General Chat

I live in fairly rural USA now and don't feel the need to always lock my doors. I suspect that part of the reason for the change is too many people in not enough space, so no-one feels responsible for anything/anyone or a sense of community. I remember seeing a short programme on global populations a while ago. The speeded up version of humanity's spread across the glove looked just as if some sort of virus was spreading. I can't help thinking that some sort of global disaster that brings the population back to much smaller (manageable?) levels is on the cards somewhere in our future.

Dee, Not so much now I admit but up to 10yrs ago people in some places never locked their doors. I actually know of a place where 2 walkers came in and finding no one around they made tea and got something to eat --- they left money on the kitchen table! I'm miles from anyone but do lock up.

When I was a child, my grandmother and aunt lived in a block of flats in Southwark, London. They knew all the neighbours and doors were not locked and neighbours walked in and called out 'Hello' as they entered. By the time my Aunt died a few years ago, the time hen you could leave your doors open had long since passed, instead you had to add a chubb lock to the door. During my grandmother's day, the staircases were cleaned by a rpota of the neighbours. In latter days, they never seemed to be cleaned and smelled terrible. David

Nell and Shirley I was always in the dog house with my son when he was living here. I leave my french windows open in the summer, and he has walked in through them and found me either fast asleep, or at the computer with music on. He said anyone could have walked in and taken anything and I would never have known Dee ;-))

Hallo Dee My husband's Welsh grandparents lived in a 17th century terrace of 4 houses. They lived at one end and his aunty at the other. The front door was either left open in summer or unlocked in winter. Relatives and neighbours would walk in at any time 'Hallo?' I suppose up the top of a mountain it would be very unlikely that any strangers would be wandering about. When I was a small girl, our back door was always unlocked and neighbours would sometimes come round to the back. Now you can't get to the back door as there is a garage built on the side. My mother keeps the front door locked at all times. I know people round here who always lock their doors. My front door has a lock so it cannot be opened from the outside, but you can open it on the inside. I don't use our other lock because I always think if there was a fire I wouldn't want to be fiddling about unlocking doors, I'd just want to get out! nell

Dorothy, I have the book that went with that programme, just not got round to reading it yet. Will have to search it out Dee x

My back door is never locked, day or night. when i get home from work i very often find my older grand children at my house, or neices and nephews. we have got up in the morning and found one of our nephews asleep on the sofa many times. the lights are left on all night in the kitchen and front hallway, so they don't fall over should anyone turn up, Its a joke in the family, we can always stay at auntie Shirleys if we can't get home. One of this days i will find someone asleep on my sofa that i don't know. lol. Shirley

Hi Dee and everybody. Really enjoyed the thread. Would like to add a snippet. There is a row of houses in the village where I live that had the nick name 'Key Row'. All the houses had large round knockers in the middle of the door. No handles to be turned ; so everyone had to have a key to get in ! The houses are still there today, Joan

Louise I hadn't thought about when locks came into general usage, I shall look into that. Maybe my tutor will know about it tomorrow Dee xx

Dee The poem that Cas put up describes our house the way we lived when I was young and the way houses were one thing most home had were a lot of love and money could not buy that thanks girls Howardxxx

I know you are probley talking about later than this, but - I saw a programme a couple of month ago and the door lock was only invented around (1860? not sure exactly) And even then they all work by the same key - so you would still have been able to open someone elses door! So maybe thats why not many people bothered buying them. Louise.

Thanks Veronica for adding those, I hadn't come across them before Dee ;-))

It's been interesting reading peoples comments, and thank you Alice for adding the verse Dee ;-))

Lemon, you can so very much picture that second verse...

Well said Lemon Nelly!

All the poemns touched me but Alice's pulled a heart string. Every time I do a little on my tree, or make a new discovery I swing between joy and sadness, but most of all pride, that after all these years I have found and given my Iron workers, farmers, brick setters and hard worked women a place in the future. People who did little but work hard, not carrying fame or fortune with them, but they were my blood and I hope they know, I know them, and feel proud that I carry a part of them with me.

no quite appropriate for this thread, but hope you dont mind, it says so much Alice Taking the Census It was the first day of census, and all through the land; The pollster was ready ... a black book in hand. He mounted his horse for a long dusty ride; His book and some quills were tucked close by his side. A long winding ride down a road barely there; Toward the smell of fresh bread wafting up through the air. The woman was tired, with lines on her face; And wisps of brown hair she tucked back into place. She gave him some water ... as they sat at the table; And she answered his questions ... the best she was able. He asked of her children ... Yes, she had quite a few; The oldest was twenty, the youngest not quite two. She held up a toddler with cheeks round and red; His sister, she whispered, was napping in bed. She noted each person who lived there with pride; And she felt the faint stirrings of the wee one inside. He noted the sex, the colour, the age .. The marks from the quill soon filled up the page. At the number of children, she nodded her head; And saw her lips quiver for the three that were dead. The places of birth she 'never forgot'; Was it Kansas? or Utah? Or Oregon ... or not? They came from Scotland, of that she was clear; But she wasn't quite sure just how long they'd been here. They spoke of employment, of schooling and such; They could read some and write some ... though really not much. When the questions were answered, his job there was done; So he mounted his horse and he rode toward the sun. We can imagine his voice loud and clear; 'May God Bless you all for another ten years.' Now picture a time warp ... it's now you and me; As we search for the people on our family tree. We squint at the census and scroll down so slow; As we search for that entry from long, long ago. Could they only imagine on that long ago day; That the entries they made would effect us this way? If they knew, would they wonder at the yearning we feel; And the searching that makes them so increasingly real. We can hear if we listen the words they impart; Through their blood in our veins and their voices in our heart.

When I was younger. what you say sums it up. We were poor; more god-fearing and police fearing. I f anyone offended, their name appeared in the paper and they were disgraced. As per the 'war'feeling, you were all poor together and so stuck with each other - where I lived you were so close together it was like an extended family. Slightly off thread, when i was training to be a policeman in 1955 we had to learn the definition of 'sacrilage'. Our instructor was most apologetic about it 'You,ve got to learn it cos it,s part of the law, but you will never have to use it cos no-one ever breaks into a church' (Which at that time were often left unlocked so people could call in at any time.) (The poem above is lovely) Happy days

We were just discussing a similar thing when I was up North for New Year. When I was a kid, Dad would come in from the pub at closing time on New Year's Eve, we'd have a spread ready on the table then everybody passed through everybodies home after midnight for a bite, a New Year's drink and sometimes have a sing song until the early hours. I used to LOVE it! Apparently you wouldn't DARE do that now!

Hi Christine I can believe that would happen on Skye As you say the sense of Community certainly seems to have gone Dee xx