The youth of today

[seanandruby]

I had sussed it was an approved school. It wasn't St Gilberts was it? I know what you mean about work ethic. I went straight to DC, in my day they tough places, had some good hidings there off the screws.

[split59]

Something to add most of those lads came from lfamilies that didn't have a pot too, those uniforms boots overalls and even the trunks were repaired and reissued. Some lads were lucky and could afford to buy the items new before they came , some u lucky ones who parents sent the money to the school for new items were miffed when issued handl me down cloths . My shirt has bigger wings than concord in one those shots and that was the 800s not the 70s

[split59]

I had sussed it was an approved school. It wasn't St Gilberts was it? I know what you mean about work ethic. I went straight to DC, in my day they tough places, had some good hidings there off the screws.

Nino it was STM in Devon it wasn't a harsh place as some it would seem .it was mainly kids with educational needs or social needs ie no parents or problem parents . And it looks like these places worked then about time they brought back discipline hard work and moral conscience back into education

[lutonlagerlout]

i managed to avoid these places but my brother went to loads DCs at the time mid eighties

ashford and north sea camp stick in my mind is being particularly grim
violence and bullying was endemic amongst the pop and from the warders
it didnt rehabilitate him at all
wasnt till he was diagnosed at 35 with aspergers that all became clear
LLL

[seanandruby]

Within my first 5 minutes at DC ( in front of the escourt police ) i was punched straight in the face by the screw doing the transfer for not saying sir after telling him my name. We were put in dormitories and the initiation was for all the "lifers", ( a term used for boys doing 6 months ) to kick the shite out of the new boys. I got beaten badly and subsequenty lost 7 days remission for not grassing ( said i fell out of bed lol ) that was my first night and things got a lot worse. Strict exercise and work regime starting at 05.30 am. Regular beatings. Lost another 7 days for putting a piece of cake yo one side to eat later and another 7 days for farting during the governers weekly talk. Made me fitter and a intense hatred for authority. Ended up doing 12 years in and out. Was my first offence for minor theft and 23rd of december 15 years old. Owe society naff all, i paid the price alright. Took some wiping off i can tell you :laugh:

[sy76uk]

Some of the things I've just read tell me just how much times have changed, for the better.
When I see people talking about the youth of today it's usually blokes in there 40s and 50s standing around on site drinking tea whilst the young lads are grafting there bollox off without a great deal thanks.
I will only employ young lads that do as they're told, are willing to learn, are well mannered and respectful.
My apprentice is only 17. He lost his mum to cancer at 14 and lost his dad to a motorcycle accident last year.
He now lives with his dad's girl friend and his 12 year old sister.
I could forgive him for moping around or resting on his shovel at times but he doesn't.
Instead he grafts and soaks up everything I teach him like a sponge.
Is he going to b working for me forever? I hope not. After he's finished doing his brick laying courses he should by thinking of civil engineering or architecture with his level of intelligence.
My other lad isn't as bright or even as strong but he's always got a sweat on and is so well mannered he asks my permission to go to his car to fetch his juice or go to the toilet and he says thank you if I take a Barrow of muck or slab off of him when he loads me out and I mean every single time.

I get that the youth of today may seem spoiled compared to the way some of us grew up and I include myself in that.
I grew up on one of the roughest estates around and have all the mental and physical scars that go with it.
I did well despite all that not because of it.
Most of my old mates are heavily addicted to drugs, in prison or dead.
I do mean most literally.

You get a good kid on your team, treat him right and he'll want to work for you and will be thankful to you for setting him on the right path for the rest of his life.

[mickg]

dear me and I thought I had it tough having to deliver papers and work in my dads paper shop at 12 years old

[seanandruby]

I worked from as young as i can remember, had to, big family of siblings to help feed. Was either helping my bro" on paper round until newsagent was shot dead. Went on to help milkman, more early mornings, at night worked on chippie pealing spuds. Was 11. At 12 was stripping houses derelict house of copper wire, copper pipe and lead. we were living in 3rd demolition area in a row. Was making loads of money then. At at 13 i had my own fruit and veg stall on the corner of our road. We were relocated frpm our final demo' house to a then strange area with both a bath and garden. Because to far to my old school. I left school at 14 to start work on the building sites. At 15 banged up and went on the downhill spiral, although ducking and diving is a 24/7 job, would of been much easier to work proper and less "forced holidays" .Dried out at 34 and have been a good boy since then
:;): 28 years ago. Think we all have to find our way in life.

[split59]

Some find their way quicker than others some travel many wrong paths before they find the right one. all it takes is one wrong turn then a whole life time can be lost . Though on the other hand all it takes is the right opitunity or listening to the right person saying the right thing a lifetime can be u turn edit did for me.

[lutonlagerlout]

we lived in a hole in the ground :;):
LLL

[seanandruby]

we lived in a hole in the ground :;):
LLL

Always thought you were well off compared to the rest of us. I have slept in a hole, out of the wind, slept under stairwells, under bridges, canal banks, parks etc: I can honestly say hand on heart that a hole ( maybe not as large and luxurious as yours lll ) is 5 star, rip of ply over it in dry weather... luxury.

[lutonlagerlout]

people just used what they had
I can remember the old fella coming home with our first telly black and white of course,and him being the second bloke in our whole road to get a car in around 1975
most blokes cycled or went to work on the bus then
but because that was the way it was nobody moaned
mobile phones were science fiction
LLL

[split59]

Doubt if many people believe would believe this today but when my mum and dad got married. He said to mum as long as I can earn enough to put to hot meals a week on the table we'll be ok. This was from a man who was born in 1917 and who's father died in 1918 and and his mother died shortly after so was dragged up in an orphanage run by catholic nuns in Newcastle during the depression . When he went. To work on his first day with no boots and in short trousers the men took pity on him saying your a man now you can't wear short trousers and someone gave him a pair the next day. Good old days eh?

[mickg]

I never experienced this but was told it was not that many years before I started work that guys would meet in a morning at the bus station in town and hand over a shilling to get a spade to then be taken to work, if you did not have the shilling for the spade you couldn't get a shift in

and guys would work in a suit with shirt and tie...good old days indeed when men dressed smartly but still put a good days work in

[cookiewales]

Have to say it was always the paddys that did that but always good grafters also the ganger man kept the shilling and more in later years that's all gone now crickelwood Broadway now full of albainons give me a Irish man any time