
Crime did go on but the local police patrolled the streets and children were in awe of them. Any mischief was dealt with by the policeman on the spot and a threat to tell your father was a great deterant. If there was a local crime the police usually had a good idea who the villans were and they did not get away with it.
Compassion and empathy is sadly lacking in our modern society even in families and it has resulted in a self interested society with many people prefering to live on their own.
No one seems to have a laugh any more in our politically correct society, not like we did when I was a child. We told jokes and no one was offended because it was not meant or taken personally even if you recognised yourself in the subject of the joke everyone recognised it as just a joke and no harm or insult was intended and that was all the importance it got and everyone laughed.
Socialising outside the home has deminished in favour of the internet which some perceive as being safer. Fewer pubs or working mens clubs with bands, no places left to dance the night away, no one walks any where no wonder our health is suffering and many people are lonely.
No I think my day was much better and I fear for the way the world is going today.