Boo about the Titanic onBreakfast

[carolegif]

There was a man talking about a book he has written on the Titanic. His grandfather was a musician and was drowned. the book deals with the way the different classes were dealt with:

Women & children first meant first & second class women and children.
100 oer cent of women in steerage died.
Half the children on board died - mainly in steerage.
His grandfather's wages were stopped at 2am when the ship went down.
White Star Line charged his grandmother for the cost of his brass buttons
She was asked to pay cargo fees to bring his body back from Nova Scotia - she couldn't afford it.

At the end this man made the point that the wealthy looked after themselves and everyone else got nothing - that it is still the same today.

It looks like a fascinating read!

[carolegif]

Book about the titanic even!!!

[B00]

Thought this was to me then, I feel unloved now :-(

[marval]

It does sound interesting, unfortunately people in steerage never got a look in. It was such a sad event, that should not have happened.

[carolegif]

Sorry Boo, I'll dedicate the post to you!

[jackthehat]

Just no jokes about the amount of suction B00 generates when she goes down........:o)

[ummmm]

Does sound very interesting.

What's the name of the book?

[carolegif]

I've been trying to find it, I couldn't read it on the screen behind the presenters and cannot find it by Googling. I will look in the Sunday papers and see if it is in there. I think the man's name was Christopher Cross.

[jackthehat]

"And the Band played on" - Christopher Ward

[Gromit]

Any news on the iceberg?

[New Judge]

“...the wealthy looked after themselves and everyone else got nothing - that it is still the same today.”

I don’t think it is quite the same today. The wealthy do still look after themselves and nobody can criticise them for that. However, one third of the UK’s tax revenue (to which the wealthy contribute a hefty sum) is now spent providing “everyone else” with a standard of living that even many working people (let alone unemployed) in 1912 could not even have dreamed of.

I don’t know if they really were the author’s words because I have read neither the book nor the article, but if they were he needs to have a re-think.

[R1Geezer]

It's all David Cameron's fault!

[carolegif]

Yes judge, but how many times does an ordinary person come up against a big institution or council or government and win? Not that often.

[anotheoldgit]

This is old news surely?

April 1912 to be exact.

[New Judge]

Quite frequently, carole, if he is right. The problem is that many "ordinary" people believe they have right on their side when if fact they do not and are thus disappointed when rulings go against them.

I must say I fail to see what that has to do with the wealthy looking after themselves today.The Titanic disaster showed quite clearly the class divide that existed in the early 1900s, a divide so great that lifeboats were only available for the privileged (though it has to be said that the Titanic's designers did not believe that lifeboats would be necessary for anybody).

Great changes came about in the passenger shipping industry because of the disaster and even greater changes have taken place in other areas since. To suggest today that, whilst the wealthy do indeed still look after themselves, the notion that everyone else gets nothing is very misplaced.

Some members of the section that is "Everyone else" may get on a little better if they took to looking after themselves a bit as the rich do instead of relying on the other "Everyone else" to do it for them.

[redman41]

Titanic was launched at Harland & Wolff Belfast 100 Years ago today

[ummmm]

It sang on April 14th Redman.

[woofgang]

hear hear...Both DH and I come from "every one else" back grounds. Our parents wanted better for us so they encouraged us to aspire, work and do better.

[redman41]

Yes it sank 14th April 1912 ummmm.

[B00]

was launched a 100 years ago yesterday- wasnt it?

[B00]

and it sank on the 15th, it was hit on the 14th ;-)