Did you think you were poor growing up?

I was born in 1959, the youngest of 4 children. We lived in a 2-up, 2-down house (I slept in my parents' room until we moved when I was 11. Dad was a painter and decorator, mum did a part-time factory job when I was about 8. We didn't have a bathroom - toilet was outside in a yard - and no washing machine or proper kitchen, just a scullery with a ponch and a mangle outside. Coal fires downstairs. Yes, we were poor but didn't know it. Mum kept us all clean and fed. Dad worked hard to pay for things.

I was born in 1958, to parents in army (biological Dad) brought up with other army families til I was three, Mum took me back home (her home with my grandparents)

My mother remarried when I was 6 to a childhood friend, who became my father in every sense and adopted me.

Lovely middle class up bringing, I was extremely lucky as no money issues. Lots of other issues, but all in all I was a very fortunate child.

I think we were poor Dad was a warehouseman and I dont remember Mum working she 5 children spread over 18yrs so she had a small child most of the time. We lived in rented only got a car when the eldest 2 had left home to get married. We always had food clothes etc but no extras or pocket money. I didnt know we were poor but we probably were.

My Dad was a year behind everyone else coming back from the war as he was in Burma so had difficulties getting a job but got one in a warehouse Mum did shop work, I didn’t consider us poor, but we had no car, lived in a council prefab, and didn’t have holidays, ( my first holiday was when I was 17 ) so I suppose by some standards we were, but we ate good food a lot that Dad grew, and I was clean and dressed well, mum made most of my clothes, and my maternal grandparents helped I m sure.

Why do some people wear it as a badge of honour these days, especially MP's who want us to think they came from poor backgrounds but really they didn't.

Maybe because they want to be pitied? They think everyone likes a victim?

What I dislike is when they imply that anyone born into privilege, or who has acquired wealth, thinks they are a better person than the next petson. Or that they are stuck up, and treat poor people with disdain.

They couldn't be more wrong on this one.

I was born in 1950. In our town there were some middle class people with big houses. But I’d say 90% of people were like my family. A dad who worked and a mum who stayed at home. Rented accommodation until mum and dad saved for a small house in 1958. We didn’t have a car or a fridge or a washing machine. Virtually everyone else’s family was the same. We didn’t think we were poor but of course we were by today’s standards.