Close family only…. the thieving scumbags next door would even nick the paint from the walls if we let them in. I’m a big fan of security cameras, timing lights in a couple of rooms, and bear-traps along the hallway. There are plenty of dodgers in the bungalows across the road, and a couple of the longer term owners do look after each others houses, as even we used to do 30 years ago….

The problem now is a complete lack of trust, and a massive social divide between people who have no respect for people’s property/privacy, and those who do…. I honestly believe that the difference between these two opposite social groups is very simple and fundamental: One of the groups has worked to acheive what they have, whereas the other has had everything given to them.

Lucky I suppose, in our little corner of the world most if not all are working or retired workers, a wide range of jobs or ex jobs from a couple of retired company directors to a retired council gardener, but all have the same thing in common, whatever they have they worked or are working for, you probably do have a very valid point there.

Neighbours that you actualy knew and spoke to, these days I only know my next door neighbour, no one seems to speak any more.

Jim.

Lincoln .7

I would say on this one we are lucky, just close by there is a quite high proportion of “coffin dodgers” who fully intend to continue dodging for some time yet, yes we do know a fair number of our neighbours and for all the thoughts to the contrary when you get to speak to most people they are just as friendly as they ever were.

Just where we live there is a high proportion of bungalows, not surprisingly this attracts a higher proportion of buyers/owners who are pensioners or those whose families have grown up and flown the nest.

Granted people don’t just wander round and into others houses as used to happen, but people call round for a natter, if someone hasn’t been seen out and about for a while, a neighbour will invariably call round to see if all is OK.

Our little group do a quick check on holidays etc make sure someone is available to keep an eye, water plants, feed pets, move mail from the front door, and just see that all is OK. Whether this is down to the age group of those involved is another question, would this still occur among younger residents? I really don’t know.

Ahh but an original Mars Bar, was about 5 times the size of the pathetic little thing you get today.. The double pack you can get is about the size of the originals.

They were certainly bigger in my memory, but of course I was quite a bit smaller, I think it’s safe to say standard size then is probably about the same as the extra large bars of today.

Having only three channels on TV.

I remember getting our first TV in 1953, according to Mum we got it in time for the Coronation of our present Queen, according to Dad we got it to watch the FA Cup Final Blackpool v Bolton, (the Matthews final).

The reality my Dad worked his holidays on a local farm during harvest time to get the money together.

Ultra mod at the time, the Pye Black Box one of the few tellys you could watch at the time without drawing curtains or turning lights down, just one channel but ready to take this new fangled commercial channel which was under preperation.

Were are all the youngsters extracting the water then, or is the forum populated by us oldsters?

I remember rationing very well, but of course living in a rural village a lot of food stuff particularly, wasn’t in short supply at all, but my sweet allowance was 1 Mars Bar and a small paper bag of my choice, for a whole week :eek:.

My Dad was fond of telling me how lucky we were to be able to get whatever food we needed fresh and cheap. We did have a milkman who delivered to the door, but even that was rationed so if we needed more we just wandered round to the dairy (same farm) with our own can were rationing was quietly ignored and our can filled up.

As others have mentioned we roamed the local fields at will with virtually no restrictions apart from the usual warnings about dangerous animals,one farm would very often have a bull out in the field it would be tethered to a 56lb weight with a long rope attached to a ring in it’s nose.

We were told not to go in this field when the bull was out, but of course smart **** kids had worked out that said bull couldn’t do a right lot with the weight dragging on it’s nose, came the day the bull was out in the field with the cows and of course supposedly getting on with the reason for his existence (without the weight attached to his nose).

To a bunch of young lads the concept of sexual activity and the agitation of males was alien to us, so of course we were taking our usual short cut across the field, luckily one of the lads noticed said bull was free at about the same time the bull noticed us, even with a good start and not far to go we soon realised just how fast the damn thing was, we made it and chalked up another little experience in the learning curve of life.

As it has now been realised that the UK is not heading for a Mediteranean climate, the environmentalists call is now climate change rather than global warming.

That way whichever way the weather goes it’s all down to us CO2 polluters, the truth is, the “experts” don’t know, haven’t got a clue as what drives the climate.

A challenge to any environmental experts, what is the normal climate pattern for this world?

Is it an ice age scenario or is it totally free from permanent ice?simply this planet has spent considerably longer in both those states than in our present temperate climate.

Real scientists regard our present climate as inter-glacial ie. not a permanent situation at all.

I understand SAAB might be about to rise from the grave.

Good thing I say, despite their solvency struggles leading them to produce badge-engineered Vauxhalls not very well, they always had a certain flair, right back to the three cylinder two-stroke (96?) I drove in the 1960s

Moggy

Nice to think that, but GM kept hold of a a good number of originally developed Saab innovations, leaving any future manufacturer short on that “certain flair”, pity.

I sold a good number of Saabs in my time, had less problems than just about every other make of car I dealt with, in spite of the cloth cap image in some peoples minds, the various turbo-charged Saabs were good fun and pretty quick.

What’s even more remarkable is the Lancia Thema, Fiat Croma and the Saab 9000 shared a jointly developed body and floor pan, the Saab had better side impact protection but visually all very similar bodies.

Saab 9000s are still out and about in regular use, now play spot the Fiat or Lancia alternative, amazing the difference in build quality. :rolleyes: