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This story was submitted to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War site by Wymondham Learning Centre on behalf of the author who fully understand the site's terms and conditions.

During World War Two I lived with my parents in Wymondham, above my father’s shoe shop in Damgate Street, in the centre of the town.
There were lots of Americans based in the area and whenever we saw them they would be chewing gum and we would always ask, ‘Got any gum chum?’ Sweets were on ration at the time but the Americans always seemed to have plenty and I had a very sweet tooth! There was a fish and chip shop in Damgate Street owned by Alf and Gertie Harvey. They were very friendly with the Americans and I learned they were going to give school children sweets and candy at the fish and chip shop. I was very excited and crept out of the back gate without my parents knowing. I was thrilled at being near the front of the queue and felt certain I would be all right for obtaining sweets. As word got around town, the queue quickly grew and I remember getting black gum and candy — two pounds of sweets in all, which was far more than a month’s ration. When I returned home my mum was very cross because I had missed lunch and she made me share my sweets with my sisters. However, I did not mind this because there were still lots for me.
It was illegal for shopkeepers to accept loose coupons from a ration book. The book had to be presented to the sweet shop owners for them to cut the coupon out. However, I used to ask people for their sweet coupons from their ration books with some success and as I knew the sweet shop owner well he would accept my loose coupons. When Lyons ice cream came later in the war the sweet shop owner used to put a board up outside his shop, ‘Lyons Ice Cream’ and I would rush over the road to buy one.

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