Letter: Youngsters should appreciate efforts of the older generation

I admit that I have been very lucky. I had extremely reliable parents who brought me up, I believe, sensibly and with love.

We didn't always get what we wanted and, though, it was not always full of joy, we lived with what we were given without complaint because that is what life is surely all about.

You don't expect to get your parents into debt buying things that they really can't afford.

When my brothers and I left home it meant my mother and father had more money, so they could afford to do the things that they wanted to do. As has been stated when I was younger there were no mobile phones or computers which enable today's youngsters to talk to others all over the world.

All we had for entertainment was what we could make for ourselves otherwise it was an old black and white television, or the radio, which then had a lot more variety of entertainment programmes.

If, after bringing up our children, we cannot spend some of our hard earned pension on what we want without those of the younger generation going around criticising us after we've spent most of our adult life and cash trying to bring them up and give them as good a start to their lives as we can, then I really do fear for the future of parenting in this country.

We don't know for certain yet, but there are rumours that the older generation will be further penalised. Not content with taxing the pensions we have worked hard all our lives for, we are now told we may lose the winter fuel allowance and bus passes.

Big deal, I hear some say, but it isn't to us of the older generation

Pensions in this country are the lowest in Europe and this is inclusive of the above mentioned items. Perhaps the youngsters should show more appreciation before they sit in judgment on us.

Martin Eddies, Shrewsbury