callmemadam (callmemadam) wrote,
callmemadam
callmemadam

On This Day

Tuesday 23rd October 1951
Heavy frost covered the lawn like a light fall of snow this morning. The herbaceous border looked odd with its bright bank of flowers. I'd an appointment with my hairdresser and we went down town early so I could go to the grocer's and the greengrocer's. The grocer's wife served me. She is rather a grumbler, and I've noticed the shelves kept a bit too well-stocked - tinned ham in small tins, crayfish, chicken from 3/6 to 24s, the latter 'guaranteed to contain a whole fowl'. This morning she was so gloomy as she complained, 'Things have never picked up since we had such bad trade when the town went mad to go to Wembley.' (to see the Barrow Rugby Union League team in the final. People sold furniture to go. Barrow lost.) I thought,'Well, I didn't go, but my money shrinks. I'd love to buy a lot of things I see but I dodge up something tasty, as even in the war we did, but with cheaper food on the whole.' Women complained of it being cold, but added, 'One thing, there will be no power cuts till after Thursday and women have voted.' It seems the general opinion that women will sway the votes (in the general election, the second within two years.) I suppose they won't want to irritate anyone! I see by the notice in the local Mail every district in Furness as well as Barrow are 'charted' for different days. Our bad day will be Tuesday, so I can plan a plain meal of soups to heat and perhaps fish to cook, or bacon. Even a four-hour cut ends at noon, so men from the Yard (the shipyard) can have a quickly prepared meal.

from Nella Last in the 1950s
Tags: diaries, nella last
Subscribe

Recent Posts from This Journal

  • The Napoleon Diaries 14

    Astonishingly, the day after Waterloo, Napoleon writes to his brother Joseph that all is not lost and begins working out how many troops he could…

  • The Napoleon Diaries 13

    Why did Napoleon lose the battle of Waterloo? He said that this time fate was against him but the truth is that he did everything wrong and…

  • The Napoleon Diaries 12

    On Elba, rather than have a rest, Napoleon shows his usual energy and begins a programme of reforms such as paving roads and building a hospital.…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    switch
    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
    Help
  • 6 comments