Letter: Life was better in the 1950s

Letter: I fully endorse the comments of Dr Michael Kirk, (Starmail January 20), regarding W F Kerswell's memories of the 1950s.

I was a teenager in the 50s in Sheffield and, like the doctor, enjoyed the freedom to roam in safety unheard of today. As for serial drinking and drunkenness, both require money which was not readily available then.

And you can be sure that none who worked in Sheffield's coal mines or steelworks were foolish enough to attend for work under any level of influence.

Apart from the odd neighbour platting his legs on the way home from the pub, I saw little drink abuse.

My dad was a father of 10 children and had a drink on a Saturday night but like most around him seemed to be keener on the dominoes than the drink.

I am sorry Mr Kerswell has such a jaundiced view of a time when children respected their parents, teachers and elders, a time when everyone respected the police and politicians, a time when truth, honesty, manners and marriage where the order of the day.

We also had no Britain's Got Talent or related dross as we did not have television, or central heating or, before I was 15, electric light. It is today's children who have the raw deal not us.

Bob Wydell

Oswestry