Wartime Self-sufficiency

 

1943 Sally the pig 'with orchard behind

(J Wetherfield)

 

1952 Janet gathering hay with Mother in back garden

(J Wetherfield)

Janet Walsh moved to Harston age 6 with her family in Nov 1940 and lived at Orchard Lea, 154 High St. Janet’s father was called up in 1941 leaving her mother with Janet and her brother, an 18 month baby.

Her mother became very self-sufficient in the war years and kept geese, chickens and a pig. When the pig was ready it went to Letchworth Bacon Company. They received half back and the other half went to the country. They had a goat which they milked. They made butter from the cream of the milk delivered by Hays dairy. They kept rabbits for meat and even used the treated pelt (treated in Regents Street, Cambridge) to make fur gloves. They were all very domesticated and by the time Janet was twelve/thirteen she could pluck and draw a chicken and skin a rabbit. They would go gleaning down the Drift to get grain for their chickens.

Their family had, as did their neighbours, a huge (1/3 acre) orchard of 100 fruit trees – apples and plums – and used to dry and string up apple rings on the clothes dryer (cut into rings once the apple had been peeled and cored). Over winter the apple would be used in a winter fruit salad along with prunes and dried apricots, the latter probably grown locally. The dried apples and prunes would be stewed first to re-hydrate and soften them. They would also pickle eggs and keep vegetables in clamps – either covered with soil or sand which kept them beautifully over winter.

They raked up the hay near the orchard but Janet is not sure where it was used and who used the scythe to cut it.

The weather was really perishing in 1947 so their mother made ice cream from custard by burying the pan with it in, in the snow in the front garden.

If you can add more examples/stories, please let us know.