"By the time I married, in 1965, we were well into the free love, permissive society years of "Swingin' London", which Lizzie claims never happened."

Nope, I never said that. I'm 20 years younger than you, Don...and things had settled down a little by the time I was 17.


"I think Lizzie got on the train rather late, and is more than somewhat jealous of those who got the better seats."

Where is this 'jealousy' idea coming from, with you, Don?

It's got nothing to do with that at all! It has *everything* to do with Maternal Concern though.

You know, just yesterday I rang a friend up, not spoken to her for a while...we got nattering, she has one child, a daughter, aged 14. After she'd told me about how much she's changed, what a 'teenager' she's become, she got all choked up. When I asked why she said that about two weeks back she'd got a phone call from one of the other Mum's, with whom her daughter had been staying over..She and this woman's daughter had been drinking, vodka. They'd both drunk so much that they ended up in hospital, stomach's pumped etc..She's worried sick about what lies ahead for her daughter, as the crowd she's in with at present are lippy and dress like 25 year olds...

Her daughter goes to a private school by the way, loadsa money around....but it makes no difference which side of the tracks you're from any longer, the pressure on our children is exactly the same...

So no, let's clear this up in your mind, that I am truly NOT jealous of young people, but I am deeply concerned..