Our Sailors

During the early part of the war we had lodgers in order to make ends meet, as the only money coming into the house was my Mother's from her job in the Co-op in Liverpool: 10/- per week paid by my father and Nanny's 10/- per week widow's pension. The rent on the house was 11/- per week!

Later in the war we had sailors staying with us, from the destroyers which were guarding the convoys trying to keep us fed. Food was very short and people were digging up their gardens to plant potatoes and vegetables.

All basic foods were rationed – a weekly ration consisted of 2oz meat, 2oz cheese, 1oz butter, 2oz Margarine (ghastly stuff tasting like lard), 1 loaf (a strange looking grey bread), 1/2lb sugar, coupons called `points' for tinned food (so you had to save up a considerable number if you wanted a tin of fruit, if you could get it!), 1 jar of jam per month (always apple & plum, apple & rhubarb, apple & strawberry – nine tenths apple in every case!).

We were hungry!

The coming of the sailors improved things no end because they would bring the odd tin of ham (oh joy!), dried fruit (heaven) and even chocolate (wow!). On one occasion one of the sailors (called Tiny – 6ft 4ins in height!) walked up the road with a large bunch of bananas over his shoulder, followed by a crowd of young children who had never seen a banana before!