KathyF

Idun, the proportion of people on a pension "far and above a current working wage, that the young are expected to keep their families with" is really very small. To have a big pension you have to have had a big salary and that isn't true of my husband and me and most of the people I know. Our occupational pensions are a long way below the average wage in the UK, but we manage.

But idun, when my husband and I were 20 or 30 we were struggling too, with a mortgage to pay, a family to bring up and no holidays or new cars for years and years on end. I'm afraid I don't accept that my generation or the one above is to blame for the mess. On the whole we were hard-working, frugal and knew how to save and go without if necessary. My husband and I are retired professionals, but have never had a credit card in our lives. We were brought up to be careful with money, to save and wait for things, rather than take the easy credit, "must have it now" approach which is so prevalent nowadays. If anyone is to blame for the mess we're in I would suggest it was the (largely) young wide-boy bankers and city types with their risky working practices and grotesque bonus culture, not us pensioners.

Doh! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks, Rabbie. PS Now editing has messed up the original quote and I can't get it right. Double sigh.....

Oops, somehow my reply got tangled with Norman's original post and the software won't allow me to delete and repost. Sigh....

[quote user="NormanH"]If this lot get more influential! In the book, the group also claim that the country is being dragged down by support by baby boomers in their 60s and 70s for higher taxes in order to fund their pensions and live in comfort. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9483268/Young-Tory-MPs-blame-lazy-baby-boomers-for-Britains-economic-decline.html Oddly enough it is hard to see what real work some of them have done: 'financial analysis' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwasi_Kwarteng 'worked as an advisor' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Skidmore 'press office' 'advisor' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priti_Patel Not exactly 45 years down the mine or scrubbing a hospital floor is it [:P] [/quote] I think they should be careful about alienating the section of the population most likely to vote or at the next election they may find their parliamentary careers were ignominiously short...

Which nation would that be Wooly? Not the one I'm still happy to call home.....

[quote user="just john "]I never thought that I'd be half in agreement with Morrisey  Olympics-have-made-England-foul-with-patriotism-says-Morrissey or Samuel Johnson (aka Normy), but,  Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel . . .[/quote] Sorry, but what a load of narrow-minded drivel that is. The Smiths were a miserable lot when my son listened to them as a teenager in the 80s and nothing much seems to have changed.... Post edited by a mod to include quote.

Great post, Judith. I demand a like button. :-)

The exception proving the rule perhaps, Clair?

[quote user="Clair"] Athletes win the medals, not countries. [/quote] Of course they do, but I bet if you were to ask them they are immensely proud of being asked to represent their country, which after all is where they have grown up, trained and learned to love their sport. Not having TV in France I'm watching the action only (no commentary) on an internet site: http://www.eurovisionsports.tv and have just watched a superb women's 400m final. Christine Ohuruogu (an Eastender) got silver after her gold in Beijing and gold and bronze were won by two wonderful American runners. What on earth is wrong with being proud of my countrywoman's achievements. I bet the Americans are proud of theirs!

In the Club Voyage July newsletter, BF announced that they are changing their pricing structure from the autumn to airline-type. I quote: New Pricing Structure for Winter and Next Year As loyal Club Voyage members we wanted to make sure that you are amongst the first to know that we are re-structuring our pricing for this winter and next year. We have received lots of feedback regarding our price structure and your comments have encouraged us to adopt a new, modern system. This will make it easier for customers to choose fares shown on the website, in much the same way that most airlines illustrate their prices. Previously fares have been based on length of stay, with reductions for stays of 5 or 10 days. The new system is more logical and it will make it easier for you to identify and book lower fares. This is because each sailing will show a fare on the website whereas previously this was not possible with fares based on length of stay. Will it make the prices cheaper? For some yes, but not necessarily for every booking. However, the earlier you book the cheaper the crossing is likely to be. You will also still be able to reserve your crossing for just a £25 deposit and we remain one of the few transport companies not to take full payment at the time of booking. We aim to go live with this development in the coming weeks, but these changes will only be presented on the website for sailings from mid-November onwards. Club Voyage members will continue to receive excellent value and the top level of discount will remain unchanged at 30% with onboard benefits continuing without change.

Was the driver a woman, Norman? Should be 'mis'.

Just starting to warm up a bit here in southern Manche, and is forecast to reach the giddy height of 27C tomorrow. Wow! Mind you, it's not due to last and will be down to 20 or less by the weekend.....

I've just finished the first one (chronologically) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The English title is Have Mercy On Us All (French title: Pars Vite Et Reviens Tard) and I thought the translation flowed extremely well and wasn't in the slightest stilted. I've previously read Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand (Sous Les vents De Neptune) (different translator) and enjoyed this too, though the plot was rather more far-fetched. Haven't dared try them in French yet....[:)]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="BIG MAC"] I have mastered 'tuning out'! [/quote]I've come to the conclusion that we all manage this in different ways and on different things.  Whilst a kid only has to squeek to send my blood pressure ceiling-wards, a 'Vette at full throttle is like music to me.  I guess noise is like food, what some people find pleasant, others find hateful - I actually know people who like cucumber too.[+o(]. [/quote] Whereas I love children, but find the whine of racing-car engines akin to the scraping of a fingernail on a bblackboard....[;-)] Don't know what happened to my first attempt to reply. [:$]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="BIG MAC"] I have mastered 'tuning out'! [/quote]I've come to the conclusion that we all manage this in different ways and on different things. Whilst a kid only has to squeek to send my blood pressure ceiling-wards, a 'Vette at full throttle is like music to me. I guess noise is like food, what some people find pleasant, others find hateful - I actually know people who like cucumber too.[+o(]. [/quote] Wheras I love children, but find the whine of racing-car engines akin to the scrape of a fingernail on a blackboard. [;-)]

[quote user="Chiefluvvie"]wow - nerves being touched everywhere.....:-) Being in a minority doesn't automatically mean one is wrong. I have my view which I own, you (as in vous) have your view's which you 'share' (aka 'we all think.....'). Behaviour more akin to the playground..... Could just be my English that isn't up to scratch - imagine that? Chiefluvvie[/quote] ROFL! [:D] Nothing like being in a majority of one, luvvie. [:D] I also own my views, just as I own my two homes.  The fact that other people have similar views ansd similar homes doesn't mean we share them. Anyway, off back to the playground now, before Teacher rings the bell....... [;-)]

[quote user="Chiefluvvie"]....and another nerve touched.....very interesting :-) Yes I do call you pretentious and, no I don't see it....I only have one place I call 'home', - nothing to do with mere bricks and mortar - how crass. My observation, not yours ! Chiefluvvie[/quote] Great - that's true for you and I accept it, so why can you not accept that it isn't true for me and plenty of other people? The interesting and really rather elementary thing about people that you appear not to have noticed as yet is that we aren't all alike and we don't all think the same way. Dismissing the sincerely-held opinions of others with derogatory words like pretentious and crass doesn't make you right, you know.

[quote user="Chiefluvvie"] There's a pretentiousness about calling a property 'home' when you only visit during the summer and spend the rest of the year in Kent........surely it's a time-share! Chiefluvvie[/quote] Misuse of language here. A time-share is a property which many people own, each for a week or two a year. My French house is owned solely by me and lived in solely by me and my husband and cannot be called a time-share, even if we only spend the summer there. For as long as I'm there with my husband, it's my home and it feels like home. If that's pretentious, then call me pretentious. [:D] The fact that you can't see that for people like me and several other contributors to this thread, home is a moveable situation rather than a pile of bricks and mortar is, it seems to me, your problem, not ours.

  That won't apply to us, Sprogster, as MOH is the most reluctant holiday-maker you can imagine and won't fly under any circumstances. [:)] We bought our French home when we were already grandparents and 9 years on still enjoy every day we are there.

Spot on, Cendrillon! [:)] My mother-in-law still talks about us as going on holiday to France every summer, even though she knows from having visisted us several times that we just get on with life in very much the same way as in the UK.  I think of it as picking up my life and putting it down elsewhere for a few months. [:D]

  Exactly, Cendrillon! [:D]  As soon as I'm back in our French house I feel at home there, even if it's 9 months since I was last there. To be honest, as long as I'm there with my husband, aklmost anywhere can feel like home. [:)]

We feel the same as Hoddy.  Although our house is in Normandy and therefore easily accessible, the cost of travel means that we prefer to make one long visit a year, rather than spend a fortune on fares. We therefore spend the summer there (mid-June to mid-September) which is when there is lots going on and we will be sure to see those friends who are second-homers like us as well as our local friends. As we have no central heating, winter there doesn't appeal at all, so we winterise when we leave and open up again in June.

  Sweets, I think not putting off what you want to do is a good motto for all of us.  Seize the day! [:D]

[quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="KathyF"]    Ask me again when I'm 80! [:D][:D] [/quote] Hey, Kathy, watch what you say!  Are you implying that 80 is old? My OH is 81 and he still regularly beats men in their 30s and 40s at table tennis.  People who play table tennis will know what a game of quick reactions it is. There are young men in his club trying to get into the league teams who won't play with him because they lessen their chances of being picked to play competitively if they get beaten by an 80 year old. I think some people are luckier than others in the rate at which they age.  Me, I've had to get used to becoming invisible since my late 50s but I like it when people make the mistake of treating me as though I am doddery because I have ways of getting my own back![:D] [/quote] Perish the thought, Sweet. [:)] I have an 87yr-old mother-in-law who went swimming regularly until a bad fall last autumn and who is planning to get back to it again when the weather improves. It's just that 80 is a bit nearer what might be called old than 65. [;-)]