大象传媒

This story is by Pat Collins, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The story was collected by Joyce Gibson, transcribed by Elizabeth Lamont and added to the site by Bruce Logan.
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During the war of 1939-45 I was at school, and there wasn鈥檛 any big change in my life 鈥� until rationing was introduced.

Shortages of food, clothing and basics to make life comfortable led to their disappearance from the shops. We just had to accept that our belts would have to be tightened and we had to adopt a grin-and-bear-it-attitude. The propaganda we were 鈥渇ed鈥� at the cinema did help to keep up our morale, even if the truth was stretched a good bit 鈥� 鈥渨hat you don鈥檛 know鈥︹�� 鈥� etc.

The blackout was another problem for us. I remember going to Guides on winter evenings. No street lighting meant it was frightening in the pitch black. It was either face the dark road or stay at home. My brothers were in the Forces so I didn鈥檛 have their company or protection. My father was not a man to put himself out to see I got safely to where I was going, so I went, trembling in the pitch black, scared stiff of someone jumping out at me. I mostly walked in the middle of the road 鈥� no cars around then!

We became an extended family when my grandparent鈥檚 house was damaged by bombing. We all had to come to Bangor and live together in an old rambling house which my father had rented for us. How I hated that house: it was cold and damp and the coal ration was only enough to keep a kitchen range going, plus one fire a week in the sitting room, usually on a Sunday.

As a teenager I was always hungry. I know we had plenty of bread, mild and potatoes, but there was such a meagre ration of butter (an ounce and a half per week each) that it was a toss-up whether you put it on your potatoes or your bread. We were restricted to one egg a fortnight, and very little meat. The saving grace was a plentiful supply of ration-free fish: however, I can鈥檛 say it did anything for my intellect!

Our ration books contained coupons for food, sweets and clothes. The clothes coupons were very few indeed and were much coveted, especially by young women. I remember making use of one of my brother鈥檚 tweed overcoats. I found a tailor who unpicked all the seams and made me a very smart winter coat. A lively business went on, buying coupons from folk who didn鈥檛 want them.

Looking back, it was a sparse existence with very few treats and I wouldn鈥檛 like to go through it again. But, at least, we won the war 鈥� that is, if any side wins a war.

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