WFA, bus pass, triple lock,

hollysteers

RosiesMaw2

westendgirl

Yes and we had huge interest rates,no maternity leave. (I had to resign from my teaching post), no child allowance for the first child, heavy pushchairs which had to be collapsed when getting on buses,the cheap flights and holidays were difficult to get if you were a single mum with one child.Mortgages were 2 1/2 times salary with no exceptions.Power cuts, towelling nappies to boil, and so it goes on . I think most generations have their difficulties.

Hear, hear

I think we should go back to towelling nappies. Disposable are disgusting, apart from emergencies or travelling,

I think we should go back to towelling nappies. Disposable are disgusting, apart from emergencies or travelling,

Are you aware that not all mothers have access to a garden or utility room in which to hang the towelling nappies?

Some live in rented accommodation with no such facilities and would have to drape them over radiators or hang them on lines strung up in the kitchen. Or visit the launderette every night after soaking the nappies in a bucket when they get home from work.

I wonder how many people with incontinence choose not to wear tena lady?

Lots of people mention them with regard to incontinence.

Dickens

hollysteers

RosiesMaw2

westendgirl

Yes and we had huge interest rates,no maternity leave. (I had to resign from my teaching post), no child allowance for the first child, heavy pushchairs which had to be collapsed when getting on buses,the cheap flights and holidays were difficult to get if you were a single mum with one child.Mortgages were 2 1/2 times salary with no exceptions.Power cuts, towelling nappies to boil, and so it goes on . I think most generations have their difficulties.

Hear, hear

I think we should go back to towelling nappies. Disposable are disgusting, apart from emergencies or travelling,

I think we should go back to towelling nappies. Disposable are disgusting, apart from emergencies or travelling,

Are you aware that not all mothers have access to a garden or utility room in which to hang the towelling nappies?

Some live in rented accommodation with no such facilities and would have to drape them over radiators or hang them on lines strung up in the kitchen. Or visit the launderette every night after soaking the nappies in a bucket when they get home from work.

OK, emergencies, travelling and no drying facilities 👍

silverlining48

I still don’t understand why there are two classes of state pension. I worked full time and paid NI from 15 to 60, that’s 45 years. Retiring before 2016 I get the lower rate which is about £200 pm less than the new, which only needs 35 years of NI to get the full pension. If state pension is raised each year percentage wise, this gapwill widen.

I am happy for those on the new much improved pension, I really am, but think it’s unfair on older pensioners who have contributed fir so long not to get parity. Perhaps they hope we die off quietly and cause no trouble.

I did write a while ago to my now ex Tory MP, got no sensible explanation but might repeat to my new Labour MP and see if he can enlighten me.

I’m in the same group silverlining. Started work at 17 and continued till I was 62. 45 years with 1 year off in 1972 though I worked from home in the evening, typing reports. 7 months mat leave in 1984, 6 month mat leave in 1986.

I also agree with your earlier post. Life was easier for a small minority.

I dislike this divide and rule between generations. My impression is that the disgruntled on mumsnet are reflecting distance and resentment in the relationship with their parents. We see it here, grandparents who feel let down by their adult children. I’m not suggesting either group is wrong, just thst personal experiences influence us

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MissAdventure

I wonder how many people with incontinence choose not to wear tena lady?

Lots of people mention them with regard to incontinence.

Maybe they should wear terrytowelling ones and handwash them?So much better for the planet.
#yesthisisajoke

Of course.

In 1966 when I was 19 I moved to London. After a short spell in an hostel I shared a flat with 2 others. We paid £12 per week for a one bed roomed flat. The bath was part of the kitchen with an ancient geyser which was constantly threatening to blow up. The windows were painted shut so it was impossible to open them and the flat was very damp.

I worked for insurance companies to start with. Girls were always on a lower salary than boys. We couldn't wear trousers to work. There was an excellent company called Stirling cooper which made matching dresses and trousers so not scruffy.

It was not possible to enter an employer's pension scheme until one had worked for them for 2 to 3 years. Most of my working life was with small companies who did not have pension schemes and we were expected to fund our own scheme. As most of my earnings from 1979 went into paying our mortgage there was no surplus for pensions. It was only in the mid 80s that we went into Equitable Life and we all know what happened to that company.

In the mid 70s I went into articles with a small firm of accountants. At that time the female intake into that profession and the law was only 3%.

There were no cheap flights/holidays in the 60s. Freddie Laker started his company in 1966 but collapsed because of the 80s recession, under funding and competition from established airlines. Ryanair did not start until 1984 and Easyjet in 1995.

We bought our first house in 1979 - a wreck - and I borrowed some of the deposit from my Dad who had recently sold his mother's house so he had some spare cash. The rest was my tax savings as I was self employed at the time. Getting a mortgage was very difficult because of the state of the house.
We had to find a deposit of 20% - around £4k. We only managed it because a colleague had become the accountant of a small London building society,

So, contrary to popular opinion, life was not easy for those now in their 70s. These days young people seem to want to be able to buy a house whilst in their early 20s whereas most of my contemporaries didn't buy a house until their very late 20s or early 30s.

Part of the difference now is SM. It didn't exist when I was young and so we didn't see how other people lived, apart from our friends who were similar to us in many ways.

Well said, Dinahmo

My own adult children sometimes seem to resent the fact that DH and I could retire in our 60’s, in receipt of the state pension. I got mine at nearly 63 years old, DH his at 65.

AC are nearly 50 and 48. DD in particular who is an Australian citizen reckons she will have to work until she’s 70 to get her ‘super’ (their SP).

What they forget is that DH left school at just 15, so worked full time for 50 years. I started work at 16, and apart from 6 years off when the children were small, also always worked, though not always full time.

Different times.

I started work after leaving school at 18. I'm now 77. I still work as I have a small accountancy/taxation practice which I enjoy. It's also necessary because we are poorly provided with private pensions. It pays for new specs (v expensive) vets' fees, car repairs and occasional help in the house or garden. In that respect I'm lucky. I suspect that there are quite a few who have continued to work past retirement age. If we and/or the dogs were healthy we would also go on holiday too.

There was a discussion this morning on tv about retirees paying NIC on their earnings. In fact, for most of them who are employed, their employer will be paying contributions for them; the employees don't pay. It's quite possible that the earnings of many pensioners will be below the threshold.

When my kids were young ( and well into their teens) a meal out was a once a year treat paid for by an unmarried friend. I’ve never quite got over the extravagance of actually buying a cup of coffee and still often take a flask of coffee with me when I go out. I bought my first brand new car @15 years ago (0% finance) and am hoping it will last me out. We were only able to do necessary work on our house when we inherited some money from my husbands father and that’s when we went on our first hotel holiday abroad: prior to that we’d gone camping.

It was only in the mid 80s that we went into Equitable Life and we all know what happened to that company
I saved into AVCs for years when I was working because I thought it would bring me extra income in retirement, a considerable lump out of my salary each month. There was a choice between Equitable Life and Scottish Widows and I did "Ip dip dip, my blue ship" and it landed on Scottish Widows (not very scientific but I couldn't decide). My working life was cut unexpectedly short so now I get the princely sum of £59 per month for all my sacrifices back then!

At least it wasn't Equitable Life, I'm sorry that happened to you, Dinahmo.

I think we got a lot of poor financial advice then, endowment mortgages that failed to pay off etc so what little savings we had went to pay off the shortfall.

Sorry to butt in but am I the only person who did not get the daily letter from gn today? Nothing binned by mistake as far as I can see. Any suggestions as to what the problem might be?

MayBee- I find myself using the expression my gran was fond of - it will see me out - frequently these days. The first time I remember using it was when i bought my mini in 2022. It had 4000 miles on the clock - love at first sight

pascal30

I can certainly understand young people's grievances about the older generation.. We had so many more advantages... not only free University and a grant, it was much easier to buy a house because we didn't have to jump through hoops to get a mortgage, the start of cheap flights and holidays, a really good dental system, easily accessible NHS, proper contracts for employment, better social care, no worry yet about climate change, really the list goes on.. we were a blessed generation really

A different world, sad. But it's not our fault.

I'll be very cold this winter.

Cadeby

pascal30

I can certainly understand young people's grievances about the older generation.. We had so many more advantages... not only free University and a grant, it was much easier to buy a house because we didn't have to jump through hoops to get a mortgage, the start of cheap flights and holidays, a really good dental system, easily accessible NHS, proper contracts for employment, better social care, no worry yet about climate change, really the list goes on.. we were a blessed generation really

A different world, sad. But it's not our fault.

I'll be very cold this winter.

not only free University and a grant
But few went to University then.

But it's not our fault
No.

Rationing, Cold War, Winter of Discontent, strikes etc.

We cope with the times we live in.

Thats an interesting thought and I've been mulling over the thought of my mother living during the war. Particularly in winter, in Scotland during the black out.

One thing we can't change is when we're born!

David49, will the money be spent where it really matters? How sure are you that it will be?

BevSec

David49, will the money be spent where it really matters? How sure are you that it will be?

That’s another story, we elect representatives at local and national level to decide where the money needs to be spent, one thing for sure giving WFA to those that don’t need it is very wasteful.

David49, it may be wasteful in your view, but I see it as a small reward for paying taxes all my working life, whether I need it or not, that is beside the point. The Government can find money when it wants to. There is no political will to help pensioners, they know we tend to vote Tory anyway.

BevSec

David49, it may be wasteful in your view, but I see it as a small reward for paying taxes all my working life, whether I need it or not, that is beside the point. The Government can find money when it wants to. There is no political will to help pensioners, they know we tend to vote Tory anyway.

This one didn’t vote Tory, there are plenty of pensioners on GN not many dared to raise their head above the parapet to support Sunak.

“a reward for paying taxes” that’s an interesting justification for WFA

David49 I guessed you didnt vote Tory!