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Slum Britain - 50 years on, C5 last night (6/12)


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Old 07-12-2016, 08:27
Jenny_Sawyer
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This was an interesting programme, though sad & depressing & frustrating. I felt especially sorry for Lyndsey who was on the street with her beloved dog, & was being told that she could only have somewhere to stay if she gave up her dog. I will say that the 1960s people did not help themselves by having so many children - it's obvious that it's more difficult & expensive to feed 8 mouths than 4. The Scottish lady who was about to be evicted was clearly disabled & as such the local council should make her a priority - but I suppose they have to keep places back for influxes of immigrants......
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Old 07-12-2016, 08:48
Straker
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Surely this can't be on C5? I mean, they said they were giving up the poverty porn and they wouldn't lie would they.....?

Gotta love them trying to class it up by adding a retrospective historical aspect. Trailed to death this week like it was a new Adam Curtis or John Pilger doco.
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Old 07-12-2016, 11:47
Porcupine
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The stark difference for me though was that the families in the 60s put every penny they earn towards their children - and if they had to steal, they stole food. They lived in appalling conditions with no luxuries in vermin filled rooms, but they got on with it and put food on the table.

The people who featured in 2016 were all alcoholics / drug dependants who spent all their money on booze, fags and drugs while moaning that they couldn't afford to feed themselves. Well, if I spent all my money in the pub then I couldn't eat either. The only exception that I could see was the Dad who was a market stall trader and lost his job. But I kept wondering why the other people in the family couldn't work and take the pressure off the husband - and the woman who looked after her disabled son. I felt very sorry for her.

The Scottish lady who was disabled ... yes she was a priority, but why did she have to live in such a sh*t tip ?
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Old 07-12-2016, 12:25
Moonbean
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It was a very moving and sad programme. It's really quite shocking that in 2016 so many people still rely on food banks and have to live on the streets/in appalling housing conditions. It reminded me to donate to Crisis or the Salvation Army at Christmas to help some of these people.
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Old 07-12-2016, 12:29
Ess_Bee
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The Scottish lady who was disabled ... yes she was a priority, but why did she have to live in such a sh*t tip ?
I hope she and that pretty cat found somewhere else to live. This programme was heartbreaking although as pointed out, they don't help themselves by drinking and drugging. Do they turn to those substances as relief from their circumstances or did those cause the circs. in the first place, I wonder?
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Old 07-12-2016, 12:41
beemoh
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It was a very moving and sad programme. It's really quite shocking that in 2016 so many people still rely on food banks and have to live on the streets/in appalling housing conditions. It reminded me to donate to Crisis or the Salvation Army at Christmas to help some of these people.
I would advise Crisis over the Salvation Army- the latter are unfortunately involved with making matters worse.
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Old 07-12-2016, 13:35
shaddler
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At first I thought, oh here we go, another 'bash the benefits claimants' show on Channel 5. But I thought this was sensitively done, and very moving at times. That poor woman on the street who was crying that she was going to die. Very difficult to watch. My teenage son was quite affected by it.
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Old 07-12-2016, 17:11
Tellystar
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It was a very moving and sad programme. It's really quite shocking that in 2016 so many people still rely on food banks and have to live on the streets/in appalling housing conditions. It reminded me to donate to Crisis or the Salvation Army at Christmas to help some of these people.
I don't like it when the Salvation Army asks for donations of £19 on the tv
That's a lot of money to some
They should just ask for whatever people can afford
Many find this form of chugging off putting
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Old 07-12-2016, 17:23
Jenny_Sawyer
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The stark difference for me though was that the families in the 60s put every penny they earn towards their children - and if they had to steal, they stole food. They lived in appalling conditions with no luxuries in vermin filled rooms, but they got on with it and put food on the table.

The people who featured in 2016 were all alcoholics / drug dependants who spent all their money on booze, fags and drugs while moaning that they couldn't afford to feed themselves. Well, if I spent all my money in the pub then I couldn't eat either. The only exception that I could see was the Dad who was a market stall trader and lost his job. But I kept wondering why the other people in the family couldn't work and take the pressure off the husband - and the woman who looked after her disabled son. I felt very sorry for her.

The Scottish lady who was disabled ... yes she was a priority, but why did she have to live in such a sh*t tip ?
Actually that's not true - the guy from Bradford who'd been in the army & was featured in the 1960s photos as a child, said his dad spent all his money on racing pigeons.
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Old 07-12-2016, 17:27
Nest
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I would advise Crisis over the Salvation Army- the latter are unfortunately involved with making matters worse.
Interesting reading, thank you for sharing.
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Old 07-12-2016, 17:37
Hayley_baby
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This was an interesting programme, though sad & depressing & frustrating. I felt especially sorry for Lyndsey who was on the street with her beloved dog, & was being told that she could only have somewhere to stay if she gave up her dog. I will say that the 1960s people did not help themselves by having so many children - it's obvious that it's more difficult & expensive to feed 8 mouths than 4. The Scottish lady who was about to be evicted was clearly disabled & as such the local council should make her a priority - but I suppose they have to keep places back for influxes of immigrants......
That part with the woman with the dog made me cry, If I had a dog Id rather live on the streets with it too then get shelter just for me, also the guy who said he would try to help her and prayed for her I thought that was so sweet, Im not religious but it was a kind gesture . Over all a very sad program, anyone could be homeless, they say most people are one or two paychecks away from homelessness I was very surprised Ch5 made this documentary usually they like to make programs with poorer people look bad, so good for them, hopefully they'll make more ones like this that are watchable.
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Old 07-12-2016, 18:06
shandygirl1211
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The sad part is when you are disabled the council will wait until the perfect house/flat for your needs becomes available. I was in a flat on the first floor with no lift for 10 years and became completely housebound. One problem the local council had was most of their sheltered accommodation is age restricted for 55+ or even 65+, I am now 44 and am now in a bungalow but am very lucky. I did not lose out on places to 'immigrants' I did lose out on some though because my doctor had told them I couldn't have any stairs and though I bid on properties that had only 2 or three front steps I was told that they had to follow my medical needs.

The 'poor Scottish lady' lives in, as somebody described it, 'a sh*t tip' probably because on the private rental market it is all she can afford!
Housing benefit rarely covers 2/3rds of private rents and to make up the shortfall out of your DLA, ESA or PIP is next to impossible. The National Government give a figure of the amount of money you need to live on, this is to cover everything bar your rent, they expect you to be in receipt of housing benefit, only HB is allocated by your local authority who, look at the lowest possible rent prices in the area and then expect everybody to be able to find a property at this rate and if you can't then they expect you to make up the shortfall.

In reality housing benefit just about covers the going rate on a council or housing association property. It virtually never covers the private market so on the very limited income the lady will be receiving she is undoubtedly in the best place she can afford.
Also people with some disabilities struggle or cannot do housework and we sure as *beep* can't afford a cleaner.
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Old 07-12-2016, 18:19
rockjack
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I didn't realise on Universal Credit a single male only gets £170 quid a month, that's what the Blackpool guy quoted he had
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Old 07-12-2016, 18:45
Jenny_Sawyer
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The sad part is when you are disabled the council will wait until the perfect house/flat for your needs becomes available. I was in a flat on the first floor with no lift for 10 years and became completely housebound. One problem the local council had was most of their sheltered accommodation is age restricted for 55+ or even 65+, I am now 44 and am now in a bungalow but am very lucky. I did not lose out on places to 'immigrants' I did lose out on some though because my doctor had told them I couldn't have any stairs and though I bid on properties that had only 2 or three front steps I was told that they had to follow my medical needs.

The 'poor Scottish lady' lives in, as somebody described it, 'a sh*t tip' probably because on the private rental market it is all she can afford!
Housing benefit rarely covers 2/3rds of private rents and to make up the shortfall out of your DLA, ESA or PIP is next to impossible. The National Government give a figure of the amount of money you need to live on, this is to cover everything bar your rent, they expect you to be in receipt of housing benefit, only HB is allocated by your local authority who, look at the lowest possible rent prices in the area and then expect everybody to be able to find a property at this rate and if you can't then they expect you to make up the shortfall.

In reality housing benefit just about covers the going rate on a council or housing association property. It virtually never covers the private market so on the very limited income the lady will be receiving she is undoubtedly in the best place she can afford.
Also people with some disabilities struggle or cannot do housework and we sure as *beep* can't afford a cleaner.
I am too ill to work but I'm not disabled, by that I mean I have health problems but I am not in a wheelchair or anything like that. I live in a private rented flat, Housing Benefit pay all my rent - it is 'cheap' but there are good reasons for that, it is very basic; one job I have to do is mend the kitchen units as they fell apart - but I don't feel well enough. The tiles are coming away from the walls in the bathroom (it's only very partially tiled), as such I can't wash my hair in the bath because water would leak in to the shop downstairs & then I'd get in to trouble; at least the landlord did recently provide me with a brand new boiler - such a relief as the old one was leaking & losing pressure daily & so noisy it woke me up in the middle of the night several times. When you're poorly like me finding the energy for housework is hard.
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Old 07-12-2016, 18:46
Jenny_Sawyer
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I didn't realise on Universal Credit a single male only gets £170 quid a month, that's what the Blackpool guy quoted he had
I thought that £73pw was the absolute minimum - a legal requirement.
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Old 07-12-2016, 19:23
buttsfife
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I find it really interesting that a show like this about a serious topic attracts so few comments. It seems this is true for most programs of a similar ilk on this forum.

I am not sure what the answer is for a lot of these people -"Modern Day Workhouses" ?
That sounds a little draconian but they could be run in a more humane manner than their predecessors. Surely that is better than lining the pockets of landlords who allow properties to become so run down.

Then again who is to blame for their plight ? Some of the participants admitted family were in close proximity yet had abandonded them. What does this indicate ?
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Old 07-12-2016, 20:05
yoko ono
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I don't like it when the Salvation Army asks for donations of £19 on the tv
That's a lot of money to some
They should just ask for whatever people can afford
Many find this form of chugging off putting
Crisis advertise on LBC every year and ask for £21. 33 or something like that.
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Old 07-12-2016, 21:31
Jules_Baxter
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Just watched this, it does make you think "there for the grace of God go I" (not that i'm religious or anything), touching wood, my partner and I both have good stable jobs and are financially comfortable but I totally get how things can change if you are unlucky through no fault of your own.

The problem nowadays is mass migration, I have no quarrel with those that migrated here but the system that didn't control the numbers that came here has massively let our country down. People that have no dependants, especially those that are single don't seem to stand a chance when they need help as housing is so scarce now as are jobs, especially jobs that guarantee enough hours and wages for a single person to live on.

I felt so much for that poor disabled Scottish lady living in that cold flat and facing eviction! I just hope they don't let her end up living on the street too! Incidentally a tented community sprung this week in the town where I live of homeless people, they have come together in protest at the lack of housing and help for them - before mass migration hit my town I never used to see homeless people on the streets here!

Addictions are never a good thing but the people in this documentary seemed to have ended up that way solely as a way to cope with the despair of their situation. I cringed at the poor bloke having his heroin fixes because I fear he will be found dead one day with a starving pet dog in the house.

The poor distressed lass on the street was a sad sight, I understand why she wants the dig for companionship but I do wish people wouldn't force dogs to live on the streets with them, it makes me worry about who feeds them and what happens if they become ill or their owner becomes ill.

I did feel for the mixed race family but they had an awful lot of kids, like the families from the slums, some people still have more kids than they can sensibly afford to give a decent quality of life to.
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Old 08-12-2016, 09:41
Jenny_Sawyer
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I noticed that the guy in Blackpool was moaning about not being able to afford this/that/the other yet was often in the pub with a pint of beer, I don't begrudge him the beer though, for all we the viewers know he might have just had one pint....... Also the pub is somewhere warm for him to hang out. Personally I have no interest in alcohol (ditto heroin, cocaine et al) - high calorie food is my weakness/addiction.
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Old 08-12-2016, 13:44
pie-eyed
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Just catching up on this now. Very sad in some cases.

The stark difference I noticed though was his people accepted their lot years ago. They made the best of what they had and got by somehow. Today's lot were moaning about everything. The family living in one room whining about the baby crying and lack of sleep. There were some if them old enough to be working. Were they doing anything to help themselves? We weren't told anything about why they were living like this. The guy in and out of jail all his life is spending his money on fags and beer and making excuses for not helping himself.

The guy crying about how awful his mother's life was as she did her best with the awful surroundings and tried hard for her family was heartbreaking. Very different to those today who don't seem to be doing that much but having a good old moan about not enough being done for them.
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Old 08-12-2016, 15:36
Grafenwalder
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I noticed that the guy in Blackpool was moaning about not being able to afford this/that/the other yet was often in the pub with a pint of beer, I don't begrudge him the beer though, for all we the viewers know he might have just had one pint....... Also the pub is somewhere warm for him to hang out. Personally I have no interest in alcohol (ditto heroin, cocaine et al) - high calorie food is my weakness/addiction.
He was an alcoholic like anyone who drinks can easily become (they will dispute that!), though it's more common for them to be on cans of "super strength" or bottles of cheap cider than drinking at a pub.

Occasionally Ch5 come out with a brilliant documentary and this was one of them. Hard hitting, very emotive, distressing, it was very well put together. I noticed Sarah Lancashire an actress from Oldham narrated. She has an excellent clear voice.

There are areas like what was shown all over UK. The only difference now is where some old slums (not all have gone) may have finally seen the wrecking ball, they get replaced by new slums. Small patches of land developed with a crazy amount of 'new builds' crammed cheek by jowl despite the vast open expanses of unused brown land. Madness.

I found it a very thought provoking documentary. Quite upsetting but sensitively filmed. I can't pick any one particular case out as more worthy than another as all merited empathy.
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Old 08-12-2016, 20:53
sqwerty505
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He was an alcoholic like anyone who drinks can easily become (they will dispute that!), though it's more common for them to be on cans of "super strength" or bottles of cheap cider than drinking at a pub.

Occasionally Ch5 come out with a brilliant documentary and this was one of them. Hard hitting, very emotive, distressing, it was very well put together. I noticed Sarah Lancashire an actress from Oldham narrated. She has an excellent clear voice.

There are areas like what was shown all over UK. The only difference now is where some old slums (not all have gone) may have finally seen the wrecking ball, they get replaced by new slums. Small patches of land developed with a crazy amount of 'new builds' crammed cheek by jowl despite the vast open expanses of unused brown land. Madness.

I found it a very thought provoking documentary. Quite upsetting but sensitively filmed. I can't pick any one particular case out as more worthy than another as all merited empathy.
Agree with all of the above. Also, it was good to see Nick Hedges' fascinating early photos on the big screen, and to learn more about the stories. One particular basement flat (was it the Pryde family?) stuck in my mind.

I shared a grim flat in an old house like that, in Birmingham, as late as the early '80s. Not quite as bad as those pictures, but it did remind me of it.
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Old 09-12-2016, 11:20
Jenny_Sawyer
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He was an alcoholic like anyone who drinks can easily become (they will dispute that!), though it's more common for them to be on cans of "super strength" or bottles of cheap cider than drinking at a pub.

Occasionally Ch5 come out with a brilliant documentary and this was one of them. Hard hitting, very emotive, distressing, it was very well put together. I noticed Sarah Lancashire an actress from Oldham narrated. She has an excellent clear voice.

There are areas like what was shown all over UK. The only difference now is where some old slums (not all have gone) may have finally seen the wrecking ball, they get replaced by new slums. Small patches of land developed with a crazy amount of 'new builds' crammed cheek by jowl despite the vast open expanses of unused brown land. Madness.

I found it a very thought provoking documentary. Quite upsetting but sensitively filmed. I can't pick any one particular case out as more worthy than another as all merited empathy.
I live in a building that was built in the late Victorian period, it was originally a house, it was split in to a shop downstairs & my flat upstairs very badly, I know that when my landlord bought it he was not allowed to rent it out because it was considered uninhabitable by law - he did the bare minimum necessary in order to be able to rent it out.
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Old 09-12-2016, 14:09
pie-eyed
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People paid rents for these slums 50 years ago, there being no such thing as housing benefit. I think that is why the people had very little else. They paid their rent and fed their kids as best they could. If a woman had a feckless husband who drank the money away she would have an awful life trying to keep things together.

So many of today's "poor" just moan about not being given enough by the government while spending the money they get on crap.
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