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This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Pat Bullock of Shropshire Libraries on behalf of Laura Matlock and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

To say there was a war on everyone seemed a lot more friendly, when you think, all your food was rationed. You had coupons for things like butter, bacon, sugar, meat, jam and biscuits and tinned fruit. You never saw bananas or oranges during the war. This was when we stopped having sugar in our tea as our mum wanted our ration to put in rice pudding. Thats why to this day I don't have sugar in tea.

I can remember though going to our local chippy. The fish was in short supply so to make the fish go further they used to put a tiny piece of fish between two slices of potato and dip it in batter. I used to love these. They couldn't open every night, not having enough fish, so when they did open, there used to be long queues.

The only place you could get a good cheap meal was at the BR (British Restaurant?) which the government set up. You could get a lovely meal, very basic, just like a canteen with long wooden tables, but you didn't have to give any food coupons. I think it was Lord Wooton, the Minister for food, that set this up.

Nobody grew many flowers in their gardens, everyone used to grow vegetables. Our dad filled our front garden with potatoes, yum yum!

You even had coupons for your clothes and shoes, so it was all make do and mend. Everyone used to look the same. I can remember wearing a pisky hood. It was a hood with a long point on. I can remember everyone being happier even though there was a war on. There was never anyone trying to outdo each other. Everyone was in the same boat not much food or clothes. You just had basic clothes.

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