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[Varche]

For those who like old photos. The last one- Breaker Boys is very poignant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-43031764

[Bigron]

Thank you, that was very interesting. A wonderful social documentary, which led to laws to prevent such cynical exploitation of poor children.

Ron.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Great find Varche!

Yes, each one of those pictures tell a story of a thousand words.  Over 106 years ago life was very different for the working classes and change was urgently required, which came both sides of the Atlantic in the form of legislation and union power.   

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My grandmother was born  late in the Victorian era in 1894 and she would always say that exploitation was rife in 'the old days' especially when it came to child labour.

She lived until 1991 though.

Great pictures.

[redelitev6]

Loved the first picture , that's what you call a spanner !

[Lizzie Zoom]

My grandmother was born  late in the Victorian era in 1894 and she would always say that exploitation was rife in 'the old days' especially when it came to child labour.

She lived until 1991 though.

Great pictures.

That is interesting Opti

My dear Great Auntie Kitty was born in 1896, and I had the wonderful pleasure of her discussing with me, first as a child, then an adult, the history of the family and society in general from the Boar War, the Great War, then through the Second World War. She outlined as a primary witness the history that I have studied ever since, and loved.  The interesting thing with her though, from a middle class family, was she was in service married to my Great Uncle Billy who was the chief chauffeur for Lord and Lady Pilkington, the glass family, and thus they lived in a lodge on the estate.  She never recognised the "service" bit as really being a servant, and very much in a working class role.  To her she was superior to the "servants" of the main house, very much at the top of the pecking order in social status, even looking down on people who lived in council houses (bless her!! ) which used to really get under my mothers Eastender skin! 

Connecting this with what you correctly observe Opti, my Great Aunt thought that the lot of the working class, as highlighted in those pictures, was somehow deserved! Reading history it has always been apparent that this was a typical attitude, certainly up to the Great War, but also to a lesser degree up to WW2, of society, even amongst the working class themselves.  They used to look up to the upper classes, and toff their hats to them, in recognition that they believed they were superior beings.  Thank God the Great War started to show how false that was, with the upper, ruling classes getting everything so wrong and so many working class boys losing their lives or ending up badly injured, with no welfare support in existence.  I do not think my Great Aunt ever saw it that way, although she had suffered the terrible loss of her elder brother, my Great Uncle Wally that she continually weeped about. British society had developed in this mould, only to be eventually shattered by the World Wars, the new Labour Party and the unions.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My grandmother was born  late in the Victorian era in 1894 and she would always say that exploitation was rife in 'the old days' especially when it came to child labour.

She lived until 1991 though.

Great pictures.

That is interesting Opti

My dear Great Auntie Kitty was born in 1896, and I had the wonderful pleasure of her discussing with me, first as a child, then an adult, the history of the family and society in general from the Boar War, the Great War, then through the Second World War. She outlined as a primary witness the history that I have studied ever since, and loved.  The interesting thing with her though, from a middle class family, was she was in service married to my Great Uncle Billy who was the chief chauffeur for Lord and Lady Pilkington, the glass family, and thus they lived in a lodge on the estate.  She never recognised the "service" bit as really being a servant, and very much in a working class role.  To her she was superior to the "servants" of the main house, very much at the top of the pecking order in social status, even looking down on people who lived in council houses (bless her!! ) which used to really get under my mothers Eastender skin! 

Connecting this with what you correctly observe Opti, my Great Aunt thought that the lot of the working class, as highlighted in those pictures, was somehow deserved! Reading history it has always been apparent that this was a typical attitude, certainly up to the Great War, but also to a lesser degree up to WW2, of society, even amongst the working class themselves.  They used to look up to the upper classes, and toff their hats to them, in recognition that they believed they were superior beings.  Thank God the Great War started to show how false that was, with the upper, ruling classes getting everything so wrong and so many working class boys losing their lives or ending up badly injured, with no welfare support in existence.  I do not think my Great Aunt ever saw it that way, although she had suffered the terrible loss of her elder brother, my Great Uncle Wally that she continually weeped about. British society had developed in this mould, only to be eventually shattered by the World Wars, the new Labour Party and the unions.

My Grandmother had two early childhood memories which remained vivid well into old age.

The first was the demise of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the huge change that followed.

The second was of what she called 'the funny curled over hats' the men had when returning from the Boer war.

[Lizzie Zoom]

My grandmother was born  late in the Victorian era in 1894 and she would always say that exploitation was rife in 'the old days' especially when it came to child labour.

She lived until 1991 though.

Great pictures.

That is interesting Opti

My dear Great Auntie Kitty was born in 1896, and I had the wonderful pleasure of her discussing with me, first as a child, then an adult, the history of the family and society in general from the Boar War, the Great War, then through the Second World War. She outlined as a primary witness the history that I have studied ever since, and loved.  The interesting thing with her though, from a middle class family, was she was in service married to my Great Uncle Billy who was the chief chauffeur for Lord and Lady Pilkington, the glass family, and thus they lived in a lodge on the estate.  She never recognised the "service" bit as really being a servant, and very much in a working class role.  To her she was superior to the "servants" of the main house, very much at the top of the pecking order in social status, even looking down on people who lived in council houses (bless her!! ) which used to really get under my mothers Eastender skin! 

Connecting this with what you correctly observe Opti, my Great Aunt thought that the lot of the working class, as highlighted in those pictures, was somehow deserved! Reading history it has always been apparent that this was a typical attitude, certainly up to the Great War, but also to a lesser degree up to WW2, of society, even amongst the working class themselves.  They used to look up to the upper classes, and toff their hats to them, in recognition that they believed they were superior beings.  Thank God the Great War started to show how false that was, with the upper, ruling classes getting everything so wrong and so many working class boys losing their lives or ending up badly injured, with no welfare support in existence.  I do not think my Great Aunt ever saw it that way, although she had suffered the terrible loss of her elder brother, my Great Uncle Wally that she continually weeped about. British society had developed in this mould, only to be eventually shattered by the World Wars, the new Labour Party and the unions.

My Grandmother had two early childhood memories which remained vivid well into old age.

The first was the demise of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the huge change that followed.

The second was of what she called 'the funny curled over hats' the men had when returning from the Boer war.

Oh yes, didn't life change!

[Sir Tigger KC]

The interesting thing with her though, from a middle class family, was she was in service married to my Great Uncle Billy who was the chief chauffeur for Lord and Lady Pilkington....

My Grandfather was a Chauffeur for a aristocratic family somewhere in Yorkshire and my Grandmother was in service at a stately home near Kings Lynn.  They met when my Grandfathers lot visited my Grandmothers lot and obviously sparks flew 'downstairs'! 

It all sounds a bit 'Downton Abbey' to me and I'm sure that's very much what things were like. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

The interesting thing with her though, from a middle class family, was she was in service married to my Great Uncle Billy who was the chief chauffeur for Lord and Lady Pilkington....

My Grandfather was a Chauffeur for a aristocratic family somewhere in Yorkshire and my Grandmother was in service at a stately home near Kings Lynn.  They met when my Grandfathers lot visited my Grandmothers lot and obviously sparks flew 'downstairs'! 

It all sounds a bit 'Downton Abbey' to me and I'm sure that's very much what things were like. 

Yes, by all accounts this is how it was.  Upstairs, downstairs was politics in action in the domestic setting and reflected society in general.  It also went on to echo the big changes to Britain that transpired post-Great War, and then after WW2 with so many grand homes going into rapid decline

[Andy B]

I regret being reluctant to visit my Mum's 'auntie' Dora as a kid. She was born in 1897 and lived to be 102 .... just missing 3 centuries. She told a tale of getting up early one morning so she could go to Manchester with her friend who's Dad had a car, this would have been about 1910 when cars were for the wealthy.

[Bigron]

I regret being reluctant to visit my Mum's 'auntie' Dora as a kid. She was born in 1897 and lived to be 102 .... just missing 3 centuries. She told a tale of getting up early one morning so she could go to Manchester with her friend who's Dad had a car, this would have been about 1910 when cars were for the wealthy.

They still are! Or do I mean they keep you poor? 

Ron.

[Andy B]

I regret being reluctant to visit my Mum's 'auntie' Dora as a kid. She was born in 1897 and lived to be 102 .... just missing 3 centuries. She told a tale of getting up early one morning so she could go to Manchester with her friend who's Dad had a car, this would have been about 1910 when cars were for the wealthy.

They still are! Or do I mean they keep you poor? 

Ron.

Our cars certainly try to