Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Hi everyone, I just thought I would share the following reader's letter in our local paper. It really brought it home just how much society has changed.

If I can explain. This letter was found by a lady living locally in Oswestry Shropshire, visiting her sister and brother-in-law who were living in Liverpool. She had left her children at home in the care of relatives and was setting off on her journey home.
The letter was found years later by her daughter going through her personal belongings etc.

Here is the letter that she wrote to her sister and brother-in-law back in the 50's.

QUOTE

Dearest Olive and Bernard,

Forgive me for not having written before, but there seemed to be such a lot to do when I got back.

Well, my dears, as you can see, I arrived back all in one piece, but oh! what a journey it was.
I got to Liverpool Central Station, of course, too late for my train, and the ticket collector there told me to get on a train to Birkenhead and that I might get a train to Oswestry from there.

I dash over there and they told me the Oswestry train had left five minutes earlier and there wasn't another train until 7.40am, arriving in Oswestry at 10 am. It was then 6.45am, meaning over an hour's wait and I was worried about the children at home.

Anyway, I dashed to the tunnel entrance and asked the tunnel police if they would try to get me a lift to Oswestry. They were very kind, one in particular, and they dashed through the tunnel to Liverpool and as they stopped each lorry, enquired if they were going to Oswestry.

Eventually, they found one going between Chester and Wrexham (18 miles from Oswestry) and he said he would give me a lift.

I left him and got another lift to the other side of Ellesmere (8 miles from Oswestry) and then he waited with me and stopped another lorry for me. He was going to Rednal Camp by Queen's Head (2.4 miles from Oswestry), so I jumped in there and he was very kind. Instead of going where he was heading directly to, he brought me all the way into Oswestry and then went to Rednal after dropping me off.

Just the same, it was gone 10am when I arrived home as I had to wait quite a time between lifts - so I might just have well have waited and travelled in comfort by train.

Thank God the kids were all right. Angela had sense enough to keep them all in bed and they were so excited when they saw me.

Well, Olive, I gave mum your message and she is looking forward to seeing you.
Thank you both for a very, very enjoyable weekend.

Love to the landlady (I forget her name).

Olive, will you bring my curllng irons when you come? I left them by the electric fire.
Olive, Joan says to tell you it is the old girls' outing next week if you fancy camping out.

Love to you both.

Dolly

UNQUOTE

Unbelievable!! Could you imagine the Tunnel Police, Lorry drivers and others doing anything like that nowadays!! It seems society has done a 190 degree turn in helpfulness. I appreciate traffic is much heavier today but helpfullness seems to have been lost.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

What a lovely letter to share with us - Thank-you.
My thoughts on this were, these days would a female be safe?
That is another thing that has changed - Very sad I know.
I read so many negative things that happen to women.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Ah what a nice letter.

People don't seem to write letters any more, I think its nice to receive a letter.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

That is lovely to read, Shropshiregirl. There were no motorways in those days & travel was not so rushed, vehicles didn't move as fast either. Plus it did seem so much safer to hitch lifts.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Thanks. I too thought it was such a lovely letter.
How times have changed indeed.

As I said, I do appreciate society is a lot more dangerous for women nowadays, and yes, there certainly were no motorways back then. I just found it so entertaining, and yes, funny too, to read about her escapade in getting home and the tunnel police racing through the tunnel to stop lorries to see if they were heading her way and to give her a lift.

I like to think that Olive and Bernards daughter, after reading that old letter, brought a smile to their daughters face when she opened it. It was such a lovely homely letter.

We don't receive letters anymore, it's all text and email. Not nearly so personal as a letter that can be put away for others to read it years later. Quite sad really.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Despite technological advances supposedly making life easier, the human side of helpfulness and pleasantness has unfortunately been lost.
Nice letter.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

All down to that evil witch Thatcher (phth, phth, phth) telling us that "there's no such thing as society" and too many people believing her.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Hi

There still is a Society UJ.

Very little Public Transport here, but people still walk to the Bus Stop.

The locals stop and give them a lift to Whitchurch, free of charge.

Coming back the locals drive past the Bus Stop to Prees and give those waiting a lift back.

We have Honesty Boxes here, they work well for eggs and veg.

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

Gorgeous letter Actually I still think people are basically good. I think most of us would help a woman stranded wanting to get home to her kids, times have changed and maybe we are all more wary but we still care...don't we?

Re: Wow! Haven't Times Changed!

That was a nice heart-warming read.

I wonder how she would have fared these days?