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Monica Parker (neé Pepper)

Location Bromsgrove Worcestershire

We had evacuees living at home with my mother. Bromsgrove School was commandeered by the India Office, and we had two officers located with us for quite a time.

My mother was Assistant Librarian at the military hospital, and I often helped her out while I was still at school.

I was a boarder at the Alice Otley in Worcester before going on to university. I was a student at St Andrews from 1943 to 1946. Most of our ration coupons were pooled at university, but we had our own dishes for our butter ration (2oz) which we provided ourselves. As each dish was different we were careful not to take anyone else’s share. We were also able kept our own sugar ration, which I used to save and bring home for my mother to make jam.
At home we kept rabbits on out grass tennis lawn, which we cooked and tinned using our own home canning machine. We also kept a pig to help supplement our meat rations. Wood shavings were added to the pig ‘mash’ to make it go further!
On VE Day we all celebrated. I helped light the beacon at the end of the pier at St Andrews. On VJ night I celebrated in Bromsgrove, dancing in my nightdress down Bromsgrove High Street!

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