Just a little Rant.

petra

Cumbrianmale
The teacher who hit me round the head so hard my glasses flew off did eventually go to prison for assault on a child.

Good, this kind of thing should never have been allowed.

petra

Cumbrianmale
The teacher who hit me round the head so hard my glasses flew off did eventually go to prison for assault on a child.

The head master who shook me so violently that the stitches of my blazer tore open didn't. I had committed the cardinal sin of taking my shoebag, containing my games kit, from my peg to take it home to be washed at half term - as told to by my mother (and one did NOT cross her!) She had a habit of wiping me around the face with her ring hand if disobeyed.

Imagine a games kit not washed for around 13 weeks as the head master directed... It would have walked home on its own.

Fairlandia

Ah yes, ‘the good old days’ when we used to imprison gay people, openly discriminate against people based on race, religion, disability and so on. Times of state sanctioned cruelty when babies were removed from unmarried mothers and in the worst cases, sold by the nuns.
I hate this type of post because it is SO ungrateful for all the benefits and freedoms which we have enjoyed, as Boomers.😡

Good point…….and don’t forget the women who were paid MUCH LESS than men for doing EXACTLY the same jobs!

Etoile, I used to worry about the same thing when I was a child. The Cold War tentacles stretched out even to my very secure and protected life. I even had nightmares about it and then couldn't sleep.

I recall back in the fifties headline news being 'the Hanging' of a person guilty of murder, shocked me back then.................now young people are running around with machetes in there pants stabbing other kids to death and getting a few years in jail!

What about that then!

Our generation created this world. Future generation will hold us to account.

lemsip

I recall back in the fifties headline news being 'the Hanging' of a person guilty of murder, shocked me back then.................now young people are running around with machetes in there pants stabbing other kids to death and getting a few years in jail!

What about that then!

In my opinion, capital punishment has no place in civilised society. There were numerous cases where the wrong person was hanged and statistically abolition did not give rise an increase in the murder rate.

You make it sound as though it is some kind of norm for young people to run around with machetes in there(sic) pants stabbing other kids to death. It most certainly is not.

Violent crime and murder have not just been invented. When I was a child growing up in London, during the 1950s and 60s, there were several ultra-violent gangs around, the most famous being the gang lead by the Krays.

What about that then?

Wazzam

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion even if it is things that other people do not agree with. That is what a Democracy is. Are you saying that I am SO ungrateful for living in the Decades that I think were the best?

Absolutely, you’re entitled to your opinion. As are others who don’t agree with you.

Magenta8 surprised how many people do not read,watch,listen to the news so are quite unaware what's happening on our streets.

lemsip I am well aware of the news. Perhaps I should clarify, you seem to imply that it is very common for young people to kill each other with sharp weapons which I dispute. I do not live in a bubble and I am well aware that it does happen and nothing I wrote denies that. It it were that common it wouldn't be news.

I feel very fortunate that our children, despite traumas in their lives, are hard working and have very high morals. In addition, our grandchildren, ranging from aged 23 down to 11 (6 in all) are all either working, studying for A levels/GCSEs or moving on to secondary school in September. The younger boys are very involved in Scouts and extracurricular activities. In fact our 14 year old has just received the Chief Scout Gold Award. We are so very proud of him. He and his younger brother lost their Dad three years ago from cancer. He was only 47 years old.
Yes Wazzam things have changed dramatically, but with guidance, encouragement and by setting an example our kids will survive, as we did. Life has always had its challenges.

lemsip FYI.

The latest figures available show that the number of under 25 year olds murdered between March 2024 and March 2025 was 52 and the total number of murders of all age groups using a machete was 15 during the same time period. The age of the murderers does not appear in these records.

Patsy, what a remarkable achievement by your grandson. You are right to feel proud.

OP: "Just a little Rant. I am now in the Twilight years of my life and am sitting here reflecting on my life, but I do get very worried about the future that this Country of ours holds for my Children and Grandchildren. I honestly do not think we can call ourselves 'Great' Britain anymore".

Not sure why we can't call ourselves Great Britain anymore? Nostalgia has a nasty habit of deceiving memories of past reality. Certain political parties then capitalise on this nostalgia to win votes.

Many posters have set out many of the less salubrious aspects of life over the years during the years we were children and onwards- we are falling ourselves by only remembering the positive aspects and viewing the past via rose tinted spectacles as a result.

Interesting article in the Guardian this morning from the younger generation's perspective of their parents titled "I feel like I'm losing her: the families torn apart by older relatives going to far right" by Simon Usborne.

I refer to the article not because it's about the children lamenting about their parents swing to the far right - it could be any colour party swing. The issue of interest was the suggestion that "nostalgia porn" is a common first step on a radicalisation pathway. That "good old fashioned back in my day" content on social media accounts influences older adults, and they then becoming accustomed to a social media diet of "boomer slop" clips- with the boomer-in-chief being Donald Trump.

falling should read 'fooling' ourselves...

The word Great doesn’t have anything to do with superiority.
Its geographical. It comes from when we were geographically joined to mainland Europe.

I remember the time when if you were misbehaving any random adult would tell you off and you would feel ashamed, rather than now where parents are telling the adults off for upsetting you!

The OP's feelings aren't new. Parts of every older generation say the same thing as they look back.

Looking back to the weather in London when I was young it was cold, wet and dreary most of the time except for a brief amount of lovely sun in Summer. That’s one of the reasons we left for sunnier climes. I think I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, looking back. It was such a joy to live under startling blue skies, bright sun and warmth with cheerful smiling people.

Pleasebenice

Our generation created this world. Future generation will hold us to account.

Indeed.

Dontcallmelove

I remember the time when if you were misbehaving any random adult would tell you off and you would feel ashamed, rather than now where parents are telling the adults off for upsetting you!

When I was young, I remember that quite a few adults used to think they had carte blanche to be as rude to children and teenagers as they liked.

Just one example of this occurred during the 1960s, at the peak of the mini skirt fashion. A women stopped her car and wound down the window so that she could shout at me to tell me my skirt was too short. I won't repeat what I replied.

Magenta8

lemsip

I recall back in the fifties headline news being 'the Hanging' of a person guilty of murder, shocked me back then.................now young people are running around with machetes in there pants stabbing other kids to death and getting a few years in jail!

What about that then!

In my opinion, capital punishment has no place in civilised society. There were numerous cases where the wrong person was hanged and statistically abolition did not give rise an increase in the murder rate.

You make it sound as though it is some kind of norm for young people to run around with machetes in there(sic) pants stabbing other kids to death. It most certainly is not.

Violent crime and murder have not just been invented. When I was a child growing up in London, during the 1950s and 60s, there were several ultra-violent gangs around, the most famous being the gang lead by the Krays.

What about that then?

I was talking to my plumber on Tuesday and he mentioned a charming gang from the eighties called the Leeds Service Crew, a feared gang across Yorkshire who were supposed followers of Leeds United. These really were a violent bunch of no marks whose main activity was attacking rival fans and causing mayhem on trains. Fortunately football hooliganism like this no longer exists, or is well hidden.

nanna8

Looking back to the weather in London when I was young it was cold, wet and dreary most of the time except for a brief amount of lovely sun in Summer. That’s one of the reasons we left for sunnier climes. I think I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, looking back. It was such a joy to live under startling blue skies, bright sun and warmth with cheerful smiling people.

I think a great deal of your joy comes from running down a country you no longer know nanna8. I'm glad you are happy you moved to another country but it seems to me you are a stranger to this one.

I really wonder why they don't change "Chat" to "Whinge". At least we could avoid those posts.

Nanna8's comment about joy, living under blue skies, bright sun and warmth with cheerful smiling people did not deserve harsh feedback saying she is running down her former country. She is not a stranger to her home country just because she ventured to find greener grass on the other side that suited her.