Baby Boomer Bashing

It wasn't until I moved into this house 12 years ago that I parted company with my mum's old kitchen table (red formica) and my aunt and uncle's old dining suite. Had to get something more compact.

I'm a silent one too - born 1943. My Dad was away in the war and didn't see me till I was 6 months old. He stayed on in the army after 1945 and didn't come back full time until 1952 so I hardly have any memories of him in my young childhood.

DH and I got married in 1965 - no living together before marriage - and like so many others had donated furniture in our little cottage. We had saved for 2 years and had to have an interview at the Halifax Building Society before being given a mortgage. There was a waiting list for mortgages and stringent rules on earnings.

We bought a cooker and a twin-tub washer "on the electric bill" where you paid so much with your bill to the electricity board. I got an automatic washer when DD was born, having two babies in nappies (terry ones) and we used the child allowance tax rebate as she was born in March. Made life so much easier.

We have worked all our lives and I don't feel guilty at all for what we have managed to achieve. Thrift and economy are alien to many today yet we were brought up with them and they have served us well.

I too am part of the Silent generation - I used to love to see a line of snowy white nappies flapping on the line. They were useful for lots of other things afterwards too - quite sad when the last one fell into shreds!

I'm an early baby-boomer and I don't feel guilty at all. We worked hard -I started my nursing course at 18 years old and except for a few years in the US where I wasn't allowed to work, have worked ever since. At 68 I'm still working part time and there are a few of us where I work who, like me, retired from their 'proper job' and took on part time work for various reasons. I have never claimed for any benefit other then single parent benefit when I was first divorced. I didn't go to the council to be re-housed, but took on a mortgage and fought to pay it off. When I first got married and had my first home it was furnished with hand-me-downs, even my twin tub washer and fridge were hand-me downs. New stuff were the bits of crockery, sheets, towels etc that we had as wedding presents. The only debt we had was our mortgage, we didn't even buy on the never-never , if we couldn't afford it we didn't buy it. Same when I had my first child, hand-me-down baby furniture including a cot, a Silver Cross pram for £5, etc. We had gifts of course so changing mat, bath and baby clothes were new, we bought terry towelling nappies and plastic pants [remember those, they were horrible]. When my son was 8 months old the Maclaren buggy came in - we bought one from Fenwicks in Brent Cross for £11. I loved it as I could hop off and on buses with ease.
Both my children have been well educated, worked weekends etc when at school, college and uni and have worked ever since. [my son works from home as he is a stay-at-home papa] so has 2 jobs. My son and his wife are great e-bay buyers and have bought a lot of baby equipment toys etc that way. We have no benefit culture in our houses.

We set up home in 1957 in a 2 up 2 down cottage with a non-flushing loo at the end of our little garden. My dressing table stool was a bent plywood drum that had held dried milk which I covered with a remnant and made a cushion for the top. Bedside cabinets were two wooden orange boxes stood on end ,painted white and with a curtain across the front. I was so proud of my 'do-it-yourself ' bargains. There is great satiafaction in making something out of nothing.

I object to being stigmatised for being a BB, I did not choose when to be born. I too remember interest rates of 18%, three day weeks, miner's strikes - it hasn't all been easy!

My parents in law were part of the Greatest Generation. They saved for years and years before they got married. They bought a brand new detached house and had dining furniture hand made for them. They even bought MiL's mother a shop so she could earn money for herself as she had been abandoned by her husband. My FiL was an accountant and wrote down every single penny he spent until the day he died. MiL was just scary!!