Preparatations

Preparing the house and making an emergency food store Arthur is expecting to receive his call up papers

The new Ministry of Food had issued instructions foe families to make preparations for possible food shortages

May began to put non perishable foods stuff to one side in the cellar.

Sugar; tea; flour; in their original packets were placed into seven pound (7 lb) biscuit tins (obtained from Arthurs cousin Jack Ward's grocery) these were lined with grease proof paper and sealed with sticky tape.

Eggs were stored in Isinglass.

 

 They went into town and bought a mains operated wireless, so that May would not have to replace the batteries. The new wireless had long wave; medium and shortwave settings. This was a recommendation should there be problems with the transmission stations 

 

Some people were having shelters built; Anderson ones built from corrugated steel sheet and covered with sand bags.

Arthur and May's house and James and Mary's were build entirely of stone, with stone stairs, both up to the bedrooms and down to the cellar; these were deemed to be adequate, they were advised to sit in the cellar steps in case of any need; the strongest part of the house and that would be the first place where rescuers would look for survivors.

 

House windows were crisscrossed with sticky tape to stop broken glass from scattering and Arthur had some solid window covers made fro thick hard board on a wooden frame, with fasteners so they could quickly and easily be fitted during any air raids.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Oh my goodness, facts set cool and cold.. yet there must have been so much trepidation beneath the surface. Have heard/read these sort of details before, the use of common sense, dictats from those in the know, etc. You've coolly nudged folk to re.read history. Thank you.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Emma > I was three but could feel the tension - Could it be the way the talked in whispers or how they listened intently to the news broadcasts - when the radio worked (Battery operated)