You're not splitting up my family

[Petal~flower]

Did anyone watch this?

All the intervention from social services did the boys no favours at all. They both ended up in and out of prison. One of them said, that they would rather of stayed at home with their dad, and be slapped a couple of times a week, rather than being put in to care. I found it sad to watch.

[4getmenot]

I;m guessing thats chesta. it might be repeated red. and stacey w and basebase, I wonder what your definition of nice is? If you are as foul mouthed as you come across. booyakasha, av it

[Stacey W]

this is base bounce my comp at work wont let me post and wei ana th coxens pippy nd fathed aka mark nd jason my names joanne avery frm chester-le-street nd am marks ex lass ask im ratbox if ur really relatad!!! how dare u we *** on dis post cus we did a search on thm nd me unkle gug was drinkin at th end so belive wot ya want th outa prison soooon woohoo STIL LUV YA FATHEAD!!! XXX JO AVERY XX

[Saasim]

I am a social worker and feel so depressed that we yet again get the blame. This was clearly a family with many problems, even before the death of the mother. Within three months, social workers had identified the risks to the children, tried to help the father by providing respite and help with his alcohol problem, and when this failed due to the father's resistance, they funded a loft extention so that the boys could remain within their extended family. Remember, the twin who remained said that if he had remained with his father, things would have turned out much worse for him.

Granted, for the twin who did not remain with his aunt and ended up in care, things went badly wrong for him. But what do we expect? No matter what resources are available, it is impossible to replace the love a child needs from his parents with someone else, even it seems from his own uncle and aunt.

Social workers do get things wrong. It is not an exact science and we are in a short period of time trying to sort out problems that may have been around from birth. Despite the bad press, the UK has one of the lowest child deaths in Europe despite the high levels of child cruelty in this country. However, you do not see that in the press. Social workers are there to be blamed it seems. Another example of society not taking responsibility for it's own ills. Shame on you.

[ratbox]

"chesta" is Chester-le-Street, in County Durham.

The Twins and their dad Tom lived (although I don't know if Tom still lives there) in one of the rougher council estates in Chester-le-Street known as The Avenues.

[4getmenot]

you work and write like that???!!!! I really hope you're not a teacher. You're his ex?? was that when he was in prsion or taking the drugs? I'd go for him being on drugs at the time.

[4getmenot]

you dont have to tell us its rough :-)

[redcrx]

thanks ratbox, i couldnt understand a word that stacey / base was trying to say unfortunately.

[ratbox]

Stacey W - As I said a few posts back, I've not had anything to do with the family since before this documentary was even made, I have no way of asking him, or do I wish to. It would be hypocritical of me to sit here and claim to be their cousin and question you when you claim to be their friend.

My connection to them isn't that strong, or important, I highlighted it to explain how I saw and interpreted the show and what went on in it.

[4getmenot]

ratbox its is great to get an insight into someone that knows them, well one I can read :-)

[Stacey W]

here man i loved mark and a hang bout th avanues so f*** u lot cls the avanues thms th streets a like t use!! ahahahahha divvvvvvvvvis

[Stacey W]

nd its joanne on staceys acc

[4getmenot]

again, what??? I got that you loved him fine but whats that got to do with the question?

[4getmenot]

here man I loved mark and I hung about the avenues so stuff you lot, close the avenues thems the streets I like to use? was I close. how do you use the streets. is that where you work?

[oldgrape]

don't worry 4get i didn't understand either

[Stacey W]

wey i ur obviously not from th avanues nd if u na them who r u hmmmmmm ????

[Stacey W]

Chester-le-Street the avenues, there the streets we like to use. Rocking in the alley in the avenues, rocking with people just like use. Is that good enough grammer for you. 

[oldgrape]

dude you gotta a major attitude problem i was brought up in Jaywick and then greenstead these are the two worst council estates in essex and yet i still have manners

or

dod u gota maj attitude prob i from jwk and grenstd 2 wrst estates in sex and i can still tlk proper and nice

[delta733]

"rocking with people just like use" is not correct grammer!!!!

[.astroturf]

I wonder how things would have turned out for the boys if their mum hadn�t been killed in the car crash. I think the family would still have had problems. The film mentioned the older brother was in prison, but was he sent there before of after the crash, Ratbox? The family videos of life before the crash made life seem rosy, but Im not sure if this was totally true.

I felt really sorry for the dad, cos you could tell he was heartbroken about his wife. The only time he smiled, was when he was talking about putting the shopping away with his wife.

I think social services did need to get involved, cos things were getting out of control. They tried to do the right thing by funding the loft conversion.

Mark and Jason have got a miserable existence wasting their benefit on drink and drugs, with no ambitions in life. But they seem to be happy... and the scary thing is, is that the Mark and Jason�s of this world seem to outnumber the rest of us.

[ratbox]

.astroturf - From what I remember, Paul (older brother) hadn't been in jail before the crash (I think he must have only been 15 at the most at the crash - the twins were 9 and a bit I think), but was what Mark and Jason were like at the same age I think. I only have vague memories of Paul though as he was never around much, sorry.