'56 up (7up) due in 2012

[YuleingFanjo]

Anyone else really looking forward to this?

I always remember, of course, the guy who was living in the scottish islands but then became a politician.

I didn't see that Jackie's ex had died? I must've been doing something in the kitchen when they said that?

That's a sad thought Biscuit.

I've been watching since 35 up (twenty-one years ago! eek). Neil and Suzy are the ones I always remember, Suzy just seems such a lovely person. Haven't seen Peter in it before since he dropped out after 28 up; he comes across as smugger and less interesting than the others, maybe because we haven't seen him develop as much.

The whole series really brings home the sheer randomness and unexpectedness of life.

BiscuitNibbler me too, I was but then really disapointed they hadn't got together

Bah, no bruce.

I think jackie has had a happy life but obviosly some horrible stuff lately. I love that she had 3 sons so late in life

roll on next week. Strangely the jockey/cabbie is the one I care the least about.

I agreed with Suzy and Nick about the time constraints of the prog, it's not long enough at all. Especially as they get older, it's hard to cram everyone in. Next week is even worse, they've got five people to get into one prog. Lynn, Bruce, Tony, John and Andrew. Every episode I'm left wanting more!

Last night's episode really seemed to focus on loss didn't it? Poor Jackie had lost so many people, I couldn't believe it. When they showed the clip of her walking her little sister to school when she was 7 and then she was describing how she'd died of a brain hemorrhage, it was so sad. Also really felt for Nick last night too, he's obviously worried about his parents, but didn't want to discuss it, which is fair enough. I thought the episode had a real air of sadness to it really.

Did Jackie have her sons particularly late? I thought the youngest was 19 so she would have had him at 37 which is fairly normal round here.....
And although she has been dealt a bit of a crap hand, she is so upbeat and optimistic. On the programme at least!

Yes BN, I also had a moment of wondering if Suzie and Nick had got together and was relieved to see that they were just being interviewed together

I love how laid-back Symon is - he and his wife have done a fantastic job fostering all those children.

I thought nick's parents had died? Didn't they show the graves?

As for jackie- she did have her dcs late compared to the other women in the programme and compared to working class women of her generation. They didn't have IVF back when these people were in their early 20s so people didn't plan to have them late the way people do now.

Suzy didn't mention anything about her DCs- I wonder if that was deliberate- did they not want to be involved maybe?

It will be interesting to see tony next week. In 49up he said he wanted to move to Spain permanently.

Overall they all seem to have had quite a bit of unhappiness in their lives, even symon, who puts a positive spin on things, broke up with his 1st wife he had 5 kids with and said in an earlier episode that 2 of them don't speak to him at all. It would be interesting to hear their take on him now being a foster carer.

Margery, my DM had me at 34 back in the early 60's (and similarly my ex's mother had him at 35 in 1960) and loads of my friends/aquaintances had their (non-IVF) children between 35 and 43 - I had mine at 34/36 which is entirely normal round here.

Yes, looking forward to seeing Tony - he was such a great little kid

Margery - the graves were of Nick's grandparents.

Suzy's children were on there - a photo was shown when she talked about two of the three going to university, and it showed her shopping with her daughter.

Jackie didn't want children when she was in her first marriage, so she had them later than she possibly would have if she had always wanted them, and later than the other women in the series, but not massively late. I was 37 when I had my (non-IVF) DD, and never planned her based on availability of IVF!

Thanks for this thread!

I am four years younger than them, and at school was shown tapes of 7up and 14up. Since then I have watched them all. I'm not living in the UK at the moment so hadn't seen that 56up was coming up. Could've worked it out if I had remembered, obviously!

I somehow imagine that, if I met him, I would find Nick intensely annoying.

I like Suzy though. she seems to have really mellowed and definitely de-poshed!

Re. Symon - just shows what the love of a good partner can do for you. Thought they were an amazing couple.

Jackie had her children fairly late and close together because she had previously been in marriage where they had agreed they didn't want children. I wonder if she had realise in later years that she did want them?

oh yes, and I had IVF but it wasn't a plan - just the way things happened, though I was older than usual too (39)

Nick takes himself far too seriously, I think he has quite a chip on his shoulder.

yes, I liked Nick a little less this time round. Funny how it goes as he was always one of my favourites.

I've watched it since 28 up and think it peaked then. There's too much to fit in to too short a time-frame now and the participants are understandably wary about giving too much away. It has its moments still, but it's nothing like as powerful as it used to be.

Thought Symon and his wife (Viennetta??) were amazing! All those kids, holding down jobs, while fostering too. Made me think how selfish my life is. Anyone else cry when one of their foster kids said he had flown into the UK expecting to be met by his parents? Thank goodness he ended up with such good foster parents.

I thought Nicks "beautiful" wife looked like a cluedo character. Her neck was very long.

Symon and and his wife were lovely. How selfless they are.

Queenofcake yes she did. And she'd had a nose job at the very least.

I enjoyed it but agree with others not as much. And Nick was a bit up himself imo.

Yes, Queenofcake. Each to his own, and I don't usually comment on appearances, I was rather puzzled as to how she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen .

Wiki says she's 10 years older than him. So for 66 I suppose she doesn't look bad.

Thing is to me she looks fake. And fake != beautiful! I'd rather see someone with a few wrinkles and their own nose.

Nick's the professor, isn't he? So I guess taking yourself seriously sometimes comes with the job. (I've known a few professors and some of them have been extremely amusing but still...)

Nick was the lovely little lad living on a Dales farm and being so in tune with his environment he ended up at Oxford and became a prof at an American university.

I'll tell you something, Jackie's three sons were an absolute credit to her. Seemed like really good lads.

I think Nick's wife's lack of facial expression made her less beautiful.....but 66!Wow!