Today’s generation finds things tougher

WE are at war, not in the military sense like the poor people of the Ukraine, but financially.

Covid hit us at a time of turmoil with Brexit in progress. Billions were doled out in furlough and business grants to help save people’s jobs. We had to throw millions at creating a vaccine.

Unfortunately it has to be reclaimed, in taxes of one form or another. And then the madman Putin decided to show the world how great Russia is. As a civilised country we had no choice but to give as much support to the victims as possible.

I think we were facing a similar situation in 1940 when Winston Churchill spoke to the nation. “I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” No doubt there were the people who had a good moan about it, but people knuckled down and got on with it, made do and mended, helped each other.

I was born in 1944, I can’t of course remember the war, but I did like most of my generation have to suffer 12 years of rationing. We did not throw food away as is the norm today with “best before” dates on everything. Leftovers were never thrown out. With a little ingenuity meals were made out of very little.

Obesity – what the heck was that? Certainly not the drain on the NHS that it is today.

One thing I know for certain: my generation will survive – we’ve seen it all before! We learned to economise because we had to. A roof over your head and food on the table – everything else is a luxury!

D Talbot via email