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.