Do you realise, 2
The E U.
One of the most serious, far-reaching, and controversial revolutions was when we joined the European market. A large number of us could never see the reason why, even when people suggested that it would improve trading. If we were producing products that were better than those produced elsewhere, whether they were paid for in pounds, shillings and pence, or some foreign currency, they would still have been bought. Instead of which we have been forced to suffer regulation designed to help people in countries that have neither the climate, the density of population, or the tastes of us in the UK. Furthermore Maggie Thatcher did her best to limit the amount of contribution that we would be paying, but I don’t think that today, with the advent of so many poor nations subsequently joining, we are being fairly treated. It has been a thorn in our side, ever since.
Do you realise, 3
Aspects of children’s lives.
There have been incredible changes right across-the-board for children and adults alike. The greatest change, I believe, has been the way in which children have assimilated technology, in play and in school. I suggest that this is to do, to some extent, to information being transmitted from generation to generation in the genes. Clearly the parents’ experience depends largely on their age, their ability and their environment, at the time of conception, and so the information transmitted will vary from child to child. Children of my generation played very simple games, with things like hoops, spinning tops, and whipping tops. Much of our play was physical, as well as make-believe. We had scratch teams playing seasonal sport on Commons, which dated back hundreds of centuries, where people once grazed their livestock. Much of those Commons were lost in World War II, when we had to grow our own vegetables, and not replaced. Something similar is happening today, where schools are selling off playing fields as building sites.
We were fortunate that there were very little, if any, vehicles that were not horse-drawn, in which case we were able to play in the streets, in small groups, but not gangs. There may have been some gang warfare in some parts of large conurbations, but I never remember any in my part of South London. Many of us would help a local trader or roundsman, as much for the fun of riding on a horse drawn milk cart, or getting a few sweats for running an errand. Group by group, we were innocent, childish and unsophisticated by present-day standards, and our interests at all levels were equally simple, and uncluttered. In the winter months, and in bad weather and dark evening we played simple card games and board games. Apart from some youngsters who had fairly wealthy parents, the majority of us had very little pocket money, it never seemed to worry us, we were more interested in what we could do, than what we could buy. Our Stockings and our presents, at set times, were generally equally simple, with probably one prize item. We never felt denied because we didn’t know any better, and we were happy as we were. It is true, that at Christmastime, we breathed on a lot of shop windows, more with hope than expectation.