Could we have managed nowadays?

[CarolBurns]

After watching Robert Lindsay on WDYTYA tonight I started thinking about his speech at the end where he spoke of his Grandad's who both served in WW1. He said that he would have not been able to cope with what they went through but yet again they were totally different to people nowadays. I started to think how each of us would managwe if we had to live as our ancestors did - even as early as 70 years ago

Would we be able to manage with a house full of children and rations for everything?

Going back to WW1 would we have managed then with the state of housing and everything?

Going back even further could we have managed on a few shilling s a week to pay everything and keep everyone in the family well fed?

I remember when we had the 7/7 bombings and the News programme started a phone in poll. Their question was "Will we get through this or will it bring us down? " or something to that effect.

It made me think of the massive bombings the country had in WW2 - I think we survived that don't you? I don't think it brought everyone down to the point of giving up!

I do think our ancestors were much stronger than we are.

What do you think?

Carol

[ozlady]

Yes, Carol, I was wondering about that yesterday! I was trawling through the 1901 for a friend and I knew the streets I was looking at were all "2 up 2 down" because they were still standing when I was a child. It was amazing to see Ma and Pa with 7,8,9 kids and in some cases they had lodgers as well! The mind boggles.

[karenlee]

Too true Carol. 

I have a wonderful friend who grew up with the rationing etc after WW2, and even today she still saves absolutely everything and reuses it somehow.  It had such an impact on her as a child, that she cannot, even now, waste anything.  She is amazing and I have learned so many tricks from her.  I always say that if there is every another WW that I will be at her house all the time watching and learning so that I can make it through like she did - and still does.

I think that us older folks could cope no worries but I wonder about all those young ones with their phones and ipods stuffed into their ears and their PC's and PSP's etc.   My daughter's life is about to end if her mobile phone battery dies and she can't contact someone she has not spoken to in about an hour.  Tragic really 

Karenlee

[ozlady]

Did you pick up any thrifty 'habits' from your parents/grandparents? Even now I still rip open sugar bags and packets of loose leaf tea to get the last little bits.

[CarolBurns]

Well I learnt from my parents that if you can't pay all at once you don't get it! No credit in our house and hubby was brought up the same. No credit at all (except mortgage which we eventually went for when we both knew we had good dependable jobs and could afford it and when the youngest was in secondary school)

Even now we think before we buy - do we need it really? Yes - well have we got the full amount for it? no - then we don't get it till we have!

Unfortunately our kids don't think like that. They have more credit than they can cope with (well we think they have) My sister and brother are the same as them as well - spend spend spend

Old envelopes used as paper for lists etc
Old clothes used as cleaning rags
The list goes on

Carol

[goggy]

Thank's for that,all of you!
Now I really do know I am not as "dotty" as I sometimes think.
Can still recall the two ounces of tea per week etc;'A MAN DYING AT SEA SO YOU SHALL HAVE BREAD".Still have the Ration's allowance somewhere,and yet,how many cases of obesity do you see in the old newsreel footage's?
Going to the Greencrocer to buy" fade's",bread pudding made with any (?)leftover bread,too hard to chew on!
Enuff,don't get me started!!
             Goggy.

[ozlady]

I've still got my ID card and sweet ration card!

[sallysmum]

This thread is very thought provoking.  I think we cope as to our situation/time of birth.  What we believe to be hardships today were just the way of life then.  I don't know how I would have coped with rationing (what no chocolate on demand!) or the WWs.  One thing to remember was that not all of our boys coped - look at the number who we now know to be suffering from shell shock who were executed for cowardice.  Today that would have been recognised at a much earlier stage and treated with more respect and dignity.

This has made me think and turned the question around and I ask could our ancestors have coped with todays life?    I wonder if Beattie (left) who died in 1976 and never even had a TV let alone a microwave or had heard of the internet.  (I remember the tingly feeling I got when she was the first rellie I searched for and found her name on the superhighway, but I digress....)  She would have been flummoxed with mobile phone (indeed the first time my mum held one, she used it like a walkie talkie!), how would she have understood the concept of my microwave, her nearest shop would not have been round the corner but a car ride away - how would she cope with driving my automatic?  Programming the video for WDYTYA is not a life threatening situation but even videoplus has had me in tears!  On top of this she is also expected to hold down a full time job.  Her pension back then was 10s.  I'm not entirley sure how much it is today but she would have been overwhelmed by the amount that the government were giving her!

Our stresses and hardships today are different, but no less important.

My daughter's life is about to end if her mobile phone battery dies and she can't contact someone she has not spoken to in about an hour. Tragic really

Karenlee

I think our kids will look at the 'hardships' we are facing today and wonder how we coped and indeed think that their kids have got it easy!
Sallysmum

[CarolBurns]

My Gran was the same Sallysmum but she didn't die until 1995.

She was married to my Grandad for 55 years before he died in 1990 and he had handled all the money and bills. She was completely lost when he died and ended up letting my cousin sort out her finances for her right down to the shopping. She didn't know how to work a video (mind you neither do I would you believe!) never mind a computer. She never had to drive as Grandad took her everywhere. In the end she would just sit and watch the tv not even knowing how to use the remote properly. More times than not she just left the same channel on all day.

Carol