SOCIETY is not static, but is constantly evolving and changing. Familiar things and events fade and it makes us a little uneasy.

I was in the St Aidan’s and St Francis’ charity shop, in Mincing Lane, the other day and it brought home to me very strongly how the pattern of people’s lives has changed.

When we lived in Feniscowles, and later at Cherry Tree, our year was prescribed by the church calendar, Christmas, Easter, the crowning of the May Queen, Whit walks, Harvest festival, and pantomime.

People’s social life was also very dependent, with whist drives, jumble sales, Mothers’ Union, choir practice, the scouts, guides, socials, and many more, but as we got more mobile and families moved away, our dependency waned and it’s leaving the churches bereft.

Their future is now in the hands of a few remaining stalwarts. We say we are a Christian country, but is that enough? The question is ‘are we a practising Christian country?’ Is it a case of ‘use it, or lose it?’ Sometimes I think we don’t like to see people moving on and, hopefully, up.

The grammar schools were the great step, they provided a gateway for the gifted, as did the grant system. Then there was the music industry, and a bit later TV. All were pathways.

Entrepreneurs, through grit, hard work and determination, fought their way up and society moved on a pace. It was great, it meant we at the bottom were all in with a chance.

In America when people do well, succeed, and pull themselves up by their bootstraps, they are applauded and admired but, sadly, here in Britain, it’s not the case. At every opportunity we endeavour to belittle and bring down our heroes. Why?

It’s ‘they’re too big for their boots’ or ‘they’re toffee nosed’.

Folk object to the class system, but constantly go out of their way to ensure it remains by trying to deprive ordinary folk the credit they deserve when they do break through that glass ceiling.