大象传媒

This story has been added by CSV Volunteer Linda Clark on behalf of Kenneth H Rickard. It is an extract from a book he wrote in 2004 called 'St Dennis and Goss Moor' and published by Halsgrove of Tiverton, Devon. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

Food was in short supply for many reasons during the war, so rationing was introduced along with ration books to help administer and control it.

Food, clothing, petrol and oil, furniture, coal and animal feed were all rationed. This created a black-market trade which was difficult to surpress. In turn, this led to the emergence of the 'spiv' who seemingly could supply most things at a price.

The population was encouraged to produce home-grown food, especially in the rural areas. Gardens were fully utilised by growing vegetables and providing a home for a few fowls and pigs. Mothers, sons and daughters quickly learnt the basics of gardening and soon became efficient. The fowls produced a supply of eggs, which proved invaluable to the family diet. Strictly speaking all eggs produced should have been sold to official egg collectors, with the family diet catered for by a ration of powdered egg. There is surely no need to explain what actually happened.

Householders would keep and rear a pig if they had the facilities. The pig would be fattened up by feeding it the household food scraps and milled corn and when ready, it would it would be killed to supplement the family meat supply.

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