Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Used to be like that in the UK in the 1950's. !953 My first couple of days at school, I was shown the way by my mum ( 10 mins walk ), thereafter it was down to me Bucko. Most of the kids, the same. One boy came by bus, just a bit more than one Underground stop. By the time he was 10, he was branded a "Mummy's boy". When I was 8 we used to get a Red Rover bus pass, 3 or 4 of us for 2/6d ( 12.5 p ). We would go: Tower of London, Zoo, Hampton Court, St Pauls even Heathrow. I suppose it was British media with it's lurid accounts of child abduction, that put parents off. But we were street wise, knew who the dodgy geezers were, never took sweets etc. Stuck together.

I used to live in the countryside around 5 miles from my school so from the age of around 10 years old in 1957 on-wards I used to bike to school and back every day and seemed just normal in those days.

Kids still walk, get trains/buses and bikes to get to school btw guys.

Rich Tea Wellin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 1:14 pm Kids still walk, get trains/buses and bikes to get to school btw guys.

So do you disagree with this Guardian news article then, especially with this part ?

“But I think, over the years, UK society has become more risk averse. If you just look at the way attitudes to outside play have changed over the last generation, it’s very clear that parents are more reluctant to take on even the smallest risk.”

Roberts believes British parents became more scared of unsupervised outdoor play sometime in the early 90s, and blames the decade’s breathless media coverage of the threats posed by paedophiles, violent crime and road traffic accidents. “The crime rate is definitely a factor,” she says. “Most mums agree that it just wouldn’t be possible to parent like that here. It’s a shame because giving kids freedom to run around with their friends outside seems to have many advantages – for the children and their parents.”

When I lived in Luxembourg around 2009 - 2011 my 6 year old walked a mile to school and my 4 year old walked to the bus stop to go to pre-school. Completely normal over there.

The Mindsweep wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:41 pm When I lived in Luxembourg around 2009 - 2011 my 6 year old walked a mile to school and my 4 year old walked to the bus stop to go to pre-school. Completely normal over there.

That was 13 years ago in Luxembourg not in the UK and a lot of things have changed since then, both in the EU Countries and in the UK,

I do recognize a lot things in the article, but some points are exaggerated. To say that; "It’s normal for Norwegian children to tell their parents what they’re doing; it’s not that normal to ask permission", is of course not true.

My next door neighbour has a five year old son and he is cycling to kindergarten on his own every morning.

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:23 pm I used to live in the countryside around 5 miles from my school so from the age of around 10 years old in 1957 on-wards I used to bike to school and back every day and seemed just normal in those days.

But that was nearly 70 years ago & lots of things have changed in the U.K

Rubex Kube wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 7:14 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:23 pm I used to live in the countryside around 5 miles from my school so from the age of around 10 years old in 1957 on-wards I used to bike to school and back every day and seemed just normal in those days.

But that was nearly 70 years ago & lots of things have changed in the U.K

Completely correct, things have changed a lot and not always for the better !

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:38 pm

Rubex Kube wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 7:14 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:23 pm I used to live in the countryside around 5 miles from my school so from the age of around 10 years old in 1957 on-wards I used to bike to school and back every day and seemed just normal in those days.

But that was nearly 70 years ago & lots of things have changed in the U.K

Completely correct, things have changed a lot and not always for the better !

Nor worse eithes, swings & roundabouts

Rubex Kube wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 9:05 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:38 pm

Rubex Kube wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 7:14 pm

But that was nearly 70 years ago & lots of things have changed in the U.K

Completely correct, things have changed a lot and not always for the better !

Nor worse eithes, swings & roundabouts

That is a matter of personal opinion. For myself, I much prefer the England that I grew up in to what it has become now.
I Also wish that I had a Dr Who type of Tardis so that I could go back in time and be back again as the kid I was then but be knowing what I know now, an impossible dream of course !

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 10:57 pm

Rubex Kube wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 9:05 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:38 pm

Completely correct, things have changed a lot and not always for the better !

Nor worse eithes, swings & roundabouts

That is a matter of personal opinion. For myself, I much prefer the England that I grew up in to what it has become now.
I Also wish that I had a Dr Who type of Tardis so that I could go back in time and be back again as the kid I was then but be knowing what I know now, an impossible dream of course !

Anyone got a Tardis Sid can borrow?

A special Tardis that takes me back in time and makes me young again, knowing what things were going to happen in the future so that I avoid the many mistakes I made in my life and play football again but avoiding sprinting in to win the ball with over enthusiastic hard tackling that ended up with a ruptured ACL knee at the age of around 22 years old, how I regret that moment of madness that happened in around 1969 ! Over 50 years of pain and operations, self inflicted and ending up by having a knee joint replacement in March this year !

Please, someone find Sid a Tardis. It's a Heart wrenching story

I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

I'm over 15 years your junior and had mine replaced 10 years ago. One of the best things I ever did.

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

Thanks for your comment and how has your knee job turned out ? Mine was very painful and was on none stop strong pain killers for the first 4 or 5 weeks after the knee replacement operation , doing pysio now walking ok also doing a bit of cycling. Did you hurt your knee playing football ? My left knee also got injured in year 2001 when I slipped while helping a friend lift a heavy flat pack, ruptured the cartilage in that one and had half the cartilage had to be removed but I get by ok on it, only plays up a bit in the cold winter times !!

LittleMate wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:16 pm

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

I'm over 15 years your junior and had mine replaced 10 years ago. One of the best things I ever did.

Sounds like you are doing ok now. Was it a football accident that caused your knee problems ?
You write some good commonsense comments on this forum, keep up the good work !

Cars have destroyed outdoor play for kids

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 4:13 pm

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

Thanks for your comment and how has your knee job turned out ? Mine was very painful and was on none stop strong pain killers for the first 4 or 5 weeks after the knee replacement operation , doing pysio now walking ok also doing a bit of cycling. Did you hurt your knee playing football ? My left knee got injured in year 2001 when I slipped while helping a friend lift a heavy flat pack, ruptured the cartilage in that one and had half the cartilage had to be removed but I get by ok on it, only plays up a bit in the cold winter times !!

Had arthroscopy on knee after football injury, , then after retiring from football was opening bat and wicket keeper for cricket team. Knee very painful when I gave up cricket and after scan, surgeon said there was no cartilage left. Very pleased with my operation although I know some people where it has not gone so well.

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 7:17 pm

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 4:13 pm

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

Thanks for your comment and how has your knee job turned out ? Mine was very painful and was on none stop strong pain killers for the first 4 or 5 weeks after the knee replacement operation , doing pysio now walking ok also doing a bit of cycling. Did you hurt your knee playing football ? My left knee got injured in year 2001 when I slipped while helping a friend lift a heavy flat pack, ruptured the cartilage in that one and had half the cartilage had to be removed but I get by ok on it, only plays up a bit in the cold winter times !!

Had arthroscopy on knee after football injury, , then after retiring from football was opening bat and wicket keeper for cricket team. Knee very painful when I gave up cricket and after scan, surgeon said there was no cartilage left. Very pleased with my operation although I know some people where it has not gone so well.

Your other knee is ok then ?

I always used to think, well at least my left knee is good, then I twisted it when I fell over when walking backwards while helping a friend carry that heavy flat pack. The knee swelled up a lot and it hurt like hell but luckily no busted ACL, but torn cartilage and half was taken out in knee operation. so two busted knees and once so fit, so sickening that I could not play football or cricket anymore, just table tennis !!
I liked cricket but was not much good due to an accident when I was about 6 that left me with not good vision in my left eye, could not pick up the fast bowlers very well, football was always the sport I was good at it, loved it !! After I had to give up playing football when in my early twenties I started my own team in local football, tried to play at fullback but my knee kept going so I retired around 23 years old and concentrated on running the team, we did very well, rose through the leagues and ended up with some ex pro players and won many league titles and cups etc. I retired from running the team when I got married, it was just too time consuming !! WOW you were an opening bat and wicket keeper for cricket team, how amazing, you were obviously very good at sport, well done you !

The Mindsweep wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:41 pm When I lived in Luxembourg around 2009 - 2011 my 6 year old walked a mile to school and my 4 year old walked to the bus stop to go to pre-school. Completely normal over there.

What, on their own?

Sid Bishop wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 4:18 pm

LittleMate wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:16 pm

i8ubutler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 1:01 pm I'm about the same age as you Sid, and know exactly how you feel.
Had my knee replacement about 18 months ago.

I'm over 15 years your junior and had mine replaced 10 years ago. One of the best things I ever did.

Sounds like you are doing ok now. Was it a football accident that caused your knee problems ?
You write some good commonsense comments on this forum, keep up the good work !

Cheers Sid,

A long winded answer but its typed now! It started with a motorbike accident at 16. Broke my patella as well as tib-fib-femur. After recovering I played a lot of football & squash until my mid 30's. By then I'd had an arthroscopy and by 40 a second one. Whilst going for my higher level football coaching badges the knee went again and I thought I'd done my ligaments. Turns out it was the last of my cartilege.

Had my knee done by the then chairman of the Royal Knee Society (yes such a man exists!) and had a particular type of knee fitted (a duracell). If anyone ever needs a new knee then pm me as I had to research the life out of it. Conventional wisdom says 10-15 years for a knee and I was approaching 50. I'm 60 now and not had the pain that some people sometimes get post-op. Still active and always hope to be.

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 8:59 pm

The Mindsweep wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:41 pm When I lived in Luxembourg around 2009 - 2011 my 6 year old walked a mile to school and my 4 year old walked to the bus stop to go to pre-school. Completely normal over there.

What, on their own?

Yes