It seems really strange looking back over the last few years and comparing the summer holidays from school then and now. My neighbour was saying how he and his wife were ferrying the children to and from lots of activities each week and how glad he is to have his very nice large people carrier – as it’s all electric. This is a vast improvement over the last car which was a very nice German saloon with diesel powering their comfort. But since January this year is so yesterday. We have bus stops down the road, just a quarter of a mile away. From these we can catch buses to our local shopping and wildlife sensation, and in the other direction a bus departs hourly to the next major town and if you’re lucky, travels through some of England’s sweetest and prettiest villages. Admittedly the bus does take a very long time, but it is such a pretty route, with chocolate box cottages and stunning churches , most of which are adorned by a beautiful steeple, or spire. In fact our neighbouring county is known as the County of Squires and Spires. Although to be fair, it is also known as the County of Queers and Spies.
In most families fifty years ago, it would have been only Dad who had to go out to work. Mum was expected to be the housekeeper, stayed at home making the beds, sweeping the house throughout and doing endless cooking and cleaning. Oh and don’t forget all the shopping to keep everyone in food and cleaning materials. Nowadays it is very rare for any woman to be able to stay at home, one or two lucky ones can have extended maternity leave and stretch it out for about 15 month with judicious saving of annual leave and bank holidays otherwise both parents are breadwinners and Mum is very likely to earn as much as Dad, or even a smidgeon more in the right industry. There are no long gardens around here where children can be let loose in the day time, camping, pretending to cook and no child under 18 seems to be allowed to go anywhere without parental or grandparental guardianship. It is such a pity. The only ‘gang’ now are th very much undesirable ones.
