General Election

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

This tired old trope has been trotted out since the year dot.

The younger generation always think that the older generation had an easier time than them and the older generation tend to moan about “todays youngsters” blah, blah, blah!

Back in the 70’s my own grandad ( born 1910 ) constantly referred to me as a “long haired layabout” and moaned about the “pouffs” on Top Of The Pops like Marc Bolan and David Bowie.

The older generation has a habit of holding the younger generation to a far higher standard than they themselves reached.

At the moment you’re of an age where you’re in the middle ground, you’re yet to reach “old” status.

I think you’ll find that in 20 to 30 years from now, you’ll be amongst friends and a portion of conversation will involve many of your peers moaning about the t e e n a g e r s and 20 somethings of that era.

Todays 40’s and below constantly bang on about “how easy it was” for my generation, well I was there 123 and I’ll confirm yet again, it wasn’t.

My mum and dad would’ve been classed as “aspirational” I guess but life was incredibly basic.

I didn’t go away for a proper holiday at the seaside for a week until I was in senior school at 11 years of age in 72 and that was only to Butlins.

My brother and I were constantly informed that money was tight and not to ask for stuff outside birthdays and Xmas, when I was 14 I finally got a Scalectrix set for Xmas ……it was second hand from a jumble sale. I was so pleased and grateful, the fact it wasn’t new didn’t matter.

As kids in the 70’s we dealt with power cuts, no electricity from 4.00pm in an afternoon in winter, cooking by candle and reading books by torch all evening because the TV wouldn’t work.

The difference for the vast majority of younger people today compared to 40 to 50 years ago is almost impossible to explain to someone who wasn’t around at that time.

And for those who say how easy it was to buy a house, I didn’t own one until I was closing in on 28 and that was only because my wife to be was a divorcee which sorted out our deposit.

If I picked you up and plonked you back in 1974 you’d be gobsmacked at the difference and how mundane and challenging life was.

You’ve never had to queue for bread for 3 or more hours or been rushed out of your classroom due to the IRA phoning up and saying they’d planted a bomb there, I lost count if the times we were stood on the playground, often in PE kit in mid winter whilst police searched our school.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t swop my life for the life of someone today but that’s only because I can appreciate what I experienced.

The opportunity afforded to younger people today is enormous though.

Many get to travel and experience things that would’ve felt like space travel to me at 18.

I think you’ll be surprised at 60 plus as to the attitude towards you from people 30 to 50 years younger than you.

You’ll be told how easy YOU had it.

Thanks for posting that I had many similar experiences. Just to add both my older brother and I had to leave school and go to work at 16 as mum and dad needed the income. Leave school at 16 'shear bl00dy luxury' I hear the previous generation shouting. 'You went to school' with a note of inrcedulity from those before them.

I can accept 123's lack of understanding coming from ignorance of what we 'suffered' but I can't accept that our generation WANTED this generation to suffer. I think you should take that back.

[WBA123]

This tired old trope has been trotted out since the year dot.

The younger generation always think that the older generation had an easier time than them and the older generation tend to moan about “todays youngsters” blah, blah, blah!

Back in the 70’s my own grandad ( born 1910 ) constantly referred to me as a “long haired layabout” and moaned about the “pouffs” on Top Of The Pops like Marc Bolan and David Bowie.

The older generation has a habit of holding the younger generation to a far higher standard than they themselves reached.

At the moment you’re of an age where you’re in the middle ground, you’re yet to reach “old” status.

I think you’ll find that in 20 to 30 years from now, you’ll be amongst friends and a portion of conversation will involve many of your peers moaning about the t e e n a g e r s and 20 somethings of that era.

Todays 40’s and below constantly bang on about “how easy it was” for my generation, well I was there 123 and I’ll confirm yet again, it wasn’t.

My mum and dad would’ve been classed as “aspirational” I guess but life was incredibly basic.

I didn’t go away for a proper holiday at the seaside for a week until I was in senior school at 11 years of age in 72 and that was only to Butlins.

My brother and I were constantly informed that money was tight and not to ask for stuff outside birthdays and Xmas, when I was 14 I finally got a Scalectrix set for Xmas ……it was second hand from a jumble sale. I was so pleased and grateful, the fact it wasn’t new didn’t matter.

As kids in the 70’s we dealt with power cuts, no electricity from 4.00pm in an afternoon in winter, cooking by candle and reading books by torch all evening because the TV wouldn’t work.

The difference for the vast majority of younger people today compared to 40 to 50 years ago is almost impossible to explain to someone who wasn’t around at that time.

And for those who say how easy it was to buy a house, I didn’t own one until I was closing in on 28 and that was only because my wife to be was a divorcee which sorted out our deposit.

If I picked you up and plonked you back in 1974 you’d be gobsmacked at the difference and how mundane and challenging life was.

You’ve never had to queue for bread for 3 or more hours or been rushed out of your classroom due to the IRA phoning up and saying they’d planted a bomb there, I lost count if the times we were stood on the playground, often in PE kit in mid winter whilst police searched our school.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t swop my life for the life of someone today but that’s only because I can appreciate what I experienced.

The opportunity afforded to younger people today is enormous though.

Many get to travel and experience things that would’ve felt like space travel to me at 18.

I think you’ll be surprised at 60 plus as to the attitude towards you from people 30 to 50 years younger than you.

You’ll be told how easy YOU had it.

You might very well be right Mick. When I am a pensioner, perhaps the younger generation will feel like I did have it easy compared to them. Does it say something about declining living standards?

I'm lucky in that I do have property and will have a nice retirement (I've been planning for it long enough). But I'm uniquely different to most, because a lot of people feel squeezed out of everything. We currently have the highest taxation level since WW2, but probably the worst public service levels in my lifetime - I can only go back to the early 90s from memory. If you compare the NHS now compared to 2010, its like night and day. We know what the common denominator is, but where is this extra taxation money going? I really don't know the answer to that.

Also, I think I will always have the philosophy that I want the next generation to succeed. I'll want them to have nice things and great holidays. I don't get that feeling from the older generation and some on this board, in fact I sense the opposite. People (not you specifically) think 'well I had it tough, they should too'....which is an attitude I just don't understand.

I'm not trying to tar everyone over 50 with the same brush. But it does aggravate me when I see elder people moaning about younger people, and I do see how difficult it is for people in their 20s, with the job market, housing market and lack of public services. These things would be improved had we not left the EU, for example. Or politicians had made better decisions (£33bn on track and trace for instance)...

Anyway, there's my two cents.

On another note, I'm glad you re-joined posting on the board. Much more activity now that you're here than when you weren't.

[WBA123]

Thanks for posting that I had many similar experiences. Just to add both my older brother and I had to leave school and go to work at 16 as mum and dad needed the income. Leave school at 16 'shear bl00dy luxury' I hear the previous generation shouting. 'You went to school' with a note of inrcedulity from those before them.

I can accept 123's lack of understanding coming from ignorance of what we 'suffered' but I can't accept that our generation WANTED this generation to suffer. I think you should take that back.

Nope, you're okay.

This is my opinion. That's what this board is all about.

[bordering]

I'm voting Reform , I've only ever voted Labour in my entire life .

Before someone points it out , yes I do know what I'm voting for so bear with me .

In simple terms it's high time a big feck off hand grenade was lobbed in to Westminster to wake the feckin lot of em up and start imposing law and order on our streets , protecting our borders and stop cow tailing to extremists .

It's the only way by voting Reform in my opinion we are going to see this country back to what we once took for granted .

I don't want to see Reform elected to government just scare the shyte out of the two major parties works for me .

Whatever your views you should vote but please not for the Uniparty of the Tories/ labour/ LibDems. Greens etc
They are all part of the problem - none have the solutions.
So look for a new party - is it REFORM?-you decide- or spoil you vote let them know it's none of them!!!"
Absolutely none of them!!!

If enough of us do it & spoilt votes are counted and declared then the claim for democratic legitimacy will be lost.

I understand you may see it as futile but voting for the Uniparty will change nothing

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Nope, you're okay.

This is my opinion. That's what this board is all about.

I try not to get too personal on here but I find your statement that me and my generation WANT today's youth to suffer not only widely inaccurate but also extremely offensive.

I've never wanted anyone in life to do better than me. Then along came kids and that all changed.

Have you got kids?

[WBA123]

I try not to get too personal on here but I find your statement that me and my generation WANT today's youth to suffer not only widely inaccurate but also extremely offensive.

I've never wanted anyone in life to do better than me. Then along came kids and that all changed.

Have you got kids?

I'm not talking about your kids, most people want their own children to succeed. My point was wanting today's youth as a whole to suffer.

[Leicesterbaggie]

To my mind it’s ’swings and roundabouts’. I’m a ‘baby boomer’ and where I feel that my generation gained was regarding education, health
and the housing market. If you wanted to go into further education, college, university etc., then not only was it free but they gave us a grant as well. Regarding housing, yes it was easier to get a mortgage than it is now. As for the NHS, not a comparison. On the other side of the coin, youngsters of today have higher expectations. For example, we would settle for second hand items when making a home whereas today’s youngsters want everything new and straight away. We didn’t go on foreign holidays where today’s generation take it as basiclly a right. These are just a few examples of why I say ‘swings and roundabouts.’
I would just like to add that I have two sons, both in their thirties, and I certainly don’t want them to suffer and in fact want them to be as successful as possible.

[baggieal]

I'll vote Lib Dem, because in my constituency its out of them or the Tories. If I lived in an area where it was out of Labour or Tory I'd vote Labour. Which is one of the problems with the current voting system we have.

The Tories have been an absolute car crash for 14 years. Our intelligent electorate (mostly the over 50s) voted for Brexit and Tories - and now the NHS and public services are on their knees. And on here people are complaining about 'woke' and 'stop the boats', you really are naïve to be suckered by that divisive Tory PR spin machine. I would say there are people in this country, and probably on this board, who would take longer NHS waiting lists in exchange for one less immigrant coming into the country. There are two people on here voting for Reform even though they don't want them to win the election. I shouldn't really be surprised but I still am.

I really have no idea anymore why some, predominantly the older generation, want the younger generation to suffer so much. But I guess that's where we are.

Totally agree with you 123. The older generation really f ucked up Brexit and that was mainly the over 50's. Not even sure whether those who had retired should have voted on this as it's mainly to do with business and working opportunities.

Sick of the older generation saying they had it harder. Well i'm part of the older generation and it was easy to go to selective schools ( 11+ ) but that was f ucked up, the cost for university was free and now its around 25K a year with maintenance costs. Getting a house was easy with the percentage of salary to an affordable house. What could a youngster get now on 50K a year - a garden shed perhaps?

Retirement age now 68 and most likely will rise to 71 - is that fair on the younger generation - No! Too many bitter older generation people around and i'm not one of them!

I pity the younger generation today - I really do! Even my very elderly in-laws said they had it easy compared to the kids of today.

PS - most of the older generation voted for Brexit because many weren't over intelligent enough to distinguish between hard working EU migrants and those who are non EU who are now pouring into the country in their thousands!

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Totally agree with you 123. The older generation really f ucked up Brexit and that was mainly the over 50's. Not even sure whether those who had retired should have voted on this as it's mainly to do with business and working opportunities.

Sick of the older generation saying they had it harder. Well i'm part of the older generation and it was easy to go to selective schools ( 11+ ) but that was f ucked up, the cost for university was free and now its around 25K a year with maintenance costs. Getting a house was easy with the percentage of salary to an affordable house. What could a youngster get now on 50K a year - a garden shed perhaps?

Retirement age now 68 and most likely will rise to 71 - is that fair on the younger generation - No! Too many bitter older generation people around and i'm not one of them!

I pity the younger generation today - I really do! Even my very elderly in-laws said they had it easy compared to the kids of today.

PS - most of the older generation voted for Brexit because many weren't over intelligent enough to distinguish between hard working EU migrants and those who are non EU who are now pouring into the country in their thousands!

When you write 'totally agree' does that include the bit 'we the older generation ie you and me WANT the younger generation to suffer!' that's the bit I can't accept

[baggieal]

To my mind it’s ’swings and roundabouts’. I’m a ‘baby boomer’ and where I feel that my generation gained was regarding education, health
and the housing market. If you wanted to go into further education, college, university etc., then not only was it free but they gave us a grant as well. Regarding housing, yes it was easier to get a mortgage than it is now. As for the NHS, not a comparison. On the other side of the coin, youngsters of today have higher expectations. For example, we would settle for second hand items when making a home whereas today’s youngsters want everything new and straight away. We didn’t go on foreign holidays where today’s generation take it as basiclly a right. These are just a few examples of why I say ‘swings and roundabouts.’
I would just like to add that I have two sons, both in their thirties, and I certainly don’t want them to suffer and in fact want them to be as successful as possible.

Usually foreign holidays are much cheaper than U.K. holidays. It’s easy to get flights with Ryan Air to the Canaries for £50 and a train to London will cost double that. I remember seaside resorts in this country with fondness when a kid. Most now are s hit tips and full of coke ( not the drinking sort )