HAVING read an article in last week's Standard regarding children not having enough to eat during school holidays; which led on to the fact that food banks are being used more, makes me scratch my head in bewilderment; what are we coming to in the 21st century?

I was born before the last world war, during the war years and into the early 1950s food was on ration; things that are taken for granted now, were unheard of then, things like sweets and fruit.

I believe I was about six years old before I saw a banana and did not know what to do with it. Unless you had your own chickens, eggs were a rarity, but we never went hungry!

We never had free school meals or breakfasts provided, but we did have free milk one third of a pint a day, Margaret Thatcher put an end to that.

Back then you had to get on and do the best you could with what you had.

There was no income support or state benefits, child allowance was two shillings and six pence a week, twelve and a half pence today's money and this was paid for the second child.

What has happened to our society today that brings about the problems that we are now facing?

Giving handouts is not solving the problem but just acting as a temporary crutch.

B Robbins

Cirencester