[Sundae]

My family were part of the working poor.
Living in a council house, not owning a car or a freezer. Relying on catalogues to buy new clothes (weekly payments) and hand-me-downs for the rest. Dad was paid weekly in cash for most of my childhood. I get cross sometimes when people assume that if you work hard you are rewarded. And if you are poor it's because you didn't work hard enough. Someone has to do the drone work.

Grandad was a barman, a cocktail mixer, a scene shifter at the Royal Opera House and ended his working life as a hospital porter. He moved into my brother's room when he was over 50 in order to get a job here. Because he still officially lived in London he was moved up the housing list, and he and Nanny got a place about a year later. That's not the actions of people who want to sponge - it's inconvenience endured for the sake of family. Bloody good job he did so too. Who nursed Nanny through her last weeks? Mum. Who looked after Grandad? Mum (and me).

Grandad made enough money to support his family, never drank excessively, or gambled (apart from a flutter on the Grand National) never cheated on his wife or ran up any debts. He lived in council housing all his life and never expected to own property. He was a hard worker, but functionally illiterate. To suggest he "failed" at life because he didn't go to night school while holding down two other jobs is offensive to me. In his eyes, yes, he knew his place.