The 80's were tough alright.
I was single and taxed @48 % on the first £10,000 and then 60% on the balance. The lowest rate was 35% In fact I have memories of doing approximately 10 hours overtime one week and all that I actually earned for it after the taxman got his whack was £5.00 extra.!! Never again I took time in lieu after that. Mond you Charlie Haughey as Minister for finance had a brainwave of introducing an early retirement scheme for public servants to reduce the numbers and halve the pay bill. A few of my work collegues availed of the scheme but were subsequently rehired on temporary contracts along with their pension. I see there is talk of Brian Lenihan introducing a similar type scheme again in order to reduce public service numbers, so will it be the same old carry on again? Public servants avail of the scheme & rehired a week or so later?
I look at this MTV CocaCola/XFactor generation with their mp3 players big brother reality shows with a mixed feeling of envy and growing concern. They will get the biggest wake-up call if it ever gets to not only the levels I witnessed but they will think its the end of the world if it extends to our parents level. Reality will hit them like a freight train and it wont be like no big brother show they have ever seen before.
In the eighties I had to ask for a slice of bread. We never had a breakfast. We all waited for my dad to make the dinner, we sat around and waited for it to be made, we didn't need to be called in. No food ever went into the bin. We used to wrestle each other for the heel of the bread as there was more eating in it, these days every one throws out the heel. All my clothes were hand-me-downs. My shoes always leaked and when I walked to Christian brother school they squelched in the rain. I would develop trenchfoot by the time I got there. My toes shrivelled like prunes. I always tried to get in early but didn't, it was too cold to get out of bed. At school I dry my hole ridden odd socks on the radiators that sometime worked. When they got dry they were nice and warm and hard like cardboard. As soon as I got in I could not wait for the milk and buns which we got at 11am. I was so hungry all the time. I dont think I have ever been that hungry before.
But something tells me that I'm well prepared for whatever comes as I had been privatised to be underprivileged. I witnessed tough times as I was there but nowhere near what my folks went through. My only fear is that it doesn't stoop to that level! For me, now, this is no recession. It hasn't even come close.
Ah the memories…
Chandras niteclub in the Grand Parade
I remember in the 80s my parents and my Aunts and Uncles talking about how bad it was in the 50s and that the 80s were great compared to them!
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