General Chat

Dear All

Hello


On this day, 60 years ago, at long last restrictions of selling and purchasing of meat and bacon ceased, thus signalling the end of food rationing.

For the first time since the war began in 1939 London's Smithfield Market opened at midnight instead of 0600 and meat sellers were doing a roaring trade.


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Members of the London Housewives' Association held a special ceremony in London's Trafalgar Square to mark Derationing Day.

The Minister of Fuel and Power, Geoffrey Lloyd, burned a large replica of a ration book at an open meeting in his constituency.

But the Minister of Food, Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, told a meeting at Bebington in Cheshire he would keep his as a souvenir.

He praised all those traders and organisations that co-operated
with the rationing system.

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Food rationing began on 8 January 1940, four months after the outbreak of war.

Limits were imposed on the sale of bacon, butter and sugar.

Clothes coupons were introduced and a black market soon developed while queueing outside shops and bartering for extra food became a way of life.

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Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Unfortunately, we now have 'Food Banks' for other reasons. Progress of some sort, I guess!

Made it a bit easier on us who had to find dead insects on the roadside..........

I remember going to the shop to buy sweets with a little coupon

I still have my ration book. :-)

At least there was less waste and waist then. :-)

remember well when sweets went on ration :-( :-(

Hello to Dermot, Bob, Quinsgran and the two lady Ann's

Thank you all for your replies.



Dermot, you make a very good point about foodbanks.

Insects, Bob! OH that's disgusting!

Quinsgran, Annx and Ann, I visited the National Army Museum in London and they had little replicas of ration books and even sweet vouchers for the children.

People did survive and often on so little.

I wonder how on earth people managed to get through the war and the hardships.


Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

we did alright - living in the country my Dad had a shotgun and we lived on rabbits, pheasant, pigeon and hare - this did involve making sure you managed to spit out the lead pellets!!! must have swallowed some over the years no doubt

Mum used to "fiddle" the ration books by bleaching out the stamp marks put on by the grocer and getting the ratons again - he was old with poor eyesight!!! everyone found ways to get round the restrictons