The 1990's

In 1994 I put a Manageress into the Pharmacy and retired in 1996. Why stop? I ask myself that everyday! I really miss it. It was my life. The staff, customers and the job. I'm busy with other things - the Parish Council and the Fossil Trail for example - but nothing really fills that gap. I hate the litter and the traffic noise in Barrow. It's grown so much and there is less neighbourliness. What am I most proud of? My career and this house. I'm very proud of Les's foresight. He has saved this house for the future.

Lilian Middleton (aged 66)

Fiona left school in mid A level's, as she'd had enough of school, and started work as a dental nurse. She is now a fully qualified dental nurse and the dental practice administrator. She lives with her boyfriend in Cossington.

Jean King

We'll stay in Barrow but there is less community spirit, now, than when we first came here. But, then, I don't do much myself in the village so perhaps it's me that's changed. As I've got older I want to spend more time doing things for myself. I'm fed-up with Committees. I play golf, have holidays, and visit Joanna. I want to be the old guy sitting under the tree at the 3 Crowns corner with friends talking about the days gone by!

Geoff King (now aged 53)

Neil left school at 16 and got a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) job with British Rail. He has got on well and is now a Customer Service Supervisor at Leicester Station. He still lives at home. I sometimes think he can't afford to move out, he spends his money on material goods. They all do it now. A lot of it is pressure of keeping up with the image. We didn't have that thrown at us. I now work at the RNIB Vocational College at Loughborough. I co-ordinate the Reader Service. I organise volunteer readers to read material (like books, teaching assignments, lesson notes) on to tape for the students. It's a lot more interesting than being a Punch Card Operator which is what I did when I left school but there is a lot more bureaucracy nowadays in all jobs.

Sue Wilford (now aged 53)

I've always been involved in doing things in the village - Scouts, Twinning Association. I've built a good collection of photographs of the village and Barry and I produced our two books of photographs. I don't think I have another book in me!

John Wilford (now aged 55)

I can't see us leaving Barrow. Still very friendly and a great place to live. Still a lot going on if you want to access it. It's always been difficult for young people. Do we do enough for young people? The main changes are that the village is bigger and there is much more traffic. Too much. The reopening of the station was a great asset. Now we need an integrated public transport system. We all need to use our cars less.

Sue and John Wilford

Looking back you can see big changes. In the 50's the quality of nursing was very good but we didn't have much equipment. Now it's high tech but I think that people are less well trained. Then, you'd spend 3 weeks in hospital for a hernia: now it's 2 days. Lots of diseases, common and serious when I was a child, are treated as minor now. Some have been eradicated. Birth Control, which came in the 60s/70s, made a huge impact. 30 years age adoption was very common, as there were lots of babies needing homes. Now it's pretty rare. I'm now a Nurse Practitioner doing things that only Doctors would have been allowed to do when I started. Big changes. I think it's more stressful growing up now. More is expected of them - pass exams, get to university. Lots more materialism. We got a TV in the 60s; now they expect and get all sorts of expensive goods from an early age. Times are better in some ways and worse in others.

Barbara Mitchell

In 1969, Arthur Branston asked me to become a Parish Councillor. We need some young blood, he said. In 1999 I retired after 30 years. Too long. I say we need some new blood! I'll retire from the garage one day but I think we'll stay in Barrow.

Don Mitchell (now 67)

I've not done much to be proud of except being a reasonable shot! I have a superb family despite being a long-term bachelor. The children are grown up with children of their own. I love them but it's nice to like them too. I get my love of shooting from my father. I learned from a very young age to be safe. Now I take my grandsons. It gives us a lot of pleasure. The countryside in the raw, not the "tiggy-winkle" world you see on the TV. I'll give up when I am unsafe to shoot and miss too often! I've always had 2 or 3 dogs at a time. One day I'll get a Wolfhound or a Deerhound so I won't have to bend so far to put the collar on.

Patrick Wainright (aged 72)

I'm still active with the Church, often letter writing to give moral support and friendship to our missionaries. Denis has always been a strong support. We've never been well off but we had a lot of satisfaction from what we've done. Richard, my son, says I'm lucky not to have had to go out to work to earn extra money. He says there's a lot of pressure on people nowadays to earn more and more. We never had a car. Never afforded it. But we've always had holidays. Denis took me to Paris for our Silver Wedding and we went to the Holy Land when we retired.

Dorothy Hudson (aged 77)

I now work as the Dining Hall Supervisor at Loughborough University. We feed 315 students three times a day plus conferences in the holidays. I work irregular hours. I don't mind. I need the bustle. I hate routine hours. I couldn't have done any of this without good support from the family. Duncan's job is regular hours so he can be at home when I have to work in the evenings.

I want to have a nice comfortable retirement. Enjoy the time. I know that sounds odd given how busy I am but that's how I feel. I'm content. My family and my home. Life hasn't been easy but I'm thankful for each day that comes. I'd like Lucy to have the chance to go to University. I won't pressure her.
My Mum was happy to be at home. I find that difficult. I admire what they have done as a couple. They have a happy retirement. Not having a car has kept them fit. I admire them in every way.

Sue Graham (now aged 47)

There could be more for people my age. Like a Youth Club that I could find more attractive. The present one looks like a place just to play snooker. I'd like to go on trips more. I've lived in the same house all my life. I'd like to live in one of the new houses in the village. Quorn is nice. Not Sileby. I hope to stay in the village. Be more independent but not leave. I don't know what I want to be. Mum says I could be a teacher. I like school and I am doing OK but I don't know.

Lucy Graham (now aged 13)

I wasted a lot of money on cars when I was younger but now I've bought a small house in Barrow, which I am renovating. I'm most proud of my house. It's in a good position and the neighbours are friendly. I'm good with my hands which helped with the renovation of the house and other practical things.

Karl Tipler (now aged 26)

After leaving school, I went to Southfields College to do a BTech 1 st Diploma in Photography. My grandfather gave me a camera as a child and I got interested. I then did a further 2 years at Nottingham Southfields for my National Diploma. Then I went to Falmouth in Cornwall and did my HND in Photography. At 21 I was fully qualified. You'll get a job soon they said. I went to London and lived with my sister for 6 months but didn't get a job so I left and came back home. Mum got me a job back home - any was better than none - so I worked as a forklift truck driver in a warehouse for 3 years. But it wasn't what I wanted to do. I still wanted to be a photographer. I moved back to London, and my sister, but was still unemployed after 7 months. I came home. I'm still unemployed but I've got the promise of a job as a photographer in a photo library in Coalville. I'll be taking photos, retouching them on the computer and putting them on a CD-ROM for magazines to use. If it wasn't for the New Deal I wouldn't have the job. They pay an employer £60 per week as a subsidy. What am I proud of? Nothing yet. Still living at home. My parents bought me a car. I've nothing of my own yet except for my cameras which are my tools. No computer or TV or video.

Richard Greenwood (now aged 25)

My hip has given me trouble for years and I had a replacement in 1994. It was marvellous. I've always worked hard and put any spare money into buying houses in the village. I have 4 now. I stopped working full time when I had the hip operation. I still do odd jobs. We still go on holidays thanks to Stella. I remember doing Africa at school in geography. It stuck with me. Well, we went on Safari one holiday and I loved it. Loved the people and the places. Would love to live there but I imagine I'll live here till I die. I've an abundance of friends. You can't have too many. I like people. Stella still lives in Barrow in Derwent Road. The biggest changes since I was a boy are the new estates. Church St was a dead end at Highfields apart from Hollybush Lane. All the rest was fields. Where I live now was the stockyard for Highfields when it was still a farm. I've loved it all. School and growing up. If I went tomorrow, I'd say "Thank you Lord".

Ralph Lockwood (now 67)