Poverty - how our perceptions change

[sundowner]

raveydavey wrote: You may be shocked to find that some of the current indicators of poverty now are if the home you live in has central heating or double glazed windows.If not, you could well be living in poverty.Whilst these creature comforts are desireable, they are far from essential.So, when I hear of "x" percentage of people living in poverty, I can't help feel a little sceptical about the statistics. It appears I've spend nearly all my life living in poverty... You poor girl.

[Misc]

raveydavey wrote: You may be shocked to find that some of the current indicators of poverty now are if the home you live in has central heating or double glazed windows.If not, you could well be living in poverty.Whilst these creature comforts are desireable, they are far from essential.So, when I hear of "x" percentage of people living in poverty, I can't help feel a little sceptical about the statistics. It appears I've spend nearly all my life living in poverty... I remember that from university, at the time a washing maching and a video were on the list as well. They update it every so often, not sure where it's compiled, but some sort of government index I think.

[sundowner]

When i was a kid if we had what the so called poor have to day we would have been classed has middle class.They did not spend the time saying what the state owed them what they had is what they earned not a lot but they made the most of it.Even though my mam worked three jobs she still could not afford to pay for school meals so we got free meals i allso went to Silver Dales Holliday Camp for two weeks when i was about ten years old first time i had seen the sea.You might say this is a contradiction to what i have said in a previous statement but remember my mam was doing three jobs not sitting back waiting for the giro to fall through the letter box.    

[Trojan]

I didn't consider us to be poor. Although we lived in a rented back to back with an outside toilet that was a couple of minutes walk away. My mam scrubbed floors at the local gas showrooms, my dad was a bread roundsman for Newboulds of Bradford. We had wholesome food on the table, we were warm, we had a radio a TV, a washer and a fridge (gas) I think where the poverty came in was in health. My dad didn't see 52, and he was not unusual. My mam died at 80 so I suppose she had a fair innings - but by today's standards? Having said that they'd both smoked, although they both gave up. My mam used to save the dog ends and re-roll them - a habit she'd picked up in the war - at a guess it was this that caused the emphysema that helped to kill her. I think better off people lived (live) longer, whether because their money buys them better health care, or because they tend to be more intelligent and can use the health service to better effect I couldn't say. But it seems to be the case.

[sundowner]

Trojan wrote: I didn't consider us to be poor. Although we lived in a rented back to back with an outside toilet that was a couple of minutes walk away. My mam scrubbed floors at the local gas showrooms, my dad was a bread roundsman for Newboulds of Bradford. We had wholesome food on the table, we were warm, we had a radio a TV, a washer and a fridge (gas) I think where the poverty came in was in health. My dad didn't see 52, and he was not unusual. My mam died at 80 so I suppose she had a fair innings - but by today's standards? Having said that they'd both smoked, although they both gave up. My mam used to save the dog ends and re-roll them - a habit she'd picked up in the war - at a guess it was this that caused the emphysema that helped to kill her. I think better off people lived (live) longer, whether because their money buys them better health care, or because they tend to be more intelligent and can use the health service to better effect I couldn't say. But it seems to be the case. Hi Trojan my thoughts on this are the working class in days gone by worked in some very bad environments.I remember the old gas works for example the stuff they had to breath in would take years off your life same in the foundrys thats only two of the jobs there were a hell of a lot more.I have in the past worked with asbestos when i worked for the gas board i used to pack valves with the stuff blue and red two of the worst kinds.The health service is not a lot of good in treating problems caused by that type of environment.    

[The Parksider]

grumpytramp wrote: I was pottering through the Leodis website earlier, still trying to find the precise location of Harehills Colliery, hoping to find a hint perhaps in the background of photos from Burmantofts or HarehillsNae luck Google Harehills colliery and St.Augustines centenary booklet talks about "Harehills colliery just visible from Harehills Lane" (No real help).West Yorks Archives has the Leeds Fireclay company file containing documents on Harehills colliery 1900.Then there's reference to Harehills Fireclay Mine and colliery.To me those last two references indicate harehills Brickworks at Ashton Road had a fireclay mine from which some coal was taken via the colliery part.So I guess the obscurity of Harehills Colliery may be the site was predominantly a fireclay mine and brickworks? Undefinitive but our best guess?????

[compton]

The Parksider wrote: grumpytramp wrote: I was pottering through the Leodis website earlier, still trying to find the precise location of Harehills Colliery, hoping to find a hint perhaps in the background of photos from Burmantofts or HarehillsNae luck Google Harehills colliery and St.Augustines centenary booklet talks about "Harehills colliery just visible from Harehills Lane" (No real help).West Yorks Archives has the Leeds Fireclay company file containing documents on Harehills colliery 1900.Then there's reference to Harehills Fireclay Mine and colliery.To me those last two references indicate harehills Brickworks at Ashton Road had a fireclay mine from which some coal was taken via the colliery part.So I guess the obscurity of Harehills Colliery may be the site was predominantly a fireclay mine and brickworks? Undefinitive but our best guess????? Grumpytramp, don,t know if this will help, but here goes. When I was a child we used to play in an area to the west of Harehills lane bordered by Lupton Ave. York Rd. and Harehills Lane behind so to speak the Shaftesbury cinema, which were known as the pit hills. They were composed mainly of colliery shale. I can,t see them bothering to transport it far in those days.

[The Parksider]

compton wrote: Grumpytramp, don,t know if this will help, but here goes. When I was a child we used to play in an area to the west of Harehills lane bordered by Lupton Ave. York Rd. and Harehills Lane behind so to speak the Shaftesbury cinema, which were known as the pit hills. They were composed mainly of colliery shale. I can,t see them bothering to transport it far in those days. Just off York road near the shaftesbury was the York Road colliery with a large pit heap that is still there today grassed over. It also had on the site York Road ironworks so iron and coal may have been mined there.Down on Torre Road was the famous Burmantofts pottery, but that was also associated with claypits and coalmines.In both the pottery and iron industries then there was no need to ship raw materials and fuel in!!