Author Topic: amazing how we survived then,  (Read 1968 times)

Alfred

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amazing how we survived then,
« on: Sep 29, 2019, 08:54:47 AM »
I say this when I think back to w.w.2 rationing, although all of us those of a certain age will remember all the rationing and the miniscule allowance of food we could have, just enough to live on,

although much has been said of those times it was then that the experts decided as to how much food the human body could survive on, as then there wasn't all the luxury items that we take for granted today,

even though many of us today even stock up using refrigerators  and chest freezers, even shops open 7/11  so food can be bought almost anytime including Sundays, in the past shops then were closed, do you remember those times, particularly when you suddenly had run out of something that you needed and urgently,

in those times the vast majority walked to work to save money where possible and others mainly cycled ,  the lucky ones had a car, or a motorcycle, some with a side car ,

but the majority of people were fit what with all the cycling , or walking  kept us trim and lively , (obese didn't enter the picture , ) where as today we drive to most places , have home deliveries,  for some fortunate enough to live near to a super market ,or shops,

even children some have to be driven to the schools, others live close to the schools,

in the past the schools, encouraged swimming, sports in its many forms, not counting school football matches, even boxing,.
and inter school sports, as schools competed against each other every year,  which then was the norm,.

the girls did a lot  netball,  some even basketball, even skipping, or doing hands stands up against the school wall, to which the girls knew the boys would watch them as they stopped playing football in the playground simply to watch the girls,

who knew they were being watched,...….all great fun, innocent, and harmless then,

the emphasis in those times was on fitness, today its a different thing all together,

other things that were taught at that time was when the girls learned domestic things, such as cooking, and house wifery, as well as many other usefull things which would stand then in good stead , when later many of them became house wives, and mothers,

the boys mean while had wood working lessons, as well as  using many tools which again would stand them also in good stead when they too became husbands,& fathers,

Q; So what do you remember of those times, and what did you like, or dislike ,about schools and education  in those times.

will you share your memories with us,.??

Ashy

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #1 on: Sep 29, 2019, 08:58:33 AM »
One thing I do know, my parents didn't live on spam and carrots for six years in order for an IRA sympathiser to hand our country to the germans and their allies.

Michael Rolls

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #2 on: Sep 29, 2019, 09:05:05 AM »
So very true!
On the obesity kick  - I know I keep saying this but at my secondary school 1950-1954  in my  year (and the other years were much the same) out of 120 boys there was just ONE who was obese - and I'm sure his was a metabolism problem, as I met his parents, neither of who were even overweight, never mind obese. His dad was about 6'2" and a walking beanpole, his mum was small and trim.
Yet, there was a recent article in the paper claiming that obesity wasn't caused by lack of will power - I didn't bother reading behind the headline - of course it is.
Mike
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The older I get, the better I was!

ronyork

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #3 on: Sep 29, 2019, 09:30:08 AM »
No obese children in my class or most of my schooling, which started in 1939; most mothers could cook from the bare minimum. no quick meals ,and children ate what was put before them. Its modern parents who have caused obesity mainly over feeding their little darlings with rubbish quick meals, do they not realize they are putting unwanted costs on the N.H.S. looking after their unfit children, perhaps if they did not spend their time in the nail bar/costa coffee outlet/bars etc they might look after there children in a proper manner.

sparky

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #4 on: Sep 29, 2019, 09:34:16 AM »

Alf. Yeah I suppose as teen  kids, we did not have much to complain about, OK, I walked just over a mile to school, and our parents made sure we were fed as well as possible , given  the rations at the time, I don't remember being too scared of the bombs or rockets, and we had the excitement of seeing who could find the biggest and best bit of shrapnel in the street the night after an air raid.
But for our parents it was hard, my father did his daily round trip of 22 miles to work, despite many nights having very little sleep in our cramped  Anderson shelter,  because of the noise of bombs and gunfire during raid.
My mother like most deserved a medal, not only doing  the daily task of getting our food, but then doing her best to make us meals from the meagre rations. No popping to the freezer to select ready  prepared veg etc,  plus cleaning and washing still had to be done, and probably feeling kn*****erd , through lack of sleep, and on top of all that, for a time a part time job on the assembly line at a local factory
So when I overhear young women today complaining  about their busy hectic  lives, I have a little chuckle to myself knowing they don't know they are born.

Michael Rolls

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #5 on: Sep 29, 2019, 09:46:51 AM »
So very true - but the snowflakes would never believe us
Mike
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Alfred

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #6 on: Sep 29, 2019, 09:55:20 AM »
Hello Sparky,
yes those times were hard, for our parents,  but some how because every one was in the same boat , as nobody thought  much about it,
although ww1, and ww2 , many un sung heroes came to light for acts of amazing bravery,

(but one unsung hero comes to my mind was all the mums, who did a fantastic job, bringing up children basically on their own as then many fathers were in the forces doing their bit,)and many mums went with out their meals to help feed the children, as food was very short and un available,

these mothers had a hell of a lot on their plate, many were working in full time jobs , then coming home and starting all over  again to do house work, cook, and feed, and wash  their children, (taking the place of the father as well ,) they didn't get any  medals,.
as we as children then  became latch key kids, were you one of these , I was,

but to my mind they should have been decorated with the highest award we could give them ,   they were all heroes as  they even managed to get the kids in to school even during the war, and on time, amazing ladies god bless them all,

even helping their children with their home work, as they took interest with school reports on their childrens progress,

Diasi

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #7 on: Sep 29, 2019, 10:28:21 AM »
So very true!
On the obesity kick  - I know I keep saying this but at my secondary school 1950-1954  in my  year (and the other years were much the same) out of 120 boys there was just ONE who was obese - and I'm sure his was a metabolism problem, as I met his parents, neither of who were even overweight, never mind obese. His dad was about 6'2" and a walking beanpole, his mum was small and trim.
Yet, there was a recent article in the paper claiming that obesity wasn't caused by lack of will power - I didn't bother reading behind the headline - of course it is.
Mike

Cor that takes me back to infants & junior school & I can even remember the girl's name.

Anyway, to us kids, her Mum was huge & it was always a perverse treat when she visited the school, as we gazed in utter amazement.

Today she'd probably be classed moderately overweight, she certainly wouldn't get a second stare in any McDonalds or Burger King.

Of course we also burnt off a fair few calories just to keep warm in a house with no central heating & double glazing.
Make every day count, each day is precious.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal".  (Cassandra)

ronyork

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #8 on: Sep 29, 2019, 10:32:11 AM »
, Yes I was a latchkey kid  mum was drafted to a factory making shells. I think 3 till 8 I came home from school ,fed the chickens, then got tea ready perhaps a jam or lemon curd sandwich or a treat fried bread with brown sauce on wonderful. what the generation today complain about today is beyond me, they do not know they are born. Its not only kids who are obese look at the parents many so overweight when they pass you by the backside passes you way behind the front and the arse so large one thinks their back pack has slipped.

sparky

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #9 on: Sep 29, 2019, 10:40:12 AM »
Alf, yeah as you say, everybody helped one and another, I well remember , when it all kicked off, , we had not got our Anderson dug and in place, but our near neighbours come up with the idea of joining their two together and making one long shelter, for their  two families, but even though  it must have been already cramped, they let us spend a few nights in their long shelter, till we got ours in place 

Scrumpy

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #10 on: Sep 29, 2019, 10:42:09 AM »



I love fried bread... and a dab of brown sauce... Heavenly.. Maybe once a year when we pop into Tesco ...
 I am not obese.. just a little bit (thick) in places..
Everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, its not the end.

Diasi

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #11 on: Sep 29, 2019, 10:50:25 AM »
, Yes I was a latchkey kid  mum was drafted to a factory making shells. I think 3 till 8 I came home from school ,fed the chickens, then got tea ready perhaps a jam or lemon curd sandwich or a treat fried bread with brown sauce on wonderful. what the generation today complain about today is beyond me, they do not know they are born. Its not only kids who are obese look at the parents many so overweight when they pass you by the backside passes you way behind the front and the arse so large one thinks their back pack has slipped.

Lol, look at that arse, you could show cartoons on it!

I think that was said in Little Britain. ;D ;D ;D
Make every day count, each day is precious.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal".  (Cassandra)

biglouis

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #12 on: Sep 30, 2019, 02:08:43 AM »
I was born in 1944 so obviously I dont remember the war. But I do recall growing up at a time when there was very little money. I can remember times when my mother sat down and cried because she had no money in her purse and there was no food in the house. As kids my sister and I ate what we were given because there was nothing else. Being a Liverpool family we often had scouse and the smell of it would fill the house.

For the uninitiated scouse is very similar to Irish stew except that you cook the meat and potatoes together in the same pan, along with anything else you want to throw in. I used to add gravy browning to give it a good colour and curry sauce for a bit of bite. Scouse is always better the day after making when it goes sort of sloppy.


As an adult I used to make scouse when I moved into my first flat and my neighbours used to come and bang on the door and ask me for some!

It must be 30 years since I last made scouse!
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zoony

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #13 on: Sep 30, 2019, 02:25:24 AM »
  I remember that! I think we called it 'stew'.. ;D  I think most of our mums cooked that whether in Liverpool or London.
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GrannyMac

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Re: amazing how we survived then,
« Reply #14 on: Sep 30, 2019, 06:01:52 AM »
I was born the year after WWII ended, and I was an only child. I suppose I was fortunate, my mother was a good cook, and my dad had a good job to back to after his stint in the army for the duration of the war.  The only rationing I remember was sweets.

We always had good food, decent clothes etc.  I recently looked at an annual I got for Christmas in 1956. It was 7/-. A few years later my Saturday job paid 15/- for a full day's work.  It made me realise how expensive some things were and how hard it was for parents compared to nowadays!
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