Those ‘ice on the windows’ tweets

When I were a lad, we used to dream of living in the corridor. It would have been a palace to us, we used to live in an old water tank in a rubbish tip. We were woken each morning with a load of rotting fish being dumped all over us.

I was born in 62 and grew up in Edinburgh. We didn't have central heating and I do remember winters being cold. Heating was from the coal fire in the living room until we got storage heaters in the mid-70s. My family was considered a bit posh as we owned our own home and my parents had middle class jobs, though we didn't have a colour TV until years after my friends who lived on council estates and we didn't have a flash car for example.

Yep, me and my mates played football or chasing games on the street. I lived on a busy road but I'd go round the corner to the quieter roads where my mates lived. There were fewer cars on the road but the roads were more dangerous then. The brother of a friend was knocked down and killed on the way to school in 72, which was about the peak time for UK road deaths (about 5 times as many people were killed on the road/year in the UK then compared with now). I remember a few close calls when I was on my bike. Drink driving was very common and resulted in a lot of deaths

No, I don't have rose tinted spectacles about growing up in the 70s. We had freedoms then that my kids haven't had. There were abandoned buildings to explore, one in particular we visited regularly near the airport with numerous storeys and dodgy floors, not to mention a pack of abandoned dogs you had to avoid. The roads were dangerous and there were a lot of creeps around. I know a few people who have had long time issues over the abuses they suffered as kids.

Born 1963, moved from SE London to SW Surrey at 8 months to a large house in a village with a large garden, 3/4 acre, and large woods at the bottom. House had one tiny bathroom and an outside loo. No central heating, gas fires in both front rooms and a small range of some sort in the kitchen. Every other part of the house was freezing in winter. used to get dressed in bed. Mum had a twin tub, I remember the tongs. Always outside playing etc. Walked to school every day. Had my sister's old Raleigh RSW (the basis for the Chopper) when my older brothers were both bought Raleigh  racers from Glovers of Haslemere. I was very envious. The kids on the council estates thought we were posh but they all had Choppers whilst I had my siblings hand-me-downs. They all wore long trousers in winter but we wore shorts as mum couldn't afford the former. Someone used to come round the village in a van with groceries every week, one of the coal yard people was a woman and it was rumoured she was Lady something or other. Holidays were NEVER abroad, Devon to see the grand parents, Pembrokeshire, Lake District, Scotland, Cornwall etc. Always camping, endless car journeys. 

But my bike was my freedom. I could go anywhere, even at the age of 10. 

In terms of lifestyle, I like to think that my upbringing is responsible for my general good health. I am a plumber etc. and worked throughout the pandemic. Never tested positive (Lance), and the only time I felt rather ill I tested every day and still negative. I simply don't generally get sick at all. Is this a result of my upbringing? I've always believed in a healthy immune system but I'm not a scientist. 

As for derelict land, I used to work as a depatch rider/courier in London. First went to the Isle of Dogs in the mid eighties, rode across large amounts of derelict docks to arrive at the Northern and Shell building which was on East Ferry Road (I think), which at the time was the only building for miles, amongst the disused docks.  

Thanks for the opportunity to muse. Feel better now.

I think one oddity is that back in the 50s through to the 70s, there was a lot of derelict land.

When I was on the local residents association a decade ago, we looked at where we could get a rough play area come skatepark.

Two problems, local people hated the idea of youths playing within a 5 mile radius of their home, and the complete lack of unused land. We live in an upmarket area near Solihull and developers even redevelop upmarket housing to the extent that when I moved into my last house it was in a 6 house cul-de-sac which is now 12 houses and more to be divided so what was low density executive housing is now high density executive housing. Council policies to protect gardens and play areas are now developers choices and all developers measure is square footage. So houses do not have gardens big enough for play - when I was growing up, loads of friends had gardens you could play hide and seek in - most people seemed to have gardens with areas big enough for growing produce and for lawn. Now you neither have garden nor free outdoor space. When was the last time you smelt the damp plaster and rotten wood of an abandoned house - or explored one?

So how can you have free play when there is nowhere to play?. Local people even complain about kids in parks and want more flower beds rather than play areas. It seems children are nearly as disliked as cyclists at times. My local park "friends" lobbied for no cycling through the park which is an idea for to the local schools for cycling children, just to kill 2 birds with one stone.