Memories of the 40s

I remember clothing in th '40s was called Utility and bore the CC49 label to prove its authenticity. The choice and styles were pretty basic. In our town there was a clothing exchange where good, outgrown clothes could be exchanged for something better fitting. My mother knitted all our jumpers and made quite a few clothes too.
We had lots of soft fruit bushes in the garden, along with vegetables and a couple of apple trees. I don't remember being hungry but probably wasn't used to eating much.
On a visit to my Grandad in Ireland in 1944 I saw sweets for the first time. The journey to and from there was horrible. The boat from Holyhead was not stabilised and the sea was very rough. The boat was jam packed with people and we had to sit on the deck. We got soaked by a wave at one point as the boat listed to one side.
Blackout curtains at home every night and a shelter in the back room. As I was a small child I didn't really know anything else.

Annodomini I also had a black Hercules with no gears. I really wanted a red bike like the boy next door had. Those bikes lasted for years. It was still in good condition when DH put it in a skip ten years ago. Heavy though.

Tartan skirts, navy blue gabardine macks and grey knee high socks held up by elastic sewn to make a band. Bombed buildings (Plymouth). Once you start thinking about it all sorts of memories come back.

Born in 47 , but memories of infant school at two,when I was allowed to go early as mum was expecting my younger sister , keeping chickens and pigs , jaunts out in Dads tandem and sidecar , an outside toilet and water from an outside pump.
We were so happy

I love hearing all these memories!

Born in 1940, I had a great childhood in the West of Scotland, where there was little fear of German bombs. I remember my Dad's Home Guard uniform - itchy woollen fabric; his bike which he sometimes rode to work at the explosives factory; my uncle's bus company which took us on jaunts to Largs. My uncle and aunt had chickens which supplemented the egg ration and I helped my aunt to make the mash for them. They also had a greenhouse and the smell of fresh tomatoes always takes me back there. My granny in Fife had a big garden with any amount of soft fruit, for the picking. My first bike for my 9th birthday - a black Hercules with no gear change. It eventually took me to school and through University. Ah, school! and the belt - that traditional Scottish weapon to oppress small children. I don't think I was specially naughty, but must have got under the skin of some of my teachers who were always ready with the belt. I'm beginning to think I could write a memoir which I'm sure you don't want here, so maybe I'll do it for my creative writing group instead!

Hearing the siren, and then the all clear. I still shiver when I hear these sounds in old films.
My mother sitting in the the back row at church bartering sugar for butter for my brother and me.
The big radiogram and Stuart Hibberd reading the news. I thought he lived in there.
Using slate boards when I started school.
Pleated gym slips with sashes.
Oh this wasn't meant to be alphabetical was it. .???

Born 1948 so no memories of 40's but interested to read others memories.

Mickley Mouse gas mask

1949 born 1950

Being in Mummy's tummy!

Better call it the 40s or we will get confused. I will have to leave you to it, but read with interest, born 1949. Nappies and milk and sleep.

There will be others who remember the forties here, some of our members are in their 80's and even 90's, so start a 1940's thread and see what happens?

Sorry about that, I obviously thought there would only be a few of us who can remember that far back!
Perhaps I should put the fourties! Although I do remember in the late fourties,when a tiny kid, right up in the north of Scotland, when seeing the snowdrifts higher than myself and the snowmen that my mother made. Also a lot of what happened in the hotel where my father was a manager. Also being taken out with my dear nanny and brother in one of those yellow blow up army boats.The boat was tied to the main one that took the residents out to the Isle of Skye. I also remember wondering why the family left as, being such a small village, everyone seemed so friendly

Sorry Cath but we have just had a fifties thread, so don't know if there will be an interest in more, why don't you start a seventies thread instead?

X post, Indinana

I think we had the fifties before the sixties. As threads on here I mean !

Haven't we already had the 50's? on this thread?

Horrible ankle socks that never stayed up!