Food and Clothes Rationing

Rationing was introduced to ensure everyone could buy essential supplies of food for their families. Ration books were issued for me and my Mum in early 1940 and created a bit of a panic amongst our friends and family. How would this affect us? Would we starve? How would we manage if certain foods were in short supply? More importantly to me, Could I still get sweets and chocolate?

A special department called the Ministry of Food issued Ration books, along with recipes and advice on healthy eating and how to make rations go further. Mum began to listen to the radio when the Family Doctor, Dr Charles Hill gave out helpful tips on keeping everyone well fed. It was my job to copy the recipes given on the radio and from the newspapers.

My Mum explained that the government needed to control the amount of imported food being shipped into the country as the ships were needed for armaments and raw materials to help the war effort.

After a while, everyone got used to the idea of rations, certainly no-one starved and everyone did their bit by growing vegetables in gardens and allotments. Grandad Tony had an allotment and I helped weed and care for the vegetables both here and in our garden at home. I was very proud of my beautiful plump orange carrots which made a good soup for the winter. We swopped vegetables with neighbours, a few carrots or potatoes for a cabbage, or sometimes for an egg if Mrs Green had any spare from her chickens.

Petrol was also rationed, we had coupons for a small amount of fuel but we soon adjusted to walking everywhere or using the buses and trams. “Go by Shanks’ Pony” was a motto which meant walk everywhere!

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