Story: Rosemary, 1942 / Interviewed by Tirion
During the Second World War I lived in Pentrepiod, in Wales in 4 Beechstreet Terrace. We experienced shortages as a result of the war and we didn’t get much outside of the necessary items and we saved up our ration coupons before getting clothes. We had a “Sunday Best,” which was a dress that I only wore on Sundays and I had two dresses in my whole wardrobe.
We didn’t have sweets, we were only allowed so much sugar per person.
We didn’t have sweets, we were only allowed so much sugar per person. My family coped well with the shortages as the nearby allotments sold the produce for reasonable prices and the town hall did cookery demonstrations on how to use this produce. We used to go to my Uncle Sid’s house in Treforest with a small holding and we used to bring home vegetables from them which was helpful to cope with the rationing. There was also the option to buy items “on tick” which meant that we could get what we needed even if we didn’t have enough money and you could pay when you had the money. My Granddad worked in the pit as a safety officer and a stretcher bearer at the hospital and this helped us cope with the rationing as it gave us a steady wage and we could afford more outside of our rations. A memory I remember is my Dad going up the steps and shouting to my Mum that there was a German airplane and my Mum shouting that he should come in and she was scared. The German pilot had worked near us in Blaenavon years before the war and was sent to bomb us and he wouldn’t so he dumped the bombs at the top of the Keepers pond and crashed the plane.
Rosemary, 1942
