How Very Dare They

It is a disgrace, we rescued them and now they are paying themselves bonuses. The PM is a wimp and should put a stop to it especially as other people are loosing their jobs. "Bankers at the state-supported Royal Bank of Scotland may still receive bonuses, the chancellor of the exchequer said yesterday, and that the RBS are unable to alter existing contractual obligations. The government is under pressure to rein in the award of bonuses after reports the bank had set aside a bonus pot of £1bn for its 177,000 employees. There is growing anger that bankers who mishandled billions in the run up to the recession might get this reward. Gordon Brown insisted today that there must be “no rewards for failure” in Britain’s banks. The Prime Minister's comments came despite reports that big banks that were bailed out with billions of pounds of taxpayer money are to pay more than £1 billion in bonuses to senior staff. Speaking to an audience of economists in London, Mr Brown said that Britain was leading the way "in sweeping aside the old short-term bonus culture of the past and replacing it first of all with a determination that there are no rewards for failure and secondly that there are rewards only for long-term success”. Mr Brown said that the policy not to reward failure would be pursued "aggressively", so that banks in which the state now holds a majority stake would pay no bonuses to board members and no dividends to shareholders this year." In the meantime, Barclays, Britain's third-largest lender, said that it would waive bonuses for its executive directors as it reported a 14 per cent fall in full-year pre-tax profits, announced £8.1 billion of write downs and scrapped its dividend.

Who Do I Think I Am?

A new series of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' has just begun, it's compelling viewing. My own family tree goes back to 1774. My paternal Grandmother kept records, she died in 1944 so my aunt carried on, Milbrough was her only daughter and oldest child (dob 1901). My Aunt had no children so I inherited the tree but have done nothing more. It's always been a 'later on' project. My maiden name is Hope. The tree starts with Robert Green (dob 1774) marrying Milbrough Price. They lived in the Worcestershire area. My great Grandfather was Richard Hope, he married Robert and Emma's grand daughter, Emma Green. Richard's son, my Grandfather, William Calder Hope, left home at an early age due to a family rift and not much is known about that family. My father's name was John but was known in the family as Iain, which is Scottish for John. My Mother told me that the Hopes originated from Scotland and were related or linked to the Linlithgows. They were Earls so this is quite a fanciful theory. I don't believe I have any aristocratic blood in my veins. Here's a link to Hopetoun House, family seat of the Linlithgows Yesterday I had the surprise of my life. While Googling 'Scottish Hopes' I discovered that West Calder is situated just outside Edinburgh, quite close to Livingston. So how did my grandfather acquire Calder as a middle name? There is another theory, I could be descended from families dispossessed by the Scottish land clearances. I am most probably red blooded and 'blue blood' ancestry is only a flight of fancy. My appetite is whetted and I intend finding out more.

Generation X Feels Hard Done By.

A feature on today's Womans Hour. "Are the women of "Generation X" right to see the Baby Boomers as the luckiest generation ever? Are they resentful of them spending their children’s inheritances like there’s no tomorrow whilst leaving others to deal with the long term ramifications of the credit crunch?" One young woman in the interview was a bad example. Her 'plummy' accent and moaning made me want to put pen to paper. As I was born in 1943 I just fall short of being a Baby Boomer but I feel qualified to comment. I really don't think Generation X have any idea about the hardships we put up with. Would they really like to return to those days? I got married in 1962. When we set up home everything was make do and mend. Furniture came from junk shops, the fashion at the time was to paint it all white. Curtains and soft furnishings were home made. My best friend was my sewing machine. No washing machine for me just a stove top boiler. After that I acquired an electric Burco boiler. My first washing machine was a single tub with a separate spin dryer. Then it was a twin tub and after that it was an automatic. We always bought second hand. I had my first child in 1963, I used terry nappies as there were no disposables. He wore handmade baby clothes, traditional layette with nighties. Babygrows appeared soon after but I couldn't afford them. One way nappy liners appeared around the same time, I couldn't afford those either. At first we rented but in 1965 we bought our first house, it was £3250,00. We were required to put 1/3rd down as deposit and be interviewed by the bank manager to see if we were suitable. The monthly repayments were £16.11s. 9d, a whole weeks wages. As a 'forces' wife I had a marriage allotment book which I encashed on Thursdays. By the following Weds I was often short of food. The butcher would sell me slightly 'suspect' meat on the cheap. After a soaking in vinegar water it would be a lot more palatable. Sell by dates? In those days we had nothing like that, we just used our common sense and noses. We didn't have central heating and sometimes the clothes in the wardrobe had green mould growing on them. The solid fuel burning kitchen boiler supplied hot water to an upstairs tank, it was a bugger to light and didn't always stay in. I chopped wood into kindling and fashioned 'twists' out of newspaper. Our first 'Big' purchase was a freezer bought on hire purchase. Getting credit was quite difficult. We spent ages mulling over potential problems. Like the cost of the electricity to run it and that having so much food at our disposal would mean that we'd spend more because we'd eat more. The TV was an old 405 line B/W model. Then it was 625 lines. We didn't have colour TV for ages as the licence was more expensive. When we did eventually get one it was second hand. We didn't have a car, my other half acquired an old Triumph motor bike which cost the grand sum of £2. It was in pieces so with a friends help it was rebuilt. Shopping was done in the local co-op. Purchases were packed in a cardboard box and delivered later by the van. The pram was big and came in very useful for carting potatoes and vegetables around. I swapped childrens clothes with neighbours. I cashed in some premium bonds so I could afford to buy childrens coats. I did cleaning jobs for money, I took in sewing, I cut people's hair then I did market research. I'd turn my hand to almost anything to earn money. Holidays? Don't be silly. We just had days out or went to the beach. Unmarried mothers left the community to stay in a mother and baby unit. They were often forced to give their babies up for adoption. My Sister in Law got pregnant by a trainee African doctor. As soon as he found out she was pregnant he disappeared like 'mist in the sunshine'. She was very brave and insisted on keeping the child. As a footnote I am proud that both my children are very independent.

On Being Rude

I'm usually very polite and do my best not to hurt other people's feelings. But there are occasions when I use a different approach Chuggers, those horrible people lurk around high streets. They brow beat victims into signing up for regular donations to good causes. I don't make eye contact, treat them as if they're invisible and carry on walking. I sponsor an African child so I am not mean. I don't want to be brow beaten by strangers, I like to make my own choices. Energy suppliers continue to send out cold calling doorstep salesmen. They come in pairs and use very dubious tactics. Yesterday I was nice and comfy in the living room, then I heard a knock on the door. Two uniformed men were on the path, the one holding the clipboard announced they were from Southern Electric. I immediately shut the door without acknowledging their presence or uttering a word. If it had been a genuine call they would have knocked again. I heard laughter, no wonder they go round in pairs, I expect they need moral support. I feel a bit mean turning the men away, it’s a tough way to earn a living but I know they don't have my best interests at heart. In the past I've been drawn into heated doorstep discussions but this left me feeling upset so the silent approach is best. 'God Bothers' are a bit different. I know they think they've got it right and want to save me. I am polite, friendly but firm. They soon give up on me.

My Memories of Snow

Reasons why I hate it. My earliest memories are of the winter of 1947. I had just turned three but I can't remember feeling cold, the food shortages or the power cuts. The next hard winter was 1963. I had just turned 19 and was heavily pregnant. The bad weather lasted for weeks and the snow was still on the ground in March. Maternity trousers had not been invented, neither had tights. In those days one wore a maternity roll on girdle which held up stockings. The flesh at the tops my the legs had no cover so I wore long passion killing 'granny' pants. I was permanently cold, we had no central heating and pipes froze. Getting around was difficult as the icy pavements were lethal. The horrible conditions just seemed to go on and on. In the late sixties I remember snow falling on Boxing day but I don't know how long it lasted. During the seventies and eighties I worked as a sales representative, during this time I began to really hate the snow. We were expected to drive in all conditions, no staying at home. In those days there wasn't so much traffic. I have some very unpleasant memories, it was hard work and quite tough. All my colleagues were men so I had to keep the side up. In 1991 I tried out skiing, it was February and I was 49. We'd been persuaded to give it a try by experienced friends. Our party spent many hours driving across Europe to Austria.. The first morning on the icy nursery slopes was enough for me. I was cold, the ski boots were uncomfortable and I kept on falling down. I couldn't control the skis and sticks, going to the loo was an ordeal. I hated everything about it, on the third day I gave up. The ski resort was near Salzberg so as there was nothing else to do I took myself there by train. The ice cold wind whistled down the streets and I spent the entire time dodging in and out of coffee shops trying to keep warm.

Why Crime Has Increased?

An extract from: The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, written by 35 distinguished British contributors.

"The evidence is that the serious violent crime rate is much higher in Thatcherite political economies than in welfare state economies. One contributor writes: “There is a plethora of material confirming that crime of all kinds is linked to inequality, relative deprivation and unemployment.” So, for example, the rise in crime in Britain in the 1980s was due to what happened in the 1980s although, naturally, Margaret Thatcher blamed it on what had happened 20 years before. And it was the 1980s, not the 1960s, that saw the dramatic rise in opiate use in Britain.

The evidence shows that states with higher welfare spending have less crime and lower imprisonment rates. For every dollar spent, Michigan’s Head Start welfare programme brought $17 of benefit by cutting crime, thereby cutting the numbers imprisoned and the costs of imprisonment.

Of course, recognising that crime has root causes does not stop us exploring all possible avenues of crime reduction, victim support and penal reform. Nor does it mean ignoring offenders’ moral responsibility. Understanding does not cancel the need for judgement.

Thatcherite political economies have more punitive penal policies. Yet welfarist Sweden has had a smaller rise in crime than Britain while having a less punitive penal policy. Similarly, Finland has dramatically cut its prison numbers without increasing crime.

Growing economic inequality and social polarisation increase crime and, therefore, fear and insecurity. We cannot afford to leave the economy, or society, or security to the market. We need to take responsibility for all aspects of our society."

All You Need Is Love

An aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the "greatest threat" to the well being and happiness of children.

A lot of adults believe that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life rather than contributing to the good of others.

This fuels a range of social ills from family breakdown to premature sexualisation of children and inequality between rich and poor.

A three-year independent study produced for the Children's Society calls for a significant change of heart by society.

But I believe that as we are being socially engineered by big business and the media it won't happen. Money making will always take preference.

Our "me first" society produces more family discord and conflict, more pressure to own things, excessive competition in schools and "unacceptable" income inequality.

We need to teach children the importance of contributing to the welfare of others over themselves, that human relationships need to be placed higher in relation to possessions and status. Children should learn that love is the most important thing in life."