Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:06 pm  

Mintball wrote:

It's quite staggering.

I heard yesterday about a breakfast club at a school in a very poor area of Greater Manchester that has been saved from closure by a combination of Greggs (donating some food, apparently) and Etihad.

Equally, I was laying out an article today explaining how reps can point people to UNISON's own charity for help with winter fuel bills, since many members are part-time workers on low wages, which have reduced further over the pay freezes for several years. There's another grant system in place to help with school uniforms.

It just beggars belief that we're in this sort of situation.

As I said on twitter: it's a fooking tragedy, the only banks that are expanding are food banks

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:15 pm  

Our conservative constituency MP commending our local foodbank. ''This is a great example of the Big Society in action.'' http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Emergency-parcels-help-struggling-families-food/story-13319675-detail/story.html Mind you, the same MP mistakenly thought the Big Society also involved having his driveway tarmacced for free by local council workers. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/MP-s-road-fixed-free-council-contractors/story-12806549-detail/story.html He was wrong, and had it all ripped up. The MP's Mrs was not a happy bunny. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Road-row-mess-left-8211-MP-s-wife/story-12889084-detail/story.html

Our conservative constituency MP commending our local foodbank. ''This is a great example of the Big Society in action.'' http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Emergency-parcels-help-struggling-families-food/story-13319675-detail/story.html Mind you, the same MP mistakenly thought the Big Society also involved having his driveway tarmacced for free by local council workers. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/MP-s-road-fixed-free-council-contractors/story-12806549-detail/story.html He was wrong, and had it all ripped up. The MP's Mrs was not a happy bunny. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Road-row-mess-left-8211-MP-s-wife/story-12889084-detail/story.html

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:26 pm  

WIZEB wrote:

I'm just casting my thoughts back to my Primary School days in the '70's.
We had fook all but I can't remember anyone being hungry at school.

ah yes, halcyon days. summers lasting 8 months, snow at xmas and all that. you could leave your front door open, 'we were poor but we were 'appy', *wipes a tear*

of course you didn't remember, it was 40 years ago, you were a child and it's not something people enjoy talking about. but i bet it was there.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:33 pm  

Mintball wrote:

I heard yesterday about a breakfast club at a school in a very poor area of Greater Manchester that has been saved from closure by a combination of Greggs (donating some food, apparently) and Etihad.

then the parents will just have to get up a little earlier and use some of the child benefit that they get to give the poor little tykes a bowl of cereal. what is it these days? £20 a week for the first sprog then £15 a week for the rest?

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:48 pm  

samwire wrote:

ah yes, halcyon days. summers lasting 8 months, snow at xmas and all that. you could leave your front door open, 'we were poor but we were 'appy', *wipes a tear*

of course you didn't remember, it was 40 years ago, you were a child and it's not something people enjoy talking about. but i bet it was there.

Is this the best you've got? Really?

samwire wrote:

then the parents will just have to get up a little earlier and use some of the child benefit that they get to give the poor little tykes a bowl of cereal. what is it these days? £20 a week for the first sprog then £15 a week for the rest?

You really have no idea what a breakfast club is for do you.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:17 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

Is this the best you've got? Really?

if the general standard is 'what we need is home insulators to save the economy', then it doesn't really have to be much better than that, does it?

You really have no idea what a breakfast club is for do you.

they're so parents don't have to worry about feeding their kids in a morning, all for a small fee. not so different from the 'elevenses club' at my step daughters school, where the poor, starving little urchins who are now emaciated after eating breakfast a whole hour or so before hand at 'breakfast club' can get some life preserving toast, all for a small fee.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:20 am  

samwire wrote:

they're so parents don't have to worry about feeding their kids in a morning, all for a small fee. not so different from the 'elevenses club' at my step daughters school, where the poor, starving little urchins who are now emaciated after eating breakfast a whole hour or so before hand at 'breakfast club' can get some life preserving toast, all for a small fee.

I was right, you have no clue what they are for.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:12 am  

samwire wrote:

ah yes, halcyon days. summers lasting 8 months, snow at xmas and all that. you could leave your front door open, 'we were poor but we were 'appy', *wipes a tear*

Before the ghost town it became.

A little seaside coastal resort heaving with holidaymakers, caravan sites full to bursting, pubs with music filling the high street, amusement arcades and the constant clanking of pennies and pinballs.

Frolicing at the outdoor council swimming pool in the hazy summer of '76 (now sadly cemented over, and built upon).
You should have seen the ladybird invasion of that that summer samwire.

Donkeys and sandcastles on the beach.

A thronging market and the constant aroma of frying fish and chips.

T'was a different world, halcyon days indeed, never to return.
Pass the hankie mate.



n.b
You are indeed correct.
The doors on our council estate home were very rarely locked.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:41 am  

yes, i heard your mam often left her front door open.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:57 am  

peggy wrote:

yes, i heard your mam often left her front door open.

Usually her back door(s).
She was anal retentive.