Duchess of York in Hull

[spenmotherhen]

Did anyone happen to watch this series where the Duchess of York tried to help a family in Hull to gain a healthier lifestyle, exercising and eating etc.

I didn't catch the whole thing but watched the part where thgey tried to eat healthily on a budget of £80 per week for 6 people.

I found this really interesting, as we are a family of 6 and I have fed our family, healthily on a budget of £70 per week for about two months. (My husbands father died and he had to travel to Northampton 2 or 3 times a week to help and comfort his mum, obviously this cost us alot more in petrol than our allowances allowed).

The programme gave the impression that this was very hard to live by but possible by making some changes in the grocery shopping.

I wasn't sure if I felt angry at the family for making it look as if they couldn't afford to eat healthily or wheteher I was feeling like the programme were trying to portray the family as the lower level of society and that £80 was a very hard budget to feed a family of 6 on.

Anybody else watch it??

[kal]

I didn't watch it - but did see it advertised, and the first thing that sprung to mind and annoyed me at the same time - is why do they have to have a member of the Royal Family who never once in their entire life had to scrape to make a living or live off a budget, go and show some poor family in Hull!!!
Why do they not just have some normal person, instead of almost rubbing peoples noses in it.
That said i didn't watch it, and she may have come across very well.
k

[spenmotherhen]

Totally agree with that to.

She wasn't high and mighty I guess but she did go out with her daughter for the night in a dress she happened to see in a shop window, stiopped and bought it there and then. Then got picked up by a personnal chauffuer!!

Says it all really!!

[kal]

Exactly - I'm not a great fan of hers really anyway, although she does seem to be as down to earth as a Royal could be.
They should do it the other way round, and go to Buckingham palace and show Queenie how it is to live on a budget and go to tesco's each week with a calculater to make sure you keep within your budget!

[animaleyes76]

i hate the royal family to be honest but i thought she was quite refreshing in it.

Not patronising , not up her own @rse. Just shows, that if you can change the habits of a load of people that, I'm not trying to sound like a snob here), were at the lowest end of the social class system and change their habits then there is hope for eveyone.

I also don't mind her being able to go out and "buy" dresses etc as she made the majority of the money she has now on her own with her books etc and not through the Royal family.. Admittedly her links there will have helped her profile..

Fair play though, i just thought it was nice to see someone doing well again

[jpj]

I thought the most shocking part was when Fergie arrived at the familys house.... not one member of the family even knew who Fergie was!!!
[:0]

[chris.g]

I didn't see the programme but saw her promoting it on a few shows. She did seem quite down to earth, humble and appreciative that she had this opportunity to help others. She admitted that she had learned a lot from doing the show and that she was grateful that the family had welcomed her so much.
She is, apparently, regarded as quite a nutritional expert in America and I think that's why she was approached. I've never really be fan of her but I was quite impressed.

[kallis3]

She at least is fairly normal - I admire her for managing to sort out her finances a few years ago when she was millions in debt (and I thought I was hard done by!). The rest of the Royals just do not have a clue how the rest of us live. I'll bet the only time they have been near a supermarket is when they have official duties nearby.

I found the recent 'Headcases' series on ITV quite good when it portrayed William and Harry as 'normal' blokes. They don't know the meaning of the word.

[spenmotherhen]

Don't get me wrong its not the duchess I had a gripe with just the nature of the low budget equals deprived lower end of the social ladder kind of image.

I personnally thought she was quite brave to take them on!! lol!!

[kallis3]

Yes, it is annoying that low budget seems to equal people in rented accommodation on benefits!

I am neither, but my budget is really low now in my IVA. I can still manage to eat healthily though and not resort to junk food.

[animaleyes76]

I'm with Ladyh on this one. Nothing more guaranteed to wind people up than see people on benefits smoking, drinking, having sky+ etc etc all on the tax payer. Some families just have all the wrong priorities.

Benefits should provide a minimum standard of life, not fund a lifestyle.

[coupleplus1]

oooh don't get me started on people on benefits and wrong priorities. I know that for a lot of people they are a life saver, but my next door neighbour seems to make the most out of living off of benefits and not working and its these people that live the life of riley give all the other honest citizens a bad name.

Hope I don't affend anyone with this, it's my 'lovely' neighbour I have the only problem with who constantly flaunts all her new purchases and what she is going to get next

Andrea

[kallis3]

God, just noticed I'm on 666 posts - better get rid of that number!

I do know what you mean - I drive through quite a low income area on my way to work, and it does annoy me to see these women at the bus stop smoking, their kids in expensive pushchairs, and they are wearing Adidas, Reebok etc., but the kids will probably be eating Mcdonalds for tea.

As for benefits, it is about time the Government actually got the scroungers back to work rather than talking about it, and before anyone shouts at me - I do realise that there are people out there who are genuinely unable to work.

[chris.g]

That's the trouble with means tested benefits, there is no incentive to get a job and come off them. Where else can you stay at home, rent free, council tax free, free prescriptions, free school meals, free driving lessons, free college courses, free this, free that AND still get cash in the bank???? Makes you wonder.....

[animaleyes76]

Andrea, agreed.

A lot of people need them and i have no issue with that because that is what the state is there for to a degree. It's the people, as you say that have sky, plasma's atc and haven't ever contributed anything.

As a famous politician once said "I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."