Re: Questions for Cleveland

Tom Holloway (xuegx@CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK)
Thu, 20 Nov 1997 19:40:27 +0000 

>We are a 7th grade class in Northfield, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland.  We

Nice to meet you.....

>1.      Did you have enough food to eat?

Yes, and there is a lot of evidence to show that people in
wartime Britain were *healthier* too - we exercised more
of course - no cars, and often it was easier to walk or
cycle.  We didn't think anything about walking 2 miles to
work or school; it was quite normal.

Sometimes we were hungry, but that was good for us too (as
long as we weren't actually *starving*).



>2.      Were any of your family members in the War?

I had an Uncle in the 8th Army (the Desert Rats).  He
survived, perhaps because he was a cook and was usually
away from the fighting front.



>3.      Was money worth anything during and after the war?

In the United Kingdom we had no trouble with inflation. I
think Germany had very serious problems with inflation after
the war though...



>4.      What were your schools like?

Much the same as yours I think, although when I started school
in 1938 we were still using slates instead of paper, and we weren't
allowed to use ink until I was about 10 years old - only pencils.



>5.      What were your hobbies during the war?

Collecting comics - shrapnel (I had a very good collection,
including the fin part of an incendiary bomb) swimming and
cycling of course. I went through a phase of plane-spotting
but it was mostly RAF and USAAF bombers (boring) and the
occasional Junkers 88 and a couple of Messerschmidt 109s.
There was plenty to do.



>How were women treated?

They were expected to be 'home-makers' much more than now,
and it was understood that you didn't have liaisons until
you were decently married.  Illigitemate children (those
born out of wedlock) were made to feel that they were 'not
quite decent'.



>7.      What things did you do for fun with your family?

Go for walks - we listened to the radio a lot and it was
much more fun that it is now.  Good plays and interesting
programmes - quite unlike the dreary phone-ins and ghastly
music that we have nowadays.



>Thank you for answering our questions.

Quite alright. Don't mention it.

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