Author Topic: Shops in Birmingham City Centre  (Read 54308 times)

Telstar

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #22 on: October 25, 2008, 11:05:24 PM »
Hello jasper, yes keep going.... Would like to have seen your world as a 10 year old.... Though, wouldn't of been able to have had a knickerbocker glory by the sound of it?
The truth always prevails.....

jasper14

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #23 on: October 25, 2008, 11:46:04 PM »
If you do really want some stories just mention different things and if the grey
matter gets cracking I,m sure I,ll remember some thing
Please remember tho I could kinda mix years up a bit.
Just    "ask and ye shall receive"     (hopefully)

tramp

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #24 on: October 25, 2008, 11:48:39 PM »
Great, shopping for food during rationing, what can you recall of that?

jasper14

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #25 on: October 25, 2008, 11:50:42 PM »
smee again,  just had a thought,  Old Brownie is a bit older than me, he could
possibley be able to close any gaps, extend any tales, and or come up with
other things of interest.........Am not sure of who else is ancient like us at
least not on BF****

Telstar

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #26 on: October 25, 2008, 11:51:41 PM »
Hello jasper, where did you live in those years? How old were you in 1939? Although it was a tough time, you sound as if you're a happy and content person?
The truth always prevails.....

tramp

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #27 on: October 25, 2008, 11:53:19 PM »
Didn't you say something about a Jewish girl in your class at primary school - Methusaleh wasn't she? ;)

jasper14

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #28 on: October 26, 2008, 12:00:57 AM »
Tramp,  shopping for food, now dont you mean queuing for it........If you went
out no matter how old you were you carried some newspaper or a bag..
You never knew if that queue had fruit or the butcher had some offal,or the
fishmonger had just had his allowance delivered......
We had a shop as I mentioned and had if I remember right 30 Registered
Customers, all had ration books,,Fawn for an Adult, Blue a child over 5 and a
green one for babies, when folk came for their grocery (which one could carry
in a todays plastic bag) they gave their books for the coupons to be cut out..
Dad and I had the job of cutting from a side of bacon,the rasher as thin as
tissue paper,this was so all the family had at least a taste, now I cant remember
the actual amounts allowed so think of about 3 rasher at todays weight as the weeks ration.....there was small allowance for bones.Some people with big
families surrendered their butter ration to get extra marge or "sold" it for some
meat from the Butcher, some days there was,nt any meat to buy.Even liver
heart and all the insides got grabbed  as soon as people found somwe in the shop...................I hope you are sitting comfortabley cos I can go on for hours
however thats your Ration for now..tarra..d.o.b   9.2.1930

tramp

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #29 on: October 26, 2008, 12:30:25 AM »
Thank you very much Jasper, that's excellent.   More please.   

In the 40s I remember being ''put in the queue'' to keep mother's, grandmother's place with my ration book in my hand - without that, you couldn't ''keep a place''.  I sure that we were registered at different shops for different things, apart from the butcher's obviously.  As one the exploiters (yous gorra shop, dint ya?) dincha manage to wangle a few ''extras''?  My mother's ''boy friend'' worked in a butcher's, Jack Morris' on LadypoolRd, next to the Home & Colonial.

jasper14

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #30 on: October 26, 2008, 12:57:41 AM »
Yup we, swopped butter with the Butcher next door for lamb chops or a piece
of steak.....Outside the shop we had a big bin in which kitchen waste was put, This was "owned" by a group of people who had shares in a pig farm..the
Government always took a portion of the raised litter,but of course the litter was never the number told..one or two piggies got kept back they got killed
when ready and the various joints shared round..One Day our side  had
just been delivered,this lay in the back room, Mr Hopkins the local cop popped
in,Dad called to me hang my coat up will you love...so Half a pig wa hung on
the door with his raincoat to cover it........Yes there got to be a lot of odd stuff
that went on but children never got involved ( ahem)We kept chooks and also
swopped eggs for different things.But Tramp tho a lot of fiddles went on it was
hard because everything was totally controlled..believe me tho we never starved, the rations had been planned so well everyone was fit without greed
oh yes our side was share  for  3 families not just us.........

jasper14

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #31 on: October 26, 2008, 08:41:20 AM »
Rationing was accepted,and many a sailor got sozzled from having so many
drinks brought him, he may have been a submariner but it was enough that he
was a brave sailor..........The rules got rather strict,blackout on doors and windows,no light dare show,even your torch only had a slit inthe glass for lightMum,my sister and I alone one night, bang bang bang on the door, it was
the ARP "yor bloody chimney is on fire get it out",no help..we kept throwing
jugs of water on until it went out.Dad was on late nights at Braithwaites in
Tipton,he worked with Donald Bailey to build the Bailey Bridge so a lot of stuff
had to be managed without him, not fighting but definately away from home
most the time.................More another time if wanted, cheers..Telstar that was
West Bromwich.we moved to B,ham in 1946..

tramp

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Re: Shops in Birmingham City Centre
« Reply #32 on: October 26, 2008, 12:04:39 PM »
Excellent Jasper, a fine story --  YES, much more please!


 

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