Ages? here's the poll

[Jack Daw]

Marshal,
Some of my 9th graders recently referred to middle-age as "in your thirties". Ouch!

The way kids eat these days, they may be right.

[Larry124]

Eh?

What’d he ask…?

So anyway I bought all that fishing gear that you guys recommended and I can’t catch a thing.

What...?

Oh.

Never mind.

Dang whippersnappers!

Is there a tartan for me - Clan Coot of Codger (Fogy)?

[JRB]

I'm two years older than the last time I voted on an X-Marks age poll. Unfortunately, I moved up one catagory. wah wahhh

[O'Callaghan]

When I was born, we still had rationing - not for everything, but I had my own ration book for a couple of years.

There was only one TV channel and it was in black and white, computers were science fiction, and programmed using switches.

No one had an electronic calulator, most phones were solidly fixed inside red or blue boxes, women wore stockings, petticoats and high heels every day and often a hat and gloves. Men wore suits, or 'flannels' and sports coat. Shoes were polished leather or brushed suede or pigskin.

Renting a house was the normal thing, as was buying on hire purchase, or saving up and doing without in order to afford something - though you bought it in the sales if you could.

If you had a fitted carpet you invited people in to look at it.

And now - it's just not like that any more.

Anne the Pleater

I reckon that makes you a decade older than me at least, Anne, just due to the ration book. Everything else I remember the same.

We also had tradesmen deliver everything to the door, i.e. we were regularly visited by a milkman, a coalman, a baker's van, a 'rag'n'bone' man with a horse and cart who rang a handbell and yelled out a traditional unintelligble cry, French onion men on bicycles, and even tinkers who sharpened knives on a wheel that they spun with their feet. We lived in London.

My parents owned our house, but both of them grew up on the same council estate (that's a housing project, for the benefit of Americans). My dad's dad had bought his own house by the time I was born, but IMHO his house was worse than the house my other grandad still rented on the council estate!

[Kilt_Noob]

what's a petticoat?

LOL!

[Pleater]

We didn't have the French 'Johnny onion' men, but we did have a fish van come around the estate and ring a hand bell.

There were also vans selling bottles of pop - dandelion and burdock, raspberry and strawberry cream soda, plus all the traditional ones - but there was no cola. No one drank cola.

I was born in '51, in York, and we moved onto a brand new council estate in '58. The houses were well built, semi detatched with large gardens, with shops and schools close by, a good bus service - everything a family could want.

Anne the Pleater

[Carolina Kiltman]

Good grief, CC! Why stop at 55! It's not really old you know. Wait till you get to 75!

been there, done that, kid

[TecScot]

I suppose I should be concerned, looking at the earlier posts. I can't find the energy to worry about middle age. I do remind you all of the alternative to the situation we find our selves in. I'm happy to see the new day when I wake in the morning. And lest you think I don't have a care int he world, I'm like many just now. I live in this world and these that starts with looking for my next job. Quit worrying about age. There's more than that close at hand.

[Kiltman]

It's good to see that us kids in the 55+ category are ahead in the game now. I just wished I could remember what the game is!

[irishrob]

The +55 category is where I am and my latest daily mantra is..."another day closer to retirement!!"

Rob