Did you watch the BBC’s Panorama about the Shadsworth estate in Blackburn, 'Trouble on the Estate'?

The BBC stated that the purpose of the hour-long program was to reveal what it's like to live and grow up on a Blackburn housing estate, where drugs, antisocial behaviour, family break-ups and joblessness are part of everyday life and to offer a snapshot of 'Broken Britain'.

Do we believe them?

I was brought up in a not-too-dissimilar environment in Birmingham in the '50s & '60s by my Mum, who worked as a shop assistant.

I went (walked two miles) to the local comprehensive. We lived in a small two bed council house, not so far from where Citizen Khan is now fictitiously living. At school, we were dubbed 'slum clearance'.

A not too auspicious start to a young life. But we got by. We walked to school - two buses would have cost 4d a day.

Our books stayed safe, alongside our PE stuff and butties, all day, unlocked in our desks. The room was multi-used by others throughout the day. Our coats stayed safe hung in the cloak rooms by the school entrance. Bikes racked safe by the schools gates. 2,000 children attended the school.

Not wanting to hear too many taunts of “you were lucky” or “luxury”, how have things changed?

Why is a better question.

I went on to be the youth worker in the Shadsworth area of Blackburn in the '70s.

Like now, it was pretty much a white working class, proud and hard-working estate.

The families there were happy and proud to live there. Big gardens, two, three or more bedrooms, indoor utilities, broad streets, grassy areas, shops, schools, bus routes.

The now Bishop of Lancaster, then the local vicar, Rev Geoff Pearson brought his family up on Rothesay Road.

In the 20-or-so years and 100-or-so miles that separated my adolescence, life on Shad wasn’t so different.

But things have changed - there's no point adopting the ostrich position. How fruitful is a blame game?

Straight away people will shrill "it’s the Council’s fault, the Government’s, teachers', the Police".

Poverty. The breakdown of family life. All these will be wheeled out.

Is it a destined outcome? Can no-one do anything about it?

What did the BBC hope to achieve by their fly in - fly out exercise?

What one thing would you suggest to improve what we were shown on this particular Panorama?