XPost: uk.politics.misc, uk.politics.parliament, alt.politics.british   
   XPost: uk.media, uk.legal   
   From: banana@REMOVE_THIS.borve.demon.co.uk   
      
   In article ,   
   turtill@hotmail.com writes   
      
   >On Sun, 5 Mar 2006 23:28:13 +0000, banana   
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >>In article <7rfm02pv6mcv777jbscp5p1snl8omida2q@4ax.com>,   
   >>turtill@hotmail.com writes   
   >>   
   >>>On Sun, 5 Mar 2006 19:22:26 +0000, banana   
   >>> wrote:   
   >   
   >>>>I wonder whether Pete has ever been near a council house? Doesn't sound   
   >>>>like it.   
   >>>   
   >>>I live in a former council house on a council estate.   
   >>   
   >>OK - but why were you so derogatory about 'council house wives'? The   
   >>idea that most married female council tenants are a) stupid and b)   
   >>battered is insulting, ignorant rubbish. It's the sort of thing right   
   >>wing middle class idiots come out with, who haven't ever met anyone in   
   >>the group that they so despise. You should know better!   
   >   
   >No 'I' live on a council estate and have done for 45 years and I know   
   >what I am talking about. I live with it. I see it and I here of it   
   >too.   
      
   For about half my life I lived on council estates too. On one (I   
   wouldn't generalise) the anti-social arseholes were unfortunately   
   getting more clout but there was still a tremendous amount of solidarity   
   among the decent people who were the vast majority. The estate contained   
   only flats, no houses (the latter are usually more saleable by those who   
   have bought them), and the few (2% of people?) who had bought leaseholds   
   from the council tended to be snobs, which was doubtless played on by   
   the bureaucrats and bankers who shafted the poor souls left, right, and   
   centre. By now the service charge is probably more than the rent, and   
   the flats are probably unsaleable at any price, given the fact (and I   
   mean fact) of 'reverse windfalls', i.e. bills for very large amounts of   
   money when the landlord decides e.g. the windows or roof need replacing.   
   I think it is true to say that most of those who bought leaseholds on   
   council flats didn't fully understand the risks involved. The same is   
   not true of those who bought council houses, which are (usually) a   
   different ball game. For the record, I am opposed to the sale of council   
   houses and flats.   
      
   If you think most married female council tenants are a) stupid and b)   
   battered, you need to get out some more.   
      
   Why do you put 'I' in quotes?   
      
   >>(It's also true that some former council tenants who have bought their   
   >>houses are snobbish towards those who haven't - as are some who were   
   >>gullible enough to buy very disadvantageous leaseholds on their flats. I   
   >>emphasise 'some'. My point being that there are snobs in many places).   
   >   
   >Yes there are snobs on council estates and also those who take on   
   >mortgages and suddenly believe they are different people from when   
   >they were tenants. That is quite common actually.   
      
   Agreed.   
      
   --   
   banana     "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you   
               give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to   
               Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the   
               rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)