Rachel Jury

I was born in 1941.  World War Two had been ongoing for two years.  Rationing was in use from 1939 to 1954.  Most foodstuffs were on ration.  Coupons were needed for most foods and clothing and furniture.  My father worked in the mines so he never went to war.  Mother never worked so she was always at home.  She kept a very good house as I cannot recall us ever going without food.  My father kept pigs, chickens and he had an allotment.  We were very lucky to have meat, home-grown vegetables. Another thing, we exchanged clothing coupons with an aunt living in west Wales in exchange for clothes which were outgrown by their children.

My father kept pigs during the war.  Very often, when the pigs farrowed, one or two of the pigs were hidden away before the inspector came along to count them.  When the time came for these pigs to be killed, friends and family were often receiving of the meat and the story in the family goes where I was being pushed along in my pram with the meat under the seat of the pram going across to Treforest from Rhydyfelin with the meat for my aunt.  The local bobby stopped and spoke to my mother who was really quaking in her shoes because of this meat!