London was a very different city in 1941. Alongside the landmarks we all recognize there were clear signs of the Blitz and the toll that war was taking on the city. From schools, to Trafalgar Square to bomb shelters and shop fronts, these photos give you an insight into the way London had to change(…)
It was rather of a relief when I found these photos to realise that 1940s women didn’t all look as impossibly movie-star-ish as we tend to think. Far from the easy ‘glamour on a shoe-string‘ that we read about so often, these photos show the hard-working ordinary women of wartime Britain during their daily lives.(…)
This is part 2 of the photo feature I ran yesterday released by the War Office in 1941 and show some of the grim realities of living in wartime Britain. Part 2 has a much happier ending though (scroll to the end!) Above: Mrs Day separates cardboard and tin from her household rubbish, ready for(…)
This series of photos were released by the War Office in 1941 and show some of the grim realities of living in wartime Britain. The lovely Mrs Day admittedly lives in a 4 storey town-house in South Kensington, so her life is probably a lot smarter than most people actually experienced in wartime London. However,(…)
The snood (rhymes with food) is a type of hairnet or scarf which was particuarly popular with factory girls during World War II. It kept their long hair out of the way of machinery and was worn by lots of celebrities including wartime sweetheart Vera Lynn. You can even see the ever-glamorous Rita Hayworth wearing(…)
It’s my son’s school trip today. They’re learning about World War 2 in history at the moment and they’re off to have a WW2-themed day at Holdenby House where they’ll get to experience cooking with rations, bomb shelters and various other things which *may* give him nightmares. Having said that learning about the war is(…)