大象传媒

Living on the home front

I was 3 years old when WW2 broke out. I lived in Ashford Middlesex, with my parents Laurence and Eleanor Fulton. I can well remember salvage sorting to help win the war.

My grandmother kept chickens and persuaded us to do the same. All food scraps were mixed with meal to feed them. All vegetable peelings and similar, provided a good diet with a mix from the grain merchant. The hens provided eggs then and after the war, when food remained rationed.

Tins were kept for old metal collection. Much food came this way, even when dried, like egg. Metal from our home had previously gone for the war effort. Nothing wasted. Paper packaging was only single. 2r went to weekly waste paper and cardboard collection 鈥� recycled. Our envelopes were re-used, with economy labels, or slit open and the reverse written on. They provided much needed paper for us children. At primary school we used A4 size slates which were cleaned after the arithmetic lesson, ready for English.

Exercise books, containing very thin paper, were used for history and geography lessons. Not a line was wasted. Pencils were used if no ink was available (dip-pens in individual inkwells). Handwriting was practised in special copy writing books. Pencil was used because later you rubbed out your effort, ready for the next pupil.

Lessons were often interrupted and continued in the Anderson shelters, buried underground in the school playground.

No food was wasted. Any left over vegetables became 鈥渂ubble and squeak鈥�, the next day. Margarine was scraped on grey coloured bread, jam added 鈥� homemade. Never too much. Sometimes, when sugar was short, less was used. It kept a short time so you could have more!

Bath time was a treat. Our house had a boiler and provided enough coke or anthracite was available, water would be heated. We would all share the water, 3 of us. The mother would do some washing with the rest of the water. We had an ATS billeted with us and she needed water. Sometimes a strip wash would suffice 鈥� hot water being carried upstairs, in jug from washing copper. Raid expected, then it was oval-shaped galvanised bath for washing beside the Morrison shelter, ready for quick entry! If siren went, water was wasted 鈥� only used on garden.

Going shopping 鈥� you took your own paper bags or newspaper, if you had any, for wrapping goods. No wonder everyone had baskets, with paper bags at bottom.

Knitting 鈥� shortage of wool meant you unpicked a garment you鈥檇 finished with. Washed the wool and remade it up again. Stripes were popular. Clothes were handed down and altered to fit, if need be. Occasionally you had a new garment. When you out-grew it you passed it to family or friends. Everything was re-cycled. The instinct never leaves you.

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