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Though food was rationed we did not go short as we were a thrifty family. Father bought chicks as hatched by the dozen. There would be at least two pullets out of each batch. These were kept to produce an egg supply. The others would be sold on for the pot, like wise rabbits.

We did not claim the corn allowance so we could put down plenty in icing glass for the winter.

To feed our chucks we went gleaning for corn after farmers had taken in their harvest. Sugarbeet was grown, which when boiled down, made a syrup which sweetened jam or puddings.

We went out picking brambles by the basket full. Living near the countryside did help us - we could gather mushrooms, surplus was made into another form of syrup that went into stews or soups.

At the start of the war we had the ‘Northumberland Hussars’ stationed in Louth. As they were a mounted unit I used to help them clean some of their tack. In return they gave us some bran that helped to feed the rabbits. It was nothing to find a horse in the garden having broken out of the pub stables they were housed in.

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