[Paultheparaglider]

As a middle aged person (although, of course, middle age is a moveable feast )

Moveable feast, indeed.

Flyer Forum. Middle aged = young 'un.

PPRuNe. Middle aged = barely out of school.

Mumsnet. Middle aged = old fart.

[Flyingfemme]

According to the UK government, over 60 = Elderly!

[akg1486]

According to the UK government, over 60 = Elderly!

[CloudHound]

I wish to make a complaint.

These here Rose Tinted Spectacalees wot I bought not one hour ago from this dubious establishment do not give me the overall glow of nostalgia I woz led to believe I would be imbued wiv.!

[JAFO]

20 years? More like 40. I must be getting old.

[TheFarmer]

As a middle aged person (although, of course, middle age is a moveable feast )

Moveable feast, indeed.

Flyer Forum. Middle aged = young 'un.

PPRuNe. Middle aged = barely out of school.

Mumsnet. Middle aged = old fart.

So, at 48, does that make me young, or an old fart?

[CloudHound]

Young in age but clearly younger at heart. Do please stay that way.

[TheFarmer]

I have no intentions to start wearing beige, buying a Vauxhall, holidaying in Norfolk, experimenting with vegan food or letting my wife wear any items of clothing in bed.

I think I’ll be ok for a couple of years yet.

[Rob P]

I have no intentions ... holidaying in Norfolk

Suddenly all is well with the world

Rob P

[avtur3]

As I may have posted before, after 40+ years of instructing Air Cadets, and 20+ of volunteering in local schools (some overlap!), I have become convinced that each generation has been wiser, kinder, abler, open-minded and better-informed than the last, and much more than my generation was in my youth. I have no reason to expect this to change,

I am afraid that, whilst what you say is probably true of sections of today's younger generation, and almost certainly those with whom you interact in those areas, it cannot be said of it all. Study the violence levels in many if not all of our inner cities, almost exclusively inflicted by and upon members of the younger generation, and the opposite is true. Violence is nothing new in young people, but the levels and frequency of it in those areas certainly is. For all the faults of the Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers and others in previous generations, the alarming rise in fatal stabbings and shootings today, indeed the ubiquitous use of lethal weaponry, indicates that their behaviour was almost benign by comparison. Some sections of the present younger generation are almost feral.

Perhaps the use of the phrase "younger generation" needs to be qualified?

PW

The contrast between Kangas experience and Propwashes experience couldn't be more marked. Both sets of comments reflect a reality that exists today. I'm in a position where I have experience of both environments, and I'm in no doubt that both environments exist, somewhere, today.

The reality is that these almost polar opposite environments exist in probably almost equal numbers, although what anyone sees is probably down to their experience of 'shire' living as opposed to 'city' living.

It is great to hear Kanga's experience and that bodes well for the future of those in that environment; equally what Propwash says is, without doubt, the reality for large numbers of young people today.

The challenge is that the environment described by Propwash is clearly not healthy and needs to change, but how on earth we improve that I'm really not sure, but if we don't improve that situation then it will ultimately become a problem for all of us.

We need to get the young people that Propwash refers to out into the environment that Kanga refers to, to show them that there are other options. Easy to say .... incredibly difficult to do.

[T6Harvard]

According to the UK government, over 60 = Elderly!

Phew!!! Not there yet.

[Paultheparaglider]

So, at 48, does that make me young, or an old fart?

Just ask yourself this simple question. Have you ever worn loafers?

Only an old fart who wants to think they are still young would wear loafers.

[TheFarmer]

I wore them to nursery, school, Ag’ college, prison, and at both of my weddings.

They’re going nowhere.

(One of the above circumstances isn’t true).

[Paul_Sengupta]

You went through a trendy period in college I'm guessing.

[Charles Hunt]

I never went to nursery either.