How We Lived Then 1914-1918: a Sketch of Social and Domestic Life in England During The

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/howwelivedthen1900mrsc HOW WE LIVED THEN — BY THE SAME AUTHOR A HUNDRED WONDERFUL YEARS Social and Domestic Life of a Century, 1820-1920. Illustrated THE HAT SHOP: A Novel MRS. BARNET ROBES : A Novel A MRS. JONES: A Novel TONY SANT: A Novel THE LABOUR-SAVING HOUSE THE BODLEY HEAD PJwio. Imperial War Museum. RIFLING A NAVAL GUN AT WOOLWICH ARSENAL. At the time when women were doing work such as this a newspaper article appeared objecting to women in trousers. HOW WE LIVED THEN 1914-1918 A SKETCH OF SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE IN ENGLAND DURING THE WAR by MRS. C. S. PEEL, O.B.E. LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD LTD. NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY First published in ig2g Printed in Great Britain by R. Clay & Sons, Ltd., Bungay, Suffolk. 234824 "THE SICKENING ABOMINATION OF WAR" " The Treaty, as the American Secretary of State has wisely warned us, may not immediately and finally banish all war from the earth, but it will be the most impressive declaration ever made by mankind of a determination to preserve peace, and will inspire the nations with confident hope such as they have never had till now of deliverance at last from the sickening abomination of war." From a letter to the Primate written by Lord Cushendun, Signatory on behalf of Great Britain to the Treaty renouncing war, August 1928. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Pre- and Post-war Life : a Comparison . Pre- and A different way of life—When living was cheap— the post-war income tax—Life on £300 a year before and after country war—When whisky was 3/. 6d. the bottle—The gentleman comfortably off—Living in other people's houses— dole The new rich and the new poor—Unemployment and the —Workers who are better off—A higher standard of living- Increased social amenities—The well-dressed working woman Woman More noise, more hurry—A powerful proletariat— a citizen—The lightning changes of the war years. CHAPTER II From Peace to War Ques- The Austrian assassination—The Suffragettes—The Irish could not tion—A very serious note—The terrible thing that Continent happen—A battle in Dublin—Mobilization on the England —" War looms large "—Austria declares war—May be involved ?—The price of flour rises—Stock Exchange failures—The prayers of the nation—The price of bread rises Gold —But a month's supply of meat—A rush to buy food— abandoned called in and paper money issued—Cowes Regatta " —The crowd outside Buckingham Palace sing Rule in the Britannia " and the " Marseillaise "—Impressive scene House of Commons—Britain declares war. —— CONTENTS CHAPTER III PAGE The Earlier Months of War .... 20 A passionate patriotism—Disorganization of the railways " " Through the long, unhappy nights —The rush to join the army—What civilians did—The moratorium—Her grocer lent her £3—Paper money—Comforts funds—The crumpling of luxury trades—The great nursing services—Houses lent for hospitals—The Dominions and their troops—How women helped—The Belgian refugees—Boatloads of misery—Special " Constables—" All alone in the dark "—The " Lusitania riots—What was the truth ? —Germans asked to go—Chaff in Chelsea—The kind baker's wife—A clean record of work " " " " well done—A good murder is still good news. CHAPTER IV War Stories and War Songs ..... 39 The spy mania—Governesses and waiters—" Mummie, must " we kill Fraulein ? —The enamelled advertisements—The Russians — Changing names — Revolting tales — Falsehood in war-time—Signalling the enemy—Songs of the war " Your King and Country need you "—Songs of sentiment Songs of cheer—Nonsense songs—What Americans sang " " There's a girl for every soldier —The Soldiers and Sailors' Wives Club—" Next day two more of the women were widows and a mother had lost her son." CHAPTER V Our Rapidly Changing Life . .51 Women's pages and papers—Dresses contrived out of cotton bags—" He went to bed in a pair of old chintz curtains " When serge cost 30/. a yard—Making gas masks—Cheap brown " soup and " Crowdie —Food prices—A collapse in the wine trade—The one-man business—Darker and darker—No time viii ——A CONTENTS PAGE to be ill—Dearer babies—Fuel shortage—The coal queue Collecting coal in a washing basket—War horses, brave, clever and faithful—The paper famine—Save your paper bags—Knitting—The drink trouble—The shell shortage The death of Lord Kitchener—No alcohol or low alcohol ? Fifty thousand letters—Forbidden to make a man drunk No brandy unless a doctor's prescription is presented—Night clubs—The apotheosis of Soho—Marry or mate—Fortune- — " telling—Gambling " We went on playing —War Savings and War Certificates—The coming of food control. CHAPTER VI Housekeeping in War Time ..... 74 A Food Controller appointed—The problem of tonnage—The submarine peril—A collective budget—Profiteering—Bread is subsidized—Directors of economy—Waste—People who never had enough—He didn't feel the need to throw 'em—Do the best you can—Sugar shortage—War jam—National kitchens —The Queen and the rice pudding—The yellow dog which " licked the " shape —9380 tons of waste bread—The luxury egg—When dog was 2S. Sd. a lb.—Rationing in Berlin—Rude shopkeepers—The disappearing rabbit—Meatless days—Those horrible beans—The popularity of offal—Butter a love gift The soldiers' dinner. CHAPTER VII The Food Shortage becomes more Serious . 94 To throw rice a summary offence—Not so much starch Animals rationed—A .£50 fine for wasting bread—War bread —The sugar ramp—The muffin disappears—Silly advice— patriotic Christmas dinner—Sugar tickets—Food queues The bit o' brisket—Carry your own parcels—The housewife's dilemma—No veal—Ration cards—Experiences of a country clergyman's wife—War gas—The secretary who carried coals —Those hen birds—They grumbled but " did their bit." —— CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII PAGE The Work which Women Did .... 105 More women than work—The failure of luxury trades Men's work—Cheap labour—Women not wanted—Unsuitable clothes—The land girls' legs—Registration for national service —She actually preached—A touching sight—Women learn to Marcel wave—Intelligent, enthusiastic bank clerks Trousered women—Munition girls—Box and Cox—Pies and potatoes—Language—Odd expressions—" Smart as monkeys, but a bit too chatty." CHAPTER IX More and More Women are Wanted . .119 Aeroplane workers—Post Office workers—The breezy waitress —In the bakery trade—Saviours of their country, but not fit to vote—The aeroplane hastener—Sugar clerks—Rude taxi- men—Sworn in under the Official Secrets Act—A bow and a smile—The W.R.N.S. intelligence officer and the surrender of the German Fleet—The W.A.A.C.'s—The Women's Legion —The W.A.A.C. at home and abroad—A well-conducted army —The RA.F.'s—The Nursing Services—V.A.D. experiences —A happiness which many had not known before. CHAPTER X War Comes Home to Us—Bombardments, Zeppelin and Aeroplane Raids ..... 138 The bombardment of Scarborough—Other towns attacked Twelve bombardments and 791 casualties—In the towns of Thanet—An avalanche of spades—Killed on the way to school —Life underground—A bad raid at Folkestone—The Zeppelins—Fifty- two raids : 495 killed and 1236 wounded People would stare—Like a train with rusty wheels travelling —— CONTENTS through the sky—When the Zeppelin fell—The aeroplanes Fifty-nine raids : 619 killed and 400 injured—Five raids in eight nights The daylight air battle—In the basement of — — Hyde Park House—The woman selling flags " It's no business to happen here "—" We continued to talk and watched them fly away." CHAPTER XI Some more Raid Experiences . .154 Sheltering in the Tube—Calling out the squad—The hurry- ing feet—The nursery underground—The cook and the cat " Sure, ma'am, they're only them Zeppelins "—Hunting for souvenirs—A head came rolling towards him—The children all smeared and spattered with blood—A raid by telephone " " I've just seen my husband's head blown off ! —Death and dancing—Under the billiard-table eating peppermints The child's point of view—" We weren't allowed to enjoy the ! war a bit "—" If I have to be killed at least I'll be killed comfortably." CHAPTER XII Those Last Weary Months and The End . 164 The creation of gardens—Camp libraries—" Like hounds at a worry"—The White Feather—Conscientious Objectors The German prisoner—Back to Blighty—Share your taxi Servant troubles—War content—" The War's been a 'appy " time for us —Pestilence—Too good to be true—The — " Armistice " With you I thank God and rejoice —Those who had paid the price—Ding dong, ding dong—In Trafalgar — " Square " What shall we be when we aren't what we are ? Payment. xi APPENDICES — PACE I. Life on £300 a Year Pre-war and Post-war . 181 — II. Life on £500 a Year Pre-war and Post-war . .187 III. How to Feed the Family—Two Adults and Four Children (From Ministry of Food Leaflet, 1918) 193 IV. A War-time Working-class Budget . 198 V. Official Index Numbers of Average Change of Retail Food Prices ....... 203 VI. War Cookery Recipes ...... 204 VII. Standard Rate of Income Tax, 1914 Onwards . 213 VIII. Billeting Rates, 1914-1919 ..... 214 IX. Pension Rates : Soldiers and their Widows and Children, 1914-1918 ...... 217 X. Rations in England and in Germany, 1918 . 219 " " XI. The Eat-Less-Bread Campaign, 1917 . 220 XII. Costly Kitchens : Prices of Various Commodities, 1914-1919 ....... 224 Index ........

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