Her mother was a single parent who was originally from East Europe. She explained that the only accommodation she could afford was a small room in a large house full of strangers. The one toilet in this house had no door on it. The toddler refused to use this toilet since there was no privacy. Therefore she still wore nappies.
Extreme poverty and deprivation still occurs in this country. Not the same scale as in the times of Dickens but still here - and now. Coalition cuts in building and refurbishing homes, housing benefit, protection against eviction, regulations of HMO's, massive increase in rents and the farming of homeless to the private sector will make things far, far worse.
There was redemption for this family as nursery staff rallied around to rescue Mother and daughter, from the slum and help find them a self contained flat to live. Well done to them. No Tory "Big Society" saved them but rather experienced and trained public sector professionals - thinking out of the box.
It goes without saying that you could hope against hope that a Christmas spirit would mean that Cameron, Clegg, Shapps and Boris (four guilty men) will change their ways to prevent the "shadows of what may be."
Which always reminds me of the saying "you've got two hopes, Bob Hope and no hope" of this.
Update: Another Christmas Carol
