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Original poster

How the other half live

321 replies

MollieO · 06/08/2009 21:03

Bit of a tv evening for me tonight! Anyone else watching?

OP posts:
hippipotamiHasLost54lbs · 06/08/2009 23:15

What are you googeling - Zelda face cream
I don't think there is a face cream website. Teh programme said she is 'hoping to set up' a business sellign face cream. (to justify the laptop no doubt)

expatinscotland · 06/08/2009 23:17

hmm, might have to watch this.

Original poster
MollieO · 06/08/2009 23:17

True Aitch but also donating, which wouldn't happen after tonight's show - unlike last week's.

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 06/08/2009 23:19

it really isn't about donating. that's a sideline so that when channel four comes to negotiate to get part of the licence fee (which it needs cos it's on its uppers) it can say it did a Good Thing.

hatesponge · 06/08/2009 23:19

new look do sell boys clothes in the larger stores.

the stuff isnt that great though - similar to H&M but more expensive. I would prefer Asda or [cough] Primark personally.

Original poster
MollieO · 06/08/2009 23:20

True but surely STC want good publicity too rather than negative?

OP posts:
TheCrackFox · 06/08/2009 23:24

It isn't Brandon's fault that his mum is a bit of a twat.

He does, however, now have his own bedroom and a trust fund making sure he will have clothes for school. And another holiday in Spain to look forward too.

hippipotamiHasLost54lbs · 06/08/2009 23:28

How are the rich family going to enforce the trust fund is spent only on the boys? For instance, mum could go to New Look and buy herslef clothes but say 'it was for the boys'?
Or am I being dense about trust funds?

expatinscotland · 06/08/2009 23:28

Gees, I want to go on this fucking show!

AitchTwoOh · 06/08/2009 23:35

it is good publicity, look, we're all yakking. i'm sure stc is delighted at the attention, but they can't control the programme-makers. no one can. (reason why you should NEVER appear on tv, fact fans ).

cheesesarnie · 06/08/2009 23:35

me too!

AitchTwoOh · 06/08/2009 23:36

me three!

NervousNutty · 06/08/2009 23:37

I really disliked the mum in todays episode, and also didn't like the way their letters to the well off family sounded like begging letters.

Didn't get the reason for them not being able to share room either. Dd1 and 2 shared a room for years and Dd2 was the most awul sleeper, at one point sleeping 2 hours a night, but we just dealt with it, without anyone ending up on the sofa.

I am also wondering where the rest of the money went. They got £2000 the second time didn't they ? Looked like they spent a couple of hundred in New Look if that and got a bike for the toddler, so where did the rest go, cos they never did buy the wardrobes did they.

Merrylegs · 06/08/2009 23:41

Anyone think that Brandon's new bed was rather too close to the ceiling? Not much growing room there.

Whatever you thought about tonight's 'poor' family, I wouldn't have wanted to live their life. Would you?

teamcullen · 06/08/2009 23:41

Maybe they spent the rest of the money on pre-cut fruit!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 06/08/2009 23:42

I thought the council tax debt was £1190 or something, not £119?

I also feel there was something going on with the mother - when I first saw her she looked like a druggie. I thought the laptop purchase was just a ruse so she could sell it it in a few months for drugs.

I'm assuming she is not well in some way. Whether it be mental health problems or alcoholism or something. Certainly the purchase of the laptop was not what any sane person living in poverty would have bought. I thought her DH/DP probably put up with a lot as regards her, and is probably a rock to have around for the kids.

I agree, don't understand about the sleeping arrangements. The younger child's room seemed to be huge. I wouldn't say it was a small flat by any means. Living room large as well. If light sleeping was a problem, surely the younger child could have gone in with his parents and let lovely, gorgeous Brandon have the second room.

Or, let the kids get used to each other's sleeping habits. Which is what happens in all other families I know!!

All the kids were fantastic and I would be proud to be the parent of any of them.

A final thought.....I feel poor Brandon's life (and that of his parents too) is going to be made a misery now as soon as the other residents on the estate see them slagging it off for being a nasty place to live with rowdy, rough neighbours.

expatinscotland · 06/08/2009 23:45

We slept on one of those IKEA sofa that folds down to a 'bed' for a year living in a serious sink estate in Embra. At the time, I never thought, 'Oh, I need a handout from someone rich.'

I had just started working a university secretary and we were saving a deposit for a two-bed flat because ours was one bed and DD1 slept in the bedroom.

Man, if only that show had been around back then!

TheCrackFox · 06/08/2009 23:54

Expat - I think I used to live on the same scary estate. Thank fuck we both got out of their alive.

TheCrackFox · 06/08/2009 23:55

"there" - how embarrassing.

expatinscotland · 06/08/2009 23:59

Was it Muirhouse, TheCrack?

We lived in Muirhouse Crescent, aka 'The Crescent'.

It was notorious!

TheCrackFox · 07/08/2009 00:02

Ooh, we lived in Pilton.

I grew up on a council estate (Highlands) and naively thought it was snobbery from Embra folk. Turns out I was wrong. We lasted 18 hellish months and moved to sunny Leith. Never been happier.

hmc · 07/08/2009 00:05

I didn't read all the thread because I grew impatient with it.

Perhaps the mother doesn't work because she has a two year old and the child care costs would outweigh what she could earn in an unskilled capacity.

So she purchased a pc - not great - but hell, she seemed genuinely mortified on reflection. She seems like a loving mother to her sons and doesn't deserve all this villification

Yes some of the letters contained some heavy hints - but perhaps poor family were encouraged to have this dialogue by the film makers ...otherwise the affluent family would have to crystal ball gaze to determine what the money was required for. The whole premise of the programme is that the rich family give the poor family financial assistance - so not inappropriate to suggest what financial assistance they need?

Do some of you actually think before you post or just resort to knee jerk reaction?

expatinscotland · 07/08/2009 00:06

Just over Pennywell Road!

OMG!

That was my image of Embra pretty much blown away.

We knew this one guy, his son was in this drug-running Muirhouse gang and they were forever fighting with the Pilton gang over turf. And he said the Drylaw gangs were about knives and guns, not drugs, and the line was Ferry Road.

Then we moved to Leith, too, in the HA flats in Queen Charlotte Street.

They were fab. But we're here in the Heilans' now .

expatinscotland · 07/08/2009 00:07

I was there for a little over 2 years.

DH was there for 3 years.

TheCrackFox · 07/08/2009 00:08

We lived on Crewe Road North. The rythmic sounds of the sirens are my biggest memories.

I have to say the Heilans have to be the best place in the UK for children to grow up in.