CandiCame
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Wait rationing in the UK went on almost a decade after the war?
Calling all older folks
- Thread starter CandiCame
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Wait rationing in the UK went on almost a decade after the war?
RobDownSouth
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I just found out about that recently listening to an interview with Paul McCartney (I think it was Carpool Karoake) where he said one of the happiest days of his life was the day they ended sugar rationing in the 1950s post-WW2. Unlimited sweets for all!
P
PWilton
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Born in 1937.
My age is 81. Lots of memories.
Someone mentioned radio, we did not have a TV until around 1951 or so. Radio plays in the evening were better than TV because they made you use your imagination. I still watch re-runs of the old Lone Ranger TV shows on a cable channel; I love the music (mostly music taken from classical sources). Yeah, the TV: the rabbit ears worked better if someone stood next to the and touched them!
We did have phones, one to a house; our number in 1945 was Paoli 44.
I remember my father being an air raid warden (yeah, they had them even in the U.S. at least on the East Coast). And my mother hanging blackout curtains on the windows. Yes, rationing books with stamps my parents got at the post office; when you ran out of butter, wait until next month.
Our homes were heated with coal furnaces in the basement, that was my first chore: lugging the cans of coal ash out to the curb.
My father had worked for a golf course outside of Philadelphia, but during the war went to work in the shipyards, welding Liberty ships; that skill became his trade rest of his life. And the emphysema that went with it.
I remember the day the war (WWII) was over: my father hollered down the stairs, "The wars is over, hot damn!".
I think, as young kids, we had a lot more freedom than kids today (life seemed safer than now). I went to kindergarten through high school, or the movies, by myself on the Red Arrow trolley; 5 cents.
Trains were big in my family; both grandparents worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. I rode trains or trolleys to school and college most of my life until I got married and moved out of state in 1963.
I still Like Ike.
My age is 81. Lots of memories.
Someone mentioned radio, we did not have a TV until around 1951 or so. Radio plays in the evening were better than TV because they made you use your imagination. I still watch re-runs of the old Lone Ranger TV shows on a cable channel; I love the music (mostly music taken from classical sources). Yeah, the TV: the rabbit ears worked better if someone stood next to the and touched them!
We did have phones, one to a house; our number in 1945 was Paoli 44.
I remember my father being an air raid warden (yeah, they had them even in the U.S. at least on the East Coast). And my mother hanging blackout curtains on the windows. Yes, rationing books with stamps my parents got at the post office; when you ran out of butter, wait until next month.
Our homes were heated with coal furnaces in the basement, that was my first chore: lugging the cans of coal ash out to the curb.
My father had worked for a golf course outside of Philadelphia, but during the war went to work in the shipyards, welding Liberty ships; that skill became his trade rest of his life. And the emphysema that went with it.
I remember the day the war (WWII) was over: my father hollered down the stairs, "The wars is over, hot damn!".
I think, as young kids, we had a lot more freedom than kids today (life seemed safer than now). I went to kindergarten through high school, or the movies, by myself on the Red Arrow trolley; 5 cents.
Trains were big in my family; both grandparents worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. I rode trains or trolleys to school and college most of my life until I got married and moved out of state in 1963.
I still Like Ike.
dolf
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I remember that TV channels closed for the night. Switch on after that, and all you got was the test signal. I was always a bit of an insomniac, and I remember watching that picture (similar to the one posted, but in the centre was a blonde girl holding a creepy clown doll), waiting for the channel to open.
CandiCame
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I heard a couple people talk about the Lone Ranger and I have to say- I've never seen the show but that movie sucked.
I've listened to those old podcasts though. I discovered them in college and fell in love. I love Candi Madson and the... I can't remember what it's called. Some horror hour, hosted by Vincent Price.
I've listened to those old podcasts though. I discovered them in college and fell in love. I love Candi Madson and the... I can't remember what it's called. Some horror hour, hosted by Vincent Price.
CandiCame
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That is some straight creepypasta shit???
dolf
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CandiCame
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Hoooooly fuck. You said little blond kid with a creepy clown. I expected it. I knew what I was clicking on. I knew what it was.
Why is ten thousands times worse than I expected!?
I wonder where that kid is now? She'd be grown. She has a life. This is her legacy.
dolf
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CandiCame
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You know what, good for her. She seems like she's in a good place. Nice to see people just living their best lives.
oggbashan
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The UK was broke after the war and much of our food was imported. The rationing in 1946/7 was stricter than in 1945. Those who had friends in the US and Canada loved food parcels - even tins of Spam because meat was rationed. Powdered egg was often used because fresh eggs were rare - and rationed. The shipment of the first post war bananas was a significant news event. Some children thought you ate the whole banana, outer and all.
School meals during rationing were awful with meat substitute and puddings made of stodge - Jam Roly-Poly (without real jam, of course!), Suet Pudding, Tapioca etc. Woolton Pie was a favourite school dinner item.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suet_pudding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolton_pie
My family went to Gibraltar in 1953. That was an eye-opener. In the hotel on the first night there was more meat on each person's plate than a family's ration for a week in 1946.
Sweets were the last off ration but I was in Gibraltar. Many children didn't know what to do with sweets. They either ate too many or decided that too much sweetness was cloying.
oggbashan
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many years ago, when there were only 2 or 3 channels on tv, the service would play the national anthem before closing down broadcasts at around 10pm, i think. the bloody national anthem. that makes me laugh.
And my parents used to stand for it and used to when it was played on the radio at the end of transmissions.
It was also played in cinemas at the end of a movie. There was usually a rush for the exits during the credits of the movie so they didn't have to stand for the length of the National Anthem.
I remember at the Dockyard Cinema in Gibraltar the matinees, for which I got free tickets for delivering the weekly programme around our neighbours, used to start with Chabrier's Espana, and all movies were followed by the National Anthem. As the Dockyard Cinema was that of Gibraltar's garrison and most of those going to that cinema were military or Ministry of Defence civilians - everyone waited and stood for the National Anthem. That would have been unusual in the UK.
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When I was a kid
A Color TV was a luxury, and the color didnt actually follow the person
I loved to read comics and had heard that BATMAN was coming to TV
I begged and begged and begged my parents for a color TV
They finally bought a used one
I was so excited to watch BATMAN on TV.....my Mother prepared a huge feast of steak and fries for me while I watched the show
The show starts, I dig into my steak
THE TV FUCKING DIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been traumatized since then
A Color TV was a luxury, and the color didnt actually follow the person
I loved to read comics and had heard that BATMAN was coming to TV
I begged and begged and begged my parents for a color TV
They finally bought a used one
I was so excited to watch BATMAN on TV.....my Mother prepared a huge feast of steak and fries for me while I watched the show
The show starts, I dig into my steak
THE TV FUCKING DIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been traumatized since then
E
Erotic69er
Guest
My childhood was fantastic.
After the war the Uk through rationing probably had the best diet. The rich who previously tended to over eat went down to approx 2,500 cals a day. The poorer sections of the community who were often undernourished moved from around 1,600 cals to 2,500 cals. A high proportion of people grew their own vegetables and people cooked meals from scratch. In retrospect it is often considered the best diet we ever had.
My mother and grandmother were wonderful cooks and bakers. My dad loved his garden and had the most amazing vegetable patch.
The National Health Service was in its infancy and evolving. Although broke after the war the British people were very resourceful.
As a child you were out in the fresh air playing with friends, inventing games, cycling, learning how to swim in the public baths, going to the library to borrow books etc etc.
School classes often had upto 45 children in them but teachers were respected and everyone regardless of ability could read and write etc prior to leaving primary school. I came from a working class background but education was generally cherished. The brightest ones regardless of background went on to university and there were jobs via traineeships and apprenticeships for more or less everyone.
It was a meritocracy in Scotland. Through hard work you could achieve most things, even be Prime Minister.
Now this isn’t quite the case. The wealthy probably have a much bigger advantage. Drugs have infiltrated and damaged large sections of society and children do not have the freedom I had as a child. People are more fearful of their children’s safely. They are termed helicopter parents, ferrying their children everywhere.
Life might have been more basic then but in many ways we had a happier and healthier childhood.
Although technology has made life easier for all of us it has also made it more complex and dangerous. In many ways I think we were the golden generation but I came from a very loving and attentive household. Most of my school friends shared the same experiences but I’m not speaking for everyone.
After the war the Uk through rationing probably had the best diet. The rich who previously tended to over eat went down to approx 2,500 cals a day. The poorer sections of the community who were often undernourished moved from around 1,600 cals to 2,500 cals. A high proportion of people grew their own vegetables and people cooked meals from scratch. In retrospect it is often considered the best diet we ever had.
My mother and grandmother were wonderful cooks and bakers. My dad loved his garden and had the most amazing vegetable patch.
The National Health Service was in its infancy and evolving. Although broke after the war the British people were very resourceful.
As a child you were out in the fresh air playing with friends, inventing games, cycling, learning how to swim in the public baths, going to the library to borrow books etc etc.
School classes often had upto 45 children in them but teachers were respected and everyone regardless of ability could read and write etc prior to leaving primary school. I came from a working class background but education was generally cherished. The brightest ones regardless of background went on to university and there were jobs via traineeships and apprenticeships for more or less everyone.
It was a meritocracy in Scotland. Through hard work you could achieve most things, even be Prime Minister.
Now this isn’t quite the case. The wealthy probably have a much bigger advantage. Drugs have infiltrated and damaged large sections of society and children do not have the freedom I had as a child. People are more fearful of their children’s safely. They are termed helicopter parents, ferrying their children everywhere.
Life might have been more basic then but in many ways we had a happier and healthier childhood.
Although technology has made life easier for all of us it has also made it more complex and dangerous. In many ways I think we were the golden generation but I came from a very loving and attentive household. Most of my school friends shared the same experiences but I’m not speaking for everyone.
Last edited by a moderator:
oggbashan
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TV enhancements
The early post WW2 TVs had very small screens in a large case.
You could buy Fresnel or magnifying screens to place in front of the TV tube to make the picture look larger but there was usually distortion at the edges.
When colour TV started broadcasting, if you had a black and white TV you could buy a colorisation screen. It was like the earlier magnifying screen but was clear for the central 50%, blue (for the sky) for the top 25% and brown (for the earth or ground) at the bottom 25%.
Both items were sold cheaply in quantity and both were usually thrown away within weeks of purchase because they were useless.
Many people rented TVs because they were expensive and temperamental items. Radio Rentals was a large UK company. They also provided cable aerials for poor reception areas. Our second house, at the foot of a hill, had poor TV reception by aerial but was wired for Radio Rentals cable. We had to attach a decoding box between the cable and the TV.
Radio Rentals used to do special offers of upgrades. When we moved in we were offered black and white TV at £2 a month. Within six months we were offered a reconditioned colour TV for an extra £1. We accepted. When we finally stopped renting and bought our own TV the charge had gone up to £5 a month for the cable aerial, the larger colour TV and the VHS video recorder. The Radio Rentals sales staff couldn't understand how I got that much for so little. A new customer would be paying double or more that amount even with introductory offers. They didn't want their equipment back. It would have cost them more to collect than it was worth - so my in-laws had their first colour TV ex-Radio Rentals.
The early post WW2 TVs had very small screens in a large case.
You could buy Fresnel or magnifying screens to place in front of the TV tube to make the picture look larger but there was usually distortion at the edges.
When colour TV started broadcasting, if you had a black and white TV you could buy a colorisation screen. It was like the earlier magnifying screen but was clear for the central 50%, blue (for the sky) for the top 25% and brown (for the earth or ground) at the bottom 25%.
Both items were sold cheaply in quantity and both were usually thrown away within weeks of purchase because they were useless.
Many people rented TVs because they were expensive and temperamental items. Radio Rentals was a large UK company. They also provided cable aerials for poor reception areas. Our second house, at the foot of a hill, had poor TV reception by aerial but was wired for Radio Rentals cable. We had to attach a decoding box between the cable and the TV.
Radio Rentals used to do special offers of upgrades. When we moved in we were offered black and white TV at £2 a month. Within six months we were offered a reconditioned colour TV for an extra £1. We accepted. When we finally stopped renting and bought our own TV the charge had gone up to £5 a month for the cable aerial, the larger colour TV and the VHS video recorder. The Radio Rentals sales staff couldn't understand how I got that much for so little. A new customer would be paying double or more that amount even with introductory offers. They didn't want their equipment back. It would have cost them more to collect than it was worth - so my in-laws had their first colour TV ex-Radio Rentals.
oralaccents
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SpeareChucker
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That last post before Ogg reminds me of something that Hayek worried about; that while rationing was necessary for the war effort, would the people and the bureaucracy dependent upon it be willing to surrender it and many of the other facets of Socialism and the nationalization of the means of production put under government control. My history might be a bit shaky when it comes to England, but did not those institutions continue on long after the war?
SpeareChucker
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It's always built into the taxes you pay that support the licensing mechanisms of "public airways" bureaucracy.
oralaccents
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Or buy a gun.
When I was a kid
A Color TV was a luxury, and the color didnt actually follow the person
I loved to read comics and had heard that BATMAN was coming to TV
I begged and begged and begged my parents for a color TV
They finally bought a used one
I was so excited to watch BATMAN on TV.....my Mother prepared a huge feast of steak and fries for me while I watched the show
The show starts, I dig into my steak
THE TV FUCKING DIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been traumatized since then
That post is so sweet...
Are you trying to get laid?
Pookie
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Polranny
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Who needs a gun anyway?
In theory our police are still unarmed.
Back in the 50s and 60s, the local Bobby knew all the kids and their parents, usually he had leave to give us a clip round the ear for misdemeanours and he was the guy who was called when we were behaving like little shits, he would show us the cell in the police station and put the fear of God into us (and give us chocolate if we apologised!) . 'Crime' was virtually non existent, even in urban areas, doors were unlocked.
Back to broadcasting. I don't mind paying the government for a tv licence for BBC. Quality shows every time. Look at the garbage that US tv stations somehow manage to sell to uk.
In theory our police are still unarmed.
Back in the 50s and 60s, the local Bobby knew all the kids and their parents, usually he had leave to give us a clip round the ear for misdemeanours and he was the guy who was called when we were behaving like little shits, he would show us the cell in the police station and put the fear of God into us (and give us chocolate if we apologised!) . 'Crime' was virtually non existent, even in urban areas, doors were unlocked.
Back to broadcasting. I don't mind paying the government for a tv licence for BBC. Quality shows every time. Look at the garbage that US tv stations somehow manage to sell to uk.
