Surely I can't be the first to notice this....?

[RubberDuck]

Has anyone seen the new Annabel Karmel ready meal range in Sainsburys - called Eat Fussy .

While the range looks quite good (and I'm tempted to try it)... surely it's rather hypocritical for the woman who guilted us all into cooking from scratch and avoiding jars at all costs to be launching a range of ready meals?!

Sorry for changing the subject but there's a programme on channel 4 just started. They're doing an experiment by treating youngsters to the childhood we had - no computers for a start! I'm off to treasure some memories.

No computers?!! I had a computer at the age of 8 I'll have you know... and look where it got me today

[starts getting the shakes over the thought of being without a computer]

I'm not quite sure my childhood was like the one they are portraying. The girl's only got 3 outfits in the wardrobe!

My childhood was a damn sight better than my adulthood. I'd love to go back to that lifestyle (so would my DDs!)

i do remember a BBC computer in the school class once, and about 7 children had to huddle around it to do a spelling game!

What made your childhood so good gohw?

I lived a charmed life. Lovely little private school where everyone was nice (truly!), ponies, spent 3 months a year in Florida, lovely Mum and Dad (well, Dad )Mum was strict, but gave us a happy life, loads and loads of friends and a busy social life. Plus I was given more freedom to roam than I feel my girls will ever enjoy. Now I struggle to be Superwoman - working, keeping house, financial advisor to the family (very bad one), DH's Personal Assistant, chief cook and bottle washer. And I'm a miserable bastard. Wish I could be happier, but terminal pessimist. At least I had a very generous amount of happiness in earlier life.

I think I peaked too soon....

Sounds fantastic. My childhood was somewhat different but free. I could play all day in the village and mum didn't know where I was, but she didn't have to worry either. We played tennis in the middle of the road!! Did summers always seem hot and sunny?

Oh yeah! they lasted half the year!

I too played tennis in the road, and I grew up in Fulham! Can you imagine that now? All those Mercs and 4x4s? The streets only had about 3 cars parked in them in those`days! And all our neighbours knew each other - old ladies, young families. You wouldn't dare do anything naughty because it would always get back to your mother.

This is a shameless hijack, BTW!