Jimbles Life

story of a young boy's home-life, during the hectic days, months and years of the devastating World War II. From eating un-peeled turnips, to breakfast of bread and lard. Collecting paper and milk-bottle tops to salvage for the war effort. Council workers building new roads by hand. Having thirteen people living in a three bedroom house, with refugees from the London Blitz forced onto already large families. Two six and seven year old brothers having to walk three miles each-way, to collect sacks of coke from the gas-works, on an old set of pram wheels. Catching rabbits in their burrows by twisting a long thorny dog-briar into their fur and pulling them out, then selling them to house-wives for their family's dinner, door to door for half a crown. Cutting-up fallen branches for firewood to sell in sand-bags; thick pieces one shilling a bag, twiggy stuff for just a tanner. Digging gardens with spades as tall as themselves, just to earn a few bob to make ends meet. No benefit system in those days, No free Health Service either; people had to pay if they were ill and had to see a Doctor to get some Jollop. If you were really hard-up, you might borrow a few bob from the National Assistance Board. Into the air-raid shelter or under the kitchen table as German Bombers droned overhead and Ack-Ack guns boomed. Householders kept chickens, ducks, rabbits and even the occasional pig in their back garden to eat; as well as growing as many vegetable crops as possible themselves, due to the food shortage. School children were taught horticulture at the schools allotments in order to grow veg-food themselves. All rather different from the mollycoddled UK we have today.