[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Well I hit 60 today...... (it didn't hit me back)and guess what? it isn't so bad at all.
I don't have a great hang up about my age because I do not feel 60.....I do not act 60.....I do not dress 60......and I am fit and healthy.

There are a whole lot of folks out there who were born in 1947...and we are survivors.....we played on the streets(until it went dark).....we built dams on the streams,(sometimes we fell in and got leathered by our mothers for getting wet) we played with real lead soldiers,(and didn't get poisoned) we climbed trees,(and occasional spills were looked upon as 'adventures') fought with swords made of wood (ok maybe we got a few splinters, but they didn't kill us)......we played conkers and to my knowledge no one in my circle had an eye put out,we might have had a bruise or two....but they healed and it taught us to be more careful in future.
We didn't have playstations.....we played on the station(when the guard wasn't looking of course)...we didn't have much TV, and became acquainted with Roy Rogers at the pictures (odeon...Saturday morning club...errands all week to get the admission money and an ice cream in the interval)....We ran all the way to school -yes we had the busfare but we spent it on Beech Nut....We were sent to Church and sunday school, but the only time we really went was in time to enrol for the picnic - or ride out on an old fashioned Charabanc.
We ate fish and chips out of newspaper...and didn't it taste better?
We didn't have holidays, but maybe a day out to Blackpool...and a jug of tea to go with our sandwiches...which were invariably full of sand.
We respected our parents and our elders and would give up our seat on a bus without being told/asked.
We were poor materially, but rich in experiences...which is what made us the people we are today.
If you have been bored whilst reading this then it may mean that you are one of the younger generation......if you can identify just some of the things I have talked about then I hope it has stimulated some of your happy memories too.
Also this week I have become an OB(E).....not the medal conferred by the queen....but Old Bag (Extraordinaire - I added that last bit myself)......this honour was conferred upon me by one of the newer members....Thankyou!

Happy Birthday Margaret.I'm under 30 and have certainly not been bored reading your above post.As you say,you were poor materially but rich in experiences and were taught manners and values.That's the way to be.People of your parents' generation had pride in themselves,their families and their property and instilled the same into their children.I think that's wonderful and how it should be.It's a crying shame that our children won't have the fun and character building experiences that you had as a child thanks to over the top health and safety rules i.e banning conkers at school and parents being scared to let their children play out because of worries about paedophiles,road accidents etc.so they spend a lot of time indoors on playstations and things.I wish things were still like they were when you were a child.You didn't have a lot of money but neither did anybody and people in the community looked out for one another and you have plenty of happy memories which are priceless.Sounds like very happy days and I wish it was still like that.Karma to you.