Today I've mostly bin...

[Scurra]

Oh dear. We are going to have the full half-hour, aren't we? Yes, there were indeed 12-15 year olds involved in that culture. Does that mean that all 12-15 year olds were Mods or Rockers, or that all Mods and Rockers were 12-15 years old? I don't think so.

Here's the danger of extrapolation: I happen to know that all teenagers are very polite and well-behaved. I base this on the incontrovertible evidence of meeting some who have been members of this forum. Are you in fact telling me that they actually go round stabbing people, having sex and smoking drugs?

edit: I've just been watching the coverage of the Harry Potter premiere, which appeared to be entirely populated by 12-15 year olds, and the worst they were doing was screaming a lot.

[eirian]

I'm afraid I have to agree with Scurra here.

It's all to do with personal experience. I've recently had a fascinating conversation about our relative experiences with my OH. My experience of growing up was of no sex/drugs/alcohol (or at least very limited of the last) amongst by peers. OHs was very much the opposite.

But when I think back, even at my all girls, CofE school, there were a few who knew which pubs would serve them underage, and we had a girl in a lower year who 'went missing' for a while when she had a baby.

As for the media. What really annoys me is when they can't see the difference between 'in the public interest' and 'the public is interested in'...

[clvrlad]

i saw lots of things at high school....

drugs
under age sex
guns

all from the pupils i hasten to add

"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"
who said this?
often attributed to Plato, 4th Century BC

[giraffe]

.........driving. Set off 8.30 am got in about 2pm. Same yesterday.

[clvrlad]

what you been upto?

[giraffe]

Taking my mother to her aunt's funeral. Very short service, met old relatives, and some young ones. Not sure who they all were. (Mum seemed a bit confused about who was married to whom!)

[tricia]

Had a disaster of a day - opened a cupboard in the kitchen and forgot it was opened - I now have a rather large bump on my head and a small cut, got into work spilt a glass of water all over my desk - fortunately missing the compter, and have now managed to cut my elbow - no idea how that happened. Thats three things so I should manage to drive home safely

Tricia

[Bunnylump]

Do you want the five-minute argument or the full half-hour?

I don't want an argument of any description.

We are both entitled to our own opinions. Mine is that there is a real problem with casual usage of weapons, drug abuse and underage, unprotected sex. Yours is that it's always been like that. Trust me, I have seen the devastation of young lives that this culture causes, and have had to be instrumental in picking up the pieces after it has happened. And all I can tell you is that it would be so much easier if the problems were dealt with before it got to that level rather than saying "it's always been like that".

That is NOT to say that there are masses of bright, pleasant, well mannered, hard working young people AS WELL. Of course there are. I have never disputed this, and I work with lots of those too.

[Scurra]

And all I can tell you is that it would be so much easier if the problems were dealt with before it got to that level rather than saying "it's always been like that".

Whoah! Hold on a second.
You said:

What's the world coming to?

But I do think that this phenomenon of kids carrying knives IS a worrying, new thing which needs to be dealt with.

Gang culture is FAR more prevalent and far more accepted as the norm these days, as is very early sexual activity and promiscuity.

All I did was to point out that "It's always been like that". At no point did I ever say that I thought this was good, or that people shouldn't go out of their way to do something about it. Please don't try to make out that I am some sort of amoral bastard.

[Laura]

Right. Erm, moving on.

Today, I've made the most mis-shapen pizza I've ever seen, and considering I've made pizzas with 7-year-olds, that's saying something! It fell off the edges of the plate, but was absolutely delicious, so I don't care about the wonkiness!

[Bunnylump]

Please don't try to make out that I am some sort of amoral bastard.

Anyone who's ever met you (or met me for that matter) would never think that I would ever suggest such a thing, and would certainly never think you are anything other than a total pussycat. Apologies if I just wrecked your macho image...

Laura, wonky pizzas are the way to go. My food always LOOKS like a dog's breakfast - presentation was never my strong point. But in general it tastes pretty good!

[gill216]

You mean the pink rabbit ears didn't already wreck the macho image ??

[Bunnylump]

I think he looked lovely in the pink fluffy ears!

[Bunnylump]

...Having a musical weekend.
Yesterday, I walked down to Box Moor for "Music on the Moor" with some of my friends.http://www.boxmoortrust.org.uk/news-a-e ... -2011.html This is a bi-annual event, which is free for the local community. Yesterday, there was rock and pop music and today it's jazz, blues, easy listening and classical.

Bizarrely, yesterday was also the Wigginton music festival.http://www.irhh.org/home/whatson/databa ... stival.pdf So after an afternoon at Boxmoor, we walked back, got the drums loaded up and drove to Wigginton. My husband was part of the closing act "The Classics". So I met up with another set of friends and sat and listened to lots more music. Oh, and had rather a lot of local 6% cloudy cider...

So, off shortly with more friends (and my son, who is a volunteer for the Boxmoor Trust (usually he's doing conservation related things, but this time I suspect he'll be more of a bouncer... ) to sit with a picnic and a bottle of red wine (hair of the dog after last night's cider?) to chill out and listen to some great jazz singers and the various orchestras. I notice they also have jazz workshops and a ukulele workshop. So perhaps we'll take Dibble's ukulele with us too.

I should have made this weekend be the meet weekend, shouldn't I? It woujld have been activities laid on without me having to lift a finger...

[MBH]

Sounds like a fantastic weekend Good for you.

I've been down to the Town Moor this morning to support a couple of friends in the 5K Race For Life. 7000 women dressed in a variety of PINK is an interesting sight first thing on a Sunday morning

Lovely sunny day with the clouds looming. Hope everyone gets back before they 'break'.

[giraffe]

Yesterday I went to London with my husband, to Kew the Music. Brian Ferry and Sophie Ellis Bexter at Kew gardens entertaining clients of OH. Stayed in a very nice hotel in Richmond, and generally had a great evening. Had to leave first thing this morning to get back and then took Kingsley to an Orchestra course in Malvern for the week, so my fourth consecutive day spent in the car .

[Bunnylump]

I can't claim Sophie Ellis Bexter or Bryan Ferry, but have had a very enjoyable part two of the musical weekend. Took a picnic and chairs and sat in the sunshine with some friends, watching:
the Dacorum Youth Orchestra
A jazz fusion band
A jazz funk band
A blues band
Some guy who sang Michael Buble style stuff
A choir
A big band who were playing things like Mack the Knife and Chattenaga Choo-choo
A salsa band
A symphony orchestra.

Unfortunately, the rain started half way through the symphony orchestra's finale, and everyone had to pack up and leave. But despite that, had another lovely day. (Shame, as ever, that my OH is off practising for a show, so couldn't come, but there you go).

[MBH]

I would have LOVED to have joined you at that Sis - what a great selection

Glad you had a good time even if he couldn't be there with you.

[Bunnylump]

Although, MBH, you did actually come up in conversation. I was saying to Janet "MBH would have loved this. I should have got him down here. The only problem is he probably would have had me dancing around the picnic tables..."

[MBH]

A Salsa Band and a Big Band? You BET you would have been dancing