DUDS WITH SUDS
Half of those under 25 unable to use a washing machine
THE under-25s are a real washout when it comes to household skills.
Half cannot use a washing machine or iron a shirt, a poll reveals. Less than half can wire a plug, falling to one in five for 16 to 24-year-olds, while just two in five younger folk can change a lightbulb.
Seven in 10 of all ages do not know how to change a tyre.
But six in 10 under-25s can create a social media account and set up a smart phone. The survey, from
Aviva, found the gulf between tech and practical skills is widening.
But younger people are at least sharing their tech skills. One in five have shown parents how to use hashtags, a third how to post
Two Spitfires flew over as cortege paused in Ditchling updates on social media and almost one in three have put oldies in the picture on taking selfies.
Gareth Hemming, of Aviva, said: “It’s fascinating how life skills are changing and which forms of knowledge are shared across generations.
“However there’s a place for practical skills too.
“Bodged DIY jobs cost households more than millions every year. Even putting up a picture could lead to a burst pipe.”
Crowds on the streets of Ditchling yesterday
OF all the moving tributes paid to Dame Vera Lynn on the day of her funeral, the Spitfire flypast seemed the most fitting.
Together they played a vital role in the war effort. Both were icons of Second World War mettle and morale. Also apt for the day the Forces’ Sweetheart was laid to rest were the blue skies over Ditchling, the picturesque East Sussex village which was Dame
Vera’s home all of her adult life.
The streets were decorated with bunting and poster tributes, and lined with mourners paying their deep and grateful respects
Washing with spontaneous rounds of applause for Vera, who died last month at the age of 103.
Her coffin was draped in the flag of the nation she had done so much to serve. Pinned on top was her Burma Star, awarded for performing to our troops there. Other than the birth of daughter Virginia who walked behind the cortege, Vera hailed her time in Burma the highlight of her life.
Dame Vera’s funeral was held privately in Sussex and a larger memorial will take place once coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
Dame Vera Lynn