Give the young credit

Thursday had been frenetic. Early start, snatched sandwich for lunch and no time for supper before driving to be a judge at a school for the evening.
Ansford was the school and Youth Speaks the competition, where teams of three pupils learn the art of making speeches to a hall full of strangers.
Within minutes my spirits were lifted and tiredness forgotten. The young speech-makers were an inspiration.
The subjects they chose were interesting and spiced with humour, while the confidence displayed was humbling.
How many of today’s adults could have given a convincing speech of several minutes in public at the age of 12?
How many adults are quick to criticise today’s young people?
Then on Saturday I was again a judge of young people’s achievements: this time their cooking skills.More than 40 aspiring chefs – some only 11 years old – had drawn up recipes with lists of ingredients and costings.
Again, how many of today’s adults could have done that then? And how many of today’s adults reach too easily for the ready meals because they have “no time” to cook?
The young will always get flak from their elders, and the upcoming generation is certainly imperfect, but I have confidence in their potential to make the best of an uncertain future.After all, our generation has not done too well. If you don’t believe me, watch tonight’s BBC news.
Philip Welch