大象传媒

This story was submitted to the 大象传媒 People's War website by Tim Ford on behalf of Laura Harrison and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the 大象传媒 Peoples War Project and it's aim to create the largest online archive of stories of a nation at war.

Almost like today each school had it's own uniform, colours and badges. Girls wore pleated gymslips buttoned at each shoulder and with a coloured sash. Prefects and monitors wore coloured tin badges. Boys had school ties and caps; girls wore velour hats or panama straw hats with school bands, or berets with tassells.

We used stick pens with nibs or fountain pens. Inkwells fitted into the tops of desks and blotting paper to dry page.

Plastics began appearing in shops replacing the use of bakelite. I bought plastic-
covered wire in various colours to make macrame-style jewellery. I also bought my fist ever Biro pen but teachers didn't like them being used in the class and we had to use ink.

Everyone listened to radio for news and entertainment. Old radio's had valves and accumulators which had to be recharged. Rediffusion wired radio sets were rented in most homes and redifusion shops were everywherere. Collectors came round for rental money each week just like insurance men.

Bakelite records played on gramophones in portable casesor built into cabinets (radiogrammes).Sound came out of the horn on top (Like His Masters Voice HMV)

Cinema showed black and white films, cartoons and newsreels. War news was limited in cas Adolf Hitler got to know our plans against him. Many districts had their own cinemas, theatres or dancehalls but outside lighting and neon signs were forbidden. The forces on leave had their own places to enjoy themselves - the NAFFI - the one in Newcastle was upstairs over shops on the corner of Blackett Street and Northumberland Street.

SWEET RATIONING

During rationing we found alternative sweets at chemists buying ovaltine or horlicks tablets, Zubes cough sweets, liquorice root or Doctors Back Liquorice, and cinnamon sticks. One thing not seen now is Locust Ben whichwas like dates but long and harder to chew. We also chewed vegetables. Stranger choices were marmalade oranges or lemons if available. Anyone can get used to other tastes when necessary. We were very healthy!

Most people gave up sugar in tea to save it for baking and cooking, but even then we cut down or used substitute ingredients. If rations were available we made bread scones and teacakes. dried egg was used for baking.

We had no fridge or washing machine. Fresh food was stored in the larder with dried food and tinned goods. We had a large mangle in the yard. A hand wringer was clamped to the end of the scullery bench with poss tub and dolly stick below. There was only one tap(cold) in the scullery for all of the three storey house. This was used to fill the gas boiler and built in fire boiler (set pot) which heated water for the day's washing. Clothes were put in a tub and possed with a dolly stick, scrubbed on a bench or a rubbing board (later used in skiffle bands).

We had no bathroom at that time just a tin bath in front of the fire. As an option we could go to the City Baths where they had hot baths in cubicles.

The toilet was down the yard in it's own brick shed by the coal house.

AFTER THE WAR

The old streets were demolished for new housing estates. Early 1950's the first high rise flats were built behind our streets. My mothers house was still all gas for cooking and lighting. she had an electrician fix some wiring downstairs which were for our first light, and a few sockets.

Then she bought an old bath from the demolished houses to beset under the scullery bench with an outlet pipe to the sink.

VE CELEBRATIONS

Food was still rationed but we had street parties with bunting and victory parades through the town. My family went to the Hancock Museum and watched the procession from the grassy slope. Men being demobbed were issued with demob suits - very recognisable by their bright blue colour.

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