Your 'Angelas Ashes' period..

Not really that similar, but I was born in London to Irish mother and parents split up when I was young, I lived in an alright part of a quote sh1te area over there but my mother couldn't afford it on one wage. "Repatriated" and ended up homeless and got emergency housed off the council on a new development that nobody wanted to live on. Learnt about chungfellits and chungwans and how to blend in with the Irish proletariat after fighting every fooker in a 3 year age radius for being a Cockney KANT.

I've been a full time mad bastard ever since. Actually love the estate I was raised on now. I'm like one of those LA eses who thinks his ****ty barrio is the best place on Earth.

I've never had a period

When i first came here in 1999, i moved into a house with -the horror!- shagpile carpet in the BATHROOM.

:eek::eek::eek:

Might have to write a book about this once i'm over the shock...

Sheep Lover wrote: »

I have been in student houses that have carpeted toilet areas. Now that is like a breeding ground for a super virus.

Or handy if you score and your roommate is a light sleeper.

Long one so bear with me.

Late 70's, I was eight. Dad worked (low wage) but gambled and/or drank the money. No food usually Tuesdays or Wednesdays( except goody). No phone. No car. No money. No holidays. dressed on the Frawleys clubs. Domestic violence in the home.

Couple of days before Christmas. Saturday morning. Mum and my sister had gone walking to the shops to get some food in over the Christmas. I was at home alone (8 years of age) and watching my favourite film ever (and still is). Willy Wonka (with Gene Wilder) when there was a knock on the door. Who could it be? We were always told not to open the door in case it was "the man" coming to get you!!!

I did not answer but he kept knocking. I looked out the window and saw a white van at the gate and a man at the door with a basket of stuff. once I saw the basket of stuff, my fears disintegrated and I flew to answer the door!

A lovely gentleman asked for my Mum and I said she's gone to the shop. Well can I leave something for you all? He did not have to ask twice. There was a food hamper, a box of toys and a card. (which I later found out contained a very welcome 20 pounds!)

There were toys galore for us two girls but pride of place was a huge yellow teddy bear (with a blue bow) for each of us! There was also a boy doll which fascinated us( look it has a mickey!!!!!, wow)

It turned out my Mum had written to a charity outlining her plight and that was their response. God bless those people.

It's over 35 years ago now, I've done well for myself and try to pay it back where I can, but thinking of that morning( I still remember it like it was yesterday) gets me right there!

My Angela's ashes moment was only a few months ago before Christmas.

In Donegal, 4 hours away from home, lost my job, boss withheld owed wages for weeks and social welfare were being dicks.

Had no money, no heat as we couldn't afford a fire log never mind coal (all his money went towards rent to keep a roof over our heads!) survived on tinned food that was left in the cupboard. Got to the point where we couldn't even get electricity in the house (prepay power) so had tinned beans in a cold, dark house by candle light :rolleyes:

Didn't have the money to go home, and couldn't pay the phone bill so was disconnected.

By the second week, still no money to be seen by either social welfare nor nazi boss, we were running out of food. My boyfriend gave me a tenner for petrol so I could get down to the St Vincent de Paul offices around 20km away.

I went in, explained what was going on, left with a small food hamper, I was happy with that. Could make that stretch until social welfare came through.

Two days later, knock in the door. Two ladies from St Vincent de Paul arrived. We got a huge food hamper, 50e food voucher, another 20e voucher to be used for pre pay power and 3 bags of coal and firefighters.

I forgot what heat was! We had warmth, light and food for the first time in around 2 weeks. It was brilliant!

Finally got my social welfare a week later which helped but still made things hard as there is only so much 100e could stretch.

After Christmas when my 2014 tax credits went through I got more off them, but for those 6/7 weeks it was very difficult.

It was only a small Angela's ashes time ha but it was difficult. Never knew hand washing clothes in cold water was so physically exhausting.

My parents moved to the UK with me when I was just a baby 9months old (late 70s)

Apparently, my first Christmas was spent in one room that my parents rented from a Bangladeshi family. There were no cooking facilities, and my parents had no money to buy ingredients for a Christmas dinner even if there was. Because they were not long in England, they didn't know anyone and family was far away.

Our dinner that year was the only food they had, boiled eggs and toast made by turning the only source of heating in the room, one of those old-fashioned 2 bar electric fires on its side and cooking on it! The Bangladeshi family offered my parents some of their dinner, but my parents wouldn't eat their food as it was very very spicy curry with a full chicken (Inc head and feet) inside the pot, and I couldn't eat it as I was a baby! Lol

My Dad says he will never forget how utterly desolate he felt that day! We were never a rich family growing up, but thank God things were never that bad again........