Thriftlady's wartime experiment

[Deleted User]

We've all become used to a life of plenty so of course there would be huge discontent in all parts of society. If however we had no choice but to cope with what was available the old ways and means of feeding families would be really useful to refer to wouldn't they?

Skyehusky

What an absolutely fascinating thread! It does make me really ashamed about the amount of food I have in my pantry/fridge/freezer that I waste and there is usually just me at home during term time. I don't think I could live off rations but I would definitely like to try some of the recipes on here,simply for the simplicity. I can't remember the last time I had mince and tatties or jam suet pudding and how good they tasted,made by my parents from the ration-book era who never wasted anything.

MandM90

daisyroots wrote: »

My Dad died of TB in 1946, aged 30, and for most of their short marriage my parents were separated. Recently I found over 200 letters from my Dad (who I never really knew) I now realise that he must have written to her every evening that they were apart. In the summer of 44, my Ma and I were evacuated to Leicester, and he tried to visit her every weekend. She was constantly nagging him for fish. He was far more romantic than her, and wrote such wonderful love letters that I thought this might cheer you all up.

Pretty one, let me devote these few minutes to telling you, not how much I love you, not how much you deserve to be loved, but how I propose to act this weekend. If I get instructions from you, my darling, I shall act on them. If I don't I shall arrive bright and early on Saturday morning, having just reached the limit of human endurance - my honey child, my love, my beautiful, if I don't get my arms around you pretty soon, I shall fair bust. I shall try and bring some fish in addition to the pyjamas you so quaintly insist on - I here and now absolve you from the necessity of wearing any clothes at all

Just felt like this lovely post was worth resurrecting again. Some lovely, lovely posts on this thread, particularly from thriftlady, JackieO and sair.

[Deleted User]

I think with the turmoil around at the moment its a great thread to 'bump' I too don't fancy living on rationing again I can still remember all the blessed queueing in the hope of getting sugar, eggs or most important loose tea no tea bags in those days I think my late Mum would have cut them open and weighed them up, as it seemed every leaf was like gold.zero waste was the watchword back then and everything was carefully looked after. even the fat from the bacon rind was rendered down and poured into a small bowl for reusing again
I certainly can't see it getting as bad as that, but perhaps it will make folk more aware of how precious food is ,and it's not in an infinite supply.

Grating cheese has always ben second nature to me and I still do it today as it definitely makes it seem to go a bit further than slices

monnagran

Absolutely Jackie, and the finer you grate it the further it goes.

I don't think any of us who lived through the war will cease to be grateful for the ease of life now. Personally, I think that there is too much choice these days and it just adds to the general stress of continual decision making.
Though I don't think any of us would want to go back to those days, at least we know that we could manage without all the things that are considered necessary now.

At least, however we might struggle we won't be living in terror of a bomb landing on us, or spending nights in the shelter listening to planes going over, bombs going off, sirens sounding and then having to get up, sweep up the glass from shattered windows and go about the day as usual.

Also we won't be cold because there is only one fire in the house and coal is rationed so you don't dare to bank it up too much. We won't be trying to eke out the newspaper to light the fire with because newspapers are reduced to 2 sheets because of paper shortage.
People only really talk about food and clothes rationing, but virtually everything was rationed or unobtainable. Elastic was like gold dust, people had to make sure that they used both sides of note paper to write on. Indeed I had an aunt who not only wrote on both sides of the paper but then turned it round and wrote vertically as well. We use to love getting letters from her!
Hot water bottles were unobtainable because there was was no rubber to be had. We had the old stone bottles that you sometimes see in vintage shops. We even had a metal bottle. My hat! You didn't want to put an unwary foot on that when it was filled with boiling water.

No. Life was not much fun, mostly cold, uncomfortable and scary. But we children knew no different, as far as we were concerned that was quite normal. We were thrilled with with very little treats, the day the shop had some jelly crystals, a relative turning up with an outgrown toy , mum having the patience to grind down some sugar to make the nearest thing to icing she could, to cover some plain cakes. All things I remember as red letter days.

I'm sure that I could bore you for hours with stories, but the fact remains that I look on the panic that seems to have taken over the country with some consternation. In fact, and I say this with some trepidation, I think it may even do some good to be deprived of some of the things we have come to rely on.
Gratitude for the things we have to enjoy has turned into expectation and a sense of entitlement. Perhaps a little bit of deprivation will be good for us.

I think I'd better get off the soapbox and turn my coat collar up.

[Deleted User]

Monnagran you reminded me of so many things ,hoping your Dad would be home soon with his thick heavy greatcoat that would go over your feet to keep you so warm on cold,foggy winter nights Going to bed with a hot cocoa if you were lucky enough, to warm your tummy up .

Things that were treats were indeed few and far between, so were treasured and looked after. I had a very battered doll with one arm,leg and eye that my brother unearthed from a bombsite.My Mum hated it but I washed it and loved it to bits, and knitted from bits of odd left over wool from my Mums stash appropriate clothes for my Molly-the -dolly. Mum knew probably what had happened to her original owner. My main memory of those far off days is being cold ,very tired , from sleeping in a shelter, and constant queueing and it felt even worse after the hostilities had ceased. as rationing seemed to be more severe.. But I suppose on the upside folk were less worried about possessions, and keeping up with the jones. everyone were more of less in the same boat.
I feel sure it won't be as bad as that,but maybe less availability of food may help to turn the nation slightly healthier, and there will be less of an obesity crisis. Hopefully a lot less food will be binned so landfill sites might benefit. Cooking from scratch may increase, with less reliance on take-aways.As is said we live in interesting times :);)

PipneyJane

monnagran wrote: »

Absolutely Jackie, and the finer you grate it the further it goes.

I don't think any of us who lived through the war will cease to be grateful for the ease of life now. Personally, I think that there is too much choice these days and it just adds to the general stress of continual decision making.
Though I don't think any of us would want to go back to those days, at least we know that we could manage without all the things that are considered necessary now.

At least, however we might struggle we won't be living in terror of a bomb landing on us, or spending nights in the shelter listening to planes going over, bombs going off, sirens sounding and then having to get up, sweep up the glass from shattered windows and go about the day as usual.

Also we won't be cold because there is only one fire in the house and coal is rationed so you don't dare to bank it up too much. We won't be trying to eke out the newspaper to light the fire with because newspapers are reduced to 2 sheets because of paper shortage.
People only really talk about food and clothes rationing, but virtually everything was rationed or unobtainable. Elastic was like gold dust, people had to make sure that they used both sides of note paper to write on. Indeed I had an aunt who not only wrote on both sides of the paper but then turned it round and wrote vertically as well. We use to love getting letters from her!
Hot water bottles were unobtainable because there was was no rubber to be had. We had the old stone bottles that you sometimes see in vintage shops. We even had a metal bottle. My hat! You didn't want to put an unwary foot on that when it was filled with boiling water.

No. Life was not much fun, mostly cold, uncomfortable and scary. But we children knew no different, as far as we were concerned that was quite normal. We were thrilled with with very little treats, the day the shop had some jelly crystals, a relative turning up with an outgrown toy , mum having the patience to grind down some sugar to make the nearest thing to icing she could, to cover some plain cakes. All things I remember as red letter days.

I'm sure that I could bore you for hours with stories, but the fact remains that I look on the panic that seems to have taken over the country with some consternation. In fact, and I say this with some trepidation, I think it may even do some good to be deprived of some of the things we have come to rely on.
Gratitude for the things we have to enjoy has turned into expectation and a sense of entitlement. Perhaps a little bit of deprivation will be good for us.

I think I'd better get off the soapbox and turn my coat collar up.

Please, please, share your memories with us. It's important that these things aren't forgotten.

JackieO wrote: »

Monnagran you reminded me of so many things ,hoping your Dad would be home soon with his thick heavy greatcoat that would go over your feet to keep you so warm on cold,foggy winter nights Going to bed with a hot cocoa if you were lucky enough, to warm your tummy up .

Things that were treats were indeed few and far between, so were treasured and looked after. I had a very battered doll with one arm,leg and eye that my brother unearthed from a bombsite.My Mum hated it but I washed it and loved it to bits, and knitted from bits of odd left over wool from my Mums stash appropriate clothes for my Molly-the -dolly. Mum knew probably what had happened to her original owner. My main memory of those far off days is being cold ,very tired , from sleeping in a shelter, and constant queueing and it felt even worse after the hostilities had ceased. as rationing seemed to be more severe.. But I suppose on the upside folk were less worried about possessions, and keeping up with the jones. everyone were more of less in the same boat.
I feel sure it won't be as bad as that,but maybe less availability of food may help to turn the nation slightly healthier, and there will be less of an obesity crisis. Hopefully a lot less food will be binned so landfill sites might benefit. Cooking from scratch may increase, with less reliance on take-aways.As is said we live in interesting times :);)

Ditto. I'm looking forward to reading what the historians write about us in 30 years time.

As I said above, please share your memories with us. It's important that history isn't reduced to a handful of dates and battles.

Wednesday, I was trying to explain to a colleague why the EU exists and the real reasons behind the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fishing Policy. So few people now remember that Europe starved during and after the war, both here and in the (formerly) occupied territories, so that food security was a top priority for the EEC when it was founded. While 1947 was the worst year here for rations, I was recently astounded to discover that there was a famine somewhere in eastern Europe in 1952! (Don't ask me where, I don't remember, but it triggered that conversation.)

- Pip

[Deleted User]

Many differences between the 1950s when I was growing up and the childhood experience of youngsters today. We didn't have a TV for starters and media experience was 'Listen with Mother' a 15 minute radio slot for pre school children just after lunch and then 'Uncle Mac's Story Time' in the late afternoon for an hour at 5ish sometimes featuring '!!!! (short form of Richard) Barton Private Eye' which many of us were glued to because it was exciting stuff. There was little traffic so we kids played out in the streets and I can remember a bit of clothes line used as a long skipping rope used stretched from one side of the road to the other and up to a dozen of us taking turns as rope turners and all jumping in and out of the whirling rope such fun. We didn't have many toys there just wasn't the spare income so we girls had a doll (singular) and mums knitted clothes for both kids and dollies, boys often had Cowboy suits and we played Cowboys and Indians with cap guns up and down the back alleys and in and out of back gardens, we girls played Jacks and Fivestones and Two Ball against a wall in pairs or on our own, some had small skipping ropes to use by themselves. I remember painting and colouring books for keeping me quiet in the evenings and I belonged to the library and read quite a lot and jigsaws to do too. Food rationing is just remembered (I was born in 1948) but I can remember being taken to the sweet shop and mum buying an ounce of sweets at a time and having things like Lemonade Powder, Midget Gems and Dolly Mixtures but only once in a while. Food was basic but OK lots of stews with dumplings as I guess it made a small amount of meat go further, we had bacon quite often and sausages with mashed potatoes and whatever veg was in season or affordable. Breakfast was usually porridge or bread and milk and we didn't snack between meals, an apple was allowed and in season a stick of rhubarb and a teaspoon of sugar on a saucer to dip it in which we loved. No fridge and no washing machine and the shopping done daily and I remember going to the butcher to ask what was best value that day. Sundays were always a roast dinner and pudding and Sunday tea was cold meat salad in summer, pickles in winter and bread and butter (high days and Fridays was a small tin of salmon on Sunday evening between 3 of us) followed by jelly, tinned fruit and tinned cream (YUKKK) and sometimes in cold weather mum would instead cook egg and chips as high tea. Only one room with a fire and pyjamas held in front to be warmed before scrambling into them and a thick cardigan of mums that passed as a dressing gown. Cold bedrooms with a hot water bottle and army eiderdowns on the bed as well as coats when it was really cold. Ice fans on the inside of the single glazed and very draughty windows in the depths of winter, no hot water in the house and an outside loo in the yard with newspaper squares on a string BUT for all that it was not a life of luxury or affluence we all had the same conditions to live under and we kids had a perfectly normal (for the times) childhood and never once felt deprived as we made our own fun and parents had a much different attitude to their children than is normal today and we were expected to behave and conform to the standards of the day. Life today is materially much more comfortable but I wonder if it's as happy and carefree as it was for children back them, I doubt it!

THIRZAH

My Dad once told us that in the summer of 1945 he , his mother and three cousins drove from Rochdale to Cambridge in a cousin's car. Not sure how they all fitted in or how the cousin got petrol! On the way they got a couple of punctures as the tyres were so worn down. They ran out of supplies in the puncture repair kit. My grandmother found an old shoe in a hedge and they somehow managed to repair the puncture with a patch from the sole of the shoe.

Topher

JackieO wrote: »

I think with the turmoil around at the moment its a great thread to 'bump' I too don't fancy living on rationing again I can still remember all the blessed queueing in the hope of getting sugar, eggs or most important loose tea no tea bags in those days I think my late Mum would have cut them open and weighed them up, as it seemed every leaf was like gold.zero waste was the watchword back then and everything was carefully looked after. even the fat from the bacon rind was rendered down and poured into a small bowl for reusing again
I certainly can't see it getting as bad as that, but perhaps it will make folk more aware of how precious food is ,and it's not in an infinite supply.

Grating cheese has always ben second nature to me and I still do it today as it definitely makes it seem to go a bit further than slices

Thank you, I would also dread rationing happening again, but I'd like to think that with the knowledge of how to manage on very little, that I have resilience and a few management skills that make me less dependent on the big companies who are able to capitalise on fear and deskilled household managers.