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Rations

I do not remember meat being difficult, but managing on 2 ounces of butter a week was a hardship. I gave up taking sugar in tea. Being in a country town meant we could occasionally get a little extra when farmer friends were able to kill an animal. Father was an excellent gardener and provided masses of fruit and vegetables.

Bideford had a population of about 10 000 before the war which doubled with the influx of evacuees. That meant lengthy queues in each shop, especially for food as coupons had to be cut from the ration book for most items. Most had separate counters, one for dry grocery and another for meat and dairy produce, which meant queuing twice.

When one of the Elders and Fyfe boats safely crossed the Atlantics the shops would have bananas. They were strictly rationed but they would be fairly shared among customers. It became important to stick to one shop and be known.

Recipes

I remember Mum had a recipe for a ‘fat-free sponge.’ Many were adapted for dried eggs, not a bad substitute for the fresh ones. They made reasonably good scrambled eggs. I still have a recipe called ‘War Cake.’ By such scrupulous rationing everyone had a healthy diet, but mothers tended to deprive themselves for the sake of the children. When I visited Switzerland in 1948 I thought our babies much bonnier then theirs, in spite of their non-participation in the war.

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