CHILDREN in the South West have no knowledge or interest in what their grandparents did for a living, or what they used to do before they retired, according to the results of a new survey.

A poll of 1,000 young people aged five to 18 has revealed almost half (48 per cent) of those polled in the South West have never spoken to their grandparents about their proudest achievements, with the majority (56 per cent) saying they had simply never thought to ask them.

More than a third (39 per cent) admitted they didn’t know whether their grandparents have any special skills or talents, while more than a third (34 per cent) of the under nine’s polled said they had no idea what their grandparents had done for a career.

The research, which was carried out by retirement housebuilder, McCarthy and Stone, revealed 46 per cent of grandparents live just 15 minutes away and the majority of children actually see their grandparents quite regularly.

More than half of children see their grandparents every week (54 per cent) and 33 per cent speak to them weekly, while 15 per cent see their grandparents daily.

Less than one in five said their grandparent was inspirational – of the 39 per cent of children polled most look up to their mum. Dad comes second with 21 per cent, while just six per cent look up to a grandparent.

However, according to the poll, the younger generation still has a lot of love for its elders. More than half described their grandparents as loving, friendly or kind.

It seems older definitely means wiser, with 48 per cent saying their grandparent was good at giving advice, and the same number saying they were a good listener (39 per cent).