054 ANTIQUES
CALM AND
KEEP
CARRY ON!
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the introduction of rationing in the UK. Everything from bacon, ham, sugar and butter went on ration on 8th January until the last item, meat, came off ration in June 1954
Jennie Buist Brown I
t’s January. Resolutions will have been made. Will this be the year you lose weight, give up drinking, get fi tter, write that novel? We all know that by the end of the month most of the resolutions will have been
forgotten which is why I am a fi rm believer in not making any – why torture yourself with all that guilt? As my mum used to say, everything in moderation. So have that drink, eat a slice of cake – just don’t do it to excess! So what has all this got to do with antiques?
Well, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the introduction of rationing in the UK. Far from living excessively, in 1940 the population had to learn to adapt to meagre rations – at the time they had no idea that rationing would continue into the 50’s – long after the war had ended. I grew up hearing stories about the horrors of egg powder, the impossibility of eking out 2oz of butter a week and the indignity of clothing coupons. I even played, as a child, with my granny’s ration books which, along with bits of string, paper bags and sealing wax, she had saved in vast quantities – fully embracing the make do and mend spirit. For a little girl, her cupboards were full of wonderful secret treasures.
Austere times
In 1940 rationing and ration books became part of life in the UK. This was to dominate British households for the next 14 years. Everything from bacon, ham, sugar and butter went on ration on 8th January 1940 until the last item – meat – came off ration in June 1954. And by July of 1940 tea, margarine, cooking fats and cheese were also rationed. The following year in March 1941, jam, marmalade, treacle and syrup were also rationed. As fresh eggs and milk became scarce, dried egg powder and milk powder were also added to the list. Even soap was rationed. Nowadays there is a large collectors’ market for not only ration books, but all war time food related items including packages and tins, recipes, posters and cookware. A quick rummage around eBay whilst researching this
article turned up lots of interesting pieces. They also still make frequent
appearances at fl ea markets and boot fairs, but as time goes by, like all antiques and collectables,
they do become scarcer. Because so many workers from the potteries were needed in the forces, only certain potteries were allowed to produce wares for the domestic market. These are very plain, with no decoration, but come in some interesting shapes. I recently found a very nice water jug (left) that carries the wartime mark and is really quite stylish.
indexmagazine.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
