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In this time of crisis, it's easy to forget the sacrifices that earlier generations made during and just after WW2. Even after the deprivations of the war years, they still had to face a further 9 years of strict rationing. In fact the years after the war were worse in many ways because there was less shipping importing food from abroad. So much of what we take for granted these days was simply unavailable. I have an old cookery book of my mothers from 1951 which includes statements such as 'If sugar is available...'. Vegetables were only those that were in season. The approach to life was very much make do and mend. Our current throwaway mentality is an absolute anathema to the generation that lived through those times.
The working week in those days was typically 45 hours - Saturday was a half day. Television in those days was restricted to the affluent few and even then was only on for a few hours a day. Few families had cars.
I'm not old enough to remember VE-Day, I was born in 1947 but I do remember the end of rationing in 1954 when we could buy sweets without a ration book. Previously they were part of the sugar allowance and had to be traded off against other household needs for sugar.
The sacrifices we are being asked to make at present are trivial in comparison with those the wartime generation had to make. Lets not forget them on this day.
The working week in those days was typically 45 hours - Saturday was a half day. Television in those days was restricted to the affluent few and even then was only on for a few hours a day. Few families had cars.
I'm not old enough to remember VE-Day, I was born in 1947 but I do remember the end of rationing in 1954 when we could buy sweets without a ration book. Previously they were part of the sugar allowance and had to be traded off against other household needs for sugar.
The sacrifices we are being asked to make at present are trivial in comparison with those the wartime generation had to make. Lets not forget them on this day.
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