The times theyare a-changin’

Cyril Olsen, via email

AS one approaches the twilight of life, some people cannot remember what happened only a few weeks ago, yet can recall with crystal clarity events from their childhood as though they were happening today.

The merits of the ‘Good Old Days’ versus modern times spring to mind, particularly with the current controversy concerning Prince Andrew and

Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Born in 1937, I grew up in an era when times were hard for everyone yet a community spirit thrived in spite of the fact that we were all on board the same floundering ship HMS Poverty/Unemployment.

Despite these hard times with families living in back to back terraced housing, we all looked out for each other and helped when we could. Families lived as a family, in those days single parent families other than when a partner died were a rarity. We were brought up to respect our elders and those in authority, particularly the Royal family and Prime Minister of the day. Sadly, recent events have made it very hard for me to have any respect for Prince Andrew and, to a lesser degree, Boris Johnson. Compare the Royal and Government approach of the 1930s which resulted in the December 1936 abdication of King Edward

VIII to that of today, with Charles and Anne remarried and Andrew divorced and involved in a sex scandal. Since becoming Queen in 1952, Her Majesty has performed her duties in an exemplary manner befitting a true Royal. As the Bob Dylan song says The Times They Are A-Changin’ – sadly not always for the better!