Today's generation know nothing of real poverty

My parents and my dad in particular experienced it for real in the thirties.
His only chance of guaranteeing himself something to eat was to wait outside the local factories for the night shift to come out in the mornings and beg the workers for any of the food they hadn't eaten from their lunch boxes.
Always late for school because my grandad would pawn the mantle piece clock frequently only retrieving it when working again.
No, kids today know nothing of poverty in its true sense. I could go on and on but I would end up feeling depressed.

Isn't it pathetic?

What has been driving me crazy is the blatant lie "1 in 3 children in UK live in poverty" spoken in a voiceover relating to the TV prog (channel 4?) where a 'rich' family and a 'poverty stricken' family engage.

Poverty my arse!

Quote: blackdahlia1 @ August 4 2009, 6:08 PM BST

My parents and in my dads case in particular experienced it for real in the Thirties.
His only chance of guaranteeing himself something to eat was to wait outside the local factories for the night shift to come out in the mornings and beg the workers for any of the food they hadn't eaten from their lunch boxes.
Always late for school because my grandad would pawn the mantle piece clock frequently only retrieving it when working again.
No, kids today know nothing of poverty in it's true sense. I could go on and on but I would end up feeling depressed.

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Wow, you have parents even (much) older than mine.

I grew up in very poor conditions that sounds Dickensian by today's standards.

I had a gay fling with a pawnbroker, he had a lovely set of balls.

Quote: blackdahlia1 @ August 4 2009, 6:08 PM BST

My parents and in my dads case in particular experienced it for real in the Thirties.
His only chance of guaranteeing himself something to eat was to wait outside the local factories for the night shift to come out in the mornings and beg the workers for any of the food they hadn't eaten from their lunch boxes.
Always late for school because my grandad would pawn the mantle piece clock frequently only retrieving it when working again.
No, kids today know nothing of poverty in it's true sense. I could go on and on but I would end up feeling depressed.

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I have to agree that people who aren't directly affected by it don't know much about it and are generally, not interested.

I may be wrong, but I think in the EU poverty is legally defined as living on less than 60% of the average income, so who is and is not classified as poverty-stricken will change over time.

Quote: blackdahlia1 @ August 4 2009, 6:08 PM BST

My parents and in my dads case in particular experienced it for real in the Thirties.
His only chance of guaranteeing himself something to eat was to wait outside the local factories for the night shift to come out in the mornings and beg the workers for any of the food they hadn't eaten from their lunch boxes.
Always late for school because my grandad would pawn the mantle piece clock frequently only retrieving it when working again.
No, kids today know nothing of poverty in it's true sense. I could go on and on but I would end up feeling depressed.

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Good idea - but it's been done before by Monty Python (also 'At Last The 1948 Show'). Basically it involves four Yorkshiremen arguing in ever-increasing silliness about how deprived their childhoods were. (just like yours!)

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/3370/tweare.txt

I would like to know how old you are BD1, to have such old parents.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 4 2009, 6:59 PM BST

I would like to know how old you are BD1, to have such old parents.

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46, wasn't it?

I can remember as a kid hiding with my mum under the kitchen table from the man from the Pru because we didn't have the money to pay him. I could never to this day put any money in the Prudential.

Quote: Robert D @ August 4 2009, 7:23 PM BST

46, wasn't it?

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Yes 46.
Left school on a Friday started work on the Monday in Birminghams jewellery quarter and loved it from day one even though the wages were poor compared with factory work.
Best thing I ever did.

Quote: blackdahlia1 @ August 4 2009, 8:23 PM BST

Yes 46.
Left school on a Friday started work on the Monday in Birminghams jewellery quarter and loved it from day one even though the wages were poor compared with factory work.
Best thing I ever did.

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Where abouts in brum Black?

I have alot of family over your way, Barnt Green and Stourbridge

I'm from Cov myself.

Quote: roscoff @ August 4 2009, 7:55 PM BST

I can remember as a kid hiding with my mum under the kitchen table from the man from the Pru because we didn't have the money to pay him. I could never to this day put any money in the Prudential.

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I know that experience very well, it's funny now but wasn't at the time.

We used to have an Indian guy as well who sold clothes door to door on the weekly ,ha ha ha Mom was always hiding from him as were the neighbours

Quote: Scottidog @ August 4 2009, 8:26 PM BST

Where abouts in brum Black?

I have alot of family over your way, Barnt Green and Stourbridge

I'm from Cov myself.

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As a kid it was Aston and Lozells, miles away from Barnt Green which is very well to do. We lived in Victorian back to back slums with outside toilet in the back yard and not a flower to be seen anywhere.

Ah the Lozells, it's a pretty non-english speaking place now isn't it pal.
Worked there a few times.

I went down one of the streets in the Lozells one time, and there was a sign above a house that said 'Happy 30th Gran'...

Quote: JohnnyD @ August 4 2009, 6:22 PM BST

blackdahlia1, you may be interested in an extract from a memoir my father wrote of his early life, 1913-1925

Mum is the family treasurer. In addition to the larger portion of Dad's weekly wages, there are cash contributions from my working brothers. Her income is reduced considerably at the weekends following bank holidays - compulsory holidays when no work means no pay. When the purse is empty, she is driven to borrow - the shame of it - from a pawnbroker. Security for the loan is in the form of one of my brothers' best Sunday suits, the only articles of value that we have. The weekly routine is pawn early Monday morning and redeem Friday evening. When this unloved task is handed down by Reg to me, I am in constant fear I may be late for school on Monday morning and be asked to explain why in front of the class. Visits to and from the pawnshop in Brentford have to be carried out in the utmost secrecy to hide our shame from neighbours and protect ourselves from hurtful jibes from "friends".

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Yes apparently suits and even sheets and blankets would be parceled up and pawned as well. We don't know how well off we all are compared to our parents.

Quote: Scottidog @ August 4 2009, 8:34 PM BST

Ah the Lozells, it's a pretty non-english speaking place now isn't it pal.
Worked there a few times.

I went down one of the streets in the Lozells one time, and there was a sign above a house that said 'Happy 30th Gran'...

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It is still a run down area even now.