´óÏó´«Ã½

Coping with Rationing.

I was about twelve when the war started and I left school at 14 and went to work in the village shop, Broad Hinton. Everything was on ration in those days and there was points and sweet coupons. Everyone had a ration such as butter, - 2oz for the week. We had that in big blocks and we had to weigh them all out individually. If we had a case of tinned fruit, we had to save it up till we had enough to give everyone a tin. Sugar came in a big sack and you had to weigh it out — half a pound. Bacon was just 2oz a week too, dried fruit was just about impossible to buy. If you wanted to make say, a wedding cake, you had to go round and collect coupons from anyone who didn’t want theirs.

Bread wasn’t on ration, but it was in short supply.
Everything was still there to be bought, but you had to have the coupons, not just the money. People accepted it because they couldn’t do anything about it.

You grew your own vegetables, and went rabbiting and fishing and kept chickens for their eggs. We were better off in the countryside.

My aunt’s house in Swindon had railings all out the front and one day they came round and cut them all off to make munitions.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.