January 2020

Buckden Roundabout

January 2020

They delivered milk to Hamerton in 1/4 and 1/3 pint bottles

with a cardboard lid. Ella remembers dropping the bottle in-

tended for a couple of elderly ladies and worrying that they

would not be able to have their cup of tea, but luckily her fa-

ther was able to replace the bottle. Full milk churns were col-

lected from the side of the road at the farm and empty churns

left for the next milking.

Not all foods were rationed. Fruit and vegetables were never

rationed but were often in short supply, especially tomatoes,

onions and fruit shipped from overseas. The government en-

couraged people to grow vegetables in their own gardens and

allotments. Many public parks were also used for this purpose.

The scheme became known as ‘Dig For Victory’. Ella also let us

know how friends used to supplement and share produce with

each other – fruit from trees, veg from their gardens, etc.

Ella recalls there were no oranges or bananas during the war

(the only exotic fruits that Ella remembered from before the

war). She remembers seeing bananas hanging in a greengro-

cer’s shop in Huntingdon, but being disappointed when she

discovered they were cardboard ones to advertise Fyffes.

The Ministry of Food gave out recipes to help with rationing.

Ella remembers one in particular which was to make ‘bananas’

using parsnip. She found it re-

volting!

One way to get rationed items

without coupons, usually at greatly

inflated prices, was on the black

market. Shopkeepers sometimes

kept special supplies ‘behind the

counter’, and ‘spivs’ - petty crimi-

nals - traded in goods often ob-

tained by dubious means. By

March 1941, 2,300 people had

been prosecuted and severely pe-

nalised for fraud and dishonesty.

As the war went on, additional key commodities were ra-

tioned. Clothing was rationed from 1941. Ella reflected on

clothing shortages and told us she would spend a long time

trying to buy shoes that were smart for school but which also

looked special enough for going out. Her mother bought cloth-

ing coupons from people who didn’t want them, which was

probably illegal ‘black market’ behaviour!

Ella told us that people had to pass their coupon book to the

shopkeeper for them to cut out the coupons. Loose coupons

were not accepted. However, if buying by mail order (although

this was unusual), you would send loose coupons by registered

post.

People were encouraged to ‘Make do and Mend’ – sheets

were re-sewn after being cut in half and switched so that the

thinner part from the middle was at the sides. Old clothing was

adapted so that it was still useful, too. Ella also remembers

knitting wool was rationed and it was difficult to get the col-

ours you wanted. Old knitwear was unpicked and knitted into

something else.

The end of the war in 1945 saw additional cuts. Bread, which

was never rationed during wartime, was put on the ration in

July 1946. It was not until the early 1950s that most commodi-

ties came ‘off the ration’. Meat was the last item to be de-

rationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954.

Ella told us that despite what we might think, they didn’t really

miss any foods during the war – it was just how it was. People

got on with life and it was all part of the war effort.

www.iwm.org.uk

www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/rationing

Woolton pie

Woolton pie was a variable dish of vegetables, created at the

Savoy Hotel in London by its then Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Fran-

cis Latry. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the

British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World

War to enable a nutritional diet to be maintained despite

shortages and rationing of many types of food, especially

meat.

It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883

–1964), who became Minister of Food in 1940.

The recipe involved dicing and cooking potatoes (or parsnips),

cauliflower, swede, carrots and, possibly, turnip. Rolled oats

and chopped spring onions were added to the thickened vege-

table water which was poured over the vegetables themselves.

The dish was topped with potato pastry and grated cheese and

served with vegetable gravy. The recipe could be adapted to

reflect the availability and seasonality of ingredients.

The recipe was not well received at the time and was quickly

forgotten after the end of the war. However, with the resur-

gence of interest in wholesome home-cooked food, maybe

you’d like to try it?

Ingredients:

1lb diced potatoes

1lb cauliflower

1lb diced carrots

1lb diced swede

3 spring onions

1 teaspoon vegetable extract

1 tablespoon oatmeal

A little chopped parsley

Method: Cook everything to-

gether with just enough water

to cover, stirring often to pre-

vent it sticking to the pan. Let

the mixture cool. Spoon into a pie dish, sprinkle with chopped

parsley.

Cover with a crust of potatoes or wholemeal pastry. Bake in a

moderate oven until golden brown. Serve hot with gravy.

www.recipespastandpresent.org.uk

Rationing (cont’d)

A ration book supplement

(You will be told how and when to use it!)

A clothing ration book