When wine gums were 20p a quarter and Magpie's Jenny Hanley was a goddess!

WE live in an era when the pace of change and the general tempo of life has quickened at a breath-taking rate beyond anything seen in previous generations.

Science and technology has always evolved since the days of the Industrial Revolution, but not at such a tremendous rate where it has generated a momentous impact on our daily lives and the whole social-eco structure.

Social media has completely changed the tempo of life’s hamster wheel which now turns at a lightning quick pace. Facebook, Twitter, and email in general has fundamentally altered the way we think, the way we work and the way we communicate.

Ultimately, it is a change for the better since social media has opened up the world. Communication has taken down the barriers and led to greater understanding.

This week, a friend of mine contacted me since he is hoping to set up an e-Rotary club.

Now Rotary clubs could be described as a haven of snooty, crusty, Conservative captains of industry who meet over lunch and a glass of wine once a week to listen to a speaker and maybe hatch a few deals.

In reality, Rotary couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a very egalitarian organisation made up of men and women across a variety of backgrounds who do a tremendous amount of work in the community.

The e-Rotary club is a great way of spreading the gospel even wider, expanding horizons and this particular friend has embraced Facebook in particular as a means of connecting Rotarians who, as a greater force, are able to make a big difference. 

Globally, Rotary International has joined the fight against polio and since 1985 it has managed to immunise more than two billion people against this crippling and paralysing disease.

It was back in 1985 that Rotary made the pledge to eradicate polio worldwide by fund-raising and delivering vaccines. Its “Thanks for Life-End Polio Now” has literally been life-changing. Now thanks to the internet and Facebook, its impact can be even greater to eventually wipe out this virus.

Facebook is a fascinating phenomenon. Some of the postings are darn right drivel ; I’ve got rid of all the Mafia Wars and Farmville dross – do adults really play those sort of games?

And occasionally there are postings which made you think and reminisce.

There was one this week from a friend in Swindon who wrote something which really struck a chord. I was a child of the 70s and I remember a time when the hamster wheel turned at a much gentle pace. Life, it seemed, was much simpler. Expectations were realistic and if we couldn’t have, we didn’t get.

For myself and my brother, it really was about playing outside from morning to dark. We were out on our bikes with friends. At times, we'd dump our bikes to wade along a muddy brook close to our home, play "war" with friends on this windswept hill in nearby fields, or stage Test match cricket with a hard ball and no pads in the small park near our home.

There was no talk of elf and safety, politically correct playing, or the dangers of paedophiles. We refused to live in a cotton wool world. We made our mistakes and count the cost of them. I once rode through a greenhouse on my bike, and have the 10 stitch marks in my left arm as a 40-year legacy of the tale. Another time I fell out of a tree after jumping between branches and broke my arm. You learn! 

I can't remember staying home very often, even when the weather was horrible. We were always out. The toys were rubbish except for Subbutteo and Striker, so were the TV programmes - I was a Blue Peter fan and to watch Magpie, despite the luscious Jenny Hanley, you were deemed a heretic!.

You could buy wine gums at 20p a quarter, and every Friday our mother, who used to work for Callard & Bowser, would bring home a bag full of roughs - misshaped Juicy Jellies and Mint Chocs which she shared out.

So those are my thoughts, what are yours, please share them. And with thanks to Andy Harrison, here is his posting:

If you were raised on Rainbow, Blue Peter, you played and fell out of trees, got a bootie in the brook and when you went home filthy got a thick ear, rode home-made go-karts with pram wheels or your chopper or Grifter all day.
If you had to be in at 7 with only 4 TV channels & recorded the top 40 from the radio on C60 tapes, drank from the tap, went to the corner shop for a 10p mix up & school started with the Lord’s prayer but you still turned out ok, then re-post.
This is WHEN BRITAIN WAS GREAT!!!