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As a very young girl I recall some amusing incidents. As the war was ending and rationing was at its peak I recall my Grandmother bringing home a couple of very green bananas. I had never seen one before and was quite intrigued. She placed them on the window-ledge and told me that once they had turned yellow they would be fit to eat. Every morning I would run down the stairs until the day arrived when the fruit was deemed to be ready for consumption. Granny said I could have one for breakfast and I immediately bit off a huge mouthful (skin and all) and couldn’t believe the appalling taste! I had no idea a banana had to be peeled first before I ate it!
I remember that all our left-overs (and I can assure you there weren’t that many) had to be placed in a big bucket which was kept in the back yard. The ‘Pig’ man used to call twice a week to pick up this ‘Swill’ to feed to his pigs. We also had to save our newspapers. One of my jobs was to cut the newspapers into squares and thread them on to a string, which was strategically placed next to the WC. There was no way we could afford to buy proper toilet paper. We also used to save our newspapers for the Fish and Chip shops as they would wrap your chips in it. Part of the fun of eating your chips was reading the paper at the same time. My dad would go absolutely barmy if our chips had been wrapped in a copy of The News of the World. He thought it far too saucy for the likes of us!
My Granny worked for Partingtons, the butchers during and after the war. We were very fortunate as she was able to keep us supplied with scrag end of beef and other choice cuts. She made a lovely stew which would last a couple of days. I remember one day a mouse had actually fallen into the stew and drowned. This did not put us off. Granny just dished the mouse out and popped it in the dustbin and we all sat round the table and tucked in as usual.
We had a black Yorkist stove in the living room with an oven at one side. One day the poor old cat must have crawled in the oven to get warm. We did not notice this and the door had been closed and poor old Whiskey had suffocated. As we all sat down to dinner Granny opened the oven door to discover Whiskey dead as a doornail. Without more ado, she popped Whiskey on a shovel and walked through the room with the dead cat, which appeared to be stiff as a board, and popped him in the dustbin!
We had certain days for certain activities. Monday was ALWAYS washday. The usual routine of boiling the whites and poshing and dolly-sticking and hand wringing. Any hot water left over would be scooped up in buckets and carried upstairs to the bathroom. We all used the same water and took turns in going first. Whoever had first turn got the hottest and cleanest water.
One day I had been to the park and fallen into the boating lake. A man with a megaphone shouted out ‘Hold on dear we are coming to help’ as I tried in vain to drag myself out. I had on a very heavy surge blue coat which sort of acted like a pair of water wings as it flapped about in the water. A man in a rowing boat soon reached me and rather unceremoniously placed the oar between my legs and hoisted me onto dry land. Once I reached home, which happened to by a Monday, my Mum and Granny stripped me off and actually put me in the copper which was used to boil the water on washday. I was then given a cup of tea (an absolute cure-all) and sent to bed as a punishment for being so careless.
My Dad, Mum and I lived with my Granny and Auntie Mary (who did not marry until she was in her 40’s). I slept with Granny in a single bed. The mattress was stuffed with feathers and lovely and warm and cosy. Granny was lovely, very chubby and kind and gentle. However, every Friday night we had to go through her routine. I had to have my hair examined to ensure I had no ‘nits’ or ‘dicks’. I was dosed up with Cod Liver Oil (to prevent colds and ‘flu) and Syrup of Figs (to ensure I was ‘regular’). I had my toe and finger nails clipped short and hair trimmed at least once a fortnight. I also had ‘studs’ hammered into the toes and heels of my shoes (which Granny would always repair.. she had her own 'last'). These ‘studs’ would wear out as I discovered that if I stamped my foot down very hard then my toe ends and heels would actually ‘spark’ much to the amusement of my mates.
We had some great fun. My mum gave me her old washing line, which was immediately utilised as a huge skipping rope. We would all skip together, singing songs such as ‘All in together girls, this fine weather girl, ONE, TWO, THREE’ or ‘Reckitt’s Girls, Reckitt’s Girls, eyes like diamonds, teeth like pearls’. (Reckitts had a huge factory in Hull). I hated having to turn the rope, which straddled across the whole street. When the odd car went by we would simply let the rope fall to the ground and the car driver would slow down and drive right over it. I was a dab hand at ‘double ball’ and would send hours throwing and catching the tennis balls against our back wall. We also did ‘handstands’ and ‘crab’ against the walls or played marbles. I also had a big tin box filled with precious ‘gems’ and buttons. Mostly these had been cut off old coats or cardigans and saved for future use. I would swop some of these treasurers with my pals. All our old clothes (mostly falling to bits) were cut into strips and were turned into ‘clipped hearth rugs’. These rugs adorned most of our house. The one at the side of our bed being made out of my Uncle Tom’s old suit. We would also ‘pull out’ old knitted garments and use the wool to make other garments. I learned how to knit when I was 4 years old. The first thing I made was a pair of socks, although I recall my Granny had to ‘turn the heel’ for me! However, I remember being so pleased with myself when I was able to give my Dad my first pair of socks as a birthday gift. I felt really grown up!
My Aunt Caroline and Uncle Albert had a small grocery shop in Escourt Street, in Hull. I would help Uncle Al to count up the rationing coupons and put them into envelopes. They would take delivery of the sugar in big sacks and have to weight it and put it into blue bags. The margarine came in a huge solid block and had to be sliced with a cheese cutter into portions and carefully weighed and wrapped in greaseproof paper. The bacon also came in one big piece and had to be sliced on a very dodgy hand-operated slicer, which my Uncle Al had to carefully clean every night. Once or twice I recall him cutting his fingers on this very dangerous machine.
On the back of the door which led from the shop to the living quarters my aunt had a large selection of bootlaces. One time I remember getting into some bother with her and she took down the bootlaces and used them to slap my bottom and the back of my legs! However, I was a very fast runner and managed to avoid the worst of it.
I can’t recall much about the actual WAR, but do just recall the party we had to celebrate the end of the conflict. We had a street party and lots to eat and drink. Our neighbour brought a piano outside and played loads of tunes and we all sang and danced a lot. We had a ‘fancy dress parade’ and my Mum won a prize as I recall.
I cannot remember being deprived in any way during or after the war. I was surrounded by a loving and happy family. We had very little in the way of material things but lived in a home full of laughter and with the kettle constantly bubbling on the stove, ready to make yet another cup of tea!

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