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generation names

(12 Posts)
HS58 Sun 21-Apr-19 15:07:17

You hear a lot about Baby Boomers and I think a lot of people assume that to include everyone over a certain age. However I think that we war-babies are a bit different from those born a bit later, and I also think we are different from those born before WWII . Anyone agree? - and I have forgotten the name given to the oldest generation, though I know it's complimentary!

tanith Sun 21-Apr-19 15:31:24

I thought the generation born between the Wars was called the Silent Generation after the old adage ‘seen but not heard’ I may be wrong but I do remember reading it somewhere.

M0nica Sun 21-Apr-19 16:15:31

I am another war-baby and notice how we seem to have completely fallen through the net of generations. It seems to be baby-boomers onwards and too old to matter.

I think we were a very lucky group. The food rationing that came in as soon as war started and the extra nourishment given to expectant mothers and under 11s in particular ensured that regardless of family income we all got a very good well-nourished start to life.

They now say older people are healthier and fitter than those that went before and I am sure the healthy start we had to life paid an important part.

HS58 Tue 23-Apr-19 15:18:57

I agree about the healthy start. Also, we were to young to understand the war - we knew nothing different; and far better to be a baby at that time than having one's teenage years ruined by it!

BradfordLass72 Tue 23-Apr-19 22:04:34

The Baby Boomers I know seem to be a tough, stoic but happy lot but then maybe the older generation before them were too.

Grandma2213 Wed 24-Apr-19 03:38:25

I am a baby boomer born 1947 and I think we have been the luckiest generation. We had free orange juice, cod liver oil and malt (like it or not!), vaccinations against so many diseases, a wonderful NHS, very little sugar due to sweet rationing and many of our parents grew their own vegetables.

Money was tight but we had a great free education and were given grants if we were clever enough for college or university. In my case my parents were poor enough to pay nothing. There were also apprenticeships and plenty of work, even for students in the holidays. There were many opportunities to continue to gain qualifications even when older and often they were free.

Then there was cheap housing and easy to get mortgages or plenty of council housing. On a lighter level we experienced the swinging sixties. My DC envy me this!

Obviously there were exceptions but I doubt any other generation before or after are likely to have the same opportunities as we did.

absent Wed 24-Apr-19 04:54:09

Grandma2213 The sad thing is that it was Baby Boomers – notably Tony Blair and New Labour – who started the rot of taking such advantages in life away, but only, of course, after they had benefited.

sodapop Wed 24-Apr-19 09:00:10

I agree with what you say Grandma2213 but on the down side a lot of people and their families suffered from the effects of WW2. There was untreated PTSD, disability, broken families, illegitimate children, . I realise these things happen anyway but post war the incidence was greatly increased.

jenpax Wed 24-Apr-19 09:30:23

The baby boomer time definition is much too large! There is a vast difference between the lives of someone born in 1946 and someone born in 1964!

FarNorth Wed 24-Apr-19 09:47:09

I thought the 'baby boom' was immediately post-war, plus a few more years, due to everyone being able to resume normal lives. But not as late as 1964.

Hm999 Wed 24-Apr-19 12:27:09

Absent - it was John Major's govt who stopped free university education. Ken Clarke was the one who started the change in women's pensions, George Osborne exacibating the problem ('Easiest money I ever saved' I think was his quote)

Grandma2213 Thu 25-Apr-19 00:22:30

I think the second 'boom' came in the mid to late 60's when the original boomers started having families. I know I was teaching classes of over 40 in the 70's.