What you have which your grandparents couldn't have dreamed of....

[Something4theweekend1]

I read a lot of memoirs from the early half of the 20th Century. In a weird way it always helps when I get lifestyle envy! But I do think of what I have, both materially and lifestyle, that my grandparents would have considered absolute luxury in their childhoods. For context, paternal grandparents born 1920, 1924. Welsh mining family. Maternal grandparents born 1930 and 1932, Northern factory workers. Off top of my head....

• A profession where I sit in an office warm and dry. Health and safety legislation that wouldn't see me dead of lung disease at 46 (my G Grandad), or deaf in my late 30's (my grandad).
• Hot running water which would have been a godsend when not spending an hour an evening heating water for a bath you could barely fit into (pit workers)
• An inside Loo. Something my gran didn't have until she was married.
• Vaccinations. My grandads sister died of measles at 3 years old.
• Easy accsess to communication. Not spending 3 years in the army with only intermittent letters to let you know if (my grandad) was still alive.
• Privacy. My Gran was one of 10 (!) and when she was born they had 2 rooms above a shop. They later moved to a 3 bed house (when I think no.7 was born) and thought it the height of achievement.
• Education. All 4 of my grandparents where out of education by 14
• Wine! Even when I was growing up in the 80's wine was considered the preserve of the rich by my grandparents!

There's loads, loads more but I won't go on all night! It just helps me sometimes to get into perspective that my lifestyle, just 2-3 generations ago, would have been considered luxurious.

My great grand mother was illiterate. After her husband beat her, she left with her under clothes and a knife and fork. She was arrested and put in prison for a month for theft.

I reckon her, and her daughter, my grandmother, would look at me and my sister and marvel at the fact we both own, outright, our own homes. And all our children went to university.

The generation before great grandmother ( who died when I was there years old) were all brought up in the work house.

What scares me is that I might be the last generation where things get better. Maybe my great grand children will be back in the work house, the way we are going.

@user1471453601

My great grand mother was illiterate. After her husband beat her, she left with her under clothes and a knife and fork. She was arrested and put in prison for a month for theft.

I reckon her, and her daughter, my grandmother, would look at me and my sister and marvel at the fact we both own, outright, our own homes. And all our children went to university.

The generation before great grandmother ( who died when I was there years old) were all brought up in the work house.

What scares me is that I might be the last generation where things get better. Maybe my great grand children will be back in the work house, the way we are going.

I do think our ruling elite who are so cavalier with the NHS don't have the family history those of us who's forbearers who couldn't afford to 'call out the doc' do. I mentioned before my Grandads sister died of measles - wouldn't have happened had she been vaccinated but also might have been different if they could have afforded a doctor. On the other side I hade a great-great uncle kill himself during the 1930's. Another great aunt nearly died from Scarlett Fever and had rickets.

My grandmother, born in 1912 was the absolute rock of the family. Her family were farmers. She had two older brothers who fought in WW2. One was shot down in 1942, the other was a POW in Japan and shot himself in 1962. Grannie moved back to her parents at the start of the war when grandad was called up and pretty much ran the farm for the next six years as her parents were ageing and her mother withdrew when the younger son was shot down. Grannie was a marvellous horse woman and manager and for the rest of her life ran an associated company and dealt with the payroll for the farm and company. My grandfather had his own business interests. Obviously my grandparents would never have inherited the farm had it not been for the war.

However I don't think she was educated much beyond 13 but was well educated and well travelled. The tragedy was that mother was a twin and the other twin died after an horrific Labour where grandad had to sign the papers for a caesarean in 1936 - he once told me that the birth and infection afterwards rendered her unable to have any more children and it had broken their hearts. But apart from that they had a marvellous life, except for my mother running off the rails and getting pregnant out of wedlock and the shotgun wedding being so shameful 59/60.

I know little about my paternal grandparents except that my grandfather was a physician. My father arrived in England aged 10 from Germany. His parents did not survive the war.

My grandparents were born late 1800s (my parents were born in the 1920s).
However. Paternal ones lived in India, were widely travelled and my grandmother was a teacher most of her life. She was divorced and was financially independent.
My maternal grandparents were well educated and all their kids went to university and became professionals (the women were either doctors or lawyers or similar- not bad for women born early 1900s). My own parents travelled extensively, both educated to masters and beyond.
They all had hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing. Phones were not common but they had a car. Variety of food was totally limited, and of course they had rationing. My mother had a life long obsession with lemons due to that!
Obviously technology would astound them, but in terms of travel, exposure to other cultures, evel of education and success at work, they were just as experienced as the current generation.

An indoor toilet
A dishwasher
A Masters degree
The internet!

Hmm @Something4theweekend1, I'm not so sure about the cavalier vis the NHS and ruling elite comment. I recall the old family Dr. Somehow I can't imagine him ever being rude or having a receptionist who would have called grannie "love", yet probably she paid more via tax for health care than she ever did when she paid the Dr.

I seem to recall that measles took one of Roald Dahl's daughters because it was a vicious disease rather than them being a family who couldn't afford health care.

I've also had a child out of wedlock, without the world crashing down around me, and I'm a home owner which I don't think was legally possible for single women in the UK until as late as the 1970s?

My great grandparents would be shocked I didn't a cleaner or maid or that I didn't speak their language. That I had married an man who didn't go to university and that I did lots of manual work.

@RosesAndHellebores

Hmm *@Something4theweekend1*, I'm not so sure about the cavalier vis the NHS and ruling elite comment. I recall the old family Dr. Somehow I can't imagine him ever being rude or having a receptionist who would have called grannie "love", yet probably she paid more via tax for health care than she ever did when she paid the Dr.

I seem to recall that measles took one of Roald Dahl's daughters because it was a vicious disease rather than them being a family who couldn't afford health care.

Measles was terrible and life threatening, which I think a lot of us forget now. She still might have died with medical healthcare, but it wasn't an option. My great grandmother cared for her and the only time they called the doctor out was to confirm her death. Poor little girl.

I'm alive in my 50s, unlike my grandmother.

I presume most people's Grandparents would have seen / experienced a lot of these things being mentioned, in their old age though ?

If we are talking about how different lives of young parents were in the 1920s from the 2020s, I think (in the UK anyhow) you can't not mention the introduction of the NHS and the welfare state. HUGE difference between my life and my Grandparents lives.

Long before you move on to all the technology, engineering (just think about transport advances alone), things like central heating / having an indoor (and your own, just for your family) bathroom / having electricity in your home / having a phone line / medical advancement / etc etc

All 4 of my grandparents were born before 1900 and the only one still alive when I was born died in the 1970's.

They would be astounded at pretty much all of modern life I reckon.

Having a cat that I cherish and spend money on. Animals for my grandparents were functional...

My grandad always said the washing washing was the greatest invention during his lifetime. It liberated women from such a hard and time consuming chore.

My grandmother who I only have very vague memory of) had a daughter with severe disabilities. She insisted her child be allowed to be in her day bed in front of the window so she could watch the world go by, because of this she was visible to the neighbours, and my Grandmother was shunned in her town.
One of her sons, who did very well in business, was found out to be in a relationship with a man, and committed suicide. My grandfather left to run from the disgrace and moved miles away. She wore widows blacks for the rest of her life, as did her sister. Only my father survived of her children to go on and have his own. My only memory of her is the ticking of her grandfather clock and the boiled sweets she used to sneak into my hand with a wink. She kept her spark and her determination through so much pain and rejection by her whole community, her wider family and the church.

I think she would be amazed at our world, but so sad that we don’t as women globally have the freedoms we should yet. I think she’d despair I’m not happier than I am given the life I lead and the opportunities I’ve had. She’d love that her daughter would hopefully be given the support to live her life fully if she was born today, and that her son would, again hopefully, not feel suicidal because of societies judgement on his sexuality. She’d be amazed that women can live and have a faintly without a man and that’s ok.
I often wish she had been given her life and her family later. So much would have been easier for them all. My Dad would have had a much easier time too. It was hard for him.

Well my grandparents were born in 1890s-shall I start a new thread?!

I have my 96 year old aunt living with me. She is the last alive of 11
She was talking about Xmas and how her mother would keep one of the boys home to go to the turkey market with her. The live turkey would be brought home . A man would come to kill and pluck it. Now she is wondering how her mother prepared a large dinner with the limited cooking facilities they had , tiny stove, etc.
The size of our houses now too. Each child needing their own room . Ensuite too. She still describes someone as having a beautiful home as some sort of achievement , especially as a good husband provided it.
Finds it strange that we don't know everyone who lives in my estate. She lived her life on the street where doors were always open and she knew everyone.

But also, in her day, there was full employment in the town , due to all the manufacturing . Women worked too to help the family until they were
married. And if you were widowed or single , you could also work as childcare was almost communal. She said she got a job in one place , didn't like it , so left and got another job the next day. All the jobs were local and most went on bikes . Hours were strictly 9 - 5 and often canteens served hot dinners at lunchtime.

Many families also had people who emigrated and sent money home which improved their standard greatly.My father bought his MIL a washing machine and he was treated like a prince . He also paid for his sisters children to be educated.

Just though to show how insular they were, my mother never spoke to a black person until she emigrated . Before this , the only time was seeing sailors at the port.

My aunt still is fascinated by mobile phones and FaceTime . She loves to use it to keep in touch with her nieces and nephews.

Oh no, my nanna always had a cat, and loved them very much. They all slept on her bed 😂
Believe it or not for my grandad it’s an insulin pump. He was Type 1 diabetic, like me, and had to use urine test strips and syringes that needed sterilising in a pot on the stove after use. Now we have blood glucose monitors, micro fine needles and basal/bolus insulin’s and insulin pumps.

My gran was also fascinated by smart phones she never used one (eyesight an issue there) but she affectionately called them ‘those boxes you carry around’ and was continually impressed and amazed that we could keep in touch (particularly when abroad) with family. I’m sure she went to her grave reassured that the smart phone would mean that vulnerable family members never lost touch with the rest of us.

Two of my grandparents were head teachers. The teaching resources available via the internet is something they would probably marvel at. Especially my grandmother who taught geography.

Probaly daily showers

My GP's were born 1905/09 and lived in the typical terraced house with no bathroom. They bought their own house in the 30's that did have a bathroom and running hot water but still only put it on once a week for a bath

My IL's were born 1921/31 and didnt have a bathroom running hot water until 1980. They used to grumble I wanted a bath every other day (even though I put money in the metre) and siad I must be very dirty to want to, this was late 80's

MIL never did get the hang of personal bathing more than once a week

I know my Grandad was so proud when he knew my folks had booked (in 1979) to go to the US to see family. He never thought anyone in the family would be able to do such a thing

Disposable nappies. My late nan just couldn't work out how it kept a baby clean and dry.

My parents! My nan was baby number 13 and was sent to be raised by her grandparents, because her parents could no longer cope.

My degree. My Granny was born in 1909 and came to the UK when she was about 30, one step in front of the Holocaust that took her family. She worked her whole life for a better life for her son and grandchildren and education was a talisman for her. My Dad passed his 11+ and got into the grammar school and she pawned her engagement ring to pay for his uniform. She never got over the fact that my Dad was told by the masters that he had to get an apprenticeship not A levels and university because of his family background.

She just lived long enough to see me graduate and her pride was off the scale. She was the first person I called when I got my results and she beamed for days and told everyone she met. I wish she had lived another few years to see all her grandchildren as graduates, with post graduate qualifications and in professional jobs because it would have meant so much to her.