We'll I expected to be able to get the cheaper cuts of meat to string out my meals with soups and stews and cheap local veg etc.  liek I could form the butchers.I can no longer expect that as everything has shot up in price or is not available as there is only supermarkets and their crap  and monopoly on selling foodstuffs to choose from.. . .I'd hardly say I was expecting a lot to want to buy the cheap stuff that is not even offered any more . .  in fact as the last two yrs have gone by my standards of living have reduced even more than they already were which wasn't that high in the first place.. .. .but ho  hum we've never had it so good apaprently..

defo off now... cheapish chicken soupy/stew to make.. .

but that wasn't the case 20-30 yrs ago. .

anyways.. .as I said stew to make

No it was universally bad.

I know what you're saying and I mostly agree.  However, you only need to look at the constituency map to see how the Tories look after South (in general) and specifically the affluent in the South.  I totally agree that a prosperous town can sit close to a town where the situation is dire and sometimes high poverty areas in the South can be overlooked because governments tend to assume the South is a sea of prosperity.  Certainly those on benefits or low wages in Central London who'll have to move out of London have never had it so bad.

The public sector cuts are going to crucify many northern towns and cities as there's little else up there after industry was decimated in the 80s.  Labour tried to alleviate that with massive public sector investment in the North but it never really lead to much private sector investment.  Now the Tories are cutting back the public sector it's going to clobber the North (mostly).  It says it all when Osborne's constituency is the least hit constituency as far as cuts are concerned.

I don't think we need a competition to see who is going to be affected most. It is going to affect everyone and people in the south are suffering.

One more thing ... I have colleagues in hospitals up north who were given far more money than hospitals in the affluent south by the government and spent accordingly.( the hospitals not individuals BTW).

In the southeast Trusts have been used to tightening their belts so it is more of the same but worse....

It is not helpful IMO to say who will suffer the worse.
Arguably last time we know how the north fared  whilst the south was by and large unaffected.

This time it is going to be different - well it IS different.

I am amazed this discussion is still going on!

1)  I posted about my health problems, not to garner sympathy or support, but to make a point.  The point being, that although some people are suffering, there are always someone else that is worse off.

2)  As compassionate human beings, shouldn't we use our resources to help those that are less fortunate?

3)  As for the "bullying" claims - I will admit that there are times when I find it very uncomfortable coming into this forum.  Sometimes the comments made cross the line and I do know a lot of the history, alot of the time, I also believe that some of the threads made by PP and others are wind ups, but is it neccessary to sink to the level of personal comments?

There have been many thread started by PP that I simply refuse to reply to because I KNOW exactly what is going to happen.

4)  I love my gadgets, however, many of my gadgets are 20 years old.  My food processor belonged to my husband's mother and she died years ago.  I don't have the latest mobile because the mobile I have had for 5 years still works fine.  It doesn't take pictures and it doesn't access the internet, but it works fine for me.  I can make and receive calls and send and receive texts.

I don't buy into the whole commercialism of Christmas.  If I have my family and a nice a meal, that's fine by me.  Yeah, a few presents under the tree is fantastic, but I get more excited by warm slippers than a cold Ipod.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

I have a tablespoon that belonged to my late Mum - over 60 years old and it is brilliant

And you are  not rambling

Hi Suzi, you are not rambling!  Until one has some real experience of life, of which you and others on here have then you can comment with some conviction! Please dont get upset , We were all young once! PP has ideologic(sp) views on life and hopefully never finds out that a lot of people do without food to put shoes and clothes on their kids. x

I love a good ramble!

See, I would rather laugh than cry (although I do that plenty because I am a soppy cow).  When I was taking steriods and auto-immune drugs, and swelled up like Violet Beauregard (without being purple), I laughed about it and compared myself as my face being stretched over a football.  I think that's the key - you can wallow in your own self pity or you can laugh at what life has thrown at you.

Does it make it easier to pay the bills at the end of the month?  Nope.  Does it make me want to vote Tory?  Nope. 

Because even though I can laugh at myself, I also cry for the boy who can't go to school because his parents can't afford a school uniform and the school won't allow him to attend without the regualtion uniform.  I cry for the family who have lost their house because they have both been made redundant.  I cry for the OAP who has to stay under the duvet all day because he can't pay to heat his home.

Thanks, Skylark! XX

No probs Suzi

I know what you mean.. I have been brought up to laugh in the face of adversity and I don't do self pity.
But boy do I weep for other people

Ok, I will admit, I'm an old hippy tree hugger.  Even though I was a child at the time, I loved the 60's and what they stood for - peace, love, brotherhood. Yes, very idealistic and perhaps I am.

Maybe I watched too much Star Trek in my youth and expect the Earth to pull together and fight against the Romulians.

I am a slightly younger tree hugger Suzy but I am afraid I have a faith in human nature and belive that people essentially are good and mean well.

Sadly I tend to be disappointed a lot.

Oh fgs you people cannot help yourselves - do not judge me you do not know me - sure I have opinions on all of you from what I have seen on here but I do not (usually) write them  here in a derogatory way so why you all seem to need to do that about me I just don't know - god help you all if I never came on here - what on earth would you talk about??

That's the key, though, isn't it?  "Never judge another until you have walked a mile in their moccasins".

It's so easy to sit behind a keyboard, forget that there are real people with real problems on the other side of the screen.  While we are sitting here, in our warm houses, with our broadband and mod cons, there are people walking the streets looking for someplace to kip for the night.  There are people who go to bed every night without having a warm meal to lull them to sleep.

Yes, I am thankful that I live in a country where I don't have to worry about if I can afford the treatment and medication that will keep me alive for another day.  I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband who will hold the bowl while I puke my guts out.  I'm thankful for a wonderful son who has offered me one of his kidneys when the time comes.

Although I am thankful for what I have, I'm not "lucky".  If I were lucky, I would not be in the position I am in.  If I were lucky, I would win the lottery and be able to buy a kidney on the black market and fly to the Carribean to a disreputable clinic for a transplant.

Thankful??  Oh yes!  Lucky? Nope.

How can you not consider yourself lucky though - don't get me wrong what you have been through is awful but you are so lucky to have access to good healthcare that isn't costing you - you don't have to worry about whether or not you have the money to pay for it.  Yes in many ways you have been very unlucky to have to go trhough such suffering but you have an amazing amount to be thankful for also.


Slightly lame in comparison but I am in a job I absolutely hate - getting up every weekday morning knowing I have to go and do this job is painful however I know I am lucky to have a job at this time - obviously at 7am most mornings I don't see this but  I know that all things considered I am lucky.

Lots of things as per usual You haven't been around that long on here, but the forum was and is still standing.

I think when one jhas a chronic ( sometimes Life threatening) illness, it perhaps changes the way you view life.

My brother has chronic renal failure - he has opted for various reasons not to have a kidney transplant. He is on CAPD at the moment - there will come a day when he will have to have haemodialysis.

He, like you, is a child of the 60s and he does have a similar view to life.
He concentrates on things that makes him happy and actually has found being ill liberating ( or so he says) in that he feels he needs to do what he wants to,not what he has to.
So he does not sweat the small stuff. He enjoys life, writes poetry, sings his music with his son in festivals etc and generally tries to enjoy what he has.

Very lame and you managed to complain about it last week to all and sundry.

Pp , you are very patronising, and i do not wish to fall out with you, but if you think NHS healthcare is free, you must really live on another planet!

I can't answer because apparently I will be accused of bullying.
BUT Suzy you are a brave woman who has been dealt a cruel blow and you are dealing with it as best as you know how xxxxx

You know about wanting to cry?
Suzy has just opened her heart on here and that is the answer she got.
BUT I can't and won't comment because I will be accused of ganging up

Oh don't give me "the I pay national insurance" rubbish - yes we do however regardless of how much NI you have paid you get healthcare.  You don't get told sorry there's no more help for you you have used up all your contributions!!!

and I haven't denied that - we have all had tough things go on in our lives but we can't always concentrate on them as that will drive us insane - fgs do I know that after the last 18 months.

Oh dear Pp, you just dont see it, do you? When budgets are made every year the NHS bill gets more and more. It is paid by us all! I have worked in the NHS longer than you have been born

I saw your reply to Suzi. You really ought to be ashamed of yourself. As for you never coming on here, trust me, if you never came here again the forum would automatically be improved 1000 per cent. You are beneath contempt and this is my personal opinion not that of a clique. I don't talk to anyone on this forum outside of here.

I wasn't aware that she was concentrating on them. But I am sure that she will take your wise words to heart.

And it's going to get worse. With the social care budget getting cut it will have a knock on affair on the health service.

Calm down, you're getting a wee bit het up hevva. All European Countries have a 'national health service'. Germany, let me tell you as I am and do know better than you for once, has practically no waiting lists, hospital rooms of no more than two people of the same sex with en suite bathrooms, telephones beside the bed, we don't have to wait for our Gp to write a letter to a consultant, we can make an appointment and see them off our own backs, which takes no time at all. Yes we pay a bit, but we do that over here as in NI.

Of couse it will, my sister has been a Home Help for 12 years in Edinburgh, her job is under jeopardy, There are people young and old with illnesses and need help of all sorts, but where is it going to come from? Its very scary

No you're right I just don't see it - I don't see al those people who have never contributed NI getting healthcare, I don't see al those kids who have never contributed NI gtting healthcare, I don't see all those people getting kicked out of hospital because their contributions have run out - you are spot on I just don't see it.

Course it has to be paid for somewhere for crying out loud however we are not charged as we go so to speak - we have a situation whereby regardless of what you have contributed you get healthcare and are not discrimnated against - but it's ok I just don't see it.

And once again we have to resort to personal attacke - grow up!!

     Oops, sorry, I said I was outta here last night didn't I ?

BTW PP how old are you I really thought you were at least middle aged (45+)  you don't write the the rythem (SP) of a young person 

I'm just giving my opinion dear and you have a great deal of growing up to do if you can be so horribly insensitive to people who have been given such a rough deal with their health when you have not. I'm not the only one who has that opinion of you in fact I am in the vast majority. Why do you think that is? Ask yourself why you are so reviled by perfectly decent folk on this forum. It is nothing to do with cliques and everything to do with you.

sorry but I'd rather not say - I don't believe age should matter on a forum like this as everybody should be equal - giving you my age would only give some people more ammunition to have a go at me - sorry!

You told Suzi, who posted about her dreadful health problems and in the same post said that she tended to laugh at herself to consider herself lucky because she had access to good healthcare and not to dwell on bad things.

Have you any self awareness at all?

Why did you feel it necessary to comment to her directly?

how do you know I haven't - trust me there is an awful lot that nobody on here knows about me.