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These memories were added by Olivia Cubberley in the Hull Open Centre with the kind permission of Mrs Pat Lee.

As the war progressed, more and more foods were being rationed. Clothes were on coupons, furniture was on dockets, and they had the ‘utility’ mark stamped all over them. Wallpaper disappeared from the shops; it was classed as a luxury item, which we could do without so people came up with the idea of ‘stippling’ the walls. I think they used distemper on the walls then dabbed it here and there with a rag to create a pattern of sorts. Jumpers were pulled out, the wool washed then re-knitted to make smaller items like gloves and scarves. Parachute material was made up into underwear, but how anyone got hold of a parachute in the first place I have no idea. The pages in magazines became fewer and fewer, but they all had the same theme - how to make eggless buns and meatless dinners! No longer was tissue paper available, so when people bought bread they took a tea towel to wrap it in. If you had any iron railings around your property, the government ‘claimed’ it, to help towards the making of Spitfires, or so we were told. Sweets were in very short supply, when the Yanks came over, the children were always asking ‘got any gum chum?’ We were told to ‘Dig for Victory’ — allotments became the in thing. Reckitt’s ploughed up most of their football and cricket pitches and turned them into allotments — I got one, and with the help and advice of the retired ‘old timers’, I grew a variety of vegetables, lettuce and of course, lovely potatoes, which certainly helped our diet. Ladies with sewing skills dyed blankets and made winter coats for their children, patches put on worn out parts, socks darned — nothing was wasted, we really knew the meaning of ‘recycling’.

During the war years there was such a community spirit, everyone willing to help each other and the feeling of all pulling together. The women really came into their own, turning their hands to every job a man could do as more and more were conscripted for ‘War Work’, the forces or going down the mines. So the Land Army was formed and girls were sent all over the country to help the farmers who had lost their work force. Buses were being driven by the ladies, they delivered milk, worked for the forestry commission, chopping down trees and were sent to other towns to work in munitions factories doing very skilled jobs. My friend who is now 83, and was conscripted, remembers that she got an extra sixpence a week (2 ½p) — ‘danger money’ - she was working with high explosive materials. Even the children got involved as ‘messengers’, they were taking messages from one air raid post to another, the communication system was far from sophisticated and the 14 year olds could get around on their cycles quite quickly, even through the blackout. A lot of children were parted from their families as the bombing raids became more heavy and more often. They were sent into the country or went to Canada. What a wrench that must have been for them, and they didn’t all find happy families either.

The children of today cannot imagine the horror and the hardships that my generation went through. I only hope they never have to.

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