Off Topic Have we lost something ...

[gelders pie]

i never saw the need for 'all day opening' and still don't, i have no idea if it increased or reduced alcoholism but one thing is for sure, cheap supermarket crap almost certainly has.

i would also vote for a return to opening hours and a much needed reduction in taxes, the rate at which the locals are closing down/becoming take-aways is crazy, it is almost as if the government knew the outcome while they sat with their subsidised drinks, i grew up with 5 pubs and the club near me and right now there is 1 pub and the club, two take-aways and an ex-newsagents shop.

Similarly , 6 clubs 7 pubs within 10 minutes of home . Now 2+ 3 .( and they’re pretty much dives) Don’t know wether it was tax greed or a desire to be continental that brought all day opening- but oh that 2 hour Sunday lunchtime session - mint!

 

[Sunderpitt]

We have introduced Green Gender Free Tees at my golf course...

Progress? Improvement?

 

[Smug in Boots]

i never saw the need for 'all day opening' and still don't, i have no idea if it increased or reduced alcoholism but one thing is for sure, cheap supermarket crap almost certainly has.

i would also vote for a return to opening hours and a much needed reduction in taxes, the rate at which the locals are closing down/becoming take-aways is crazy, it is almost as if the government knew the outcome while they sat with their subsidised drinks, i grew up with 5 pubs and the club near me and right now there is 1 pub and the club, two take-aways and an ex-newsagents shop.

For the government it's much better if people are sitting quietly in their homes.

 

[samwise_new]

For the government it's much better if people are sitting quietly in their homes.

now you are heading into 'Agenda 21' territory now my good man...but no one will believe you

 

[123Daveyboy]

We have introduced Green Gender Free Tees at my golf course...

Progress? Improvement?

Your golf course, Posh fecker.

 

[Chunksafc]

Certainly round my way, there is little to no "community spirit" our neighbours barely speak expect to boast about their latest car, gadget etc.

Lots on our estate trying keep up with Jones, god knows how they are paying for it. Our house is the smallest you can buy on our estate (3 bedroom detached new build) and the amount of couples that have commented "oh you bought the small house, ours is the 5 bedroom with double garage". We'll bully for you love, I'm sure you and your husband have a great time in all those empty rooms, I'd rather a house that suits our needs and being able to buy the kids and grandkids nice stuff without worrying

 

[Bank of England 2]

I can only speak for myself but, at 18-ish, my visits to pubs weren't always just to get drunk or meet girls. We'd become involved with the pub culture from playing for various sports teams, participating in charity events to organising gigs, etc.

To a great degree that culture is vanishing and I don't know what's filling the void.

I know what you mean mate. I grew up in bands, so gigging was a major part of my life.
I played footy on a Saturday morning, and there was always the customary few beers after that, normally watching the bands in the Old 29. Off to the match, then a quick shower before the van picked me up to take me to a gig. Hectic, but bloody enjoyable!

 

[Bank of England 2]

Certainly round my way, there is little to no "community spirit" our neighbours barely speak expect to boast about their latest car, gadget etc.

Lots on our estate trying keep up with Jones, god knows how they are paying for it. Our house is the smallest you can buy on our estate (3 bedroom detached new build) and the amount of couples that have commented "oh you bought the small house, ours is the 5 bedroom with double garage". We'll bully for you love, I'm sure you and your husband have a great time in all those empty rooms, I'd rather a house that suits our needs and being able to buy the kids and grandkids nice stuff without worrying

I've always found that the people who go on like that are the people who've come from nowt mate - the 'fur coat and no knickers brigade'. I don't begrudge anyone anything in life if they've worked hard to get it, but I hate people like the one's you've just mentioned.

 

[Chunksafc]

I've always found that the people who go on like that are the people who've come from nowt mate - the 'fur coat and no knickers brigade'. I don't begrudge anyone anything in life if they've worked hard to get it, but I hate people like the one's you've just mentioned.

I was taught by my parents and grandparents that you worked hard and looked after family first without boasting to others that may not be as fortunate.

They also taught me something younger ones could do well to remember - our house might not be the biggest, it might not be the best, but there is always a warm welcome, food, drink and company.

Something sadly lacking these days

 

[Nordic]

We have introduced Green Gender Free Tees at my golf course...

Progress? Improvement?

Fecking what? Jesus christ....

 

[Smug in Boots]

Certainly round my way, there is little to no "community spirit" our neighbours barely speak expect to boast about their latest car, gadget etc.

Lots on our estate trying keep up with Jones, god knows how they are paying for it. Our house is the smallest you can buy on our estate (3 bedroom detached new build) and the amount of couples that have commented "oh you bought the small house, ours is the 5 bedroom with double garage". We'll bully for you love, I'm sure you and your husband have a great time in all those empty rooms, I'd rather a house that suits our needs and being able to buy the kids and grandkids nice stuff without worrying

We had a 6 month spell in the UK, between jobs in France, and stayed at the house of our niece who was in Belfast working for the government.

The house was a 5 bed detached property on a smart estate. We didn't work during that time so would have breakfast on the front lawn which caught the sun. We imagined we'd be saying 'hello' to people walking their kids to the nearby school or popping up to the little corner shop.

We were wrong and barely saw a soul in half a year.

People would leave home, pile in the car, go about their business then repeat the process in the evening. They'd instantly vanish into their houses and not be seen again, the estate would drop silent. Kids wouldn't play on the street so we assumed they'd play in their back gardens or, worse, on their screens.

Weekends saw people on their drives washing their cars but then they'd vanish. Having grown up in a Durham pit village it was like being one of the first people to live on the moon ...

... few signs of intelligent life forms, bleak and very little atmosphere.

 

[OldNewtown]

... few signs of intelligent life forms, bleak and very little atmosphere.

Sounds like Sid James Park

 

[samwise_new]

In some ways things have become a little bit worse IMO, take the news for example one time you could watch, listen to the news or read a newspaper. Now its all someones opinion, it's not actually news, just someone spouting off about what they think. Not an unbiased report about anything! Social media gives way to the rise of the woke brigade. what on earth is wrong with people that they want to ignore history, they can't change it, but want to get rid of statues or buildings because somewhere in the dark distant past someone had slaves. Learn from mistakes. Black lives matter ....To me is a load of bollox, ALL lives matter. It was not nice to see that policeman kneeling on the guys neck and killing him, that was America, you don't have the same reactions in UK, or am I missing something? I have all different ethnicities as friends
In other ways things are better, you can stay in contact with family and friends with internet etc. You can chat with others on forums. Think it all depends whether you're a glass half full or half empty, person.

it might be just me being an old tw@t now but i am sure i just heard on the news that there was a massacre of blacks 100 years ago in the good old U.S of A and people want it remembered and want some justice, even to the point of people obviously not born until many years after saying they still feel the pain...can someone tell me why certain points in history need to be remembered but others 'have' to be forgotten please because i have lost off somewhere.

of course black lives matter, as do all other lives, of course black should be treated the same as white (and any other colour/shade/description that is now relevant) but history feckin well happened and we can never ever change that, do we now start erasing any history that does not paint us in a good light and only keep the bits where we got picked on (and there are plenty of both) no of course not, what we did was learn from those mistakes of the past and that is why they should never be erased, not to 'celebrate' but to remind us never to be so damn stupid and ignorant ever again.

 

[samwise_new]

We had a 6 month spell in the UK, between jobs in France, and stayed at the house of our niece who was in Belfast working for the government.

The house was a 5 bed detached property on a smart estate. We didn't work during that time so would have breakfast on the front lawn which caught the sun. We imagined we'd be saying 'hello' to people walking their kids to the nearby school or popping up to the little corner shop.

We were wrong and barely saw a soul in half a year.

People would leave home, pile in the car, go about their business then repeat the process in the evening. They'd instantly vanish into their houses and not be seen again, the estate would drop silent. Kids wouldn't play on the street so we assumed they'd play in their back gardens or, worse, on their screens.

Weekends saw people on their drives washing their cars but then they'd vanish. Having grown up in a Durham pit village it was like being one of the first people to live on the moon ...

... few signs of intelligent life forms, bleak and very little atmosphere.

actually, i noticed the self same thing when i went to dover looking for work in the 80's, mate was working there so i made the call...even then, people did not speak to each other on the street, women taking kids to school did so on thier own, try to pass the time of day and people would walk away asap...even the old cheery 'alright mate?' got suspicious looks and a wide berth and in the pub on a night it was so damn quiet, could not wait to return home in all honesty (plus the wages were really ****e)

 

[flandersmackem]

Interesting and thought provoking thread Smug......

Can't disagree with anything been said on here. For me, the progression of communication and access to devices is probably the biggest step forward in my time and also the main cause for one of our biggest failings in as much now people have far less social skills. For example, just stroll around an airport lounge or railway station and you will see probably more than 90% of people with their head buried in their iPhones. Even in restaurants.....couples go out for a nice evening and instead of enjoying the evening, they pi55 about with mobile phones... if not surfing the net, they are taking pictures of what they about to eat to put on facebook. I guess there is a cost to progression.

 

[Ozzymac]

Interesting and thought provoking thread Smug......

Can't disagree with anything been said on here. For me, the progression of communication and access to devices is probably the biggest step forward in my time and also the main cause for one of our biggest failings in as much now people have far less social skills. For example, just stroll around an airport lounge or railway station and you will see probably more than 90% of people with their head buried in their iPhones. Even in restaurants.....couples go out for a nice evening and instead of enjoying the evening, they pi55 about with mobile phones... if not surfing the net, they are taking pictures of what they about to eat to put on facebook. I guess there is a cost to progression.

Even worse when they're texting each other rather than having a conversation

 

[OldNewtown]

Even worse when they're texting each other rather than having a conversation

All joking apart I have actually seen that. We were sat in the pictures young couple in front of us both on phones got me wondering what was so important so I looked, just at that point the lights went down and the main feature started, so he text her to say film starting and they put phones down. What, you're bloody sat next to each other

 

[Ozzymac]

All joking apart I have actually seen that. We were sat in the pictures young couple in front of us both on phones got me wondering what was so important so I looked, just at that point the lights went down and the main feature started, so he text her to say film starting and they put phones down. What, you're bloody sat next to each other

I wasn't joking marra, my brother and his friggin wife do it

 

[Smug in Boots]

We had 8 months, between jobs, where we toured the Med in our Transit, towing a RIB with an outboard motor. We drove to the 'toe' of Italy then ferried through Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and back to Nice.

We went to some incredible places and would sit or walk around quietly soaking it all in. Every now and again we'd see a guide, with a little flag, followed by a gaggle of tourists. They'd stand in front of some World Heritage Site, or incredible panorama taking selfies or passing phones between themselves .... then they'd be off. They only ever seemed to see anything through a lens.

I expect that they'd sit on the coach, or cruise ship, looking at their phones to see where they'd been.

 

[Ozzymac]

We had 8 months, between jobs, where we toured the Med in our Transit, towing a RIB with an outboard motor. We drove to the 'toe' of Italy then ferried through Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and back to Nice.

We went to some incredible places and would sit or walk around quietly soaking it all in. Every now and again we'd see a guide, with a little flag, followed by a gaggle of tourists. They'd stand in front of some World Heritage Site, or incredible panorama taking selfies or passing phones between themselves .... then they'd be off. They only ever seemed to see anything through a lens.

I expect that they'd sit on the coach, or cruise ship, looking at their phones to see where they'd been.

I'm guessing most of these groups were of japanese/chinese persuasion.

We call them "crick cricks" as that's the sound the old cameras used to make (said with a japanese accent of course)