"I was told at school it was the army or down the pit. If I was clever enough, perhaps the glassworks."

And before that we had no vote, and before that we were serfs on feudal land, and before that we were sold as slaves and gladiators to the romans etc etc etc.

I don't know why you were different, maybe you succeeded where your ex colleagues failed and in doing so your sons had a leg up?

I don't mean that they had financial privilege, but they learned from watching you that hope is worth having.

How many opportunities were there to go round where you lived? and how many of your colleagues fell onto the scrapheap?

I don't know ... thats why I'm asking ... but I have a feeling that I can predict your answers.