BELFAST RB BOOKLET 2020 - Flipbook - Page 56
Ci t y of Belf ast Grand Bl ack Chapt er - Dem onst rat i on Bookl et 2020
First to be rationed were
Points could be saved up
bacon or ham, butter and
and then splurged all at once
sugar items, with each person
on a special occasion, unlike
being allocated twelve ounces
some of the rationed goods.
a week of sugar and four each
Though many war-weary
of the other two foodstuffs.
citizens thoroughly enjoyed
From May 1940 they were
the odd treat, some folk
allowed just one ounce of
struggled to understand the
cheese, and by July two
ever-changing availabilities,
ounces of tea. Cooking fat
and even found the system
started to be shared out,
more confusing.
and meat went on the ration
Shopkeepers were the
books in March 1941, with
local experts when it came
those under six years of age entitled to to coupons and points; they had to be, as it
eleven pence worth (10.05p) and those over was their responsibility to keep track of the
six, allowed a shilling’s worth.
varying allowances and shortages of
The idea being that folk could choose to particular goods, to ensure they removed
have a small amount of an expensive cut or a both the correct number and type of
larger portion of cheap meat.
coupons from the ration books.
Fish itself wasn’t rationed, but they became
In turn they also had to keep a ledger of how
very difficult to get as trawlers found it more much or the amount of what their customers
and more risky to brave the North Sea lanes were getting, and in turn discourage blackdue to hostile enemy shipping and u-boats.
market trading as well as any monopoly by
By November 1941 milk too was rationed, those who could easily afford to pay for them.
with children under five being allowed just
Of course, there were those neighbours who
seven pints a week and everyone else (except 'bartered' goods between themselves, but
expectant mothers) limited to just two pints, families still tended to operate a hierarchy of
though they were granted a tin of powdered consumption with the children at the top of the
milk every eight weeks.
list, housewives at the bottom and several
Eggs were the hardest to get hold of, shop keepers who kept a few choice titbits,
being uncertain in supply, and were not hidden below the counter for their best or
actually rationed, but ‘allocated’ as they favourite customers, but generally, for the
became available.
sake of the Country, people took to rationing
In 1940 a mere twenty-nine eggs were well and stuck to it honourably.
allowed per person during any one year,
A good thing too, as the rationing period
though tins of another dreaded, this time wasn’t removed from everyday life, for another
powdered egg were given out bi-monthly.
fourteen years, in 1954!
Finally a system was then introduced
But back then, whilst it was regarded as a
whereby each person was given sixteen necessary evil, RATIONING, and for all its
points a week, and could spend them on a undeserving faults, those folk who grew up
choice of unrationed foodstuffs which during the war years forever learned never
included cereals, pulses, biscuits, tinned to take food for granted or to waste
meats and jellies, among other goods.
foodstuffs, and cheerfully, everyone truly
For anyone with a sweeter tooth, such made the most of whatever they had or
luxuries were also added to the points system were given, unlike many of those selfish
two years later in 1942.
rabblement within today's populace!
IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN - 54 - AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING