1947 rations

[silvery]

Was reading a book called 'Austerity Britain' - one to dip in to rather than read

1947 rations

daily
8ozs bread

weekly
3 lb potatoes
3oz margarine
2oz butter
1oz fat
2oz cheese
1/0d worth of meat (one old shilling)

monthly
12oz sweets
1lb jam or marmalade

Nearly as bad as the war, and bread went on ration again for a short time too. Sweet rationing ended in 1953.

[Peter_uk_can]

I remember in the 1950's going to the shop with the ration book.

My father was a painter and decorator and one shopkeeper had some property that my father would work on.

I can remember "special" little packages being passed to my Mum.

I didn't think bread was first rationed until after the war. (Google will know)

[busyglen]

I remember 1947 clearly. There were seven of us in our family, and times were hard, even though the war was over. We were luckier than some in that my father had a large kitchen garden, in which he grew potatoes, cabbage, carrots, peas, turnips, and some fruits, which my mother made into jam, or bottled.

I can still see me trotting down to the local shop with my younger brothers to get our 4oz sweets....what a treat!!

Glenys

[Peter_uk_can]

My Mother kept Chickens and Rabbits, although many of them weren't around for long. I can remember her hatching chicks in the kitchen under a lamp that my father fixed up.

Heck knows what the health and safety people would do now, but back then they would probably have starved their P.C selves to death.

[uksearch]

I don't remember rationing...other than occurred naturally, being the youngest of six.

UK

[Jan1954]

I was due to be born on 2nd July 1954.

Rationing finally ended in Britain on 4th July when restrictions on the sale and purchase of meat and bacon were lifted. I was born 3 days later.

My mother always said that I was waiting for rationing to end... :o

[BeeE586]

I was married in 1947. My grandmother kept a few hens and part of my 'bottom drawer' was a bucket of eggs in some sort of preservative. She also had a large garden with all sorts of vegetables and fruit bushes including my very favourite - red currants. An old sort of uncle kept racing pigeons so Yorkshire puddings were made with pigeon eggs, although I never took to them fried or scrambled. I remember that at one time part of the shilling's worth of meat had to be a slice of corned beef.

Not only food was rationed, we also had clothing coupons and anyone about to get married and set up home got dockets to buy a few yards of curtain material and a couple of sheets. I bought three black market blankets and it is only a few months since the last one went to the local animal sanctuary. Good Yorkshire wool in those days - none of this foreign muck !!!!

The Good Old Days what.

Eileen

Speaking of bread ............. I bought a rather specialized brown seeded loaf the other day at £1.58, that's more than thirty shillings in old money. I can remember just before the war when my grandfather put that on the table on Friday evening for his wages and four of us lived on it for a week.

[peter nicholl]

I was married in 1947. My grandmother kept a few hens and part of my 'bottom drawer' was a bucket of eggs in some sort of preservative.
The preservative could well have been Isinglass, derived from the swimbladder of various fish. G P Swibourne & Co had a factory at Coggeshall, Essex. It can also used in brewing beer.
Ah! powdered eggs, powdered milk and Pom. And a slice of a Mars bar. Just don't start on Spam|laugh1|

[silvery]

And not only was it rationing (and the war had finished so no war spirit to keep you going) but there were loads of slums and a severe housing shortage at the same time.

I measured out 3lbs of potatoes and it was seven medium and five smallish ones. Must have been hard doing your own jam and bread baking as well. The fat ration wouldn't have gone far for pastry and such , and I seem to recall sugar went back on ration too, hence the jam and sweets rationing. No fat for chips either!

[busyglen]

Peter, you jogged my memory....I had forgotten about the rabbits and chickens. We also had a few ducks and three geese. The goose fat was lovely for roasting potatoes when we had a treat. Mostly at Christmas.

I can still remember walking around the large field by our house collecting dandelions and other greenery for the rabbits. The worst occasion I can remember, was when I was given a white rabbit by an old man who lived near us...I played with it and then as kids do, lost interest. Later on I discoverd that we had eaten it!! I've never eaten rabbit since!

Glenys

[David Annis]

My mother managed to buy a banana. The debate was who was going to get it. Mother decided that as I had never had a banana before, I should be given it. This annoyed my older brother. His argument was that as I had never had one then I would not know what I was missing.
We lived very well really, we had an acre of ground, kept pigs and chickens and grew our own veg. Dad would often come from working on the land over at Comberton, with a dead rabbit or two in his haversack.
My brother worked as an errand boy in Burtons the grocers and often notice that little paper parcels of goodies went out the side door to regular customers, given by the manager. Cheekly bro asked him one day if he could have one and to his suprise the manager gave him some "extra's". Just to keep him quiet I expect.
Cheers
Dave

[Peter Goodey]

People who recall the TV programme and book called "The 1940s House" may like to know that the house and contents were preserved and now sit in the Imperial War Museum in London*. Waves of nostalgia for persons of a certain age!

[*At least I think it's still there. Can anyone confirm?]