General Chat

Yes Ann and Hayley I also liked the way the women grew closer together and think it almost believable that they would manage to 'cope'.......for want of a better word.How mothers managed to feed their families in those days is incredible and I think my Mam was a Marvel!!

I'm old enough to remember the Mickey Mouse gas masks in their small cardboard boxes.

Just watched this weeks,

Ok I filled up at the children were put on the train, I too would brought coffee and chocs off the spiv . Loved the sense of community which was about in this episode and but mostly loved it as women grew more and more independant :-D

I thought the sound effects were good too Mau. It was fascinating watching how completely absorbed the mothers got into 'being in the war'. And how they got so emotional over the children being evacuated, even though knowing they were not really. And the teenagers with the milking of the cows, I suspect any of us now, even those of us who live in the country, would feel the same. It was excellent at recreating the war years for those who stayed at home, far better than some of the dramas that are put on because it seemed more realistic.

Did no-one watch last night's programme then :-S :-)

Mau

We had newspaper - carefully cut into squares, and threaded onto a bit of string, which was then hung on to a hook.

Much softer than 'Izal' or 'Bronco' - probably because it absorbed the damp (from the atmosphere), which made it softer.

I thought this week the special effects were very good. The bombed house and sounds of the air-raid while the families were in the shelter gave an eerie feel. It was strange the mothers taking part became very emotional and were really caught up with how it must have been for the wives,especially when the children were sent away.Even the children in a way sensed the loss of not seeing their parents.

All in all a very good insight into a small part of what it was like in the war years.

Mau

I don't recall newspaper that's probably because it was. I got mad a bit at last weeks. All men equal when at war - well nearly. Look forward to watching it.
Thanks for the nudge.

Vera

LOVE this programme !!!

I could be in any 3 of the houses during the war years depending on which side and which branch was followed.

I have a feeling that the middle class family will take over from the upper class family this time.........just a hunch x

Yes we did Shrimp..........great if you had the piece with the crossword ;-) :-D

Did any of you have to use squares of newspaper for loo paper??

Was the first loo roll called Izal? We are so lucky now, wife of Shrimp insists on buying that lovely soft stuff!

Tonight it's the war years!

My Ancestors..... one side fishermen........other stage actors,

and then there are the dental surgeons :-S

I'd have been in the poor house I'm dead sure of that.

My gran took washing in from a local hotel usually waitress outfits and chefs white and can remember turning the mangle with her and watching her iron with flat irons that she heated on the gas,she also did other peoples washing mainly whites such as bedding and shirts which she used to starch.

boiler.mangle flat iron and her whites were blinding whte.and no blue bag insight.

they didn't like to "go on the parish" either - for poor relief - my maternal line was very poor indeed but proud of the fact they never went to the parish

People didn't like the poorhouse for many reasons, one of which was that families were split up.

Nearly got me on that 'sharing a bed Mau'. I liked the programme although I was of course mixing it up with another - Down Your Street, I think.

I too found it upsetting about the little boy crying but glad that the Dad was
able to hold him. I think he was probably too young for that experiment.
Thank goodness fathers are able to be closer to their children now.

My background is poor and poorer so I would have been at the mangling. I don't think it was the hard work that got to them, it was the constant fear of not being able to pay their rent and feed themselves. That made me quite sad too. :-(

I would prefer the poor house but am aware some poor families back in the day would not have been like that.

Look forward to next weeks

Vera.

Hornets! :-0 don't think I would have stayed long either Maggie.........if'n I didn't have to of course ;-)

We had an unflushable toilet when I was growing up - basically a bucket with a seat on it in a shed!!!
Worst year was when we had a hornets nest over the door. Dad told us, if we didn't make a fuss, they wouldn't bother us - and he was right - but we didn't stay out there long :-0

My ancestors (that I know of) at the time were probably between the middle class and the poor. No servants, but g grandfathers had steady jobs- one a ship's steward, one a master mariner, one a master blacksmith - the 4th is unknown!
The master mariner was a bit of a snob, but the ship's steward and blacksmith absolutely adored their children, and wouldn't have behaved like the middle class bloke.

I was very surprised at how well the Meadows girls adapted to the working life,especially the older daughter. Think their parents were proud of them.

Don't think I would have liked to live in the upper class house. What a boring life the wives must have led,although of course they wouldn't have known any different then.
Didn't have the vote, it's no wonder the suffragettes became so militant,many of them came from the upper class.

It was interesting to see how emotional the families became.

Even with our country's economic state I think we are so lucky to live in this era.

one of my sides of mymothers family were wealthy blanket factory owners
and the other side very poor struggling to make ends meet

dads side where master mariner
and his mothers tailors and land owners

so we are from a very mixed bag :-D