As a rather green and sheltered teenager I received much ‘advice’ about life from the older members of my East End family; parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  To brighten up your Wednesday, here’s a sprinkling of the ones I remember from those heady days when I thought I knew everything:

  • Keep your hand on your ha’penny.
  • I ain’t knitting any matinee coats, so don’t bring any ‘trouble’ home.
  • Never get married.
  • Nobody needs to eat more than three biscuits.
  • All you can believe in the newspapers is the date on the front page.
  • He’ll only be after one thing…
  • Universities are only for lawyers, doctors and teachers.
  • Have your hair thinned out.
  • You’ll never earn any money if you want to be a writer.
  • Live within your means.
  • Everything in moderation.
  • You get used to anything in time.
  • Buck up and get on with it.
  • Get a job in a bank.
  • Don’t lend or borrow money.
  • Don’t sit on cold surfaces.
  • Never sit on public toilet seats.
  • Don’t listen to rock music; they’re all on drugs.

No wonder my head was spinning!  What advice were you told as a teenager?  Did you ever act on it?