Evacuation

Post by **cnosni** » Tue 05 Feb, 2008 9:00 pm

Interestingly it has been proved that because of rationing during the war that the countrys population has never been on such a healthy diet,certainly before,and in the last 20 years,today.

Si · Post by Si » Wed 06 Feb, 2008 9:06 am

So how come the average life-span has increased since? NHS?

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Wed 06 Feb, 2008 11:09 pm

Si wrote: So how come the average life-span has increased since? NHS? no more filthy air,better working conditions and pay,advancements in medical research...anti biotics etc...?

Si · Post by Si » Thu 07 Feb, 2008 9:35 am

I think that covers it, Wiggy!

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Thu 07 Feb, 2008 9:40 am

I think nutritionally, we have gone back instead of moving forrad! Pre-seventies, we were eating good quality food made fresh each and every day. Today, the supermarkets pump out so much ready meals that the modern lifestyle finds convenient. alas, to the detriment of our well being.All other aspects of modern world may have improved, air quality, medical advancements, but food... Forget it!

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Thu 07 Feb, 2008 9:42 pm

simonm wrote: I think nutritionally, we have gone back instead of moving forrad! Pre-seventies, we were eating good quality food made fresh each and every day. Today, the supermarkets pump out so much ready meals that the modern lifestyle finds convenient. alas, to the detriment of our well being.All other aspects of modern world may have improved, air quality, medical advancements, but food... Forget it! i agree,the americanisation of our eating habits over the last 35-40 years has and is destroying both our health and our culture.the origanal statement about us all been healthy during the war is also true.rationing stopped malnutrition and greed.obviously the black market was there if you had the cash,but maybe the re-introduction of rationing,combined with massive taxes on american style eateries could bring us back on line before we self destruct...i don't know,but it's a thought.

peterg · Post by **peterg** » Tue 11 Mar, 2008 4:22 pm

The deviation towards eating habits brings back to my mind anecdotes of when I was evacuated to Pontefract (mentioned above). I have always called my aunt (R.I.P.) patriotic for some of her actions during the war. At that time, there were half a dozen or so of crab apple trees along the drive so she waived the jam ration to get extra sugar and made crab apple jelly. One day they said that nettles were eatable so we were all mustered (all means my uncle, aunt, a family of five belonging to a soldier from the Midlands posted to Pontefract) and me to collect nettles, with the consequent stinging. A pile of leaves about two feet long, one foot wide and over a foot high boiled down to a small spoonful on ths plate. Goodbye nettles! When making sweetstuff, she weighed the eggs against other ingredients. One day she found that she had forgotten the egg, so thereafter all our buns, jam tarts, etc. were without egg (and we had hens in the garden). One day on the radio they said that transparent tape attached to the windows with waterglass was good for preventing splintering windows in an air raid. She did not waste five minutes in applying herself to the job. The following day they said water glass no, because it melted the genuine glass. Those windows were marked for ever after. Another day they said elderberries were eatable. There was a tree a few yards up the street and its berries did not last five minutes. These however did not sting and are quite good to eat, apart from serving to make wine.