General Chat

Sound education in the three R's. The young can't spell, don't read enough and certainly can't add up! I suppose texting, play stations and Calculators don't help - not putting all the blame on the teachers! We just seem so illiterate, as a nation, if our written work is peppered with grammatical and spelling mistakes. On a lighter note - my hair colour! Dilys

My thanks to you all for your interest. Arthur, - no we wouldn,t be playing around on a computer in those days. Noted in my initial message that we have gained a lot as well as lost. Don,t want to start another thread, but are computers a good thing, on balance? They are blamed by the banks for anything that goes wrong; etc.etc. I.m on telephone banking these days - I used to toddle down to the PostOffice with my threepenny bit and invest with dear old Miss Wilson, the Post office banker, cum librarian; confidante; et al . You knew all the customers and they knew you........... One thing I,m surprised no-one has mentioned is 'hope'. I like to think that I am reasonable well adjusted, but at times, the future does look to be empty. It would be lovely to wake up excited once in a while. Still, count my blessings. Happy days

Arthur, You can dream. That, or a good memory. Grannylonglegs. Be honest now - did you go to the dictionary to make certain of your spelling? Best Wishes

NO Buttercup, I am not asleep just reading and watching!!! As an over 60s non bingo...wide awake whatever...I'd like my figure back. No seriously.. Please. I'd like kids to be able to play out as we were able to. It was lovely seeing them out and, laughing and playing. The only ones who seem to be able to play out are the HARD ones. Sorry! Deanna

We lived in shoe box in gutter. The people next door lived in luxury, they had lid on theirs! Jo.

Arthur. Royal Marines? Not going to argue with you. Fairy godmother. Hope you had big feet. Deanna - Lovely message. I live a few hundred yards from a school. When the wind is in the right direction, you can hear them at play-time. lovely sound. Lesley - There,s a lesson there for everyone. If you can, and you love someone, say it before it,s too late. Happy days

I say I love you quite often to my son and hubby. If son is in a bad mood with me, I say' do you know how much I love you?' Drives him wild!!! Deanna :-0)

Oh Bob, I just back on and see your grovelling - thank you so much you've started me off with a right good giggle. And long may it continue - the giggling, not the grovelling LOL. Jan

I would bring back the days when drugs, hard and soft were only something we read about happening in other countries. They, I feel, are at the heart of a lot of a lot of the problems that we have with safety on the streets and in our own homes. I wouldn't necessarily want to go back to the days when we didn't have TV or PCs as I think they give us entertainment (well some of it is good), and if we didn't have them we'd be back pre washing machines, fridges, freezers and I don't really want to spend all my day doing shopping for food, washing, cleaning etc. Ann Glos

I think what i really want are the best of both worlds, the freedom we had in my youth, coupled with the convenience of all the electrical appliances that we have today, plus the pill and all modern pharmaceutical drugs. Plus the self respect thatw e used to have as people from great Britain when we travelled to other countries. (1940s vintage me) Utopia??? Ann Glos

HARRY - what's a dictionary?! I couldn't pronounce 'hyperbole' at my writing group yesterday, felt a right fool. Just goes to show, I don't know everything! Dilys

Ann, You sum it up pretty well.. I think Utopia comes from Thomas More in the 1600s. He never found it, nor will we I,m afraid. I share your views of drugs, but just in my opinion it is drink which is of the major concern. Remember how we were proud to be British? Now we are three parts ashamed. Happy days.

And unfortunately, three sheets to the wind in some cases Harry. LOL. Jan

Grannylonglegs, A dictionary is something for people to eat their words. You exaggerate over hyperbole. Purely out of curiosity, where in the NW? Just as an aside. Why is the word 'dictionary' in the dictionary - after all, you have just picked it up.? Jan, Spot on. Happy days.

Harry - I hail from Altrincham, 8 miles south of Manchester. I moan about the education of the young because I struggled with the (frankly) rubbish I got back from typists after they'd translated my tapes onto their machines, I sometimes wondered what they 'd been listening to - it didn't bear any relation to what I'd dictated! It would have been quicker to type my letters myself, it took so long to get them done properly. Oh well, it's all behind me now, thank goodness. Dilys

Grannylonglegs, Reminds me of dear old dads favourite joke. He would take 6 matches, move them around and say, 'what football team does this remind you of?. Altrincham (altering them ). He also used to ask for a rugby team beginning with J - Jewsbury. so you see where I get it from. No caustic comments - I,m only 6 miles down the road from you. Very best wishes

Jan - I was listening to 9-10 year-olds read yesterday and one of them had a 'Famous Five' book in which the children (and dog) went down to the beach for hours, unchaperoned and SAFE. That little girl who was taken from a tent IN THE GARDEN and murdered years ago, still horrifies me.....I know there were murderers around centuries ago, but did they target innocent children?