At what age do you remember becoming politically aware?
- Thread starter Banderill
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BoldonLad
Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
- Location
- South Tyneside
I struggle to remember how old I was, but, at a guess, about 10-12 years old, (ie 1957-1959) at which point I began to read my Father's Daily Mirror, (after he had finished with it of course).
It may have been a little later, I do recall asking my mother unwelcome questions about Profumo, Rice-Davies etc, that would have been early 1960's I suppose
It may have been a little later, I do recall asking my mother unwelcome questions about Profumo, Rice-Davies etc, that would have been early 1960's I suppose
Archie_tect
Active Member
As far back as I can remember, every Christmas Day evening our family would all meet at my Gran's house... every year my uncle [by marriage] and my dad would end up arguing over politics- they would never agree or back down so it always ended with them being told to 'give it a rest' by my gran.
My uncle was a staunch Tory from Bristol who paid to send his son to private school and Cambridge and ran a clothing business making PO uniforms. My dad won an art school scholarship but went down the mine in the war years instead to help support my grandparents, and then when I was born left to work in a metal testing lab. My dad was friends with Jacob Kramer and Keith Waterhouse in Leeds - they were all Labour activists in the early 50s and believed passionately that the class system held back more people than it aided. He vehemently believed in education and I was lucky to get an LA grant to go to university to study architecture. I've spent my life providing social rent housing, helping people get out of the poverty trap.
My uncle was a staunch Tory from Bristol who paid to send his son to private school and Cambridge and ran a clothing business making PO uniforms. My dad won an art school scholarship but went down the mine in the war years instead to help support my grandparents, and then when I was born left to work in a metal testing lab. My dad was friends with Jacob Kramer and Keith Waterhouse in Leeds - they were all Labour activists in the early 50s and believed passionately that the class system held back more people than it aided. He vehemently believed in education and I was lucky to get an LA grant to go to university to study architecture. I've spent my life providing social rent housing, helping people get out of the poverty trap.
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mudsticks
Squire
Likewise, similar influences, but a slightly later era.
My first 'party political' memories are of the labour supporting placard in our front garden in 1974.
It was in an era where if you taught in higher education then you tended to be a bit of a progressive lefty.
The Guardian was your paper of choice.
It just seemed natural I s'pose, being in education you want to improve things
.
Both my parents were engaged in various ways with that sort of activity.
My dad came from a fairly privileged background.
But various things had happened to him throughout his privately schooled years.
It opened his eyes early to how whole 'class system' held down certain people, and elevated others way beyond their pay grade.
Privilege, promoting privilege.
How it was skewed in favour of 'certain sorts' who would toe the line, come what may, never mind the principals of a situation.
As it happens he became internationally renowned in his field, through his work, but always sought to bring up the less advantaged.
Remembered those early experiences.
By say taking on the PhD student from the red brick uni, over the Oxbridge one, if that seemed the right thing to do.
My mother taught in a city comprehensive, and was always busy on some cause or another..
I also got switched onto the whole environmental issue early on, a trip to CAT just after it had opened obviously made a big impression.
Anyhow, that's how, via a meandering path I ended up a socially progressive eco farmer, and union rep.
Among other things.
Btw Archie, I found a very good architect for that project I spoke to you about the other day.
She's just gone into practice by herself after sixteen years working for someone else.
She was also able to magic the almost perfect house design from a few of my shonky pencil drawings, and me standing in a field waving my arms about vaguely.
Absolutely brilliant.
Just got to get it past the planners now 🤞
mudsticks
Squire
I felt very old when I discovered my kids were studying "The miners strike" for their history GCSEs
stephec
Regular
If you really want to feel like you're knocking on a bit try going to a vintage fair and count the number of times you say, 'that's not old, we used to have one when I was a kid.'. 😂I felt very old when I discovered my kids were studying "The miners strike" for their history GCSEs
mudsticks
Squire
Oh I already see guys going off to vintage rallies in spruced up versions of what I use on the farm, even now..
- and all the things hung on pub walls as 'Old tyme curious' still in fairly regular use here..
Well designed tools for the job keep on going - and British steel was much better, back in the day.
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