Hunter Davies in the Sunday Times

Never mind!

We all have to live in our time.
When I left school and went to college the idea of a gap year was unheard of.
My parents had their honeymoon in Devon going abroad was impossible.
Their parents went abroad (the men anyway) to fight in one of two wars.
I have a good pension but I worked hard and paid in for forty years to get it.
Remind me wasn't it the mainly young men in the 'city' who bought the world to it's knees.
Every generation has it's pros and cons - you have to make the most of your opportunities and live as best you can in what ever shoebox you find yourself in.

So true, BR59, and if we forget our past we face the prospect of having to relearn it. I am sad to see so many aspects of our national progress vanishing these days. The consequences of this for all of us, young and old, are very disturbing.

I consider myself comfortable and content with our income - though if DH passes away before me the house will have to be sold. We are far from rich, but the mortgage is paid off and we do not owe to anyone. My OH has a small pension after retiring on health grounds at 42; and mine too is small - I opted out of contributions when the children were small as things were very tight.

We are comfortable, but did not get there without a struggle and I feel we have earned our comfort - but bear in mind we do not have extravagant tastes. OH was made ill by his work and I had to pick up the reins when we had 3 children to support - we had to sell our lovely home and downsize; and I worked very hard to keep us afloat.

I feel not one tiny iota of guilt at this comparative comfort that we now enjoy - it is more than offset by how hard we worked and by our health problems. Leave us in peace is what I say.