Wartime memories

Yesterday, Jill at Third Age Musings posted an advert from a Woman's Own of the late 1930's. It sent me off to read my Woman's Own from 1942 that I received for Christmas and I was caught up in the language of the time and the manner in which things were advertised. The headline of the ad above obviously had a completely different meaning to one that we might take today yet the topics covered are the same as we might currently read in the likes of 'Good Housekeeping' or 'Woman and Home' magazines.

Although heavily leaning towards the war effort the main items are about food, family, looking beautiful, knitting and sewing and making the best of everything. There were even problem pages - amongst the letters was one from a lonely girl in London asking 'Can you put me in touch with a lonely sailor?'

The reply was 'I would not take such a responsibility my dear, and can never help readers in this way. How can I know what sort of man would suit you and whom you would suit. If you are in a job, make friends with the people you meet or take up some voluntary work that will bring you in touch with other human beings. It is the only way: pen friendships are not any use except to an invalid who cannot get out and meet people' This seems so condescending to me but perhaps it was the way of it at this time. Everything was brought into sharp relief by the effects of the war.

On the cooking pages 'Judy' tells you how to zip up the family appetite by disguising the same old things in a different way. One of her specials is the 'Lettuce and Cheese Plate' where she tells Mum to thickly cover individual plates with very finely shredded lettuce, piling it up in the centre. Sprinkle with grated cheese and pattern round a zigzag of tomato sauce...... no, thanks Mum, I'll pass.