Mrs Brown

Mrs Brown, did you meet any spies during the War?

Yes, I can remember two very well. One man played a French Horn on the pier at 7 o’clock every night. We used to call him the spy, never thinking he could be until the police carted him off one day. Another nice lady lived in the hotel. I used to go walks with her. She was a very nice person.

Mrs Brown, what was fashion like during the War?

Wartime fashions were not what you’d call fashion today. Clothing coupons had to be exchanged for Dresses, shoes, and wooden soled shoes were popular. Some people didn’t use their quoto and could pass their quoto to brides. Perhaps some wedding dresses were known to be made from parachute material. Make do and mend was a popular slogan.

Mrs Brown, do you know how many children were evacuated?

At first the Government announced a plan that Evacuation would go ahead to evacuate 2 million children into the countryside. Then when the war ended the children would go back to their mums if they were alive.

Did you ever meet any evacuees?

Yes, my mother took two of them. One girl was about my age, the other a baby boy. They were my friends, children who lived in Glasgow.

Mrs Brown What did you do for Entertainment?

There was no television in those days. We listened to the radio in the evenings and read books or played Ludo or Snakes and Ladders, that’s how we entertained ourselves. I used to like drawing, colouring in, jigsasw and dressing up and acting little plays.

We played outside games, netball, rounders, hopscotch and hide and seek. On wet days we had jigsaws and wind up gramophone that played records.

What was it like at school in the forties?

At school in those days the leaving age was 14 years. Unless you were very smart and very clever you would go to university. I was not so clever so I got sent to my married sister to look after her children while she worked.

Gavin and Eilidh Mackinan’s Gran.

What had the people eaten in W.W.2?

Sweets were rationed around three quarters of a pound per person. Meatless days were common. There was dried milk for scrambled egg, and dried milk for cooking. There were tins of spam and plenty of potatoes and vegetables which grew in gardens.

Very little fruit, except apples could be bought. Bananas were not seen for five years , but people were good at make substitutes for the real thing.

What did you eat during the War?

Sweets were rationed around three quarters of a pound per person. Meatless days were common. There was dried milk for scrambled egg and dried milk for cooking. There were tins ofd spam and plenty of potatoes and vegetables which grew in gardens. There was very little fruit except apples which cold be bought. Bananas were not seen for five years but people were good at making substitutes for the real thing.

Mrs Kinnaird School in the Forties.

What was the school like?

The schools were much the same as the ones today. We were often taught by nuns. Windows were plastered like X for in case explosions of the glass wouldn’t make much damage.

As well as carrying a school bag, we were to carry a little box with a gas mask in case the German soldiers dropped a poison bomb.

At school the leaving age was 14 years unless you were very clever and able to go to university. I was not , so I was sent to my married sister in Fort William to look after her children while she worked.